Hematologists on the Hill

The ASH Government Affairs Committee Advocates on Capitol Hill

Roy Silverstein, MD, Chair, ASH Government Affairs Committee

There is a special rite of spring in Washington, DC, that does not involve the cherry blossoms. Every year between February and May, as congressional committees deliberate about federal funding priorities, groups from around the country travel to the nation's capital to advocate for their specific issues. During this period the sidewalks between the House and Senate office buildings are packed with union representatives, veterans' groups, patient advocacy organizations, school teachers, etc. Some come in wheelchairs, some with matching hats; some even bring celebrity spokespeople from Hollywood. The normal quiet and dullness of the congressional hallways gives way to extra lines for security passes, chatty teenagers on school trips, and thousands of individual advocates armed with a fact sheet and a page of talking points who are trying to visit with their Member of Congress.

It is in this environment that the ASH Government Affairs Committee had its annual Capitol Hill Day on March 7. Added to the Committee's spring meeting is a separate day to visit congressional offices and share ASH legislative priorities. This year, given the tight budget situation and the President's proposal to provide an overall zero percent increase to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (translating as a cut of over $500 million to the three Institutes that support most of the hematology research portfolio), the Committee focused on meeting with House and Senate members who serve on the appropriations committees and advocated for increased funding for biomedical research.

Committee members met with lead staff from the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and with senior staff from over 30 congressional offices to describe advances made possible through federally-funded hematology research and share concerns about what flat funding/cuts will mean. While not advocating for earmarks (funding for specific projects), the Committee also shared ASH recommendations for language that accompanies the funding bill to include support for hematology research at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, and the National Institute on Aging. In addition to discussing research funding, Committee members also urged support for stem cell research legislation in the Senate and genetic non-discrimination legislation in the House of Representatives, both of which have been stalled by political pressure.

The highlight of the day was a meeting of the entire committee with Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA). He listened carefully to ASH's concerns, indicated his strong and enthusiastic support for our goals, and emphasized his opinion that the 21st century will be remembered as the "Century of Biomedicine." He also solicited ASH's help in identifying important research or clinical advances that are being hampered by political issues.

As Committee members dashed from meeting to meeting, some met up with colleagues from other specialty groups in Washington on similar missions. There were close to 100 physicians in town from the American College of Chest Physicians, there were neurologists and radiologists ahead of us in at least two Senate offices, and a group of breast cancer surgeons wearing pink ribbons followed our California delegation. The significance of this is clear - the research community hit the Hill in force this year. As a result, a week after our Hill Day, when an amendment offered by Senators Specter (R-PA) and Harkin (D-IA) to increase the budget for the NIH came to a vote (see related story), it passed the Senate by a significant margin. ASH may be a small medical society, but through its committee advocacy efforts and the Grassroots Network, it is able to effectively advocate for its issues.

After watching the parade of groups on Capitol Hill, it is also clear that while there is a multitude of organizations representing good causes and issues, ASH is the voice for hematology. The Society's legislative priorities concerning medical research were represented by the Government Affairs Committee, and, later this spring, the Committee on Practice will conduct a similar Hill Day focused on practice-related issues.

For more information about ASH advocacy efforts and the ASH Grassroots Network, visit www.hematology.org/takeaction or contact the ASH Policy & Practice Department at 202-776-0544.

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