Sjögren’s funding included in Senate appropriations bill

The Senate Appropriations Committee has approved its 2003 appropriations bill for Health and Human Services, and the Sjögren’s Syndrome Foundation’s request for expanded Sjögren’s research is included in the text accompanying the bill. With this success Sjögren’s syndrome and related autoimmune diseases will garner greater attention and increased federal research dollars.

The bill asks the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to recognize that the needs of Sjögren’s patients cross the work of many specialties at NIH, and as an NIH-wide research plan on autoimmune diseases is implemented, the needs of Sjögren’s patients must be emphasized. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved language requesting epidemiology studies on dry eye and Sjögren’s, investigation into the progression of Sjögren’s to lymphoid malignancy, and expanded studies on immunological and musculoskeletal aspects of Sjögren’s.

While financial figures for NIH will still be worked out between the House and Senate and voted on sometime in the fall, the texts passed by the Senate and House Appropriations Committees will remain intact. The House Appropriations Committee has not yet considered its bill with similar language on Sjögren’s.

The SSF, with the help of many of its members, has been working throughout the year to make congressional members aware of the needs of those with Sjögren’s and autoimmune disease. Congressional contacts forged by SSF members Edythe Jablonski, Della McCaughan, and SSF Vice President Rhoda Dennison and Senior Advisor for Government Affairs Donald MacKeen made the difference, along with letters targeting key legislators from the SSF Philadelphia chapter and Foundation members attending April’s SSF educational seminar in Atlanta.

Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Thad Cochran (R-MS) took the lead in ensuring Sjögren’s was included. Other Senators offering their support included Arlen Specter (R-PA), Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Diane Feinstein (D-CA), Hillary Clinton (D-NY), and Mark Dayton (D-MN).

The SSF also worked hand-in-hand with the American Autoimmune Diseases Association and National Coalition of Autoimmune Patient Groups to successfully obtain language on and congressional support for the NIH Autoimmune Diseases Research Plan.

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