Legislative Updates
We have three main goals right now
1) We need more House Representatives to support and sponsor HR4169 which has been assigned to the subcommittee on health. If you can get 5–10 people that live in your district to call, write letters, and schedule a meeting with your district representative’s staff asking them to support this bill, together, one district at a time, we can get this bill moved through the House. We also need to call and send letters to the representatives on the subcommittee on Health, which is were this bill resides currently.
 Get names of committee members and fax numbers.
2) We also need a senator to introduce a companion bill to HR4169. Ideally, this bill should be introduced from a senator on the HELP committee (Health, Education, Labor, and Pension) because this bill will get assigned to the HELP committee away and it will help expedite the process. Please call and write to your senator as well as Senator Dodd, Harkin, Murray, Reed, and Kennedy from the HELP committee. Ask them to author and introduce a companion bill to HR4169. If you can get 5–10 people from your district to call, write letters, and schedule a meeting with a staff person in your district, this bill will get the public attention it needs to get introduced so it can move through Congress. UNLESS A COMPANION BILL IS INTRODUCED in the Senate, HR4169 has no chance of becoming a law.
3) We need to get this bill in the media to generate public interest around the importance of getting mercury out of childhood vaccines including the flu shot and to bring contrary research, reports, and evidence that challenges the IOM report regarding the link between autism and mercury. Here is an article you can read to get up to speed on this issue: Study finds link between link thimerisol and autism in the LA Times.
SafeMinds has some sample letters to send to members of Congress. Please note the sections which require your personalization. Feel free to modify/personalize to make it YOUR letter. However, we caution you not to make the letters too long–one page is preferred, two pages maximum.
We suggest you fax these letters to your Representative and Senator. To find out whom your elected officials are and their contact and fax numbers, go to www.house.gov and www.senate.gov. After faxing, wait one or two business days and call your elected official's office(s) and remind them of your position and mention that you faxed in a letter.
Get information about members of the Senate HELP committee.
Sample Letter to Your Congressman:
June 1, 2004
Type Name:
Type Address:
Type City, State, Zip:
Type Telephone:br
Type Email:
Delivered Via Facsimile: (Type in Fax Number)
The Honorable: (Type In Name)
United States Congress
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative (Type in Last Name):
As a parent and constituent, I am writing to request that you join Congressman Dave Weldon, MD of Florida and Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney of New York as a cosponsor of HR 4169, the Mercury-Free Vaccines Act of 2004. This bill is an important step to protecting children from future medical exposures to mercury.
Five years ago, after Congress requested that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) evaluate the level of mercury in medical products, it was discovered that the exposure to mercury in the first six months of life through vaccinations exceeded at least one Federal safety standard. This previously unrecognized exposure was from thimerosal, a mercury-laden preservative that has been banned as a topical ointment. All forms of mercury, including that found in vaccines, have the potential to cause harm to the brain. In 1999, the U.S. Public Health Service, of which the FDA is part, joined with the American Academy of Pediatrics and manufacturers in announcing that a move to thimerosal-free vaccines was possible and preferred. Since that declaration most, but not all, vaccines are now available in mercury-free forms.
Without a ban, however; there is no guarantee that our children will be protected from future similar exposure to mercury. Without a ban, however; medical exposures to mercury through vaccination remain a possibility. Of additional concern is that children in other countries are being injected with mercury through vaccine produced in the United States. These children need our protection as well.
In the 70 years since thimerosal was first used in vaccines, science has made great strides in understanding the danger of exposure to even minute levels of mercury. We have succeeded in removing mercury in many items such as paints and thermometers; and warnings are routinely issued about mercury in fish. Thimerosal, once marketed as the topical ointment Mercurochrome, was banned specifically due to recognition that exposures to mercury could be harmful.
As a parent and constituent, I hope you will move quickly to support this effort to protect our children from the potential harm and tragedy of injury from medical exposures to mercury. {IF APPROPRIATE, you can insert–I have a child (or grandchild) who has been adversely affected by exposure to mercury through (his or her) vaccines.} I would be pleased to provide you further information. I will be contacting your office in the near future to follow up on this request.
Sincerely,
Typed Name
Concerned Parent
Sample Letter to Your Senator:
June 1, 2004
Type Name:
Type Address:
Type City, State, Zip:
Type Telephone:br
Type Email:
Delivered Via Facsimile: (Type in Fax Number)
The Honorable: (Type In Name)
United States Congress
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Senator (Type in Last Name):
As a parent and constituent, I am writing to request that you introduce the Senate companion bill to HR 4169, the Mercury-Free Vaccines Act of 2004 recently introduced by Congressman Dave Weldon, MD of Florida and Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney of New York. This bill is an important step to protecting children from future medical exposures to mercury. Your help is needed to ensure this bill becomes law.
Five years ago, after Congress requested that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) evaluate the level of mercury in medical products, it was discovered that the exposure to mercury in the first six months of life through vaccinations exceeded at least one Federal safety standard. This previously unrecognized exposure was from thimerosal, a mercury-laden preservative that has been banned as a topical ointment. All forms of mercury, including that found in vaccines, have the potential to cause harm to the brain.
In 1999, the U.S. Public Health Service, of which the FDA is part, joined with the American Academy of Pediatrics and manufacturers in announcing that a move to thimerosal free vaccines was possible and preferred. Since that declaration most, but not all, vaccines are now available in mercury-free forms. Without a ban, however, medical exposures to mercury through vaccination remain a possibility. Of additional concern is that children in other countries are being injected with mercury through vaccines produced in the United States. These children need our protection as well.
In the 70 years since thimerosal was first used in vaccines, science has made great strides in understanding the danger of exposure to even minute levels of mercury. We have succeeded in removing mercury in many items such as paints and thermometers; and warnings are routinely issued about mercury in fish. Thimerosal, once marketed as the topical ointment Mercurochrome, was banned specifically due to recognition that exposures to mercury could be harmful.
As a parent and constituent, I hope you will move quickly to support this effort to protect our children from the potential harm and tragedy of injury from medical exposures to mercury. {IF APPROPRIATE, you can insert – I have a child (or grandchild) who has been adversely affected by exposure to mercury through (his or her) vaccines.} I would be pleased to provide you further information. I will be contacting your office in the near future to follow up on this request.
Sincerely,
Typed Name
Concerned Parent
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