Senators on the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee:
Senator Lamar Alexander, Committee Chair
Office: (202) 224-4944
Senator Mike Braun
Office: (202) 224-4814
Senator Richard Burr
Office: (202) 224-3154
Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D.
Staff:rob_butora@cassidy.senate.gov
Office: (202) 224-5824
Senator Susan Collins (she has signed on as a co-sponsor)
Office: (202) 224-2523
Senator Michael Enzi, Chair of Primary Health… Subcommittee
Office: (202) 224-3424
Senator Johnny Isakson
Office: (202) 224-3643
Senator Lisa Murkowski (she has signed on as a co-sponsor)
Office: (202) 224-6665
Senator Rand Paul, M.D.
Office: (202) 224-4343
Senator Pat Roberts
Office: (202) 224-4774
Senator Mitt Romney
Office: (202) 224-5251
Not on Committee:
Senator Shelley Moore Capito (She is the Republican Sponsor of S.2080)
Staff: dana_richter@capito.senate.gov
Office: 202-224-6472
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SAMPLE EMAIL
From the list above, find the email address of the Senator’s health care Staff.
Address the email to this person.
Copy and paste the message below and modify it to include a personal story about how this issue would affect your life:
Dear Senator,
I am writing to ask you to oppose S. 2080, the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act and its House counterpart, H.R. 647, in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions where the bills are waiting for a vote.
I ask you to oppose this legislation because:
The bill could erase hundreds of millions of dollars in Medicare fraud recoveries by leaving the definition of “serious or life-threatening illness” until after enactment.
AND
Palliative care is often a dangerous path to death for people not otherwise dying who could have years to live. The bill’s protective provisions in Section 5 will not stop the abuse and hastened deaths of people enrolled in hospice and palliative care. The first protection is not enforced because the federal agency authorized to do so, does not have the necessary data; the second protection (S. 2080 only) applies to the furnishing of care under the Act, but the Act funds education, research and public information, not the furnishing of care.
OPTIONAL: Mention and attach Euthanasia Prevention Coalition USA’s Talking Points. Add your own experiences or concerns.
Thank you for your time.
Your Name and Contact information.
You can expect to get a form response or even no response, but know that each senator is typically tallying the messages they receive on each side of each issue.
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SAMPLE PHONE CALL SCRIPT
You can reach Senator’s office by calling the number we provided. A staff member in the senator’s office will probably pick up the phone. Your conversation will go something like this:
Senator’s office. How can I help you?
Hi, I am calling to ask Senator ________ to oppose S. 2080 and H.R. 647, two versions of the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act and oppose them in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions where the bills are waiting for a vote.
Then say just one sentence about how this issue affects your life to show the staffer that the issue means something to you.
You could say this or just pick one of the two reasons.
I ask you to oppose this legislation because:
The bill could erase hundreds of millions of dollars in Medicare fraud recoveries by leaving the definition of “serious or life-threatening illness” until after enactment.
AND
Palliative care is often a dangerous path to death for people not otherwise dying who could have years to live. The bill’s protective provisions in Section 5 will not stop the abuse and hastened deaths of people enrolled in hospice and palliative care.
When the staffer asks Can I get your name and address?
Provide your name and address so your call is counted.
Then say Thank you for your time. and you’ll be done!
Your goal is to be counted, so a quick and courteous call like this is all it takes. If you get voicemail, leave your name and address in your message.
[end of letter]
