August: It's prime time to hop on Title VII bandwagon -- August 2001 -- FP Report

August 2001 • Volume 7 • Number 8

August: It's prime time to hop on Title VII bandwagon

Section 747 of Title VII of the Public Health Service Act helps fund family practice training. Congress relies on two key subcommittees to help it decide how high or low Title VII funds should go.

Appropriations health subcommittees

Senate

Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, chair
Arlen Specter, R-Pa.
Thad Cochran, R-Miss.
Larry Craig, R-Idaho
Mike DeWine, R-Ohio
Judd Gregg, R-N.H.
Ernest Hollings, D-S.C. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas
Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii
Herb Kohl, D-Wis.
Mary Landrieu, D-La.
Patty Murray, D-Wash.
Harry Reid, D-Nev.
Ted Stevens, R-Alaska

House

Ralph Regula, R-Ohio, chair
David Obey, D-Wis.
"Duke" Cunningham, R-Calif.
Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn.
Kay Granger, R-Texas
Steny Hoyer, D-Md.
Ernest Istook Jr., R-Okla.
Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill.
Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y.
Dan Miller, R-Fla.
Anne Northup, R-Ky.
Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
John E. Peterson, R-Pa.
Don Sherwood, R-Pa.
Roger Wicker, R-Miss.
C.W. "Bill" Young, R-Fla.

President George W. Bush recommended zero funds for family practice programs in 2002, following a pattern set by President Bill Clinton. In the past, Congress has ignored the presidential zero and sometimes even increased the Title VII funds.

To make that happen for 2002, the specialty needs your help.

Title VII comes under the purview of appropriations subcommittees on Labor, HHS and Education. If your lawmakers sit on these subcommittees (see lists right), ask them to support increased funding of Title VII, which this year includes about $50 million for the specialty.

AAFP's "Speak Out" service -- at http://capitol.aafp.org -- lets you easily e-mail members of Congress or use the sample letters in writing your legislators.

Don't underestimate the power of a visit to your lawmakers when they're home this month.

Media contacts will also help rally support for Title VII. For a letter to the editor, opinion column, talking points and other resources, access http://www.aafp.org/members/titlevii or request "Title VII press materials" by fax (see "Quick Fax").

FP Report is published by the AAFP News Department.
Copyright © 2001 by American Academy of Family Physicians.

FP Report | Headlines | AAFP Home | Search