Thursday, February 08, 2007
News Alert! Study Finds Autism More Common Than Believed
Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2007 12:23:45 -0500
The largest U.S. study of childhood autism to date has found that about
1 in 150 have the disorder -- a higher prevalence than previous national
estimates.
Comments:
<< Home
Show us the Money – Act now!
Congress passed the Combating Autism Act but hasn’t put any money behind it. We only have until next week to act, or wait until October 1, the start of FY 08.
The Combating Autism Act (Public Law 109-416) authorizes $1.147 billion to be spent on research, education and awareness. ($147 million this year and $1 billion over the next 4 years) most of the funds go to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
But none of these agencies have appropriations for the current fiscal year (FY 07). Next week Congress must pass a continuing resolution to keep all federal government agencies running, except the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and most of Defense, the only two agencies with appropriations this year.
The continuing resolution, as it stands now, allows for increased funding for some federal agencies and programs, including NIH, but there is no mention of Autism. (There is a proposal to increase funding for TB, Malaria and HIV/AIDS overseas, other countries’ health problems. There is also a supplement request for this year to spend more than $1 billion per week in Iraq.)
Authorization without appropriation means no money can be spent. Increased spending for Autism will have to wait until the start of the new fiscal year, October 1.
Write to your senators and representative now, call them, raise some hell.
Post a Comment
Congress passed the Combating Autism Act but hasn’t put any money behind it. We only have until next week to act, or wait until October 1, the start of FY 08.
The Combating Autism Act (Public Law 109-416) authorizes $1.147 billion to be spent on research, education and awareness. ($147 million this year and $1 billion over the next 4 years) most of the funds go to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
But none of these agencies have appropriations for the current fiscal year (FY 07). Next week Congress must pass a continuing resolution to keep all federal government agencies running, except the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and most of Defense, the only two agencies with appropriations this year.
The continuing resolution, as it stands now, allows for increased funding for some federal agencies and programs, including NIH, but there is no mention of Autism. (There is a proposal to increase funding for TB, Malaria and HIV/AIDS overseas, other countries’ health problems. There is also a supplement request for this year to spend more than $1 billion per week in Iraq.)
Authorization without appropriation means no money can be spent. Increased spending for Autism will have to wait until the start of the new fiscal year, October 1.
Write to your senators and representative now, call them, raise some hell.
<< Home
