During Awareness Month, it is important for everyone to remember that your Representative and Senators were elected to represent you, and they can do this better when they know your needs. It is key for Representatives and Senators to understand living with Tourette Syndrome (TS), being a parent of a child with TS, getting an education with TS and working with TS. While the Tourette Association meets with Representatives and Senators in Washington D.C., it is extremely effective for Congress to hear directly from their constituents in their own district and state offices. In addition, it can sometimes be easier to get a meeting with the Representative or Senators in their offices back home. These meetings build their awareness of Tourette Syndrome, support for the CDC TS Programming and other key TAA policy priorities, and help increase funding for research at NIH.
If you are interested in setting up meetings with your Representative and Senators in your district or state, please reach out to your state chapter/support group leader or Joe Grappone at (718) 224-2999 if you are not connected to a state chapter/support group. We have created a step-by-step guide on how to set-up a meeting, talking points, etc. to make it easy! Also, we are looking for volunteer advocacy coordinators. If you have an interest in politics/advocacy and want to help others in your state to meet with their Representatives/Senators, please contact your state chapter/support group leader or Joe Grappone.
