The new Congress begins on January 3rd. Many of the most frequently asked questions about what that means and how it affects our efforts are answered here.
Is this starting over? No, absolutely not.
Do cosponsors carry over from one Congress to the next?
They do not, but once a members cosponsors a bill they will typically quickly and easily cosponsor the same bill again in subsequent Congresses. This is part of why we’ve been able to amass more and more support with each successive Congress.
How can I get my member(s) who cosponsored this year to do so again?
We will alert you as soon as the bill is reintroduced and provide links to email and call your congressional offices. It is important that you ask them again.
How many cosponsors didn’t get reelected, or didn’t run for reelection?
Of our 290 total cosponsors this year, 3 Senate and 36 House cosponsors will not be returning, and 3 House cosponsors won election in the Senate. (List of names below my signature.) If you live in a state or district of a newly elected member you can begin educating them and winning their support now, even though they can’t officially cosponsor until the bill is reintroduced.
Why didn’t the bill get passed during this Congress?
Cosponsors are a major factor in determining which bills are moved forward and eventually passed, but they aren’t the only piece of the process. A small bill like ours will not go to the floor alone. It needs to be tacked on to a larger bill or put into a package of bills. The most likely scenario is for it to be included with other Medicare legislation. There ended up being no Medicare package in 2016, but there is expected to be a substantial one in 2017, and we must be ready for it by having a critical mass of cosponsors back on the bill early.
When will the LTA be reintroduced?
Our House and Senate bill sponsors, Rep Dave Reichert and Sen Maria Cantwell, are committed to reintroducing the bill as soon as possible in the new Congress. There is sometimes a log jam of bills at the start of a new Congress, so some, but hopefully only minor, delays could occur.
What can I do to help until the bill is reintroduced?
If you haven’t yet shared your story though our My Lymphedema Story campaign or joined your state’s advocacy team those are two free and important things to do now.
Will there be another “Lymphedema Lobby Days” in 2017?
Yes! Our tentative dates, which will be confirmed in January, are March 26th-28th. More information is on the Lymphedema Lobby Days page of our website. We hope to have a record number of lymphedema advocates participating.
If you have additional questions please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Thank you for your support and Happy New Year!
Heather Ferguson
Founder & Executive Director
Lymphedema Advocacy Group
LymphedemaTreatmentAct.org
Cosponsors moving from the House to the Senate:
IL – DUCKWORTH
IN – YOUNG
MD – VAN HOLLEN
Cosponsors who were not reelected or who did not run for reelection:
SENATE
CA – BOXER
IL – KIRK
MD – MIKULSKI
HOUSE
AZ – SALMON
AZ – KIRKPATRICK
CA – FARR
CA – HAHN
CA – HONDA
FL – BROWN
FL – CLAWSON
FL – CRENSHAW
FL – GRAHAM
FL – GRAYSON
FL – JOLLY
FL – MICA
FL – MILLER
FL – MURPHY
FL – NUGENT
FL – WEBSTER
GA – WESTMORLAND
HI – TAKAI
KY – WHITFIELD
LA – BOUSTANY
MD – VAN HOLLEN
MI – BENISHEK
NE – ASHFORD
NV – HARDY
NV – HECK
NY – ISRAEL
NY – GIBSON
NY – HANNA
NY – RANGEL
PA – FITZPATRICK
PA – FATTAH
PA – PITTS
TN – FINCHER
VA – RIGELL
WA – MCDERMOTT
WI – RIBBLE
