Public Affairs Report

ASM Meets with Associate Director for Science

In December, ASM Public and Scientific Affairs Board Chair Gail Cassell and ASM Public Affairs Director Janet Shoemaker met with Ernest J. Moniz, the new Associate Director for Science in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). They discussed a variety of issues which impact on the life sciences, including the budget, indirect costs of research and new and emerging infections.

Cassell Discusses NIH Reauthorization with Congressional Staff

On December 13, Gail Cassell Chair of ASM's Public and Scientific Affairs Board and Janet Shoemaker ASM Public Affairs Director met with professional staff members of the Senate and Labor and Human Resources Committee, Kent Bradley, M.D. and David Stevens, M.D. They discussed issues related to the reauthorization of National Institutes of Health (NIH) programs. The Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee, chaired by Senator Kassebaum (R-KS), will be holding oversight hearings on NIH programs in late February.

ASM Meets with "Blue Dog Coalition" Regarding CLIA 88

ASM met with Karissa Wilhite, Legislative Aide to Rep. Stenholm (D-TX) in late December to discuss CLIA '88 and the POL exemption. Rep. Stenholm is one of the key leaders of the House "Blue Dog" Coalition, a group of approximately 25 conservative House Democrats involved in budget negotiations. At the time of the meeting, the "Blue Dog" Coalition had included a CLIA POL exemption in its budget proposal. ASM briefed Rep. Stenholm's staff regarding the public health consequences of a POL exemption and presented some of the recently gathered data indicating the improvement in POL laboratory performance since the implementation of CLIA. Representing ASM at the meeting was Amy Melnick, Manager of Public Affairs.

ASM Sends Letter to Congressional and Administration Leaders Regarding CDC Budget

In late December, during intense budget negotiations, ASM sent a letter to the key House, Senate and Administration budget negotiators, including President Clinton, Speaker Gingrich (R-GA) and Senator Dole (R-KS) regarding the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention budget for infectious diseases. ASM highlighted the need for resources at the CDC to combat infectious diseases and continue implementation of the national plan to prevent new and emerging infectious diseases. On January 5, the House and Senate passed a continuing resolution to fund the CDC for the rest of FY96 at $2.11 billion, a 1.5% increase over FY 95. Infectious disease funding received a $10.7 million increase, nearly 20% more than FY 95.

ASM Meets with Rep. Bilirakis Regarding Reauthorization of Safe Drinking Water Act

On 15 December 1995, Joan Rose, Ph.D., chair of the Public and Scientific Affairs Board (PSAB) Subcommittee on Drinking Water, and Linda Murphy, ASM manager of public affairs, met with Representative Michael Bilirakis (R-FL), chairman of the Health and Environment Subcommittee of the House Commerce Committee, Charles Ingebretson, majority general counsel for House Commerce Committee, and Dennis Limbach, legislative director for Rep. Bilirakis, to discuss the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) reauthoritzation. During the meeting, Dr. Rose outlined the risks posed by microbial contaminants in drinking water, and stressed the need for risk assessment on microorganisms, and the need to incorporate cost/benefit data in the reauthorization of the SDWA. Dr. Rose and Linda Murphy also met with Bill Tyndall, minority counsel for the House Commerce Committee, to discuss the SDWA. The Senate passed S. 1316, which seeks to reauthorize and amend the Safe Drinking Water Act, on 29 November 1995 by a vote of 99-0. For more information regarding the reauthorization of the SDWA, please contact the Public and Scientific Affairs Office at (202) 942-9209.

For more information, send email to publicaffairs@asmusa.org