Dear Autism Advocate,

Today the President vetoed H.R. 3043, the Fiscal 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations bill.  That bill includes historic increases in funding for autism research, surveillance, treatment and intervention, as originally promised by the Combating Autism Act, but not yet funded as part of the federal budget.

Specifically, H.R. 3043 includes:

• A total of $37 million for autism activities at the Health Resources and Services Administration, a $17 million increase over Fiscal 2007 (as authorized in the Combating Autism Act)
• $16.5 million for autism surveillance, research and awareness, a $1.5 million increase over Fiscal 2007 (as authorized in the Combating Autism Act)
• An estimated $111.35 million for NIH-funded autism research.
• $1 million directed to the NIH (through bill language) for implementation of the InterAgency Autism Coordinating Committee, which is responsible for developing a strategic plan to direct future autism research funded by the National Institutes of Health.
  
• Total (including NIH estimate) = $165.85 million

The House will vote to overturn the President’s veto this Thursday and we need you to contact those Members of the House of Representatives who originally voted against the Conference Report.

If you received this email, your Representative voted “No” on this issue last week. We need to switch the votes of 15 Representatives so we can override the President’s veto and ensure that H.R. 3043, with all its historic funding increases for autism, become law.   If the House fails to override the President, we stand to lose those increases for autism surveillance, research, treatment and intervention.

CALL your Representative TODAY and ask them to vote “YES” to the override! Explain that historic increases in funding for autism research are at stake, and you are asking, as a constituent, for their “YES” vote!

After you call, EMAIL your Representative TODAY and ask them again to vote "YES" to override!

Make sure to call and email today!  The vote is on Thursday!!

Thank you,

Elizabeth Emken
Vice President, Government Relations
Autism Speaks