Action Alliance
Progress in D.C. and beyond
Advocacy volunteers are shaking it up
Department of Defense Appropriations Bill signed into Public Law by President
Legislators are paying attention!
ATA scores again!
We'll keep you posted
“Now hear this”: ATA featured in military magazine
ATA and VFW reach out to vets and their families
ATA enlists vets to fight tinnitus
Advocacy volunteers are shaking it up
ATA’s top advocacy priority is to fight for more federal funding for tinnitus research. And – with help from our 1,400 volunteers – our cause is gaining momentum.
These committed advocates speak out to their Senators and Representatives to promote ATA's legislative priorities. And they work year-round in their own communities to raise awareness about tinnitus. ATA volunteers are passionate about curing this frustrating, often debilitating condition.
If you want to help ATA make a difference you can write your Senators and Representatives too! This fact sheet on how tinnitus impacts military personnel includes strong points as to why this country needs more tinnitus research – NOW! They can help advocates like you be on-point when communicating with your elected officials.
We’re making progress nationally and locally. Take a look at some of the Action Alliance's activities and achievements. With help from volunteers – people like you – we are bringing the world closer to a cure for tinnitus.
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), a key supporter of tinnitus research, and ATA's government relations counsel, Deborah Outlaw, who advocates for ATA issues on Capitol Hill.
Department of Defense Appropriations Bill signed into Public Law by President
On Tuesday November 13, 2007, President Bush signed into Public Law the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill for FY 2008. This bill includes $50,000,000 for the Peer Review Medical Research Program and lists tinnitus as a recommended researchable condition. The conference report further clarifies that funds appropriated under this special program may only be spent on the specified conditions.
Legislators are paying attention!
Our work is paying off! We are finally getting the attention of key decision makers on Capitol Hill. ATA staff and volunteers have made repeated visits to Washington, D.C. to meet with members of Congress. The result? We’ve been instrumental in convincing committees in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to call for tinnitus research!
This is an important achievement for ATA. It’s the first time any congressional report or document has focused specifically on tinnitus and the importance of a finding a cure. The recommendations are included in reports from both the Senate and House Labor-Health and Human Services (HHS) Committees. Their recommendations influence the all-important National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, whose decisions on research funding will affect the progress of tinnitus research.
Read the reports from the House and Senate committees, with wording advocated by ATA, here.
These recommendations by powerful congressional committees mark another achievement for ATA. They reflect our intention to encourage greater cooperation in studying tinnitus among three agencies we are targeting for more research money:
- Department of Defense
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- National Institutes of Health
Though these recommendations aren’t yet law, they are a major step forward in our work to increase funding for tinnitus research. We’ll keep working to make sure they become law. And we’ll keep you updated. We need your help to convince policymakers to increase federal funding for tinnitus research. Join us today.
Allies at the VFW’s recent national convention, from left: Dennis Sullivan, commander, VFW Post 4927, Centereach, N.Y.; Jennifer DuPriest, ATA public affairs director; Terri Baltus, ATA chief development officer; and Michael Pascal, House Committee executive vice president, VFW Post 9486, Long Island, N.Y.
ATA enlists vets to fight tinnitus
ATA’s exhibit at the recent Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) national convention in St. Louis, Mo., received enthusiastic support. ATA staff talked to vets about tinnitus and its devastating effects on military personnel. ATA has now been invited to attend the New York VFW chapter’s state convention in October and to address that convention’s general assembly. This honor is usually given to military personnel and high-level politicians!
“Now hear this”: ATA featured in military magazine
ATA is the go-to tinnitus expert in an article in the 2007 AmeriForce Deployment Guide. The military delivers this magazine to all service members as they receive orders to deploy overseas. The article focuses on the extreme noise dangers military personnel face during war. It also advocates for proper hearing protection and highlights the latest in hearing protective devices for active duty soldiers. We provide this article courtesy of AmeriForce Publishing, Inc.
