In early April, a fantastic group of Ohioans participated in the 2013 You’re the Cure on the Hill in Washington, D.C. We couldn’t be more proud of the excellent representation from the Buckeye State!
Throughout the day, eleven Ohio constituents participated in eight meetings with lawmakers and/or their staff members. They joined nearly 300 participants from across the country. While this event was slightly smaller than in years past, the effort was focused on key members, who serve in leadership or on critical committees.
This year, advocates focused on three key asks:
- Restore National Institute of Health, reduced by the March 2013 sequester, and appropriate $32 billion in 2014 to get NIH “back on track” relative to pre-sequester funding levels (adjusted to keep pace with inflation.)
- Allocate to the Million Hearts Campaign (from previously appropriated prevention fund dollars) to support an education campaign targeted at the 36 million Americans who have uncontrolled high blood pressure.
- And, a more personal ask, Know Your Numbers for blood pressure.
The first day of the event, participants attended the Rally for Medical Research. They joined advocates from other health advocacy groups like cancer, diabetes and AIDs – all of which feel the positive impact of NIH research funding. An estimated 10,000 people joined the rally, which was moderated by Cokie Roberts and was live streamed on YouTube.
On Tuesday, everyone hit the Hill to spread the message. Although all of the meetings were critical, a small group of constituents ended the day in a face to face meeting with Speaker Boehner to discuss the importance of NIH funding. Way to go!
To view photos of the advocates in action, visit the Ohio Facebook page or the national You’re the Cure page.
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