Representative Jim Moran (D-VA) spoke to the 65 C3 advocates taking part in the 2009 Call-on Congress today. His message to them: “Don’t be nervous in your meetings with your legislators. You are the experts on the issue.”
Congressman Moran was referring to the meetings that the advocates will hold with their Members of Congress tomorrow, March 25th, on Capitol Hill.
Congressman Jim Moran (D-VA) and C3 Advocate, Susan Weiler
The advocates will be urging their legislators to support two pieces of legislation: one that will create a National Colorectal Cancer Screening Program and one that will create a colorectal cancer research program at the Department of Defense (or DoD; such programs already exist at DoD for breast, prostate and ovarian cancers).
“I’m grateful that Congressman Moran took time out of his schedule to come speak with us,” said Christine LeGrant, a stage III colorectal cancer survivor who lives in Moran’s district in Northern Virginia. “He reassured us that as long as we are specific in what we are asking our Members of Congress to do, and are willing to share why this issue is important to us, we’ll do fine.”
The advocates also heard from a long-time community organizer on how they can work to pass colorectal cancer legislation in their state legislatures.
After hearing from the experts, their meeting preparation began in earnest when they wrote out their own scripts for what they would say in their meetings, and role-played them with each other.
Stay tuned for updates from Call-on Congress 2009, or follow the Call-on Congress fun on Twitter!
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