A Congress in Transition: Updates from Washington

We are busy following the final days of the 115th Congress — and also preparing for the new Congress, which begins on January 3rd. There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes maneuvering happening in Washington right now, as new leaders and committee chairs are selected. And there’s literal maneuvering as office spaces transition to make way for incoming occupants.

We know everyone is so busy in December but we wanted to share a couple of ways that you can help make a difference with some easy advocacy this holiday season:

Out with the old:

Lawmakers were hoping to head home for the holidays next week with a wrapped-up session but it is now looking likely that they’ll be working right up until Christmas, as there are outstanding appropriations bills that need to be dealt with — including funding for the Food and Drug Administration.

Since they’re around for a bit longer, we’re continuing to push for the DIPG Awareness Resolution in the final days of this session. Use our action alert to send your letter in 30 seconds! We’ll be joining our friends at the Jack’s Angels Foundation to push for reintroduction of this legislation next session - in both Chambers - and having even a few more cosponsors now puts our community in a stronger position to reintroduce the bill in 2019.

In with the new:

Once the new Congress begins in January, we'll have an action alert aimed at freshmen Members of Congress — it will be an easy way for you to share your childhood cancer story with your new Senator or Representative and tell them about some of the legislative issues that impact our kids.

In the meantime, we invite and encourage you to remember your Members of Congress when you send your holiday cards!

This is a small but thoughtful action step you can take this holiday season to set the stage for your continued communication in the 116th Congress. Meaningful change in Washington comes from advocates like you forming strong relationships with your representatives and sharing your personal, emotional experiences and stories. (Be sure to include a photo of your family!)

You can find your Representative’s address here and your Senator’s address here. We recommend sending your card to the nearest District office, since Members will be spending more time working in those offices over the holidays.

If you have a Member-elect who is not yet sworn in, you might be able to track down a mailing address with a quick Google search. If not, send them a friendly holiday email or tweet. A little can go a long way!