Government Relations
JDRF advocates Janice Merdgen, with
son Will, and Peggy DeGregory, with
daughter Nicole, recently met with
Representative Jay Inslee (1st
district) to discuss diabetes issues.
Useful Links
What We Do
We are volunteer-advocates who work to secure funding and policies that will accelerate us toward a cure. We actively seek support for federal funding, primarily through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and we encourage lawmakers to vote for policy legislation important to diabetes research.
Why It Is Important
Elected officials are accountable to their constituents—and they do listen. JDRF advocates have a positive impact on the thinking, and voting, of Congress. Because of grassroots JDRF advocacy, federal funding for diabetes research has increased substantially, including a special NIH diabetes program funded at $750 million over five years (FY04-08). JDRF advocates have successfully garnered bipartisan support for embryonic stem cell research, and continue to press for an expansion of current federal guidelines for this promising field.
How You Can Help
Register as an advocate! Advocates receive legislative updates and action alerts via e-mail. Typically advocates are asked to contact their Members of Congress by e-mail, phone calls or personal visits two to four times a year. JDRF provides background information, “talking points,” and contact information for your elected officials. The power of these individual contacts, as quick and easy as they are, is enormous.
- Sign up to be a JDRF advocate today!
- Other Government Relations opportunities include JDRF’s Promise to Remember Me campaign and Children’s Congress.
- Read about a Washington teen who's advocating for diabetes research in local, state, and national government!
Questions?
Contact us at govrelationsNW@jdrf.org