Advocating for Change – 2022 Day on the Hill
Published: June 2, 2022
By: Erin Starck
The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation advocates on behalf of IBD patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers. Consistent with our mission, we ask Congress, the Administration, and state legislatures to support medical research to find cures for IBD, and to pass legislation to improve patient access to care.
This year, our annual Day on the Hill was held virtually on April 27 and brought together 160 IBD advocates to meet with legislators and advocate for the passage of federal step therapy reform, the Medical Nutrition Equity Act, and more.
Our Day on the Hill participants attended 130 meetings combined, 15 of which were with the legislators themselves. As a result of our volunteers’ efforts:
- 10 Senators signed onto the Blumenthal/Cassidy IBD Research Funding Letter
- 1 new House Member joined the Congressional Crohn’s & Colitis Caucus
- 7 new co-sponsors added their support to the Safe Step Act, bringing the total up to 121 House members and 31 Senators
- 7 new co-sponsors added their support to the Medical Nutrition Equity Act, bringing the total up to 91 House members and 21 Senators
“This year, Sen. Gary Peters, Sen. Booker, and Sen. Marshall are all first-time signers of our appropriations letter, which is great! This is also the first time there have been 10 signers on the letter since 2018. This is a big accomplishment because it’s also the first time the letter has included appropriations requests beyond Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program. Which means there are now sign-on letters for the CDC, NIH, and FDA requests in both chambers. Seeing so much support for IBD research initiatives can really make a difference in our funding levels.”
Kerry Donohue, Grassroots Advocacy Manager for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation
Check out our legislative priorities and make your voices heard by joining our Advocacy Action Center here and learn more about the Foundation’s 2022 Advocacy Roadmap and how you can take action here.
Erin Starck is Senior Manager, Volunteer Engagement for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation.