Encourage Legislators to
Support the HEART for Women Act
In March 2006, Women of the ELCA's executive board voted unanimously to endorse the HEART (Heart disease, Education, Analysis and Research, and Treatment) for Women Act, a bi-partisan bill introduced on February 14 in the Senate by Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and in the House of Representatives by Representatives Lois Capps (D-CA) and Barbara Cubin (R-WY). This legislation coincides perfectly with our health initiative and would help countless women and girls now and in the future. Women of the ELCA became the first religious organization to endorse this bill.
Now that we have endorsed it, we have to put our hearts into it to see that it becomes law. You can help by getting involved with the advocacy campaign around the HEART for Women Act. By collectively putting our voices together to advocate on behalf of those who have died or are ill, or who could become so, we become an effective, powerful voice for action on women's health issues.
To be an advocate for women's health, use the sample wording below and call, e-mail, or write your legislators to encourage them to cosponsor and endorse the HEART for Women Act. E-mail is the best option because it is the most immediate; however, feel free to contact your legislators via regular mail as well.
Sample letter
|
Dear Representative/Senator ___________, As a member of Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, I urge you to co-sponsor the HEART (Heart disease, Education, Analysis and Research, and Treatment) for Women Act (S. 573/H.R. 1014) and help millions of women in your state and across the nation live longer and healthier lives. Heart disease, stroke, and other related cardiovascular disease are killing nearly 12 times as many women as breast cancer. More women than men die from cardiovascular disease, but the focus has been on male systems and treatment. Federal legislation aimed at helping make women and their healthcare providers more aware of the issue and at addressing the disparities in the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease and stroke in women is the solution! The HEART for Women Act would authorize outreach and training of healthcare providers. In addition, it would require gender-based reporting and analysis of data, including gender-specific information about new and investigational treatments. Finally, such legislation would improve heart disease and stroke screening for low-income, uninsured women. Currently, only low-income, uninsured women in 14 states have access to such screening through the CDC's WISEWOMAN program. We believe women in all 50 states need and deserve this cost-effective screening. Help current and future victims of heart attack and stroke — perhaps your mother, daughter, sister, or best friend — by co-sponsoring the HEART for Women Act. We will be following your work on this important legislation, and thank you in advance for your support. May God keep you in good health and bless your work and the lives of the women and men it touches. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely, |
How to call your
legislators
1. Make a list of
what you want to say,
and who you plan to
talk to. Have this
with you when you
make your call. It
may sound silly, and
you may never look at
it, but it can boost
your confidence.
2. Call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected to the office of your member of Congress or dial the number directly. (These numbers can be obtained from your Senator or Representative's homepage or from the ELCA advocacy page: Simply type in your zip code in the box in the left column and you will get the information you need.).
3. Ask to speak to the legislative aide that works with health issues or women's issues. Write down the name you get and verify the spelling.
4. When/If you receive a verbal response, thank the legislative aide, and tell her or him that you will be following up by watching your senator's/representative's record.
5. Send a thank-you note to the aide you talked with, via mail or e-mail. You can include information about the Act and Women of the ELCA's "Raising Up Healthy Women and Girls" initiative. If you send a note or e-mail, remember to include information about Women of the ELCA and our Web address: www.womenoftheelca.org/
Sample phone
conversation
When you are
connected, tell them
your name and that
you are a member of
the legislator's
district. (You may be
asked to spell your
name and give your
address.)
Say something like, "I am calling with regard to the 'HEART for Women Act,' introduced by bi-partisan support, and I would like the Senator/Representative to vote YES when S. 573/H.R. 1014 comes for a vote. Even better, I would like to encourage Senator/Representative ________ to co-sponsor this important legislation. I, and members of Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, have signed on in support of this Act on behalf of women's health. Please support a nation of healthy women and girls. Thank you very much."