52 members of Congress ask for more MS research, including two of our own!!

Every spring, members of Congress take a good look at the needs of their communities and draw up a list of their priorities for the next year. These issues differ widely from state to state, party to party, politician to politician. In many ways though, the lists are predictable. In Washington, where our economy is dependent on trade, aerospace, technology, and agriculture, our elected officials spend a lot of time talking about those issues. In Montana and Alaska, that means rural concerns and natural resources like oil and coal. These issues must appeal to a wide swath of voters and command the headlines. Politicians use these issues to make sure their constituents know that they have someone who has their back in Congress. So who has our back? Last week, I blogged about a few members of Congress who have been strong supporters of the MS community and I'm proud to tell you about a few more.

While MS research doesn't usually sway a lot of voters in an election, Representatives Rick Larsen and Jim McDermott stepped up to the plate in a big way last week, formally expressing their support for increased funding for MS research in a letter sent to House leadership. Why? Because they were asked by people who elected them to make MS a priority. If you live in their districts, you owe them a big thank you! For Rep. McDermott, that means people in most of Seattle (except the SE), Vashon Island, and Shoreline. For Rep. Larsen, that's western Snohomish and Skagit counties, southwest Whatcom County, and Island and San Juan counties. Thanks for getting our back!