Pike teen lobbies Congress

Delegation pushes for Crohn’s and colitis research funding WASHINGTON — Ashley Tucker, was recently selected by the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) to meet with members of the United States Congress on Capitol Hill, to secure support for a new health care bill. Tucker, a freshman in the Delaware Valley High School, was accompanied by her father, Jay Tucker. They met individually with four US senators and five congressmen during the course of their two day stay in our nation’s Capitol. The four US senators were Pennsylvania Sens. Bob Casey and Arlen Specter; and Rhode Island Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse. Ashley met with five Pennsylvania congressmen: Chris Carney, Paul Kanjorski, Tim Holden, Jim Gerlach and Joseph Pitts. The young lobbyist had a very successful experience due to the fact that seven of the nine legislators agreed to co-sponsor the bills on the spot and the remaining two lawmakers were very receptive to the possibility of supporting this legislature in the near future. In addition to meeting with the US legislators, Tucker and the other youth participants who were selected from all parts of the country were invited to a reception with their parents on Capitol Hill in the Rayburn Building which is home to the offices of the various members of the House of Representatives. This reception was followed by a dinner in their honor at the Washington Court Hotel. Special guest speaker at the dinner was Bob Schieffer, CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent for 40 years and anchor for the Sunday morning public affairs broadcast, “Face The Nation.” Mr. Schieffer has been a staunch national advocate for increased funding for Crohn’s and colitis research. Crohn’s and colitis are commonly known as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) for which there is no known cause or medical cure. It is estimated by the CCFA that 1.4 million Americans suffer from IBD and it disproportionately impacts children and young adults. Over 30 percent of all patients are diagnosed during their childhood years. IBD is an auto-immune disorder which causes severe inflammation of the digestive tract and can have devastating effects that include a high risk of colorectal cancer, impaired growth and quite often surgery to remove the affected areas of the digestive tract. The annual medical costs for IBD are estimated at $2 billion. What’s in the law The legislation, titled HB 2275 and S 981, authorizes the National Health Institute to expand basic and clinical research for Crohn’s and Colitis patients, establish a national pediatric Crohn’s registry with the Center for Disease Control and authorizes, for a five year period of time, the Epidemiology studies which are considered the cornerstones of most public health research.