FAN Bulletin 839: URGENT

July 16, 2007

Dear All,

We have just received news that the ADA is circulating its members to drum up support for provisions in a Senate health appropriations bill (H.R. 3043) which, among other things, would increase the mount of money that CDC puts into promoting water fluoridation.

See the section in red (and bold) below, in the message from the American Dental Association president to ADA members and supporters:

Secure Appropriations Gains for Dental Programs
H.R. 3043 Vote - Wednesday, July 18th

Background: The House will begin deliberations on H.R. 3043 the FY 2008 health appropriations bill Tuesday with a final vote expected on Wednesday. For the first time ever, the bill highlights the need to address a variety of dental programs. It includes:

$12 M for a dental health initiative to expand access to oral services. Funding can be used for dental workforce activities that may include loan forgiveness and repayment to dentists, expanded dental residencies programs, continuing state maternal child health programs, and pediatric dentistry leadership training program among other things,

$10 M for general practice and pediatric dental residencies,

$14.6 M, an increase of $1.5 M, for CDC’s Division of Oral Health to expand state oral health infrastructure and water fluoridation programs, and

Directs the Health Resource and Services Administration (HRSA) to appoint a chief dental officer.

The Administration has threatened to veto H.R. 3043 so it is important that the bill pass by a wide margin to maintain the above mentioned gains. Please contact your representative as soon as possible and urge him/her to vote for H.R. 3043.

It is extremely important that you phone your US Representative today and urge him or her to remove this sentence from the bill (H.R. 3043).

The Capitol switchboard is 1-202-224-3121. Simply call this number and ask for your US Representative by name. You will be put through to a receptionist. Ask to speak with the Senator’s aid on health issues. Then ask him or her to ask the your Representative to remove this sentence from (H.R. 3043). We want no money to the CDC to promote fluoridation. Instead, we want a congressional hearing so that the CDC can explain why they continue to promote fluoridation despite the health concerns documented in the 2006 report from the National Research Council.

Please get as many people as you know to do this as well – the House is expected to vote on this on Wednesday!

Paul Connett