Call your Senators immediately and urge them to support funding for the Nurse Reinvestment Act!

On Thursday, January 23, the Senate was scheduled to consider an amendment being offered by Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland) that would provide much-needed funding for the Nurse Reinvestment Act supported by the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS).

Senator Mikulski's amendment would provide $20 million in new funding for the programs authorized in the Nurse Reinvestment Act which will work to address the current and expected nursing shortage. The Senate currently is considering the fiscal year (FY) 2003 omnibus appropriations bill which as of now contains no new funding for the Nurse Reinvestment Act.
Time is of the essence! Please take five minutes to place calls today to both of your Senators to urge them to support the Mikulski amendment.

Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be transferred to your Senator's offices or click here for a full listing of Senators and their direct dial phone numbers. Tell the receptionist in the Senator's office that you wish to speak to the Health Legislative Assistant. Below are talking points for your call.

Tell the Health Legislative Assistant the following:

My name is [first name, last name] and I am an oncology nurse from [city, state] and I want Senator [last name] to support the Mikulski amendment to provide $20 million for the important programs authorized in the Nurse Reinvestment Act.

"The nation is currently facing a serious nursing shortage that is expected to worsen unless the country takes steps now to address the multiple problems contributing to the nationwide nursing shortage. With an increasing number of people with cancer needing high quality health care taken together with an inadequate nursing workforce, our nation could quickly face a cancer care crises of serious proportion.

I am very concerned that people with cancer soon will not have access to the care they need and deserve because of the nursing shortage. I want the Senator to cosponsor and vote for the Mikulski Nurse Reinvestment Act funding amendment and want to hear back from the office about his/her position."

Be sure to leave your full name and address so you can receive a follow-up response from the office. Once you have completed the call, be sure to call your other Senator's office and have your voice heard.

As of January 23, 2003, the following Senators were co-sponsors of the Mikulski amendment and should be called and thanked for their support: Collins (D-Maine), Clinton (D-New York), Corzine (D-New Jersey), Jeffords (I-Vermont), Kerry (D-Massachusetts), Kennedy (D-Massachusetts), Lautenberg (D-New Jersey), Lieberman (D-Connecticut), Murray (D-Washington), Rockefeller (D-West Virginia), and Sarbanes (D-Maryland).