Congressional Activities: Congress Committees

There are four Congressional committees that are of key interest to CFIDS advocates because they are responsible for writing legislation of interest to persons with CFIDS (PWCs).

The House and Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittees, commonly called "Labor/HHS" for short, write the annual spending and directive bills for public health agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Social Security Administration (SSA). Click here to learn more about recent requests of Congressional appropriators and their direction to the agencies.

The House Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Health and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee direct the long-term activities of federal health agencies, such as the NIH. This type of legislation is passed every few years, but the committees are active every year.

It is very important for members of these committees to be contacted frequently by CFIDS advocates. Please consider contacting the Members of Congress on this list, in addition to your own  Senators and Representative, to ensure that they are aware of the impact of CFIDS and include provisions to help persons with CFIDS in their legislation.

For sample letters and contact information and other details about participating in CFIDS advocacy, please see the grassroots advocacy page.

Please visit our Grassroots Action Center for a Congressional Directory.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Appropriations committee
Subcommittee on Labor, Heath & Human Services, Education & Related Agengies (L/HHS)

Majority
Chair: David R. Obey (WI)
Nita M. Lowey (NY)
Rosa L. DeLauro (CT)
Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. (IL)
Patrick J. Kennedy (RI)
Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA)
Barbara Lee (CA)
Michael Honda (CA)
Betty McCollum (MN)
Tim Ryan (OH)
James P. Moran (VA)

Minority
Ranking Member: Todd Tiahrt (KS)
Dennis R. Rehberg (MT)
Rodney Alexander (LA)
Jo Bonner (AL)
Tom Cole (OK)
Jerry Lewis (CA), Ex Officio

Committee On Energy And Commerce
Subcommittee on Heath

Frank Pallone, Jr., New Jersey, Chairman
John D. Dingell, MI
Bart Gordon, TN
Anna G. Eshoo, CA
Eliot L. Engel, NY
Gene Green, TX
Diana DeGette, CO
Lois Capps, CA, Vice Chair
Jan Schakowsky, IL
Tammy Baldwin, WI
Mike Ross, AR
Anthony D. Weiner, NY
Jim Matheson, UT
Jane Harman, CA
Charles A. Gonzalez, TX
John Barrow, GA
Donna M. Christensen, VI
Kathy Castor, FL
John P. Sarbanes, MD
Christopher S. Murphy, CT
Zachary T. Space, OH
Betty Sutton, OH
Bruce L. Braley, IA
Henry A. Waxman, CA (ex officio)

Nathan Deal, GA, Ranking Member
Ralph M. Hall, TX
Ed Whitfield, KY
John Shimkus, IL
John B. Shadegg, AZ
Roy Blunt, MO
Steve Buyer, IN
Joseph R. Pitts, PA
Mike Rogers, MI
Sue Wilkins Myrick, NC
Tim Murphy, PA
Michael C. Burgess, TX
Marsha Blackburn, TN
Phil Gingrey, GA
Joe Barton, TX (ex officio)

SENATE

Appropriations committee
Subcommittee on Labor, Heath & Human Services, Education & Related Agengies (L/HHS)

Majority
Democratic Subcommittee Members
Senator Tom Harkin (Chairman) (IA)
Senator Daniel Inouye (HI)
Senator Herb Kohl (WI)
Senator Patty Murray (WA)
Senator Mary Landrieu (LA)
Senator Richard Durbin (IL)
Senator Jack Reed (RI)
Senator Mark Pryor (AR)
Senator Arlen Specter (PA)

Minority
Republican Subcommittee Members
Senator Thad Cochran (MS)
Senator Judd Gregg (NH)
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX)
Senator Richard Shelby (AL)
Senator Lamar Alexander (TN)

SENATE

Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee

Democrats by Rank
Tom Harkin (IA), Chairman
Christopher Dodd (CT)
Barbara A. Mikulski (MD)
Jeff Bingaman (NM)
Patty Murray (WA)
Jack Reed (RI)
Bernard Sanders (I) (VT)
Sherrod Brown (OH)
Robert P. Casey, Jr. (PA)
Kay Hagan (NC)
Jeff Merkley (OR)
Al Franken (MN)
Michael Bennet (CO)

Republicans by Rank
Michael B. Enzi (WY)
Judd Gregg (NH)
Lamar Alexander (TN)
Richard Burr (NC)
Johnny Isakson (GA)
John McCain (AZ)
Orrin G. Hatch (UT)
Lisa Murkowski (AK)
Tom Coburn, M.D. (OK)
Pat Roberts (KS)