Parents Hold Press Confrence on Barton's Hold Up of CAA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2006

CONTACTS:
Mara LaViola (214) 387-0889, (972)-358-8230
Kristi Hammer (972) 335-5460

******* MEDIA ADVISORY *******

PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM TO HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE

PARENTS CALL ON HASTERT, BARTON TO LET CONGRESS PASS AUTISM BILL.

Barton Holds Children with Autism Hostage By Refusing to Release the Combating Autism Act for a Vote in the House. Political Gain Outweighs Helping Hundreds of Thousands of Children with Autism.

Frisco, TX – Parents of children with autism will hold a press conference in Richardson on Monday, October 30, 2006 at 11:00 a.m. regarding the status of the Combating Autism Act (Senate Bill 843).

WHO: Families of children with autism

WHAT: Press Conference

WHERE: The Renaissance Hotel at 900 E. Lookout Drive in Richardson

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is increasing in America’s children at epidemic levels. According to the CDC, 1 in 166 children will succumb to an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Recent research indicates that autism is being triggered by an environmental insult. National leaders are calling for our best and brightest researchers to find out what would make ordinarily normal, healthy children regress into autism. There are now more children with autism than several of the leading childhood diseases combined.

This life long, severely debilitating disorder currently affects millions of children across the country; yet legislation that would provide critical help to those children and their families is being held up by several congressional leaders despite the fact that a majority of the House has co-sponsored the bill. Is this politics as usual in Washington? The Combating Autism Act (Senate Bill 843), which has unanimously passed the United States Senate would, among other things, wage a nearly 1 billion dollar war on Autism over the next five years. The Act would attack Autism on a multiple of fronts: much needed public awareness and early identification, funding research to identify the best medical practices and treatment of Autism, and basic biomedical research. Yet, despite unanimous support in the Senate and over 220 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives, Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., and U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Ennis, are refusing to let the House vote on this critical legislation. Their refusal to act is essentially robbing children with Autism of their voice in the political process.

Come hear parents explain how the Combating Autism Act is essential if we are to rescue an entire generation of children already at risk of being lost forever to this devastating disorder.

Listen as families explain how this legislation will help them meet the tremendous challenges they face by caring for children with Autism. These parents and their children will be gathered in front of the Renaissance Hotel in Richardson, where Speaker Hastert is scheduled to present a key note address at a fundraising event at noon. Families will call on Speaker Hastert and Congressman Barton to stop holding their children hostage to politics and let the House vote on the Combating Autism Act.