The FAIR Foundation is dedicated to fair and equitable distributions of Nation Institutes of Health (NIH) research funds for all diseases, including the sixteen that kill more Americans than AIDS.

On behalf of all FAIR members and their non-AIDS illnesses, FAIR's Founder, President & CEO, Dr. Richard Darling, traveled to Washington, DC and met with over forty Congressional Health Assistants in the Senate and House to introduce them to The FAIR Foundation. Dr. Darling educated that FAIR is a national organization with thousands of members and supporters in all fifty states and the District of Columbia who are desirous of fairer and more equitable research distributions from Congress and the National Institutes of Health. Each Congressperson's office visited, with the exception of Senator Boxer and Representative Barton, is a member of the Senate or House Appropriations Committees, including the Subcommittees on Labor-HHS-Education that are overseeing NIH allocations. He gave each Congressperson's representative a FAIR brochure, the ABC TV/Amer. Diabetes Asssoc. video he plays at the onset of every FAIR presentation, FAIR's letter tailored for each Congressperson's State or District and signed by FAIR's Board of Directors members Leonard Morse, MD, Donald Hillebrand, MD, Waldo Concepcion, MD and FAIR's Founder. Dr. Darling also asked that Congress and the NIH recognize the great success of AIDS researchers and adjust funding accordingly. He cited and gave evidence of this success with the CDC Surveillance Report fact sheet. Finally, he gave a copy of his book, Coma Life, with an inscription thanking each Congressperson for their efforts in their State or District for fair and equitable research distributions.

The Senate

   With Wm. David McClendon, MD.          With Amber Sechrist                 With Melanie Benning
    (Senator Thad Cochran-MS)     (Senator Robert Bennett-Utah)    (Senator Sam Brownback-Kansas)

                  With Elizabeth Gore and Steven Rixen                           With Greg M. J. Polley
                  (Senator Bryon Dorgan-North Dakota)                  (Senator Richard C. Shelby-Alabama)

     With Lt. Col. Vicki Ball, RN, MSN             With Erik Fatemi              With Sekemia W. Mwonyonyi
    (Senator Daniel Inouye- Hawaii)      (Senator Tom Harkin-Iowa)      (Senator Mike DeWine-Ohio)

With Stefanie Hagar With Chris Saunders Amy Bradshaw (Sen. Kay
(Senator Mitch McConnell-Kentucky) Senator Patrick Leahy-Vermont) Bailey Hutchinson-Texas)

           With Anne W. O'Toole                   With Richard P. Weiblinger, Jr.       With Mary Beth Stanton
(Senator Christopher Bond-Missouri)   (Senator Judd Gregg-New Hampshire)      (Sen. Herb Kohl-WI)

With John Myers (Sen. Specter With Mara Baer, M.P.H. With Betsy Roblee
-PA no pics of aides allowed) Senator Tim Johnson-South Dakota (Senator Murray-Washington)

Liz Connell not in, left material        With Aaron Kearsley                      With Jennifer M. Claypool
    (Senator Stevens-Alaska)    (Senator Barbara A. Mikulski MD)       (Senator Wayne Allard-Colorado)

   Left info for Martha Anne McIntosh              With Dena Morris              With Erin Pierce, Sr. Policy Advisor
(Senator Robert Byrd, W. VA) (Senator Richard J. Durbin-Illinois)         (Senator Burns-Montana)

        With Megan Zuckerman          Left info for Sara Hofstetter                 With Lynn Dondis
(Senator Mary Landrieu-Louisiana) (Senator Larry Craig-Idaho)     (Senator Barbara Boxer-California)

House of Representatives

With Averi Pakulis With Rachael Bornstein
(Congresswoman Rosa L. Delauro-Connecticut) (Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy-Rhode Island)

With Christina Hamilton With Susan Sweat With Jean Doyle
(Congressman David Obey-WI) (Congressman Roger Wicker-MS) (Congresswoman Nita Lowey-NY)

Congressman Joe Barton (Texas) is not on the Appropriations Committee. He is Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce which is overseeing the reauthorizing of the National Institutes of Health. FAIR previously communicated by letter last year with Chairman Barton and his Committee regarding disproportionate funding for HIV/AIDS and asked them to investigate if outside income arrangements were/are partially responsible for the bias that has led to such HIV/AIDS funding. Dr. Darling was pleased to meet personally with Aarti Shah, Legislative Assistant to Congressman Barton, and bring our message to their office personally so that our issues can be addressed as part of the reauthorization of the NIH.

           With Jane Sung                  With Charles E. Dujon, Leg. Director   Material to Viquar Ahmad
    (Congressman Steny Hoyer-MD)     (Congressman Jesse Jackson-IL)    (Congressman Regula, Chair)

Left info for Meredith Brown                  Presented to Jeff Vorberger                          Left info for Teresa Baker
(Congresswoman Northup-KY)           (Congressman John Peterson-PA)            (Congressman Sherwood-PA 10th Dist.)

Left info for Andrea A. Uckele (Congressman James Walsh-New York)

Dr. Darling met FAIR member Craig Meyers during his last trip to meet with Congressional aides in July. Craig works as a government relations consultant for the Washington, DC, firm of Edington, Peel and Associates. On behalf of his clients, he is working to improve the disparities in health care and to give a voice to underserved and underrepresented in this arena. Prior to Dr. Darling's trip and at lunch in the Longworth House Office Building cafeteria, he graciously took time to advise our Founder on the climate within Congress and we are very grateful.

On his 5th day on the "Hill" Dr. Darling visited the Congressional aides he had given presentations to
on his last trip in July. You may view them here.

Many constituents visit their Congresspersons, as do the children of America. Dr. Darling caught this
moment when Brownie and Cub Scout Troops were beginning their venture into the political world.