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Grange Members Get Attention of Congressional Leaders
With Ad in Roll
Call on Need for Rx Coverage
Washington,
DC, June 27, 2002 - Government relations representatives from state and local
Granges nationwide called on Congress to pass desperately needed prescription
coverage for Medicare patients at its annual legislative "Fly-In," held in Washington
recently.
Signed
by 16 of the of the National Grange's most influential state leaders, the ad reminded
Congress that one out of three older Americans has no prescription drug coverage
and that this dangerous reality has an enormous impact on rural America. Petitioning
congressional leaders in the full-page Roll Call ad were George Dupray, Joe Victorine
and Tim O'Connor, Calif.; Gordon F. Gibson, Conn.; L. Claire Grissett, N.J.; Edwin
C. Hadlock, N.Y.; Henrietta Keller, Ill; Jane A. Mendicino, Vt.; David Meredith,
N.C.; Jay Pfeiffer, Tex; John Shank, Ore.; Carol J. St. Jon, Mass.; William A.
Steel and Brenda J. Shambaugh, Penn.; James M. Tetreault, N.H.; Lisa Tharp, Ohio;
and, Calif. The
National Grange held the annual legislative summit for its members to assist them
with issue management, brainstorm effective communicative strategies, establish
groundwork for networking and schedule meetings with individual state representatives.
"In
addition to rural health issues, such as prescription drug coverage, the Grange
is working towards reforming the endangered species act and expanding land and
satellite broadband Internet telecommunications service to rural America," said
Legislative Affairs Director Leroy Watson. The
National Grange is the nation's oldest general agricultural and rural advocacy
organization, founded in 1867. It has grassroots units in 3,600 local communities
in 37 states, with nearly 300,000 members. It serves farm and non-farm, rural
families and communities on a wide variety of economic, educational, legislative
and family issues. |
