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H.R. 3559: 'We're hoping for a surge'

H.R. 3559: 'We're hoping for a surge'

WASHINGTON - The HME industry is still throwing its weight behind H.R. 3559, a bill it believes will lessen the blow of national competitive bidding. A state association planned a fly-in for Nov. 16 to lobby lawmakers, and Pride Mobility's Wayne Grau has taken grassroots efforts on the road. By mid-November, the industry had managed to get 50 legislators on board with the Hobson-Tanner bill, according to Sara Perkins, press secretary for Rep. David Hobson, R-Ohio, the bill's sponsor. AAHomecare, state associations and member groups believe 200 are needed for Congress to act on H.R. 3559. "We're hoping for a surge," said Michael Reinemer, director of communications for AAHomecare. The fly-in and Grau's road trip represent another round of efforts to drum up support for the bill. "A lot of things have been happening, and obviously, Congress needed to support [Hurricane Katrina]," said Carol Napierski, executive director of the New York Medical Equipment Providers (NYMEP). "That took precedent. But we're gearing up to re-inform legislators of the importance of this bill, and they've been very receptive." A handful of NYMEP members planned to fly to Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to meet with N.Y. representatives. The state association has already signed on five of its reps, but there's still work to do, with a total of 29 on Capitol Hill, Napierski said. Also, Pride Mobility's Grau is traveling the country to tout H.R. 3559. Before he even set out on the road trip, he had held more than 18 meetings and signed on nine legislators to support the bill, according to a statement from Pride Mobility. The following legislators, listed by state, have supported the bill: Alabama: Rep. Jo Bonner (R) Arkansas: Rep. Mike Ross (D) Connecticut: Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro (D) Indiana Rep. Peter J. Visclosky (D) Iowa: Rep. Tom Latham (R) Rep. Jim Nussle (R) Massachusetts: Rep. Barney Frank (D) Rep. Stephen F. Lynch (D) Rep. James P. McGovern (D) Rep. John W. Olver (D) Rep. John F. Tierney Maine: Rep. Thomas H. Allen (D) Rep. Michael Michaud (D) Michigan: Rep. Thaddeus G. McCotter (R) Minnesota: Rep. Collin C. Peterson (D) Missouri: Rep. Jo Ann Emerson Nevada: Rep. Shelley Berkley (D) Rep. Jim Gibbons (R) Rep. Jon D. Porter (R) New Hampshire: Rep. Jeb Bradley (R) New Jersey: Rep. Robert E. Andrews (D) New York: Rep. Timothy H. Bishop (D) Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R) Rep. Maurice D. Hinchey (D) Rep. John M. McHugh (R) Rep. James T. Walsh (R) North Carolina: Rep. David E. Price (D) Ohio: Sen. David L. Hobson (R) sponsor Rep. Sherrod Brown (D) Rep. Paul E. Gillmor (R) Rep. Ralph Regula (R) Rep. Tim Ryan (D) Rep. Patrick J. Tiberi (R) Pennsylvania: Rep. Jim Gerlach (R) Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski (D) Rep. John P. Murtha (D) Rhode Island: Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy (D) Rep. James R. Langevin (D) South Dakota: Rep. Stephanie Herseth (D) Tennessee: Rep. Harold E. Ford Jr. Rep. Bart Gordon (D) Rep. John S. Tanner (D) Rep. Zach Wamp (R) Texas: Rep. Ralph M. Hall (R) Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R) Vermont: Rep. Bernard Sanders (I) Virginia: Rep. Rick Boucher (D) Rep. Jo Ann Davis (R) Rep. Virgil H. Goode, Jr. (R) West Virginia: Rep. Alan B. Mollohan (D)

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