Congressional Caucus on Multiple Sclerosis Formed

A new Congressional Multiple Sclerosis Caucus has been formed in the U.S. House of Representatives. Congressman Russ Carnahan (D-MO) and Congressman Michael Burgess (R-TX) will act as co-chairs of the new MS Caucus.

In this case, a caucus is an informal grouping of Members of Congress who are organized to focus attention on, advocate action on, or represent mutual interests or policy proposals around a certain topic, in this case, MS.

According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS): “The bi-partisan MS Caucus will serve as a forum for Members of Congress, their staff, related organizations, and individuals to discuss critical health care, disability, research, and other issues affecting people living with MS and other conditions. It will raise awareness and seek creative solutions to help us move closer to a world free of MS.”

My take: I’ll be interested to see what happens with this caucus. While I would love to see discussions on how to truly “help us move closer to a world free of MS,” I see the MS Caucus getting bogged down by two issues: 1) medical marijuana, and 2) embryonic stem cell research. These are especially emotional topics for people who support them and oppose them, fueled by misinformation and passion. While I am very interested in both of these topics, I do not envy the job of the Representatives in wading through testimonials and meeting with lobbyists to get to the "real truth," especially rounding the bend into the coming election year.

In order for caucuses to work as well as they can, they do need more Representatives. You are urged to contact your Representative to ask them to join the caucus. Your local chapter of the NMSS can help you with that.