ASTMH President Alan Magill, MD, FASTMH, and seven members of the Society’s leadership took to Capitol Hill on Monday, May 5 for meetings with 13 Congressional offices. The meetings followed the Mid-Year ASTMH Council meeting. In small groups, ASTMH leaders discussed their work with policymaker staff, highlighting the importance of sustained tropical medicine research funding and specifically raising the Society's concerns about the federal employee travel restrictions regarding the Annual Meeting.

ASTMH met with the following offices: Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT); Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA); Senator Dan Coats (R-IN); Senator John Cornyn (R-TX); Senator Joe Donnelly (D-IN); Senator Joe Donnelly (D-IN); Congressman John Lewis (D-GA-5); Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA-7); Senator Patty Murray (D-WA); Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT); Congressman Cedric Richmond (D-LA-2); Congresswoman Jackie Walorski (R-IN-2); Congressman Randy Weber (R-TX-14).

Jodie Curtis and Erin Morton of the Society’s government relations firm District Policy Group, Drinker Biddle Reath, presented an informative overview to the Council highlighting the Society’s advocacy and legislative work in the last six months and the continuing funding challenges ahead. View the slides here.

Image (L-R): ACGH President Katherine Taylor, PhD; Councilor Dan Bausch, MD, MPH&TM; and Clinical Group President Richard Oberhelman, MD, outside the Russell Senate office building.