Dear Member of Congress, As Your Constituent, I'm Writing to Welcome
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Dear Member of Congress, As your constituent, I'm writing to welcome you to the 114th Congress and send best wishes for the year ahead. As you address our nation’s opportunities and challenges in the new session, I urge you to consider the role that breastfeeding plays in giving mothers and their children important and long-lasting health benefits. These impacts are so substantial that “breastfeeding saves dollars and makes sense,” not just for FAMILIES, but also for EMPLOYERS and the ECONOMY. The great majority of pregnant women and new mothers want to breastfeed, but they face significant barriers in community, health care, and employment settings. While many national initiatives are already underway, you have a critical role to play as well. Thank you for your careful consideration of the following policy priorities you can move forward in the 114th Congress to help support breastfeeding: COMMUNITIES • Increase support for breastfeeding as part of existing community-based programs: e.g., the Women, Infants & Children (WIC) program, home visiting, Healthy Start, community health centers; • Authorize the FDA to regulate confusing and misleading infant formula marketing and labeling practices; • Support establishment of public spaces that are breastfeeding-friendly; HEALTH CARE • Maintain support for the CDC’s maternity care practice improvement initiatives; • Ensure equitable access to and effective implementation of insurance coverage for breastfeeding support and equipment, especially including alignment of Medicaid coverage to existing provisions for private plans and TRICARE; EMPLOYMENT • Extend the existing federal “Nursing Breaks” law to salaried workers and strengthen enforcement; • Establish paid family leave as a self-funded national insurance program that supports workers and businesses; and • Ensure that breastfeeding mothers can’t be fired or discriminated against in the workplace. As a member of the 114th Congress you can help “make change” for our nation’s breastfeeding families. We look forward to working with you during the upcoming session, and again, welcome! Sincerely, Signatures on Welcome Note to 114th Congress: "Breastfeeding Saves Dollars and Makes Sense" Donna Ellis APO AE Alison Levy FPO AE Diana Barney Anchorage AK Kim Baxter Craig AK Mary Burtness Fairbanks AK Alaska Breastfeeding Coalition Anchorage AK Deirdre Coval Soldotna AK Dr Ronald E Dick Pelican AK Shonti Elder Wasilla AK Emma Eshleman Fairbanks AK William Everett Anchorage AK Sandra Frenier ANCHORAGE AK Susan Gill Juneau AK R. Goodrich Anchorage AK Lori Graber Kodiak AK Carol Hedlin Juneau AK Jesse Higdon Juneau AK Jesse Higdon Juneau AK jeri hill Klawock AK Lorrie Horning ANCHORAGE AK sharon hunter petersburg AK Sue Johnson Anchorage AK Marnie Kaler Anchorage AK Dana Kent Juneau AK Mukhya Khalsa Juneau AK Amber King Juneau AK Denise Koch Juneau AK David Kreiss-Tomkins Sitka AK EF Leban Juneau AK Marianne Mills Juneau AK m n kotzebue AK Dogan Ozkan besiktas istanbul turkey AK dogan ozkan istanbul turkey AK F Riedel Copper Center AK Barbara Roberts Anchorage AK Rosemary Romberg Anchorage AK Mary Ruebelmann Anchorage AK MICHAEL SALLEE Ketchikan AK Alison Sayers Tanana AK ELAINE SEEGERS ANCHORAGE AK Terriann Shell Big Lake AK John Sonin Juneau AK Beverly Stephens Big Lake AK CATHERINE TAPEY ANCHORAGE AK Susan Vogt Fairbanks AK Deborah Voves Anchorage AK Lynne Adrian Tuscaloosa AL 1 of 322 Signatures on Welcome Note to 114th Congress: "Breastfeeding Saves Dollars and Makes Sense" Jacquelin Barnes Montgomery AL Dave Beckett Mobile, AL AL Susie Bolden Theodore AL Bethany Brasher Odenville AL Tom Cocke Wing AL Douglas Compton Andalusia AL Rebecca Conner Helena AL Jennifer Edmonds Tuscaloosa AL Teri Elliott Madison AL Julia Estes Birmingham AL Debi Foster Mobile AL Ginger Geronimo Birmingham AL Celia Graham Hartselle AL Emily Hall Birmingham AL Hanne Harbison Birmingham AL Mary Hawkins Mobile AL James Hildebrand Mobile AL Marie Holliday Altoona AL Nanda Hopenwasser Northport AL Oren Horst Pinson AL Don Hunter Arab AL Jeanette Jaynes Auburn AL Gwendolyn Johnson Mobile AL Betty Johnston Birmingham AL Betty Johnston Birmingham AL Carden Johnston Birmingham AL Leroy Jones Mobile AL Walter B. Jones Montgomery AL Richard Kelly Huntsville AL Jodie Kilpatrick Slocomb AL Maria Kimpe Huntsville AL Rufus Kinney Jacksonville AL Anna Koopman Birmingham AL Lilliane Koopman Alexander city AL David Kopaska-Merkel Tuscaloosa AL Belinda Lang Birmingham AL Marilyn Lee Florence AL Steven Lee Huntsville AL Dianne Lollar Oakman AL Melissa Lonnergan Decatur AL Sheila Lopez Bessemer AL Sheila Lopez Bessemer AL Annie Mak Florence AL Arlene Marrero Enterprise AL Amanda Martin Dothan AL Michael McGee Montgomery AL Raymond McGrath Enterprise AL 2 of 322 Signatures on Welcome Note to 114th Congress: "Breastfeeding Saves Dollars and Makes Sense" Clifton McMillan Jr Helena AL Jonathan Mitchell Madison AL Karen Neubauer Huntsville AL Matthew Oefelein Foley AL Celia O'Kelley Tuscaloosa AL Erin Patenaude Northport AL Valeria Patton Montgomery AL Barbara Pitts Auburn AL Gene Ray Union Grove AL Summer Risden Ozark AL Erica Rivers Hueytown AL Sylvia Ross Hayden AL Violeta Sanchez Florence AL Kimberly Scott Homewood AL Cher Sealy RN, BSN, IBCLC Montgomery AL Angela Shadwick Centreville AL Suhail Shafi Ozark AL David L. Smith MD Spanish Fort AL Karen Spradlin Jacksonville AL Elizabeth Stallworth Auburn AL Natalie Stanfield Daleville AL Kelli Stever Montgomery AL Chasity Stewart Huntsville AL Robyn Streety Prattville AL Christine Strum Wetumpka AL Rebecca Swinney Phil Campbell AL peggy varnado fairhope AL james vinson birmingham, al AL Fred Wagner Birmingham AL John Wech Birmingham AL Gayle Whatley Oxford AL Hillary Wheeler Huntsville AL Heather Woodward Leighton AL Talene Yacoubian Birmingham AL Megan Bryan APO AP Heather Peet APO AP Sally Seckman APO AP Mark Alexander Fayetteville AR Sharla Altschat Green Forest AR Jesse Barr Winslow AR Kae Barron Benton AR Janet Bartos Little Rock AR Lyuba Bogan Little Rock AR Christina Boyd Paragould AR Marcie Brushaber Reyno AR Mary T Bundy Hot Springs AR Starla Carter Harrison AR 3 of 322 Signatures on Welcome Note to 114th Congress: "Breastfeeding Saves Dollars and Makes Sense" Cherish Cutler Conway AR Irene Davis Little rock AR david druding Fayetteville AR lisa fulgham little rock AR Teresa Gates Clinton AR Connie Glazer Conway AR paula golden mena AR Emily Gordon Maumelle AR Beverly Hardin CLARKSVILLE AR Elinor Hartsell Hot Springs AR James Hicks Fayetteville AR Christina Hilton Jacksonville AR Willie Hopkins Alexander AR Lewis Hyde Little Rock AR Luke Jones Rogers AR Stephen Krokowski West Memphis AR Cheryl Labyer Fort Smith AR Vanessa Martin Clinton AR Glen Massingill Conway AR Hosea McAdoo SHERWOOD AR Judy McKinney Holiday Island AR Jennifer Medley North ittle Rock AR Vivian Michaels Belle Vista AR Katherine Murdock Greenland AR Linda Pabin Conway AR Valerie Paterson Pocahontas AR Kathryn Pederson Fayetteville AR William Peterson Conway AR Angela Rawls Conway AR Rhonda Reddix Sherwood AR Leticia Reta Little Rock AR Bill Rhodes Mt. Home AR Bonnie Ruiz Ft. Smith AR Darlene Schreckengost Hot Springs National Park AR Georjena Selva Little Rock AR Georjena Selva Little Rock AR Georjena Selva Little Rock AR William & Marianne Sherman Mountain Home AR VERA THOMPSON BLYTHEVILLE AR william threet kensett AR Tammi Titsworth Pottsville AR Lucy Towbin Little Rock AR Marilyn S. Underwood Jasper AR Misty Virmani Little Rock AR Kelly Warner Bigelow AR Carly Williams Lake Village AR Joan Adair Sun City AZ 4 of 322 Signatures on Welcome Note to 114th Congress: "Breastfeeding Saves Dollars and Makes Sense" JT Adams Phoenix AZ MeryeBeth Albert Surprise AZ Anna Alexander Paradise Valley AZ Brett Allison Tempe AZ Karen Angel Glendale AZ Mary Ann and Graffagnino Tucson AZ Elyse April Chino Valley AZ Marina Arciniaga chandler AZ John Armstrong Tucson AZ Debbie Axlid Glendale AZ Brenae Bailey Tucson AZ James Bailey Phoenix AZ Virginia Baker Sun City West AZ Lynda Barondes Bisbee AZ Dieter Bartels Clarkdale AZ Susan Bassett Flagstaff AZ Melvin Bautista Phoenix AZ Mary Beattie Sun City AZ John Benschoter Phoenix AZ Cady Berkel Tempe AZ elizabeth Bertsch Tucson AZ Linda Bescript Tucson AZ Ruth Bescript Tucson AZ Jennie Bever Tempe AZ Jennie Bever, PhD,IBCLC Tempe AZ Sandy Bickling Gilbert AZ Anna Binkiewicz Tucson AZ Peter Bisschop Tucson AZ David Black Tucson AZ Sarah Blakeley Tucson AZ Sarah Blakeley Tucson AZ Rachel Bliss Flagstaff AZ Lynn Boddy Glendale AZ Meg Bohrman Prescott AZ Ciara Bozarth Phoenix AZ marian brock - andersen phoenix AZ Michael Brown Show Low AZ Ellen Buikema Sun City West AZ Jessica Callan Phoenix AZ Carolyn Camputaro Tucson AZ Krista Caudill Tucson AZ Mark Cederholm Flagstaff AZ Ilene Celniker Phoenix AZ Joni Chancey-Miller Prescott AZ Jane Chischilly Bisbee AZ Karen Christian Vail AZ Kerri Christie Phoenix AZ 5 of 322 Signatures on Welcome Note to 114th Congress: "Breastfeeding Saves Dollars and Makes Sense" Jennifer Chudy Yuma AZ Yvonne Clark Phoenix AZ Paul Cobb Tucson AZ Diane Cohen Peoria AZ Ronald Cohen Tucson AZ Faye Collier Phoenix AZ Marissa LeeAnne contreras glendale AZ judith costello Flagstaff AZ victoria Coursey Phoenix AZ Luisa Cox Scottsdale AZ jennifer craig phoenix AZ Donald Crawford Mesa AZ Kathleen Crotwell Tucson AZ Maryann Cuddeback Tucson AZ ROBERT CULLIGAN GLENDALE AZ Carrie Darling Phoenix AZ Glenda Davis Scottsdale AZ Robert Deacon Tempe AZ Tamara Deems San Tan Valley AZ Doris Dejwakh Eloy AZ Duane Derr Tucson