Greetings!

Last week, advocates from across the country participated in IFFGD's 2021 Virtual Advocacy Event. Advocating alongside like-minded people was encouraging, educational, and very uplifting. The collective voice of advocates virtually contacting legislators significantly increases the impact of our voices and efforts. Your advocacy efforts should not end here. Be sure to continue contacting and developing a relationship with your Legislators. The advocacy effort of all people impacted by gastrointestinal (GI) disorders is what leads to significant improvements in research and care for all. 

In this issue:

  • How to Contact Congressional Offices - Learn more about how to find and contact your Representative and Senators.

  • Colorectal Cancer Screening - As a result of the ongoing support of advocates, the Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act, HR 1570/S 668 was included in the 2020 year-end legislative package.

  • Center for Drug Evaluation and Research - CDER is an organization within the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that ensures drugs made available to the public are safe and effective.


Be active. Be heard. Make a difference.

Safe Step Act - S. 464/H.R. 2163


The following are expected to reintroduce in the 117th Congress:



Understanding the Abbreviations

All legislation is preceded by either an H.R., standing for House of Representatives, or an S., representing the Senate
Thank you to everyone who has participated in our week of Advocacy.

The event educated viewers on how to advocate to Congress and find various methods of support. This year, the education program included speakers from various support organizations, including government agencies and support groups, available to the digestive health community.

Anyone who missed the live-streamed event can view all video materials on IFFGD's 2021 Advocacy Education Program webpage. The sessions are provided below and offer a wide range of support options that highlight a few disease-specific support organizations.


  • Advocacy Education: Learn more about Congress, why advocacy is so important, how to contact and follow-up with Congress, as well as IFFGD’s legislative priorities for the GI community. 

  • Governmental Support: Topics include opportunities for youth involvement and education on safely and efficiently traveling with GI conditions. Viewers also learn more about current resources from the VA and the work being done to improve future resources.

If you have any questions, please email advocacy@iffgd.org
We encourage all advocates to contact Congress! Both participants in our Virtual Advocacy Event and advocates who did not register can contact their Senators and Representatives to advocate for the digestive health community. Advocates can provide offices with IFFGD's 2021 Legislative Agenda and reference this document to learn more about some of the current legislative issues that impact those with a chronic GI condition. You can also reference our Sample Contact Script to help you as you prepare to contact Legislators. This script includes key points to help you develop a concise version of your personal story to share during your calls.

Whether you are a new or experienced advocate, you may benefit from watching our 2021 Advocacy Education videos. These videos topics include: How Congress Works, Advocacy and Why it Matters, How to Contact Congressional Offices, 2021 Legislative Priorities at IFFGD, and How to Follow-up with Congress.

Keeping informed on the federal budget process is important for all of us as constituents. IFFGD works diligently to stay versed on the appropriations process each year. We will keep you updated as the appropriations process continues for fiscal year (FY) 2021. Each FY runs from October 1st through September 30th of the following year.

March 11, 2021 - Budgeters and appropriators have been focused on the American Rescue Plan which was passed into law on March 11th. View key provisions of this legislation here.

March 10, 2021 - House appropriations subcommittees have set initial deadlines of around April 15th for funding requests from House members. There may be some revisions to this plan based on the timing of the President’s budget proposal.

February 24, 2021 - The House Labor, Health & Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee held a hearing Wednesday, Feb. 24th to examine our nation’s public health infrastructure. View the hearing and related information here.

February 12, 2021 - The CDC Coalition led by the American Public Health Association recommends a FY 2022 funding level of $10 billion for the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention—representing a $2.2 billion increase over FY 2021.

February 11, 2021 - House authorizing committees marked up reconciliation bills to correspond with the recently passed budget resolution responding to the Biden COVID-19 American Rescue Plan. The House Energy & Commerce, House Ways & Means, House Education & Labor, and House Small Business Committees have released information regarding their hearings on the legislation.

Find more information on these budget and appropriation updates here.
IFFGD Washington Representative, Philip Goglas II, took the time to educate advocates on many aspects of advocating in Washington D.C. virtually. In this video, he went into detail about how to contact Congress in an easy and efficient way.

Offices have changed contact methods as a result of the recent surge of virtual advocacy. All advocates can benefit from Philip's advice on the best way to reach out to their Legislators.

Policies and priorities related to healthcare, research, treatment, guidelines, and much more are continually changing. We will provide monthly updates on items relevant to the GI community.

March 4, 2021 - Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), chair of the Senate HELP Committee and Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee, plans to reintroduce the Public Health Infrastructure Saves Lives Act. The bill would address the chronic underfunding of public health infrastructure.

March 1, 2021 - The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director and NIH institutes outlined an initiative this week to end structural racism in biomedical research.

February 25, 2021 - The Safe Step Act of 2021 (S. 464) has been introduced by Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and 11 bipartisan Senate colleagues. S. 464 amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) to require a group health plan to provide an exception process for any medication step therapy protocol. The House companion bill is expected to be introduced soon.

February 15, 2021 - Monday, February 15, began a 2021 special enrollment period for federal marketplace coverage through HealthCare.gov. This is in accordance with an Executive order signed by President Biden.

February 11, 2021 - President Biden visited the National Institutes of Health Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory. He spoke with Lab Chief Dr. Barney Graham and COVID-19 Vaccine Program Scientific Lead Kizzmekia Corbett. They discussed development of the vaccine and challenges posed by the coronavirus variants.

February 10, 2021 - The Biden administration told the Supreme Court that the Affordable Care Act is constitutional, reversing the Trump administration's position.

Find more information on these health policy updates here.
We are always grateful for the impact advocates have on the current and future of digestive health. It is always encouraging and exciting to see a legislative priority be passed by Congress.

Before the end of 2020 the Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act, HR 1570/S 668 was included in the year-end legislative package. Wins like these would not occur without the support and awareness that comes from advocates like you. This policy change is vitally important for increasing screening rates for colorectal cancer. This is an important highlight for the digestive health community as March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.
The Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) is an organization within the FDA. CDER works to ensure that drugs available to people living in the United States are both safe and effective. This is done through the regulation of prescription and over-the-counter drugs (medications) including biological therapies and generic drugs.

The role of CDER covers beyond what is typically considered medications. CDER also oversees common personal care products including fluoride toothpaste, antiperspirant deodorants, dandruff shampoos, and sunscreens.

CDER has developed and maintains many initiatives to cover various needs within drug development and evaluation. You can learn more about CDER and the organization's initiatives here.
International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD)
414-964-1799 | iffgd@iffgd.org | www.iffgd.org
IFFGD is a nonprofit organization.
We rely on donor support to fund research and to provide reliable information and support to those affected by chronic gastrointestinal disorders