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ATAs 2012 Advocacy Accomplishments Inform 2013 Efforts with Congress

By Deborah H. Outlaw, J.D., ATA Government Relations Representative


As of press time, Congress remains on recess and returns soon to Washington, D.C., to face a daunting array of unfinished business before adjourning. A future Tinnitus Today article will detail what we may expect in 2013 from the Administration and the new Congress. However, for the moment we will focus on those issues that are still outstanding, the outcome of which will have an impact on our 2013 tinnitus legislative strategy. As our readers know, ATA efforts over recent years have focused extensively on enhancing tinnitus national health research through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Department of Defense (DoD), as well as on tinnitus-related bills of direct interest to military and veteran populations, which also involves the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Our goals remain constant namely, to increase federal research to prevent the occurrence of this devastating disorder, and to provide more effective treatments to help the millions of individuals who currently suffer from tinnitus. We are pleased to report on successes in various pending bills that currently await action once Congress returns. But there are also pending large scale budgetary threats, which could negatively impact our progress. And finally, there is the unfortunate possibility that Congress may simply choose to defer action on some bills until next year and allow other bills to die altogether, meaning they would have to be reintroduced later. Because it is so important to keep up the momentum we have created, we encourage ATA members to get involved with the Action Alliance to let your Senators and Representatives better understand tinnitus in general and what these pending bills may mean to you personally. If you have not already done so, visit ATA.org/advocacy/join-action-alliance and sign up today. Your voice as a voter and constituent mean more than ever as we all work collectively to help tinnitus sufferers who need help now and prevent its occurrence in the future. Here are details and the status of some of the issues of key interest to ATA members: 20
Tinnitus Today | Winter 2012

NIH Funding
While ATA was successful in inserting tinnitus-specific language in the Senate report accompanying its FY 2013 NIH research bill, Congress has not yet passed this measure or most other 2013 funding bills into law. As a result, the President has signed a six-month continuing resolution to keep most government agencies, including the NIH, running at essentially the same funding levels through March 27, 2013. While this provides a short term respite from the fear of a government shutdown, the NIH still faces the prospect of losing significant funding next January if Congress and the President do not step in to avoid the cuts. This complex funding reduction process, known as sequestration, has come about because of last years debt limit law (the Budget Control Act of 2011 or BCA) that was designed to reduce the burgeoning federal deficit. The BCA provided for across-theboard spending cuts in most discretionary federal spending. NIHs share would be about eight percent to be put in place in January 2013 unless Congress and the President enacted legislation in the meantime to modify or repeal the BCA. To date, there has been no movement toward agreement on either side. ATA is extremely pleased at the increased funding toward tinnitus research which the NIH and the National Insititute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) have afforded this issue in recent years. At the same time, we recognize the need to ensure a robust and stable funding level for NIH in order to keep making progress in this area. For this reason, in addition to advocating for tinnitus-specific provisions, ATA has partnered with other research organizations to support overall NIH funding in an effort to help break the logjam of inaction that has resulted in the pending sequestration and to avoid spending cuts that could harm the progress we have made so far on tinnitus.

DoD Attention to Tinnitus


ATA worked with key Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee to secure statutory provisions in the 2013 Senate bill that would require DoD and the VA to move forward with various mandated steps to
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ATA-Funded Research Report


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ATAs 2012 Advocacy Accomplishments


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not allow us to differentiate whether the measured dopamine was contained in the part of the neuron that produces the dopamine (somata) or the part of the neuron that releases the dopamine (axon terminal).

improve prevention, abatement and data sharing on hearing impairments sustained during military service, including tinnitus. Action on this bill and approval by both chambers awaits Congress return. In the area of defense spending, ATA was also successful in including tinnitus in the list of approved research programs under the Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program for the sixth consecutive year. That program allows DoD to select research projects of clear scientific merit and relevance to military health and allocates $50 million to that end. Along with the NIH funding bill, the defense funding bill was included in the short term measure signed last month by the President. If you have any questions on ATA-advocacy initiatives, the Action Alliance or have ideas on ways to help further the cause, contact ATA Director of Public Affairs, Jennifer Born at jennifer@ata.org.

Conclusions
By understanding these connections we will be able to identify and manipulate crucial circuitry that is involved in noise-induced tinnitus. Modulation of dopaminergic circuitry may lead to discovery of brain-related mechanisms that are involved in the susceptibility and maintenance of tinnitus. Our results leave us with many questions to be answered in future studies including: Can modulation of dopamine levels in the IC change susceptibility to noise-induced tinnitus? By using a systematic approach to identify and manipulate dopamine within circuitry underlying noise-induced tinnitus, we can begin to unravel mechanisms associated with the perception of tinnitus. To assist with reading this ATA-funded research report, or any other articles that may mention terms you are unfamiliar with, visit ATA.org/glossary.

Time is Running OuT!


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THRee WAYs TO DOnATe:


1. Use the donation envelope in the middle of your Tinnitus Today. 2. Donate online at ata.org/donate. 3. Call ATA at (800) 634-8978.
Thank you for supporting the important work of the American Tinnitus Association during 2012. We wish you a very happy holiday season.

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Tinnitus Today | Winter 2012

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