Urgent Action Needed: Make an Appropriations Request

Congress has just begun its appropriations process. During this process, Congress determines what projects and initiatives will receive federal funding – and how much – for the next fiscal year. This year, Sepsis Alliance is asking Congress to set aside money to begin a national sepsis data trust, which would help experts better understand, and fight, sepsis.

We need your voice to make an impact. The more Congress hears from sepsis advocates like you in the next few weeks, the more likely they will be to act on this request.

Below, watch a step-by-step tutorial on how to fill out appropriations request forms, asking your three Congressional representatives (your two U.S. Senators and your member of the House of Representatives) for this funding. It only takes a few minutes to make these requests, but it could make a huge difference for those affected by sepsis.

Download Sepsis Alliance’s example form, which you can use to guide you in filling out the required fields, here: Sepsis Alliance Example Approps Form FY24

Please note: every member of Congress can set different due dates for their constituents, so please check the due date on your representatives’ websites and act as soon as possible!

If you’d prefer to read the instructions rather than watch the tutorial, scroll to the bottom of this page.

With any questions, please email us:

Catriona Macdonald: cmacdonald@linchpinstrategies.com
Suzi Plasencia: splasencia@linchpinstrategies.com
Amanda Feinman: afeinman@sepsis.org

Thank you for your support of patients with sepsis, survivors, and their loved ones!

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Steps for filling out appropriations request forms:

1. Look up your Senators by using the “Find Your Senators” dropdown in the top lefthand corner of senate.gov. Look up your member of the House of Representatives by typing your zip code into lookup bar in the top righthand corner of house.gov;
2. Open the websites of each of your Senators and your House member by clicking on their names;
3. Type “appropriations requests” into the search bar on your representatives’ websites (if that doesn’t work, try “congressionally directed spending requests”);
4. You may need to create a free account to proceed;
5. Once in the portal where requests can be made, select “Programmatic Request Form”;
6. Double check the form – make sure it is for fiscal year (FY) 2024, not 2023 or any other previous years;
7. Fill out the form using Sepsis Alliance’s example form as a guide: Sepsis Alliance Example Approps Form FY24
8. Pay attention to the due date! Different members of Congress can set different due dates for their constituents, so it is important to check when your form is due and submit it before the window closes;
9. Can’t find the form? Call the Washington office number listed on the representative’s website and ask for the form to be sent to you!