On March 21, 2017, two members of the Lupus LA team went to lobby on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C.  The trip was organized by the Lupus Research Alliance (LRA), our research partner and included lupus groups from all over the country.  We were able to meet with a number of legislative aids from our region’s Congress members offices. We described the impact of lupus on our lives and the lives of others. Then we asked them to support legislation and initiatives that concern Lupus patients. This year, we had three main asks. We asked that the proposed healthcare reform include core principles for protecting people living with lupus. We asked for support of a $2 Billion Increase to Strengthen Biomedical Research at the National Institutes of Health. And we asked for support of $5 Million for the Lupus Medical Research Program in the FY 2018 Defense Appropriations Bill. And we are happy to report that multiple members of the CA Dem Delegation agreed to join the Congressional Lupus Caucus.