Prevent Blindness America thanks the Congressional Vision Caucus for their leadership

Congressional Vision Caucus Co-Chairs Gene Green, David Price and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen sent a Dear Colleague Letter to Appropriations Chair David Obey and Ranking Member Todd Tiahrt requesting $4.5 million in funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Vision Health Initiative. This support and leadership will help Prevent Blindness America grow this critically important program.

The Vision Health Initiative was created in 2003 to address vision problems in the U.S. by seeking to identify and screen individuals at risk for vision loss. Over the past five years, this important initiative has developed programs on the ground that are identifying vision problems early and linking patients to needed care. The Vision Health Initiative is a model for public/private partnerships that create programs that work and help people most in need.

Prevent Blindness America would like to thank all of our advocates who contacted their Member of Congress regarding this funding request letter. To see a copy of the Dear Colleague Letter, go to http://www.preventblindness.net/dearcolleague09.