Psoriasis Foundation official meets with influential congressional leader

Rick Seiden, vice chairman of the National Psoriasis Foundation's Board of Trustees, met recently with Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.-30th) to discuss the challenges of living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

Seiden, a resident of Los Angeles, lives in Waxman's district. They met when Waxman was in Los Angeles during a congressional break. Waxman was recently elected chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which, through its Subcommittee on Health, has jurisdiction over several Psoriasis Foundation issues. These include the Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Research Cure and Care Act of 2007 (H.R. 1188 or "PPARCCA").

Seiden, who has both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, discussed the painful and debilitating aspects of these diseases. He thanked Waxman for co-sponsoring PPARCCA. As part of the Foundation's "Fair Shake" campaign, the two men posed for a photo showing them shaking hands. The campaign helps build support among members of Congress for people with psoriatic diseases, helps demonstrate their commitment to the psoriasis community and also shows that psoriasis is not contagious.

"Meeting with Representative Waxman as he is about to begin his term as Energy and Commerce chairman is a great step forward for psoriasis advocacy," Seiden said. "I very much appreciated the opportunity to meet with him and his staff to discuss the needs of the psoriatic community and to explain the importance of this bill to me and to the Foundation. We are fortunate to have someone of his stature in the Congress who supports psoriasis legislation and understands our concerns."