Congressional Coalition for Autism Research and Education (C.A.R.E.) co-chairs U.S. Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Mike Doyle (D-PA) today announced that an accord was signed with the Northern Ireland Assembly’s Autism Caucus to partner in promoting autism awareness, research and legislative ideas. 

    The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Congressmen Smith and Doyle on behalf of the Congressional Coalition for Autism Research and Education and by Members of the Northern Ireland Legislative Assembly Iris Robinson, Dominic Bradley, Michelle O’Neill, John McCallister and Kieran McCarthy on behalf of the Northern Ireland Assembly’s Autism Caucus during a visit to Washington, D.C. by a delegation of members of the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Wales Assembly and the Celtic Nations Autistic Partnerships.

    “At what I hope will be the first of many meetings between our caucuses, we took the historic step of signing a Memorandum of Understanding, signifying that we are committed to addressing autism in our nations and sharing what we learned and our best practices together. Autistic individuals and their caregivers—in both the U.S. and Northern Ireland—will truly benefit from this collaboration,” said Smith.
 
    “Autism affects families in many nations,” Doyle observed. “Much work needs to be done to learn more about this disorder, diagnose it early, and provide the necessary services to the affected families. We need to avoid re-inventing the wheel, and I think that partnerships like the one we’ve established today will help us make the greatest possible progress towards these important goals.”

    “What we are taking part in today is a very significant step. This Memorandum of Understanding aims to identify areas of common interest, helping us develop legislation and share research,” said Iris Robinson, Chairwoman of the Northern Ireland Assembly Health Committee.

    Among other things, the Memorandum of Understanding specifically aims to:

• Identify areas of common interest, e.g. access to research data;
• Encourage U.S.-Northern Ireland exchange opportunities; and
• Share and debate policy issues on autism.

    According to the terms of the document, each caucus will assign a coordinator to act as a conduit for their respective caucus; a free flow of information will be shared via email and correspondence; and annual meetings will be convened with alternating venues.

    Smith and Doyle heralded this agreement as important milestone for the peace process in Northern Ireland.

    “For so many years, Congressional interest in Northern Ireland was focused on the pressing issues of peace and justice there,” Doyle said in reflecting on the agreement. “As someone who was actively involved in pushing for peace in Northern Ireland throughout my tenure in Congress, it’s a real pleasure to begin this legislative collaboration with the duly elected representatives of a peaceful Northern Ireland.”

    Smith has long been engaged in the Northern Ireland peace process, chairing over a dozen Congressional hearings on obstacles and progress to bringing peace to the nation and authoring several bills that have passed the House and/or become law to promote peace and justice in Northern Ireland. Smith referenced this history during the meeting, calling the cross-party, cross-community delegation’s commitment to working together on autism “a testament to the progress that has been made in Northern Ireland.”

    “It is a new day when cross-party leaders can come together to address an important social issue such as autism as a unified front,” Smith said.

    During the meeting with the visiting delegation, Smith and Doyle encouraged their fellow lawmakers from Northern Ireland and Wales to continue to use their caucus to actively promote legislation that addresses the needs of autistic individuals and their caregivers.

    “The key is to keep your coalition non-partisan so you have everyone moving the ball down the field. Always remember that as a caucus, you have weight. You are not just one member. In our case, you are the voice of over 160 members,” Smith told the delegation, pointing to the bipartisan nature and large membership as keys to all C.A.R.E. has accomplished in its seven years of existence.

    Among C.A.R.E.’s successes that Smith pointed to are the significant increases in federal funding for autism treatment, research and awareness programs. Smith, Doyle and the caucus have helped increase federal funding for autism by nearly 10 times the amount it was in the mid-1990’s.

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