Mike worked on the latest Washington Watch up until December 21st. In his words …
The other day someone asked me about my involvement with the Children’s Inn at NIH. I have decided to answer the question in the Washington Watch as well as to the person who asked me.
In 1988, Congressman John Dingell invited me to his House office to request that I join the Board of a new organization called the Children’s Inn. His spouse (now Congresswoman Debbie Dingell) along with two other congressional spouses, had gotten involved with the creation of a new organization, a living facility for the families of children at the National Institute of Health.
He asked me to make sure they did not violate any rules or laws in their efforts. I of course agreed to help and before I knew it, I was on the board and then treasurer of Friends of the Children’s Inn at NIH. The goal of the new organization was to become a “place like home”.
I ended up on the Board of the Children’s Inn at NIH in 1990. A position in which I served until 2007. In 2007, I became a Trustee, a position which I held until 2016.
By 2022, 730 families had stayed at the Inn. Three to five days was the average short-term stay. 1 in 10 were long-term stays. 82 days was the average long-term stay.
Since 1990 more than 16,000 families have stayed at The Inn free of charge. Patients staying at The Inn have come from 50 states and 106 countries.
Patients staying at The Inn represented 87 different medical conditions and participated in studies at 12 of the 27 institutes and centers at NIH.
168 volunteers provided support equal to 4 full-time employees. Volunteers worked 7,386 hours at the Inn.
Vice President Harris has now cast 32 tie breaking votes, the most tiebreakers ever, the previous record holder was John Calhoun.
The American public overwhelmingly supports more reporting from the Supreme Court.
- 75% demand a binding ethics code for justices.
- 68% advocate for term limits.
- 67% want televised oral arguments.
- 66% see the need for an age limit for Justices.
[Takeitback.org 11/29/23]