Newswise — Arlington, Va. — The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) has announced the speaker lineup for the General Session of the 2015 National Chiropractic Leadership Conference (NCLC), taking place Feb. 25-28 in Washington, D.C. NCLC is a unique opportunity for supporters of chiropractic to help set the direction for the future of the profession, encompassing legislative briefings, advocacy, leadership development sessions and continuing education programming. “It’s during these exciting, event-packed days together in Washington that we can educate policymakers about the value of a “conservative care first” approach to health care,” said ACA President Anthony Hamm, DC. “Doctors and students from throughout the country will come to Capitol Hill to tell their stories and advocate on behalf of our patients. Attendees will urge lawmakers to support bills that will benefit patients, expand access to chiropractic services for veterans and active-duty military personnel, and help chiropractic graduates qualify for federal programs that would enable them to practice in underserved areas in exchange for student loan debt relief.” This year’s NCLC speakers are: • Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) – Sen. Merkley will be the Congressional Keynote Speaker during the morning session on Thursday, Feb. 26. A member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, Sen. Merkley was reelected in November to serve a second Senate term with over 55 percent of the vote. • U.S. Representative Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla.) – Rep. Bridenstine will be a featured speaker during the morning session on Thursday, Feb. 26. Rep. Bridenstine, about to start his second term in the House of Representatives, is a member of the Armed Services Committee and a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve where he flew the E-2C Hawkeye in America's war on drugs before becoming a member of Congress. • U.S. Representative Mark Amodei (R-Nev.) – Rep. Amodei will be a featured speaker during the morning session on Thursday, Feb. 26. A former member of both the Nevada House and Senate, Rep. Amodei was reelected in November to serve Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District with over 65 percent of the vote. In the current 114th Congress, Rep. Amodei was selected to sit on the powerful Appropriations Committee, the panel that has oversight on all federal spending. • Scott Haldeman, DC, MD, PhD – A respected author and expert in evidence-based medicine whose work has helped to advance the understanding and treatment of spinal disorders, Dr. Haldeman will give the keynote address during the inaugural McAndrews Leadership Lecture on Saturday, Feb. 28. Dr. Haldeman’s presentation will focus on the historical challenges of chiropractic clinical practice and how current movements such as evidence-based practice and value-based payment models will influence how and where doctors of chiropractic practice and their role in the continuum of care. NCLC’s professional development program also features presentations by nationally-recognized authorities such as Dr. Elise Hewitt, Dr. James Lehman, Dr. Phil Arnone, Dr. Ted Carrick, Dr. William Lauretti, Dr. Steven Kraus, Dr. Mitch Mally and Dr. Jerrold Simon. The full conference program can be viewed on the NCLC website. NOTE: Qualified media representatives are invited to attend NCLC free of charge. Members of the press can contact Nicole Racadag at [email protected] or (703) 812-0211 for more information. ### The American Chiropractic Association (ACA), based in Arlington, Va., is the largest professional association in the United States representing doctors of chiropractic. ACA promotes the highest standards of ethics and patient care, contributing to the health and well-being of millions of chiropractic patients. Visit us at www.acatoday.org.