WASHINGTON, D.C. -- November 16, 2007 -- “Cancer patients and their loved ones are frustrated and disappointed that Congress fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to override the president’s veto of the Labor HHS appropriations bill that includes funds to provide for much needed increases in cancer research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
“After years of cut or flat funding, existing research projects are in danger of being shut down and new research endeavors could struggle to get needed resources, making it difficult to get critical prevention, detection and treatment measures from the labs to the doctors’ offices and the patients who need them most.
"The President's demand to reduce government spending should not come at the expense of cancer patients and their families. His plan would short critical NIH research funding by $1.4 billion from the amount passed by strong majorities in both the House and Senate. Now Congress needs to stand by that commitment and send the President a bill that gives hope to families in cancer’s path. “Cancer patients and their families are counting on the promise of groundbreaking research to save their lives. The time to fund the fight against cancer is now.”
ACS CAN is the nonprofit, nonpartisan sister advocacy organization of the American Cancer Society, dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage lawmakers, candidates and government officials to support laws and policies that will make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Alissa Havens
Phone: (202) 661-5772
Email: [email protected]
Steve Weiss
Phone: (202) 661-5711
Email: [email protected]
