WASHINGTON, D.C. -- November 8, 2007 -- "Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle in both the Senate and the House of Representatives affirmed their support for greater government investment in cancer research this week, passing an appropriations bill that includes increased funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
"The funds included in the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education bill will help to ensure that ground-breaking and lifesaving research will stay on track and ultimately make it to the cancer patients who need it most.
"We call on the president to rethink his promise to veto this critical legislation. After years of cut or flat funding for NIH, the president proposed cuts for the current fiscal year. We risk reversing years of progress with his proposed budget that falls woefully short of keeping pace with medical inflation. Cancer patients and their loved ones are depending on continued progress for their survival.
"If the president follows through with his veto threat, we are hopeful that members will remember their bipartisan support for increased NIH funding and stay determined in their efforts to make this bill law. At a time when more and more people are living with cancer rather than dying from it, investment in research is key to making strides in the fight against this disease."
ACS CAN is the nonprofit, nonpartisan sister advocacy organization of the American Cancer Society, which is 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]
