WASHINGTON December 15, 2011 The U.S. House of Representatives last night introduced an FY 2012 omnibus spending bill that includes a nearly $300 million increase in research funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH).æ The proposal also includes a $38 million funding increase at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which houses a number of important cancer prevention and control programs. Following is a statement from Christopher W. Hansen, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN):
Families affected by cancer spoke and Congress listened, recommitting this country to making the fight against cancer a national priority.
Despite a tough budget environment, elected officials from both parties recognize the importance of continued investment in research to find answers for some of the deadliest cancers. Reps. Denny Rehberg (R-MT) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), and Sens. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Richard Shelby (R-AL), exhibited strong leadership and commitment by increasing funds that will capitalize on our past progress and spur innovation and new breakthroughs in the fight to eliminate death and suffering related to cancer.
There are more than 12 million cancer survivors alive today due to the investments we have made in research that led to early detection tests and treatments. As the largest funder of research in this country, the federal government is largely responsible for this success and will play a critical role in continuing to make strides.
We are pleased that the appropriations legislation essentially sustains funding for prevention programs that keep people well, but we are deeply concerned about separate legislation initiated by the House of Representatives to cut funds previously allocated for prevention in order to pay for other end-of-the-year budget items. We can prevent half of cancer deaths by applying proven prevention measures like tobacco cessation, proper nutrition and staying fit.æ Now is not the time to take money from proven prevention measures, such as tobacco quitlines that encourage cessation and save lives and healthy school meals that promote wellness in children, collectively reducing the likelihood of a cancer diagnosis in the future.
With 1 out of 2 men and 1 out of 3 women expected to be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, it is imperative that Americans have access to proven prevention measures and that we continue to invest in research that will lead to new therapies and treatments. Only by preventing what we can and working to understand what we don 't will we have the best chance of defeating a disease that will still kill more than 570,000 Americans this year.
ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Alissa Crispino or Steven Weiss
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
Phone: (202) 661-5772 or (202) 661-5711
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
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