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President Obama and Governor Romney Offer Plans for Defeating Cancer
Presidential Candidates Respond to Questions on Bolstering Cancer Prevention, Research, Access to Care and Tobacco Control as Part of Nationwide äóÖCancer Votes ' Campaign
October 1, 2012
Washington, D.C. Oct. 1, 2012 With the first presidential debate just days away, President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney have provided the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) with their positions on how, if elected, they would put the country back on track toward defeating cancer. The candidates ' statements are included in a presidential voter guide published on www.cancervotes.org that will be distributed to cancer patients, survivors and their families across the country as part of ACS CAN 's nationwide Cancer Votes voter education program.
The next president of the United States will have the power to bring us closer to defeating a disease that touches every American as a patient, survivor, family member or friend, said Chris Hansen, president of ACS CAN, the advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society. Whether by investing in medical research and prevention, ensuring adequate access to health care or reducing the toll of tobacco use, President Obama or Governor Romney will hold the reins on the future of the war against cancer in this country.æ
Through Cancer Votes, ACS CAN is active in all 50 states educating the public about candidate positions on making cancer a national priority. Cancer Votes volunteers have been soliciting candidate responses to questions about policies that are critical to the fight against cancer. Volunteers are attending candidate events, canvassing neighborhoods, holding rallies and distributing voter guides that include the candidates ' positions on these issues. ACS CAN is also sponsoring several federal and state candidate forums across the country to highlight the importance of effective laws and policies that fight and prevent cancer.
ACS CAN 's presidential voter guide provides the candidates ' responses to questions about how they would make cancer a national priority, invest in prevention and research, guarantee adequate access to affordable health care and reduce tobacco use. The following are ACS CAN 's questions to the candidates. To see the completed responses, please visit www.cancervotes.org.
- Leading the Fight Against Cancer. The president of the United States has an unparalleled opportunity to stand up and lead the fight against cancer in this nation. The president has a bully pulpit and the unique ability to set our national agenda in a way that no other single political leader can. Cancer is our deadliest disease killing more than half a million Americans every year. If you are elected president of the United States, how will you use the power of your office to fight cancer and put our country on track toward defeating this disease that touches every American either as a patient, survivor, beloved family member or friend?
- Preventing Cancer. We know today that half of cancer deaths could be prevented by curbing tobacco use, improving diet, exercising and gaining better access to care. Breakthroughs in cancer research funded by the National Institutes of Health are saving lives that just a few years ago would have been lost. As president, how will you ensure that providing increased federal funding for cancer research becomes a higher national priority?
- Access to Care. The president of the United States is charged with protecting the health and well-being of all Americans, including those with cancer. Recent reforms have removed barriers to affordable insurance coverage that many cancer patients and survivors faced in the past. Bans on denial of coverage to people with pre-existing conditions or people who are facing a major illness, like cancer, and other reforms such as the elimination of annual and lifetime insurance limits are vital for cancer patients, cancer survivors, and their families. As president, how will you protect the health of cancer patients and ensure that affordable insurance coverage is available to them?
- Protecting Citizens from the Dangers of Tobacco Consumption. Smoking-related diseases kill roughly 443,000 Americans each year. Although we have made progress in reducing the rate of smoking through restrictions on product advertising, smoke-free laws and higher cigarette taxes, approximately 20% of the U.S. population still smokes. Some Americans are also beginning to consume smokeless tobacco products in the belief that they are safe. Unfortunately, they aren 't safe. They are deadly. As president, what would you do to reduce tobacco consumption in the furtherance of protecting public health? How would you continue to ensure the implementation of the Family Smoking Prevention and Control Act safeguards Americans from the dangers of tobacco usage?
There are currently 13.7 million cancer survivors in the United States. This year, an estimated 1.6 million additional people in this country will be diagnosed with cancer and more than 570,000 will die from the disease. Roughly half of all cancer deaths in the United States could be prevented if everyone in America were to stop smoking, get screened for cancer, eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly.
While we have made great progress against cancer, the disease continues to kill 1,500 people a day in this country, said Hansen. Lawmakers have the power to make decisions that directly impact the lives of cancer patients and their families, which is why it is important that the public understands where candidates for every office stand on issues critical to fighting and preventing the disease.
ACS CAN is strictly non-partisan and does not endorse, oppose, or contribute to any candidate or political party. For more information on Cancer Votes activities or to view the complete presidential voter guide, visit www.cancervotes.org.
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.
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