President Biden Continues Push on Cancer Moonshot
President Biden and the First Lady will announce the next step in the Cancer Moonshot Initiative today in New Orleans.
Washington, D.C.—September 29, 2016—Likely voters in 10 battleground states say they strongly support increasing federal funding for cancer research and aren’t hearing enough from candidates on the issue, according to a new poll released today by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). The poll found more than three-quarters of voters feel the need to increase cancer research funding is urgent (79%) with half saying the matter is extremely urgent (51%). Support remains strong even when voters are asked to weigh tax or deficit changes (63%), demonstrating their clear commitment to such funding.
“Voters understand how research saves lives,” said Chris Hansen, president of ACS CAN. “Sustained and significant federal investment in medical research, together with private innovation, spurs more precise diagnostic tools and improved and more effective treatments. Voters want and deserve to hear what steps candidates would take once elected to advance progress against a disease that kills more than a half million Americans annually.”
The poll findings were released today to kick off Cancer Votes, ACS CAN’s nationwide voter education campaign. Cancer Votes aims to elevate the issue of cancer in the election and to ensure both voters and candidates understand the need to make cancer a national priority. As part of the campaign, volunteers across the country are organizing activities to raise the profile of cancer issues, including van tours in nine battleground states, petition gathering and asking candidates what policy actions they would take to help reduce the cancer burden.
Cancer Votes volunteers have received responses to cancer-specific questions from 15 of 18 U.S. Senate candidates across the nine swing states along with responses from two presidential candidates.
The poll, conducted by Lake Research Partners and the Tarrance Group, comes amid a strong, bipartisan focus on the importance of medical research. For the last year, Congress has been considering significant increases in federal medical research funding through the appropriations process and the 21st Century Cures bill. There has also been a strong push for more funding through the Vice President’s National Cancer Moonshot Initiative.
“Voters adamantly want the next Congress to keep focused on cancer research,” said Hansen. “Now is the time for candidates to make clear their commitment to accelerating the pace of such research through steady and significant federal funding increases,” said Hansen.
Other poll findings include:
The poll was conducted in these 10 states: Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri, New Hampshire, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
ACS CAN is strictly nonpartisan and does not endorse, oppose or contribute to any candidate or political party. For more information about Cancer Votes, 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.