WASHINGTON, D.C. -- June 24, 2008 -- “Members of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services confirmed a renewed commitment to reinvigorate the war on cancer today, supporting the inclusion of a more than one-billion dollar increase for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for FY 2009. Stemming the tide of a troubling trend of frozen or cut funding, this proposed 3.5 percent proposed budget increase would keep up with the growing annual cost for research for the first time in six years.
“We applaud all of the members of the health subcommittee, and specifically want to thank Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) for their longstanding fight against cancer and unwavering support for increased funding for NIH.
“We also applaud the members of the Senate committee for allocating $25 million to establish a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) program that would provide colorectal cancer screenings for those who might otherwise be unable to afford them. As the second most common cause of cancer death in the United States in men and women combined, screening tests can detect colon cancer at the earliest, most treatable stage or even prevent it. Yet, screening rates remain low, partly because of cost. The funding provided by this legislation would help remove this barrier to access and save lives.
“The Senate committee’s action less than a week after the House committee approved comparable funding levels is a positive indication that our legislators understand the critical need to again make cancer a top national priority.
“We know that research is just one critical component of a broader comprehensive approach to fighting a disease that will kill more than 565,000 Americans this year alone. Millions of Americans touched by cancer are counting on legislators to continue this commitment throughout the budget process and make these proposed increases for critical medical research a reality.”
ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy partner 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 https://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]
