Tampa, FL – January 13, 2022 – First Lady Jill Biden is expected to visit Miami and Tampa this week to speak to President Biden’s commitment on reigniting the Cancer Moontshot initiative, marking the first state visit since the president’s initial announcement at the White House earlier in the month.
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) and American Cancer Society CEO Karen E. Knudsen was in attendance at the D.C. event and shared the organization’s commitment to standing shoulder to shoulder with the President, the administration and all levels of government, as well as the cancer community at large, to improve the lives of people with cancer and their families.
Among such policy priorities for the organization is an initiative by ACS CAN to fully fund Florida’s state breast and cervical cancer screening program.
“We’re encouraged by the President and First Lady’s commitment to reignite the fight against cancer and that, as displayed by the visit, Florida is a prime focus for the administration.
“As the President noted in his initial address, cancer is non-partisan. Now is the time to work across the aisle to reduce the cancer burden in the Sunshine State. It is such a pivotal moment in the fight against cancer and an opportune time for state lawmakers to take action as they debate funding initiatives in light of the legislature’s $4 billion budget surplus. Increasing our state’s financial commitment to the Mary Brogan Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program should be a priority in order to truly address the pandemic’s impact on cancer care and save more lives.
“By providing underserved women with the lifesaving screenings they need, the critical program breaks through the most significant barriers of access and affordability which have caused a large portion of the screening delays we’ve seen at the onset and throughout the pandemic. What’s more, experts predict eligibility rates to rise in states like ours that have yet to increase access to Medicaid coverage.
“With so many in need of such a program at this time and as breast cancer remains one of the leading cancers in Florida, it’s due time we adequately fund such critical services. We look forward to working with lawmakers at the state and federal level, as well as the administration, to get there.”