California Assemblyman Mark Ridley-Thomas has introduced legislation (Assembly Bill 2339: Colorectal Cancer Screening and Treatment Program) which, if passed and funded, will provide infrastructure for screening programs for underserved communities. This critical legislation will be introduced in the State Assembly later this month.
C3 supports this legislation, and thanks Assemblyman Ridley-Thomas for his efforts.
The House has adjourned for their two-week spring recess without voting on the 2007 budget resolution. According to the April 7 Los Angeles Times, “Opposition to the budget among Republican moderates and a power struggle between a faction of conservatives and the GOP-controlled Appropriations Committee forced party leaders to either pull the measure or suffer a humiliating defeat.”
Additional information: April 7 2006 Kaiser Family Foundation Daily Health Report
The House budget proposed significant cuts to health and education, including funding for cancer research and prevention programs. The Senate budget restored funding to these critical programs with the Specter-Harkin Amendment.
Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) introduced an amendment that would restore funding in the House budget; this amendment was defeated. Representative Mike Castle (R-DE) introduced a similar amendment; however, the House adjourned without acting on the proposal.
Why does this matter?
House members are hearing from voters who are unhappy with proposals to cut programs such as cancer research and prevention. The phone calls, emails and faxes from thousands of constituents are having an impact!
So stay tuned. Once Congress is back from their Spring Break, we will need everyone’s help to keep up the momentum!
Representative Rosa DeLauro, a survivor of ovarian cancer, raised critical questions at the House Labor, Health and Human Services committee meeting around a critical translational research program.
During her questions, Rep. DeLauro identified the critical role of organ site-specific translational research which is occurring in NCI’s Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) programs. The SPORE programs offer a unique opportunity for “team science” that includes basic scientists with clinical researchers, and moves treatments from the laboratory to people.
C3 thanks Representative DeLauro for her leadership!
The Senate passed the Feinstein-Mikulski amendment late last night. This amendment provides an additional $390 million in cancer funding, with increases of:
“Coming on the heels of our dramatic victory yesterday on the Specter Harkin amendment, we have accomplished much in a very difficult fiscal environment. The success of both these amendments puts the United States Senate clearly on record strongly opposing the President’s cuts to cancer funding, and will greatly strengthen our negotiating position as we enter the all important appropriations process this summer and fall,” says Dan Smith, VP of the American Cancer Society and Chair of One Voice Against Cancer.
“The Senate has a track record of supporting cancer research and prevention,” says Nancy Roach, C3 President. “The House will be a challenge. Stay tuned!”
See Senator Feinstein’s press release
On March 16, the Senate voted to support the Specter-Harkin amendment to the Senate budget resolution. What does that mean? Well, the President’s Budget cut spending on health and education, including a $40 million cut at NCI. The goal of the Specter-Harkin amendment is to restore funding to the health and education programs.
The amendment (which passed on a 73-27 vote) proposes an increase of $7 billion in funding for education and health programs, much of which will go to funding critical health and cancer-specific programs at the National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The House still needs to act and final funding decisions won’t be made until the fall. It is safe to say that while there are no guarantees in this business, we do know that there would have been no hope of increased funding this year without passage of this critical amendment,” says Dan Smith, VP of the American Cancer Society and Chair of One Voice Against Cancer.
How did your senator vote? Check it out!
