Walking Your Talk

Many members of Congress find it easy to say they support our war on cancer. We don’t often get a chance to see if they walk their talk. On November 18 2005, we had such a chance.

Senator Durbin (D-Illinois) introduced a motion to the Senate, requiring that negotiations between the House and Senate insist on maintaining the Senate’s proposed 3.5% increase ($1B) for the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

What does that mean and why does it matter?

The next round of negotiations for research funding are scheduled to begin the week of December 12. As in any negotiation, there are places where you give way and places where you don’t. The Senators who supported Durbin’s motion are saying that research funding is non-negotiable. They are walking their talk about supporting cancer research and prevention.

Interestingly, Senator Brownback (R-Kansas) did not vote yes. Senator Brownback is the co-chair of the Senate Cancer Caucus. [His website says:](http://brownback.senate.gov/LICancer.cfm)

>As a co-chair of the Senate Cancer Coalition, I am continuing to work closely with Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) to educate the Senate and public on issues surrounding the fight against cancer. Together, we are striving to renew the war on cancer.

[See what C3 says to Senator Brownback.](http://www.c-three.org/advocacy/brownback-letter.htm)

[See if your Senators support research funding:](http://c-three.org/advocacy/votingrecord.htm)

Posted by Nancy Roach on December 8th, 2005
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House reject cuts to research

On November 17, Democrats and 22 Republicans in the House of Representatives teamed up to reject a spending proposal that reduced spending in health and education programs. The proposal included basically flat funding at the National Institutes of Health which results in a funding cut due to biomedical inflation. [In contrast, the Senate proposed a 3.7% increase for NIH](http://www.c-three.org/advocacy/2005/11/labor-hhs_conferees_begin_fy_2.php).

See the majority (Republican) perspective on the proposal

The defeat was a surprise to Republican leaders in the House and Senate, and left them scratching their heads to figure out how to proceed. Democrats celebrated the defeat, saying that the proposal gave inadequate funding to key priorities.

See the minority (Democrat) perspective

According to Congress Daily, “Republicans were considering options that include sending the bill back to conference, where conferees could attempt to craft a bill that would muster a majority; attaching it to another piece of appropriations legislation or passing a continuing resolution that would fund programs at the lower end of last year’s or this year’s levels.”

A continuing resolution – which doesn’t take biomedical inflation into account - would reduce funding for programs by $1.6 billion.

Both the House and Senate stopped work on November 18 for a long Thanksgiving break. The House returned on December 6, and the Senate will return on December 12. At that point, Congress will continue work on this and other outstanding legislation.

Posted by Nancy Roach on December 8th, 2005
Posted in: Policy & Advocacy News | 1 Comment »

Cancer Center Directors Helping to Chart Path to 2015

Last week Dr. Andrew C. Von Eschenbach, Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and other senior leaders of NCI were in Dallas, Texas to host a retreat of the directors of all NCI-designated Cancer Centers. The third retreat of its type, its goal was to “encourage frank discussions and gain honest input from the directors on some of the most pressing issues facing NCI” (NCI Cancer Bulletin, November 15, 2005 edition).

The article, authored by Dr. von Eschenbach, went on to say:

“The directors recognize the essential role the Cancer Centers must play if we are to eliminate the suffering and death due to cancer. However, there were concerns among many that the timeline is too ambitious. At the same time, they recognized the substantial opportunities for real progress in the years ahead and were supportive of working with NCI leadership to establish intermediate milestones for reaching the 2015 goal.”

The Center Directors received updates on current NCI operations and priorities as well as an in-depth analysis of NCI’s fiscal year 2006 projeccted budget. Dr. Anthony Hayward of the National Center for Research Resources answered questions about the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) new Clinical & Translational Science Awards program.

Dr. von Eschenbach ended the article by stating:

“The Center Directors’ collective experience and unabated commitment to their institutions, as well as to quality research and patient care, makes this retreat an invaluable planning tool. I know I speak for the entire senior leadership team when I say we are fortunate to have access to such a talented groups of individuals. It’s their dedication, and the commitment to excellence they have imbued in the staff at their respective centers, that makes 2015 an attainable goal.

Click here to read the entire article as published in the November 15, 2005 edition of the NCI Cancer Bulletin.

Posted by Dusty Weaver on November 16th, 2005
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Labor-HHS Conferees Begin FY 2006 Work; Proposed NIH Increase Small

The Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) Conference Committee met Monday, November 14 and began to work out differences between the House and Senate versions of the Labor-HHS FY 2006 appropriations bill.

Both sides of Congress must pass the same version of a bill before it is sent to the President for his signature. If the House and Senate pass different versions the bill goes to a conference committee. This committee, which consists of Senators and Representatives, works out differences between the bills.

Word from the Hill is that the Labor-HHS conference committee proposes to allocated $150 million above last year to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This amount, which is actually a cut when inflation is factored in, falls far short of the $1 billion increase, a modest 3.7 percent over FY 2005, in the Senate bill.

Sources also report Senator Arlen Specter, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor-HHS, is not happy about the proposed NIH number. In a statement from his web site Senator Specter said:

“For this key subcommittee to have this kind of an allocation is scandalous. Every item on our tentative conference budget is under last year, under this year. This is just not right as we approach the problems of America.”

While much work remains for the conference committee before the Labor-HHS FY 2006 appropriations bill is sent to the floor of the Senate and House for a vote there is a chance the vote could occur as soon this week.

Following is a list of House members on the Labor-HHS appropriations conference committee:

• Randy Cunningham (R-CA)
• Jerry Lewis (R-CA)
• Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA)
• Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
• Dave Weldon (R-FL)
• Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL)
• Anne Northup (R-KY)
• Steny Hoyer (D-MD)
• Roger Wicker (R-MS)
• Nita Lowey (D-NY)
• James Walsh (R-NY)
• Ralph Regula (R-OH)
• Ernest Istook (R-OK)
• John Peterson (R-PA)
• Donald Sherwood (R-PA)
• Patrick Kennedy (D-RI)
• Kay Granger (R-TX)
• David Obey (D-WI)

Following is a list of Senators on the Labor-HHS appropriations conference committee:

• Ted Stevens (R-AK)
• Richard Shelby (R-AL)
• Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
• Tom Harkin (D-IA)
• Larry Craig (R-ID)
• Richard Durbin (D-IL)
• Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
• Thad Cochran (R-MS)
• Judd Gregg (R-NH)
• Pete Domenici (R-NM)
• Harry Reid (D-NV)
• Mike DeWine (R-OH)
• Arlen Specter (R-PA)
• Kay Hutchison (R-TX)
• Patty Murray (D-WA)
• Herb Kohl (D-WI)
• Robert Byrd (D-WV)

If your Representative or one of your Senators is on the Labor-HHS conference committee (see above list) contact them this week. Tell them cuts to cancer research will mean delays in new cancer drugs, set-backs to new cancer screenings, and fewer life-saving cancer treatments. Tell them we cannot afford to not spend more on cancer research.

If your Representative or Senators are not on the Labor-HHS conference committee contact them anyway. Urge them to press for a $29.4 billion (the amount in the Senate version) allocation to NIH in the FY 2006 Labor-HHS Appropriation conference bill.

Time is short so take a minute, go to the One Minute Advocate, and follow the instructions to send a message to Congress.

You can make a difference.

Posted by Dusty Weaver on November 15th, 2005
Posted in: Policy & Advocacy News | 1 Comment »

C3 Joins Other Groups; Signs Letter to Senate and House

The Colorectal Cancer Coalition joined over 600 organizations who recently sent letters to the the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. The letters, dated November 11, 2005, urged both sides of Congress to support the $1 billion increase the Senate passed in its version of the FY 2006 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill.

The following quote says what C3 and the other groups want Congress to do:

As you work to set priorities for expenditure of the nation’s fiscal resources, we urge you to press for $29.4 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in FY 2006 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriation (H.R. 3010) conference bill. This amount, which was approved by the Senate, represents a modest 3.7 percent increase in funding. An across-the-board cut of any amount would further marginalize advances emanating from the NIH at a time when the opportunities for exponential gains in medical and health research are enormous.

To read the letter sent to the Senate, which is identical to the one sent to the House, click here.

In addition to these letters there will be advertisements in Hill publications this week with the same text and the list of signers. These publications are read by most people in Congress so the advertisements will be seen by most, if not all, Senators, Representatives and their staff.

As a constituent you can increase the impact of these letters by telling your Senators and Representatives to pass the full amount passed by the Senate. Go to the One Minute Advocate and follow the instructions.

One person can make a difference.

Posted by Dusty Weaver on November 15th, 2005
Posted in: Policy & Advocacy News | No Comments »