On Tuesday, March 6, Fight Colorectal Cancer advocates attending the 6th annual Call-on Congress heard from staff and experts about the challenges to spreading awareness of and increasing research into colorectal cancer amid national budget challenges.

Erica and Ethan Lee of Sacramento, Calif., participate in Call-on Congress training sessions.

Training sessions with Fight Colorectal Cancer staff gave advocates a real world view of the policy and legislative landscape for colorectal cancer. They were given information about key legislation, statistics and talking points for their meetings with lawmakers that will occur on Wednesday.

“It’s so exciting to be here in Washington and on Capitol Hill to see how it all works,” said Erica Lee, an advocate from California who is attending the conference. “It’s easy to complain about ‘politicians in Washington, DC,’ but here I’m part of the solution.” Erica recently lost her mother, Diane, to colorectal cancer.

Advocates can also access a virtual toolbox of outreach strategies, via the Fight Colorectal Cancer website under the Policy and Advocacy tab. Anyone interested in proposed legislation that Fight Colorectal Cancer supports can also find information in the Action Center.

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Legislation in Congress will help raise money for colorectal cancer research without increasing federal spending.

Representative Charlie Dent

Pennsylvania congressman Charlie Dent has introduced a bill that would direct the U.S. Postal Service to sell a semipostal stamp to raise money for federally funded colorectal cancer research and prevention programs. Semipostal stamps are regular postage stamps that are sold at a surcharge over their postage value. The additional charge is a voluntary contribution by the purchaser to a designated cause.

Under the “Fight Colorectal Cancer Stamp Act” (H.R. 893), funds raised from a semipostal colorectal cancer stamp would be used for colorectal cancer programs at the Department of Defense Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health.

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Join Fight Colorectal Cancer March 5 – 7, 2012 in Washington, DC

Registration is now open!

Earlier this month, the House Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education Appropriations Subcommittee announced that it has postponed consideration of its fiscal year (FY) 2012 spending bill until September.

Delayed consideration of this bill, which funds the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), gives colorectal cancer advocates more time to contact their House and Senate lawmakers when they return home in August.

The message: Funding for colorectal cancer research and prevention must be a priority.

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March is quickly approaching, and now is the time to register for the 2010 Call-on Congress!

We already have a number of great speakers confirmed -

• Public relations expert Caitlin Carroll will be leading a breakout session on media advocacy.
• Dr. Jeffrey Chou will be speaking about the innovative research he has been doing with stem cells using a grant he received last year from C3′s Lisa Fund.
• Author and CRC survivor Brenda Elsagher will be talking about her battle with cancer.
• Donna Kimbark, PhD, PRCRP Program Manager, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs IPA of Battelle Memorial Institute will update attendees regarding colorectal cancer research in the Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program and the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs.
• Dr. Laura Seeff, Acting Chief, Comprehensive Cancer Control Branch, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be talking about the program’s recent expansion and what is in store for 2010.

Register today, to hear from these and lots of other great speakers!

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