Let’s not lose ground in fight against cancer

A lot has happened in Congress recently related to cancer research funding as both chambers determine their appropriations budget for 2024.

While the U.S. House has proposed significant cuts, the Senate has sustained critical funding. Still, we need to boost our nation’s investment in cancer research to be able to continue to make tangible, continued progress in the fight against cancer.

We can directly track declines in cancer deaths over the last 50 years to sustained and growing funding to federal cancer research. Furthering our investment, especially in light of growing inflation, means more advancements and treatments, and more lives saved.

We need to remind Rep. Robert Aderholt and Sen. Katie Britt that we can’t afford to slow down lifesaving progress or risk our country’s standing as a global leader in research. I urge you to increase federal cancer research and prevention funding to $51 billion for the National Institutes of Health, $9.9 billion for the National Cancer Institute and $472.4 million for the CDC cancer screening programs.