Cancer Action Day on Capital Hill

The goal of the 2017 Childhood Cancer Action Day was to meet in person with Members of Congress and staff to share our stories and show our support for childhood cancer issues currently pending before Congress.
Advocates focused on three very specific requests:

(1) Co-sponsor the Childhood Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, Access and Research. This is the most comprehensive childhood cancer act ever taken up by Congress and has enjoyed broad bi-partisan support; it was passed unanimously by the House of Representatives in December 2016 and needs to pass in the House and the Senate during the current administration.

(2) RACE for Children Act-

There are almost 900 drugs in the adult pipeline, however only a handful are in development for children. The RACE for Children Act addresses the pediatric cancer innovation gap by dramatically increasing pediatric oncologists’ access to novel and promising new cancer therapies.

(3) Support a FY 2017 $2 billion increase for the National Institute of Health (NIH)). Approved by Congress in May 2017.

(4) Support an additional FY 2018 $2 billion increase for the NIH.

2017 Action Day is over, but the fight for the Childhood Cancer STAR Act and the critical provisions in the RACE for Children Act goes on and will not stop until we achieve our goal!

 

 

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