August 2012
Member organizations urge Congress to support increased funding for NIH
On July 9, the AACR participated in the One Voice Against Cancer (OVAC) Grassroots Lobby Day. OVAC is a coalition of national non-profit professional and patient advocacy organizations that delivers a unified message to Congress and the executive branch on the urgency for increased cancer-related appropriations. More than 100 volunteers from 40 states participated, representing fifteen professional and patient advocacy organizations. Attendees, which included a diverse group of scientists, practitioners, cancer survivors and their family members conducted more than 160 meetings with House and Senate staff members, including 67 member-level meetings. AACR Associate Member Council (AMC) representatives Dr. Aime Franco (University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences) and Angelina Londono-Joshi (doctoral candidate at University of Alabama at Birmingham) were selected by the AMC and paired with representatives from their respective states and AACR staff to meet with House and Senate staff members.
The OVAC messages to Congress included urging support for increased funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and for cancer programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Attendees also asked Members of Congress to consider joining their respective House and Senate Cancer Caucuses.
In addition to the congressional meetings, the coalition held a reception for the attendees on the evening of July 9, where the 2012 OVAC Congressional Cancer Champion Awards were presented to Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS). Senators Mikluski and Moran were honored for their leadership in the fight against cancer and efforts to increase funding for cancer research and prevention.
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