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FIRST-EVER LIVESTRONG PRESIDENTIAL CANCER FORUM
For years a nation with more than 10 million cancer survivors has asked our leaders to answer one simple question, "What is your plan for cancer?" And for years, that question has gone unanswered. That silence stops this month.

We are hosting the first-ever LIVESTRONG Presidential Cancer Forum to make sure our next President knows that Americans across the country expect cancer to be a national priority. In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on August 27 and 28, we will ask Democratic and Republican presidential candidates to go on the record with their plans to fight cancer.

We can't do this alone! We need you to be part of the LIVESTRONG Presidential Cancer Forum, demanding answers to the cancer question.

As of this week, Democratic candidates Sentator Hillary Clinton, Senator John Edwards and Governor Bill Richardson have confirmed their participation for the Democratic Forum on August 27. Republican candidates Senator Sam Brownback and Governor Mike Huckabee have confirmed their participation in the Republican Forum on August 28.

Make your voice heard:



 

TEAM LIVESTRONG SPREADS THE WORD IN IOWA
Several weeks ago, we joined more than 15,000 people in the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI). Iowa plays an important role in electing our nation's President, and we saw candidates and campaign workers in towns across the state making their case to be the next commander-in-chief. We met with Senator Brownback and former Senator Edwards, and Senators Biden and Dodd were also at RAGBRAI.

Together with 150 cyclists that made up Team LIVESTRONG, we crossed the state and spread the word about the need to make cancer a national priority. Governor Culver declared Wednesday, July 25, as LIVESTRONG Iowa Day, and thousands across the state wore yellow to show their support. We signed up thousands of new members to the LIVESTRONG Army and shared LAF information with more.

But we're not done yet. Now is the time to see presidential candidates go on the record with their plans to fight cancer at our LIVESTRONG Presidential Cancer Forum on August 27 and 28.

United in this fight, we will make cancer a national priority.


 

TELL CONGRESS TO MAKE CANCER RESEARCH AND PROGRAMS A PRIORITY
On LIVESTRONG Day in May, 200 advocates took Capitol Hill by storm and made the case for increasing budget for cancer research and programs by 6.7%. As Congress adjourned last weekend for the August recess, it is clear that there is still much work to be done.

The House-passed version of the Labor Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations bill (LHHS) for Fiscal Year 2008 provides a mere 1.9% increase for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and only a 1.5% increase for the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The Senate Committee version of the bill is slightly better, but neither will allow us to make true progress in cancer research. The cancer community, as well as a bipartisan group of lawmakers, support an increase of 6.7% for the NIH and the NCI.

Members of Congress are home until Labor Day, so now is a perfect opportunity to remind them that their support is critical. Please tell your Members of Congress that we need to do better when it comes to cancer research and programs.

Contact your Representative and Senators today and tell them to insist that the House and Senate pass a bill that includes a 6.7% increase for NCI.

 

 

 

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