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Advocate at the National LevelAt LIVESTRONG, our mission is to inspire and empower anyone affected by cancer. We engage individuals and communities to pursue an agenda focused on preventing cancer, ensuring access to screening and care, improving the quality of life for people affected by cancer and investing in needed research. We are actively involved in the healthcare reform dialogue and are focused on making sure all Americans have coverage that is appropriate and effective. We support healthcare reforms that enhance quality of care, reduce costs and protect consumer choice. Recent Initiatives LIVESTRONG applauds Congress and the White House for its quick action on items necessary to improve the lives of people affected by cancer, including: State Children’s Health Insurance Program: On February 4, 2009, President Barack Obama signed into law the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) bill, which provides health insurance coverage to 11 million low-income children (increasing enrollment by approximately four million children from the previous program) by raising the current federal excise tax on cigarettes by 61 cents a pack. Increasing the cost of cigarettes is an effective way to decrease youth smoking, which in turn will reduce cancer incidence and save healthcare dollars. Increased Federal Funding for Cancer: President Obama signed the economic stimulus package into law on February 17, 2009. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 included $10 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for biomedical research, which includes about $1.2 billion for cancer research; $1 billion for prevention and wellness programs, including cancer screening and education programs; 65 percent federal subsidy for COBRA health insurance premiums for up to nine months for workers who lose their jobs from September 1, 2008 through December 31, 2009; $87 billion to help states restore recent service cuts to Medicaid programs; the $1.1 billion for Comparative Effectiveness Research; and $19 billion for a national health information technology system to support electronic medical records in hopes of lowering medical costs and improving quality of care. Embryonic Stem Cell Research: President Obama signed an executive order lifting the restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research on March 9, 2009. LIVESTRONG supports exploring every avenue of research, including embryonic stem cell research within specified ethical limits, until a cure for cancer is found. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (HR 1256, S 982): On June 22, 2009, President Obama signed into law long-overdue legislation granting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to regulate tobacco products, including the authority to crack down on tobacco marketing and sales to children. This bipartisan legislation is the strongest action the U.S. government has ever taken to reduce tobacco use—the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Recommended by the President’s Cancer Panel’s 2006–2007 report Promoting Healthy Lifestyles and supported by more than 950 public health and other organizations, including LIVESTRONG, this action will protect our children from the tobacco industry’s seductive marketing, save countless lives and reduce the enormous health and financial burden that tobacco use imposes on our nation. Future Initiatives LIVESTRONG encourages Congress and the White House to take action on the following items to further efforts to improve the lives of people affected by cancer: Increased Federal Funding for Cancer Research and Programs: We encourage the Obama administration to work with Congress to increase funding for cancer research and programs and reverse the trend of stagnant federal funding through the FY 2010 budget process. More information about federal funding for cancer research and programs can be found by visiting One Voice Against Cancer. ALERT Act by Senators Kennedy and Hutchison: Senators Edward M. Kennedy, D-Massachusetts, and Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, introduced the 21st Century Cancer Access to Life-Saving Early detection, Research and Treatment (ALERT) Act, a bill to address the challenges our nation faces in battling this disease, on March 26, 2009. A video of Senator Hutchison’s floor speech introducing the legislation (S.717) can be found here. The 21st Century Cancer ALERT Act will provide critical funding for promising research in early detection, and supply grants for screening and referrals for treatment. These measures also will ensure patient access to prevention and early detection, which is supplemented by increased access to clinical trials and information. Senators Kennedy and Hutchison first proposed the idea for comprehensive cancer legislation in May 2008, when the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held a hearing to discuss the need for a renewed focus on the deadly disease. Lance Armstrong testified with other leaders in the fight against cancer before the Committee concerning the challenges and opportunities available for addressing cancer in the 21st century. A transcript of Lance’s written testimony submitted to the committee can be found here. World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control: With legislation to strengthen tobacco regulation now signed into law, public health groups including LIVESTRONG are pushing for the Senate to ratify a treaty on tobacco control that has languished for five years. The United States signed the treaty in May 2004, but it was not submitted by former President George W. Bush for approval by the Senate—the final step in the process. LIVESTRONG encourages President Obama to submit the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to the U. S. Senate for ratification. To date 168 countries have signed the treaty and 161 have ratified it. The U.S. can become a leader in global tobacco control by ratifying and implementing the FCTC, which attacks global issues such as cross-border advertising and tobacco smuggling.
Find out what else we have done at the National Level |
