Johnson Meets with American Cancer Society to Celebrate Wall of Hope Event

Washington, DC— Today, U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) will meet celebration ambassadors with the American Cancer Society (ACS) who are in Washington, DC for Celebration on the Hill 2006. Senator Johnson, a prostate cancer survivor, and his wife, a two time breast cancer survivor, advocates of screening and detection efforts.

"I was honored to sign the Wall of Hope and banner in Sioux Falls last month, and I am honored to meet with the American Cancer Society Celebration Ambassadors again on this end of their journey," said Johnson. "Their goal is to raise awareness and gain support for cancer research. Their work helps all of us in the fight to cure cancer. The Wall of Hope on the National Mall is an impressive effort, and as a cancer survivor, I am proud to see these fine people come together. I will continue to fight for funding to expand research possibilities and promote early detection of cancer."

Johnson signed the ACS's Wall of Hope banner, which is compiled into the Wall of Hope monument on the National Mall. The Wall of Hope, made up of 5,000 individual banners with millions of signatures representing as many local communities, will demonstrate the unity of the country in support of cancer survivors and their families.

In August, Johnson also signed a Congressional Cancer Promise. The Promise reaffirms his support for making health system reform a priority; elevating prevention and early detection; increasing research and expanding access to care.

Sixty-eight volunteers in South Dakota submitted applications for 14 slots to become ACS Celebration Ambassadors. Each Ambassador is either a cancer survivor or has had a family member with cancer. These ambassadors will meet with Senator Johnson today.

CONGRESS & JOHNSON'S WORK ON CANCER FUNDING: The President's budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2007 cut funding for 18 of the 19 Institutes at the National Institutes of Health, including the National Cancer Institute. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would be cut by $367 million. Johnson and his colleagues successfully worked to restore the funding during the Senate consideration of the Budget Resolution. The effort he supported added $7 billion to the total funding for discretionary programs, with the assurance that these funds would be dedicated to health, education, and labor programs. This amendment will help increase funding in all health areas, including cancer research and prevention programs. Further, as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Johnson worked to add funding to the 2007 Labor-HHS-Education funding bill, which passed the Appropriations Committee last month. The bill included $4.799 billion for National Cancer Institute.

Johnson is a cosponsor of the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act of 2005 (S. 757) and Conquer Childhood Cancer Act (S. 2393). For more information on the Celebration on the Hill 2006 and American Cancer Society visit http://www.celebrationonthehill.org/ .