American Cancer Society

Washington, D.C.
September, 23 2008

Recently I met with six Idaho representatives of the American Cancer Society, some of whom shared their own stories of cancer survival. We discussed various legislative items, including funding for the National Cancer Institute, which is a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I supported the doubling of NIH funding that occurred from fiscal year 1998 to fiscal year 2003. This nearly $2.5 billion funding increase was responsible for many of the advances in detection and treatment of various diseases, including different forms of cancer, that we benefit from today.

While we have made great progress, we still have a long way to go in the fight against cancer. Fortunately, many groups are stepping up to the challenge. The American Cancer Society has done some remarkable work to raise private dollars to invest in cancer research, and the Relay for Life in Idaho has raised $1.5 million.

I encourage all to become involved in this work and hope they�ll be just as inspired as I am by those who have survived, and are thriving, after battling cancer.