In last nightÈs State of the Union address, President Obama told the country that he considers federal funding of biomedical research to be a priority for the coming year. Since he took office, the president has expressed a strong commitment to cancer patients and cancer research. Last nightÈs speech reaffirmed that commitment.
In his words:
This is our generationÈs Sputnik moment. Two years ago, I said that we needed to reach a level of research and development we havenÈt seen since the height of the Space Race. In a few weeks, I will be sending a budget to Congress that helps us meet that goal. WeÈll invest in biomedical research, information technology, and especially clean energy technology an investment that will strengthen our security, protect our planet, and create countless new jobs for our people.
Thank you to the hundreds of cancer advocates who gathered in a chat on our website during the address to discuss cancer issues and show their support for making funding cancer research a federal priority. In the coming weeks and months, we will be pushing the President and Congress to back up these words with actions.
After months of delay and hard negotiations, Congress has finally passed a funding bill! The bill includes a small increase for cancer research and prevention programs.