WASHINGTON, D.C. November 18, 2013 The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) late last week sent a letter to Budget Conference Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Vice Chairwoman Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), urging Congress to work together to reach a budget agreement that prioritizes the fight to end death and suffering from cancer. Reduced funding for cancer research at the National Institutes of Health and proven prevention programs supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has undercut our ability as a nation to fight a disease that will kill more than 580,000 people in the United States this year and will cost more than $201 billion in medical care and lost productivity. Federal cancer research and prevention funding saves lives and promotes economic growth at a time when our country is desperate to do both. These efforts are investments in our nation 's future that support and contribute to the fight against a disease that has ravaged the world 's population since the beginning of history, the letter stated. For full text of the letter, click here. ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Alissa Crispino or Steven Weiss American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Phone: (202) 661-5772 or (202) 661-5711 Email: [email protected] or [email protected] #acscan #cancer #sequestration #research #NIH #CDC #prevention #budgetconference
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