The LLS is asking us to call our members of Congress and ask them to support the NIH and NCI. Here are the LLS talking points:
• I am calling to express my strong opposition to funding cuts for the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute.
• As recent news reports have highlighted, nearly 1 in 20 Americans is now a cancer survivor. The increase in the number of people surviving a cancer diagnosis is the result of Congress’ past support for research and prevention.
• The funding cuts for the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute put this progress at great risk.
• Cuts of the magnitude proposed by House Republicans could result in National Cancer Institute funding 60 percent fewer new and competing research grants than it did last year.
• Cuts of the magnitude proposed by House Republicans could force the National Institutes of Health eliminate at least 40 phase III cancer clinical trials, fully one-third of all phase III trials open to cancer patients.
• Nearly 85 percent of federal funding for NIH is spent on research projects at local research facilities across the country. According to NIH, a total of more than $22 billion went to nearly 53,000 research grants in every state and virtually every congressional district across the country last year.
• The impact of the cuts being considered will result in job losses and significant negative impact on state and local economies.
• The news that there are now nearly 12 million cancer survivors living in the United States is confirmation of the benefits of federal support for research and prevention. However, for too many cancer patients, survivors, and their loved ones, our progress against certain cancers has been incremental at best.
• I strongly encourage Congress and the Administration to work together to not cut funding for NIH and NCI.
Here is the weblink to copy and paste to find your member of Congress:
http://t.democracydirect.com/?ti_dn__=2978a241-a135-4478-8119-2a808f834cf8&__u_idz=20090225_054386&__turl=http%3a%2f%2fwww.lls.org%2fwaystohelp%2fadvocate%2fresources%2flegislatorsearch%2f