Lawmakers, make cancer fight a top priority

Last month I had the honor of representing Iowa on Capitol Hill along with roughly 600 other American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) volunteers from across the country. Our ask? For lawmakers to put aside their differences and to make cancer a national priority.

Level funding, or decreased funding, for cancer research and prevention would not only put lives at risk, the future of those places who rely on grant funding to run their research labs is also in jeopardy. Now that we have faced one government shutdown, let’s not backtrack and face another. Keep the government open so we can keep our labs open. Other legislative priorities we put in front of our representatives include legislation that would waive out-of-pocket costs for individuals with the highest risk of prostate cancer and create a pathway for Medicare to cover new multi-cancer early detection tests once they are approved by the FDA and proven effective.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst and Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Ashley Hinson to emphasize that cancer isn't partisan — it touches every person in every community. Nationwide, about 1,670 people die from cancer daily. Iowans and all other Americans expect our lawmakers to act on these crucial issues. Congress should seize the opportunity to pass critical, bipartisan legislation to help save lives.

I encourage you to join in giving us a stronger and louder voice in the fight against cancer. Visit fightcancer.org to be connected to people like me in your community.

Bridget Toomey

Iowa City