There were five pieces of legislation that had gained a lot of support across both the House and the Senate over the past two years thanks to the collective efforts of the childhood cancer community and our legislative champions:
- ACCELERATING ACCESS TO CARE ACT: Streamlines out-of-state treatment for children on Medicaid.
- GABRIELLA MILLER KIDS FIRST RESEARCH ACT 2.0: Extends research funding authorization for another seven years.
- GIVE KIDS A CHANCE ACT: Supports pediatric studies on new cancer drug combinations.
- INNOVATIONS IN PEDIATRIC DRUGS ACT: Imposes financial penalties on drug companies that fail to complete required pediatric studies.
- PRIORITY REVIEW VOUCHER PROGRAM Reauthorization (Creating Hope Act): Extends through 2029.
Our community worked very hard to on a final push to ensure Congress would adopt these policy priorities before adjourning for the year—policies that would have helped children with cancer, families, and seniors. There was a lot of political drama in the last week of the legislative session, and we are deeply disappointed that many of our top federal priorities didn’t make it across the finish line this session.
While passage of the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act to extend funding for critical pediatric cancer research was a positive step forward, lawmakers cut the remaining critical bipartisan policies from the spending package that would have benefited childhood cancer patients and their families.
CAC2 Supporting Organization LLS is spearheading an effort and inviting all in the community to call on Congress to make children with cancer its number one priority when it reconvenes in January. There are two ways you can support this effort:
- Sign the Call to Action:
- CAC2 Organization Members sign-on here: https://forms.gle/E8az5yi8kRULn9Gb7
- Non-Member organizations sign-on here: https://lnkd.in/eerbrGK3
- Promote the Effort on Social Media:
- X: This year, Congress left kids with cancer behind. xx organizations joined together to urge Congress to prioritize them in January. Children with cancer have waited long enough–it’s time to finish the job. full statement: https://msg.lls.org/3BOeIGc
- Facebook: We are deeply disappointed that Congress left kids with cancer behind in its end-of-year package. But we’re not giving up. Tonight, we—and xx other organizations—are urging the 119th Congress to prioritize them in January. Children with cancer have waited long enough–it’s time to finish the job. full statement: https://msg.lls.org/3BOeIGc
Supporting Image:
The following organizations (CAC2 Members in bold) were original endorsers of this statement.
American Childhood Cancer Organization
American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation
Arms Wide Open Childhood Cancer Foundation
Association for Clinical Oncology
Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses
Association of Pediatric Oncology Social Workers
Battlecorn Packages
Cancer Support Community
Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation
Children’s Cancer Cause
Dana–Farber Cancer Institute
Elevate Childhood Cancer Research and Advocacy, Inc.
Hope for Stomach Cancer
Kids v. Cancer
Neev Kolte & Brave Ronil Foundation
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
MACC Fund
Madelyn James Pediatric Cancer Foundation
Making Headway Foundation
MIB Agents Osteosarcoma
Mithil Prasad Foundation
National Brain Tumor Society
NMDP (formerly National Marrow Donor Program)
Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation
Additionally, the following CAC2 Members have signed on:
A Moment of Magic
Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation
Association of Pediatric/Hematology Oncology Nurses
Arms Wide Open Childhood Cancer Foundation
Battlecorn Care Packages
Bear Necessities
Books for Hope
Braden’s Hope for Childhood Cancer
Cancer Free Kids
Carson Leslie Foundation
Children’s Cancer Cause
Christina Renna Foundation
CureSearch for Children’s Cancer
Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Daniela Conte Foundation
Elaine Roberts Foundation
Elevate Childhood Cancer Research and Advocacy, Inc
End Kids Cancer
Evan’s Victory Against Neuroblastoma Foundation
Friends of Cathyrn
Gabriella’s Smile Foundation
Hope4ATRT
Joey’s Wings Foundation
Julia’s Grace Foundation
Kiers Kidz
Leia’s Kids
Lilabean Foundation
Little Hearts of Hope
LivingLFS
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
MACC Fund
Mattie’s Miracle Cancer Foundation
MIB Agents
Mighty Millie Foundation
Mithil Prasad Foundation
Morgan Adams Foundation
Mystic Force Foundation
NANT-PAC
Neev Kolte & Brave Ronil Foundation
Neuroblastoma Children’s Cancer Society
Northwest Indiana Cancer Kids
Our Amazing Fighters
Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation
People Against Childhood Cancer
Pine Tree Apple Classic Fund
PREP4Gold
Rally Foundation
Rett’s Roost
Sam Day Foundation
Saving Sophie Foundation
Smashing Walnuts
Solving Kids’ Cancer
Swifty Foundation
Team Jack Foundation
The Catherine Elizabeth Blair Memorial Foundation
The Grayson Foundation
The Ross K. MacNeill Foundation
The Scott Carter Foundation
The Steven G Cancer Foundation
The Taylor Matthews Foundation, a Tay-Bandz Organization
This Star Won’t Go Out
Ty Louis Campbell Foundation
Yuvaan Tiwari Foundation
Zoe4Life