Making cancer a top priority
Dear Editor:
On Sept. 17, I had the honor of representing Florida on Capitol Hill. Along with nearly 750 of my fellow American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) advocates from across the country, I traveled to Washington, D.C., to urge lawmakers to make cancer a national priority.
Together, we called on Congress to support lifesaving policies that help people prevent and treat cancer. We asked legislators for their support in increasing federal funding for cancer research and prevention, and to support legislation that would create a pathway for Medicare to cover new multi-cancer early detection tests once approved by the FDA and clinical benefit is shown. We had the opportunity to sit down with Sen. Rick Scott and staff members of Sen. Marco Rubio, Reps. Darren Soto, Maxwell Frost, Corey Mills and Daniel Webster that cancer isn’t partisan—it touches every community. I also let them know that Central Floridians and many others nationwide rely on them to support this legislation. With more than 1,650 people dying from cancer daily, our lawmakers must take legislative action on these crucial issues. Congress should seize the opportunity to pass critical, bipartisan legislation to help save lives and end cancer as we know it, for everyone.
I encourage you to join us and give us a louder voice in the fight against cancer. Visit fightcancer.org to connect with people like me in your community.
Butch Rivera
Kissimmee
State Lead Ambassador, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
