CDC Advocacy Update June 24, 2015
The line item for FY 2016 CDC prostate cancer funding of $13,205,000 is restored in both the House and Senate appropriations bills, as authored by their committees. Since both the House and Senate committee bills restore funding, there will be no conference discussion, nor is it likely to be debated by the full House or Senate. Only a new amendment by the full Senate committee actually directing the removal of prostate cancer funding could alter this outcome…that is unlikely.
You did it! Thanks to the several thousand of you who took time and effort to write emails and letters to the Congressional House and Senate Budget Committee. You who responded to our call to action at http://malecare.org/cdc . It is rare when so many prostate cancer survivors work together to create a force. This success helps validate our Patient Action Leaders project as a new method for prostate cancer advocacy. We thank Mark Vieth from Cavarocchi Ruscio Dennis Associate, James Manser from Endo and Col. Paul Taylor from Zero Cancer for their guidance and insights. These three guys understand the value of selfless collaboration in advocacy. I will also be thanking the House and Senate budget committee’s legislative directors and representatives. And, I repeat, our big thanks to you!
Advocacy done well, works. Even if you didn’t actually do anything regarding this particular advocacy effort, we hope that you will feel inspired to participate with us, next time.