Cancer Research Receives Boost in House and Senate LHHS Appropriations Bills
The House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittee marked up the FY 2011 LHHS Appropriations bill on July 15th. The LHHS Appropriations bill includes funding for important myeloma programs at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In the House LHHS bill, the NIH received $32 billion (a $1 billion increase over FY 2010). This is the same amount included in the President's FY 2011 budget. The NCI was allocated $5.265 billion, $162 million more than FY 2010 and the same level in the President's budget. At the time of the printing of the Myeloma Advocacy Update, the funding allocation for the Geraldine Ferraro Blood Cancer Program at the CDC had not been published.

On July 27th, the Senate LHHS Appropriations Subcommittee included the same allocation for the NIH as the House bill and the President's Budget. The Senate allocation for the NCI is $5.257 million. This amount is $153 million above the FY 2010 funding level. For the Geraldine Ferraro Blood Cancer Program at the CDC, the Senate included $5 million for the program in FY 2011 (an increase of $300,000).

Does Your Representative Support Blood Cancer Awareness Month?
H. Res. 1433 recognizes September 2010 as Blood Cancer Awareness Month. This resolution highlights the impact blood cancers have in the United States each year and encourages greater support for blood cancer research and education.

We need to secure 100 cosponsors before this bill will be considered by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Currently H. Res. 1433 has 59 cosponsors and we need your help to secure 41 more supporters. The list of cosponsors has more than doubled since the last Myeloma Advocacy Update. Your letters and e-mails are working, please keep them coming into your House members! Please visit the Advocacy Action Center at www.advocacy.myeloma.org to write your U.S. Representative and urge him or her to support Blood Cancer Awareness Month by co-sponsoring H. Res. 1433.

Are You a Member of the Myeloma Action Network?
Want to stay informed about IMF's advocacy activities? All you need to do is to join the Myeloma Action Network at www.advocacy.myeloma.org and you will automatically receive e-mail advocacy alerts from the IMF.  To learn more about health care reform and other important advocacy issues that impact the myeloma community, please visit the IMF advocacy page at www.myeloma.org.