Cancer touches so many families, but it is especially hard to see children struggle with this devastating disease.

That’s why I am co-sponsoring the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act. This legislation will establish special programs for research in pediatric cancers. Congress has placed a high priority on funding medical research.  In the last few years, Congress has succeeded in doubling the budget of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  This is quite an achievement and a significant step toward providing cutting edge treatments for victims of all diseases. 

As a ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, I have supported these efforts year in and year out.  The 2007 Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations Act maintained the nearly $5 billion in funding for the National Cancer Institute, which is part of NIH. With this funding, NIH will be able to continue its ground breaking research, with the hope of one day finding a cure for cancer and many other diseases. 

Families who channel their grief into raising money for awareness and research are the real heroes. I will continue to stand as a strong advocate for childhood cancer research.