Restoration of Funding for Cancer Research

Floor Speech

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Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a survivor of stage IV cancer to express my astonishment and to object to the Trump administration's cuts to American cancer research.

Over the last 50 years, the 5-year cancer survival rate for people like myself has risen from 49 percent to 68 percent. This is largely because of American taxpayers' investment in the brilliant researchers at the National Cancer Institute.

The administration's cuts to the National Cancer Institute's spending by $842 million in its first 7 months alone put that trend in jeopardy. Just as a return on investment, this is astonishingly bad. For every $1 spent by American taxpayers at NCI, they get almost $3 back. Experts warn that we will lose a generation of scientists because of this recklessness.

I urge the administration and my Republican colleagues to reverse course, maintain our global leadership, and work toward a better future for the 40 percent of Americans who will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes.

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