My Life is Worth It Campaign

Floor Speech

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, few words are more isolating and strike fear in the heart of a person or the parent of a child than cancer. 36,570 Tennesseans will be diagnosed with cancer this year. Thankfully, due to the work of thousands of scientists, death rates due to all cancers continue to decline. 14 million Americans who are cancer survivors will celebrate their birthdays this year. These stories of hope in the face of a devastating illness inspire us all.

But not everyone is surviving. It is sobering to think, in the U.S., someone dies because of cancer every 60 seconds. We must continue the fight against this devastating illness. We must examine all barriers to finding the cure for all cancers.
One such barrier is the time it takes for new therapies to reach the patient. Delays occur at the regulatory level and at the reimbursement level. The time it takes for a new drug to move from the laboratory to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval can take 10-15 years. Additional time is spent in determining the reimbursement level by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Recently, the FDA showed that it has the flexibility to greatly shorten the time line to approval. A meningitis vaccine, not previously available in the U.S., was granted FDA approval in a remarkably shortened timeline. The landmark decision came after meningitis outbreaks at U.S. colleges resulted in deaths and disability and a great public outcry.

The same flexibility needs to be shown to those who have cancer and are reaching for promising therapies that regulators have kept just out of their reach.
I am pleased that the grassroots organization, ``My Life is Worth It,'' has begun an online campaign to collect one million signatures in support of several critical actions that can be taken to bring innovative cancer therapies to the patients that need them most.

On September 16th there will be a powerful display around the Capitol Reflecting Pool on the National Mall. The ``Lights of Hope'' sponsored by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network is estimated to involve over 15,000 committed advocates, serving as a beacon of hope to those who have been touched by cancer--while remembering those who have been lost. As we look out on the National Mall and see these lights, let Congress resolve to do all we can to ensure that those who need it most have the hope to survive and live a happy and fruitful life.

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