Dear Edward,
Somewhere in America today, someone will be told they have cancer. It's a scene that will be repeated 3,500 times throughout your standard work day - that's the equivalent of more than seven new cancer diagnoses every minute that you spend at the office.
That day came for me on October 2, 1996. Like 10 million other Americans currently living with cancer, I suddenly faced a new world filled with fears, doubts, challenges and questions. But I was lucky. Unlike those being diagnosed today, I never had to question my government's commitment to my future. However, this week Congress is considering a budget that, for the first time in 40 years, slashes funding for cancer research programs, cancer survivorship programs and important cancer-related initiatives.
If Congress approves the President's proposed 2007 budget, lawmakers will effectively turn their backs on our national commitment to defeating one of our leading killers and turn back the clock on progress against the disease Americans fear most. As proposed, the 2007 budget cuts the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) budget by $179 million and carves $40 million from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Far from arbitrary figures, these funding cuts translate directly into diminished research discovery, treatments and programs that help people with cancer live life on their own terms.
While all of us understand the need for budget constraint and the difficult choices facing our elected officials, we also know that taking money from the fight against cancer is not a tough choice - it's simply the wrong one.
We have so much to gain and too much to lose, so I'm challenging you to join me in this effort today by contacting your representatives in Washington. I urgently need your help to protect funding for cancer programs.
Tell your representatives loud and clear that the fight against cancer deserves more, not less. To contact your representative now, simply reply to this email or send a message from our Web site.
Forward this email to your friends, family and others who you think will want to help stop our nation from turning back in the fight against cancer.
Sincerely,
Lance Armstrong
Cancer Survivor
Founder, Lance Armstrong Foundation