Bipartisan Support in the House for Increased Melanoma Research Funding

Representatives Maloney & Fitzpatrick request $50 million for rare cancer (including melanoma) research in FY16.

On March 25th, Representatives Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Michael Fitzpatrick (R-PA) submitted a letter asking the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee Defense Subcommittee dedicate $50 million for the Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP) in the FY16 Defense Appropriations bill. This is the same funding level as FY15 which was a huge increase from the previous year's $25 million. What this means is, the importance of rare cancer research (which includes melanoma) is being recognized, largely in part due to the patient advocacy community.

On the heels of the Melanoma Research Foundation's annual Volunteer Advocacy Summit and Hill Day, a total of 47 members of the House signed this request. This is more than twice as many co-signers as the year before and several of these signatures can be attributed to meetings MRF volunteers had with their members of Congress. The voice of the melanoma advocacy community is strong! Our advocates are cultivating bipartisan support for rare cancer research funding, of which innovative new melanoma breakthroughs can be made possible.  

Below are the members of the House of Representatives who signed the letter: 

• Carolyn Maloney (D-NY)
• Michael Fitzpatrick (R-PA)
• Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX)
• Charles Rangel (D-NY)
• Alcee Hastings (D-FL)
• Sander M. Levin (D-MI)
• Scott Peters (D-CA)
• Donald Norcross (D-NJ)
• Danny Davis (D-IL)
• Dan Benishek (R-MI)
• Gerald Connolly (D-VA)
• Elijah Cummings (D-MD)
• Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR)
• Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ)
• Matt Cartwright (D-PA)
• Donald Payne, Jr. (D-NJ)
• Brendan Boyle (D-PA)
• Wm. Lacy Clay (D-MO)
• Cheri Bustos (D-IL)
• Bobby Scott (D-VA)
• John Katko (R-NY)
• Rick Larsen (D-WA)
• Janice Schakowsky (D-IL)
• Donald Beyer Jr. (D-VA)
• Michael Capuano (D-MA)
• Barbara Lee (D-CA)
• Stacey Plaskett (D-U.S. Virgin Islands)
• Theodore Deutch (D-FL)
• Charles Van Hollen (D-MD)
• Raul Ruiz, M.D. (D-CA)
• Frederica Wilson (D-FL)
• Jackie Speier (D-CA)
• David Loebsack (D-IN)
• Chaka Fattah (D-PA)
• Mark Desaulnier (D-CA)
• Yvette Clarke (D-NY)
• Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC)
• Collin Peterson (D-MN)
• Brian Higgins (D-NY)
• Mark Takano (D-CA)
• Timothy Walz (D-MN)
• Beto O'Rourke (D-TX)
• David Cicilline (D-RI)
• John Garamendi (D-CA)
• Andre Carson (D-IN)
• Marc A Veasey (D-TX)
• James McGovern (D-MA)

Many thanks for answering our call to action! If your Representative signed the letter, please take a moment and thank them for their support.