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Call to Action: Urge Congress to Increase Funding for Rare Cancers

Bring your voice to the table! Your help now can secure millions of dollars for melanoma research!

In March, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), a vocal advocate for federal melanoma research funding, developed a formal letter requesting the U.S.. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee Defense Subcommittee dedicate $40 million for the Peer-Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP) in the Fiscal Year 2015 Defense Appropriations bill. The $40 million represents a $15 million increase over the 2014 level for the PRCRP. Melanoma would be one of the cancers eligible to compete for funding under this program.

Since then, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed a funding level of $50 million for the PRCRP, which would double the program's 2014 level. Representative Maloney is now requesting that the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee agree to the Senate level for the program in conference on the final version of the Fiscal 2015 Defense Appropriations bill. This is the bill that will go to the President to be signed into law. 
 
If the Congress agrees to the $50 million for the PRCRP, it would represent a significant increase in funding for all applicable cancers, and potentially could result in up to $10 million in Defense-funded melanoma research.
 

A "Dear Colleague" email went out last week, urging support (see attached). So far, the letter has been signed by Representatives Michael Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Charlie Rangel (D-NY), Sander Levin (D-MI), and Collin Peterson (D-MN). Additional support for this is critical!

Please take a moment to contact your House representative to request they sign on. Find your member of Congress here.