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House Resolution 353 and Other Prostate News on the Hill

Nearly three weeks have passed since I last posted and I apologize. If you don't keep up with what's going on in DC, then all of this post will get you caught up. If you do keep an eye on Congress on a regular basis then only part of what I'm about to talk about will be news to you.

So, first with the big news: House Resolution 353 passed on Thursday (the last day of business in the House of Men's Health Month) under suspension of the Rules (see definition). The resolution is statement that there is a need to invest in research for early diagnosis of prostate cancer specifically imaging technology. Passage of H. Res. 353 is the first step toward the larger goal of increasing federal research for imaging technology as a dianostic tool for prostate cancer.

In other news, the Senate Appropriations Committee marked up the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Act - the largest domestic appropriations bill that includes funding for HHS and NIH - on Thursday by a 26-3 vote. Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin (IL) is on record that he does not expect any Appropriations bills to be considered on the Senate floor prior to the August recess except for the Defense Appropriations bill. The report accompanying the Labor-HHS bill also included a short statement about the need for the NCI to focus on imaging technology and recognizing the role that imaging technology played in the advancement of diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.

There are other exciting things going on up in the Capitol as well, but I'll fill you in on some of that later this week.

Don't forget about the Prostate Cancer Congressional Fly-In and Summit from September 23-25. Check out our website for more information or better yet, just contact me or our new public policy associate Marie mblessinger@fightprostatecancer.org.

September Dash for Dad

In the category of shameless promotion, I am going to post a snippet about our September 28 event -- the Dash for Dad! I particularly encourage those of you local to the Washington, DC area to participate or volunteer, but if you're not -- don't let that discourage you from helping out.

Below is a basic description from the website (which you can visit at http://www.dashfordad.com/):

Join us on Sept. 28 for the first Dash for Dad Run, a 10K race to support the National Prostate Cancer Coalition's mission to eradicate prostate cancer through awareness, outreach, advocacy and research. The Washington, D.C. metro area leads the country in prostate cancer death rates. Nationwide, a man dies from the disease every 18 minutes. But there is hope - education about prostate cancer risk and access to screenings can save countless lives. All proceeds will go to prostate research and free screenings in the Washington, D.C. area to those at risk.

Herding More Cows

I hope that you have all heard about our Summit in September (previously called the Prostate Cancer Congressional Fly-In). I am very excited about this year's event as we expanded the event from 1-1/2 days to 2-1/2 days. We will be covering a range of topics with Tuesday afternoon focused on early detection and imaging technology, Wednesday dedicated to treatment and prevention as well as training about crafting the message to legislators, and closing the week on Thursday with visits to Member offices.

I have several invitations out to people from other organizations and groups to speak, but would also like to have your input.

What would you like to learn more about? What specific topics (particularly in terms of research) are you interested in? I am trying to promote a format that will encourage people to be involved and asking questions as opposed to just sitting and listening. I am a big fan of the "round table" discussion and working in smaller groups to come to solutions for larger problems.

So, with all of that said, I welcome your feedback either by posting a comment or simply by emailing me at kjohnson@fightprostatecancer.org.

Thank you in advcance for your input.