110th Congress Comes to a Close

At the beginning of the year, CureSearch set out to achieve two legislative goals: Passage of the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act and appropriations funding for pediatric cancer research. With your help, 2008 has been a successful legislative year for children with cancer. Together, we achieved both goals.

September 30th marked the end of the federal fiscal year. In the eleventh hour, President Bush signed H.R. 2638, the "Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009". The Act consolidates several appropriations bills into a single bill. Included in this "minibus" bill is FY 2009 appropriations for the Department of Defense. All remaining Appropriations bills have been held over by Continuing Resolution until March.

This year, the Children's Oncology Group will receive $1.6 million dollars through the Defense Appropriation bill to support pediatric cancer research. This is the same amount we received in the FY08 Defense bill. Given the current economic situation and climate on Capitol Hill, we were fortunate to retain this amount, as there had been discussion about the option of stripping the bill of all earmarks.

The successful passage of the Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood Cancer Act positions us to have greater success in FY10. We will seek to secure the full $30 million dollars for pediatric cancer research authorized in that bill.

Congress is scheduled to adjourn in the next few days. In January, we will start the legislative year with a new President and the 111th Congress.

Thanks to all of you for the thousands of letters written to members of Congress about childhood cancer, for your participation in fundraising and awareness events across the country and for your continued hard work advocating for children with cancer.

Each day, we are reminded that together, our voices are louder and stronger.

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October 2008