The Kidney Cancer Association works tirelessly for you: kidney cancer patients, family, friends and loved ones. Political advocacy and lobby efforts have always been an element of the work we do on your behalf to reach our goal of making this a world without kidney cancer. We strive to do this in a manner that is cost effective and efficient. This is a critical year in that there are many new faces in Congress, with fresh objectives. It is important that we plead our case for increased funding for research that can benefit kidney cancer patients in a manner that will not just be heard, but will be acted upon. Our elected representatives and their aides are faced with many competing constituencies and causes. They serve us, the public, and as such, must meet with us when we call. As they go through their day, they may be visited by upwards of 50 to 100 of their constituents. They are being descended upon in droves, as illustrated by the astronomical costs and limited availability of hotel rooms in the Washington DC area during the weeks congress is in session.

The Government Affairs Committee of the Kidney Cancer Association believes that now is the time to alert our representatives to the needs of the kidney cancer community in a manner that will have an impact. The president’s proposed budget calls for decreased funding for many of the NIH and NCI programs that we, as kidney cancer patients, depend on to fund ground breaking research into the causes, mechanisms, and cures for this disease. In addition, the president’s proposal would cut the overall budget of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which conducts many cancer screening and prevention programs.

So what can you do?

Now is also a good time to call the local office of your representatives to make an appointment to meet with them in their home office, away from the fray of Washington DC. The spring recess is just around the corner. (The House of Representatives is in recess from Monday, April 2 through Friday, April 9. The U.S. Senate will be in recess from Monday, April 2 to Monday, April 9.) You have a better chance of meeting with your representative in his home office, and you won’t have to spend nearly as much as you would on a trip to Washington. And if you still want to spend the money that a trip to Washington DC might cost, we suggest you make a contribution to the Kidney Cancer Association and ear mark it for research.

And finally, we are asking you to take a moment to send a personal note to your elected representatives by clicking here. Tell them to reject the President’s proposed budget and make the health of our nation a real priority.

In Memory of Tom Geary