On June 12, the House approved, 416-0, H.R. 1553, the Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood Cancer Act. The House Energy and Commerce Committee approved the bill on May 7 (see The Source, 5/9/08).
Speaking in support of her bill, Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-OH) said, “I believe today we stand on the cusp of something very significant, and that is the chance to spare families forevermore from having to hear the words ‘Your child has cancer’…This bill is very personal to me, and it should be very personal to everyone because there is not a single American who hasn’t been touched by this dreadful disease called cancer.”
Rep. Pryce continued, “The bill before us today provides the lifeblood necessary to continue our advancements in pediatric cancer research, $30 million annually over five years. It is a very small price to pay for the life years that will be saved…Today, with this bill, we have a chance to capture that same spirit and resolve, to reclaim the many hundreds of life years lost, to save countless families the grief and despair of this sickness and death of a little one, and to one day look back upon this moment as a true catalyst that led to the end of childhood cancer.”
Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) added, “As one of the co-chairs of the Cancer Caucus, along with my colleague from Ohio, I am so proud to see this bill, which was one of our priorities, and a personal priority as we all know, moving forward…Whether it’s through community organizing or comprehensive legislation, we are all working together in this country to fight pediatric cancer.”
