Why HR 3699 Is Important to Garth
WGarth Callaghan
I would not consider myself a political activist. I vote in every election that I am eligible. I think seriously about my votes and what they entail. I don't post politically charged things on Facebook becuase that isn't the type of person that I am.
There is a bill in the House of Representatives (HR 3699) that has special meaning to me.
I was diagnosed with kidney cancer in November 2011. I have undergone a successful surgery. I am, to the best of my doctor's knowledge, cancer free right now. You may not know that most kidney cancers don't respond to chemotherapy or radiation treatments. We rely on two things, surgery and drugs. The drugs that are under development have some success. I currently don't have to take these drugs, but many kidney cancer patients do.
HR 3699 is sponsored by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Committee member Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) – endangers our access to federally-funded research. That's right. You and I could spend our tax dollars funding research that becomes secret. That's not really fair. It is not moral. As someone who may need to rely on things that come out of such research, I am sickened.
I urge you to do two things.
1) Read about this bill.
A Link to an Article in the Scientific American
A Link to an Article on CARE2.COM
2) Please contact your representative in Congress. I have. If you don't know how, please go to www.congress.org and that site can help you send a letter or an email.
There are 1.5 million new cancer patients each year in the USA. Don't let us down.