Dear Friends,

June is Cancer Survivors Month. This month, we celebrate all of those who have survived this terrible foe. As an ovarian cancer survivor of over 30 years, I understand that coming face-to-face with your own mortality is life changing.

Last year, I was proud to announce that the first Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) grant in the United States was awarded to researchers at Yale University as a part of President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot program. The $6.5 million grant will allow the team at Yale to investigate the possibility of creating cancer vaccines.

I am also a proud sponsor of:
The Find It Early Act (H.R. 3086)

• Would ensure all health insurance plans cover screening and diagnostic breast imaging, like ultrasounds and MRI that make early detection possible, particularly for women with dense breasts, with no out-of-pocket costs.

• Would ensure women and their health providers have information about gynecologic cancers. Earlier detection of these cancers increases the chances of saving lives.

In December of 2022, I was joined by Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick and award-winning journalist Katie Couric to introduce the Find It Early Act. As a breast cancer survivor herself, I am incredibly thankful for Katie’s help with this legislation and discussions regarding dense breast screenings.

Just this April, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force finalized recommendations regarding breast cancer screening. Overall, they recommended that women should start getting screening mammograms for breast cancer at the age of 40, which is a positive step. However, they failed to revise recommendations that suggest women should receive these screenings only every two years. Women should receive screenings annually. I am very disappointed that the Task Force has finalized recommendations that gives an “inadequate” grade regarding screening for women with dense breasts, which will guarantee insurers do not cover ultrasounds or MRIs that are more likely to find cancer in women with dense breasts. To read my op-ed on these recommendations on Katie Couric Media, click here.

Each one of us knows someone whose life has been affected by cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, this year alone, more than 20,000 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer. They deserve the best possible fighting chance against this disease, based on the best information and the latest science. We have it in our power to give them the same advantages I had. Battling cancer with medical science, screenings, and basic compassion should be a priority for every government, and every human being.

So far, this year, more than $18 million in federal funding for research grants has been awarded to the incredible researchers working in Connecticut’s Third Congressional District from the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute. This includes funding for lung cancer, melanoma, pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer and more. Additionally, over the last two years, researchers have received more than $13.5 million from the Department of Defense’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program to conduct high-risk, high-reward research in breast cancer, melanoma, and prostate cancer. As the lead Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, I am committed to fighting for this critical funding to help us find treatments and cures for cancer.

I will continue my efforts in Congress to get results for the families and communities of the Third District. Should you have any questions or if I can assist you with a federal agency, please contact my District office at 203-562-3718. To follow what I'm working on both in Washington and in Connecticut, visit my Facebook page, follow me on Twitter, or follow me on Instagram.

                                                                                               Sincerely,