American Cancer Society Asks $5.69 Billion for NCI

WASHINGTON—The American Cancer Society (ACS) has offered a 13-point legislative agenda for 2002. The agenda backs President Bush’s request that Congress provide the National Institutes of Health $27.3 billion for fiscal year (FY) 2003, thus completing the doubling of the agency’s budget over 5 years.

ACS also wants the House and Senate to appropriate $5.69 billion for the National Cancer Institute, an increase of almost 36% above the $4.725 billion sought by Mr. Bush for FY2003, which begins on Oct. 1.

ACS also advocates $199.6 million (+24.4%) for the National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities and $5 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC figure represents an increase of $700 million (+16.2%), of which $1 billion (+33.7%) would fund the agency’s chronic disease prevention and health promotion program. ACS seeks $348 million to fund CDC’s cancer prevention and control efforts, an increase of 29.4% above the FY2002 budget

The ACS also urges Congress to provide $130 million (+28.7%) to fund the National Tobacco Control Plan/Office of Smoking and Health; $60 million (+118.1) for nutrition and physical activity; and $50 million (+32.3%) for CDC’s race initiatives.