When the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network organized its annual citizen lobby day in Washington last month, more than 500 volunteerspushed members of Congressto keep cancer research and support for cancer patients at the top of the nation’s health care agenda.
It came as Democrats and Republicans in Washingtonheaded toward abudget impasseover extendingtheenhanced subsidiesthat help millions of peoplemaintainAffordable Care Act coverage.
But these volunteers transcended politics.
Mary Catherine Johnson is a retiredsmall-businessowner from outside Rochester, New York. She voted for Donald Trump three times.
Lexy Mealing, who used to work in a physician’s office, is from Long Island.She’sa Democrat.
But the two women share a bond: They both survived breast cancer.
“Not one person here discussed if you’re a Democrat, if you’re a Republican,” said Mealing, one of 27 volunteers from New York. “Cancer doesn’t care.”
Every volunteer had been touched in some way by cancer, which is expected to killmore than600,000peoplein the U.S. this year.
Johnson said each of her mother’s 10 siblings died from cancer. She saidshe’sworried about the state of politics today. “I think we’re probably the most divided that we’ve ever been,” she said. “That scares me. Scares me for my grandchildren.”
Americans are indeed split over many issues — immigration, guns, President Trump.
Yet inone recent survey,7 in10 voters said it’s very important for the federal government to fund medical research. That included majorities of Democrats and Republicans.
“Almost everybody in this country knows somebody who’s had cancer,” said Jarrett Lewis, a Republican pollster who conducted the survey for patient groups.
A recentKFF pollfound that three-quarters of U.S. adults, including most Republicans who align with the MakeAmericaGreatAgainmovement, want Congress to extend subsidies that help Americans buy health insurance through Affordable Care Act marketplaces. KFF is a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News.
These subsidies, which are critical to people with chronic illnesses such as cancer, are a sticking point in the budgetshowdownin Congress.
The army of volunteers—from every state—hit 484 of the 535 Senate and House offices.
Not every visit was an unqualified victory. Many Republican lawmakers object to extending the insurance subsidies, arguingthey’retoo costly.
Lawmakers from both parties have backed increased research funding and support for more cancer screening.
When evening came, the volunteers met on the National Mall for a candlelight vigil.
John Manna, another New Yorker, is a self-described Reagan Republican whose father died from lung cancer. He reflected on lessons thisdaycould offer a divided nation.
“Get to know each other as people,” he said, “and then you can understand somebody’s positions. We have little disagreements, but,you know, wedon’tattack each other. We talk.”