Washington, D.C. – Today, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet joined President Joe Biden at the White House to help reignite the Cancer Moonshot initiative, which Biden launched in 2016 while serving as vice president. Following the event, Bennet released the following statement:
“Investments in cancer research, treatments, screening tools, and other technology development are critical to detect cancer early and save lives. From personal experience, I know it can make all the difference,” said Bennet. “I’m grateful that President Biden has put the full weight of the White House and federal government behind this initiative to save lives and end cancer as we know it. As Commander-in-Chief, he continues to be a strong champion for the cancer and patient community, especially our kids, and their loved ones.”
As part of the relaunch, President Biden announced a call to action to jumpstart progress on cancer screenings that were missed as a result of the pandemic. He also underscored the need to speed progress on the most deadly and rare cancers, including childhood cancers.
Bennet has long advocated for increased access to cancer testing and treatment. In December 2020, Bennet and U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) introduced the Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act, which would provide Medicare coverage for screening tests to save lives and costs to the health care system. The bipartisan legislation would ensure Medicare beneficiaries have coverage for innovative tests that can detect multiple types of cancer before symptoms develop. In August 2021, Bennet held a roundtable discussion focused on this legislation to hear from local advocates –– including cancer survivors and doctors –– about the need for this bill to help detect cancer earlier, improve health, and reduce costs and loss of life.
In June 2021, Bennet and U.S. Senator Richard Burr (R-N.C.) reintroduced the Verifying Accurate Leading-Edge IVCT Development (VALID) Act. This bipartisan legislation would level the playing field by establishing a new regulatory framework for the review and approval of diagnostic tests, accelerating innovation, protecting public health, and ensuring Americans can rely on the test results they receive. Bennet has been a leader on establishing a regulatory structure for in vitro clinical tests, including laboratory developed tests, since he first released a draft proposal in 2018 with former-U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah).
In August 2017, Bennet secured passage of the RACE for Children Act as part of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) User Fees reauthorization bill. This legislation expanded treatment options for pediatric cancer patients by authorizing that any new oncology drugs, normally reserved for adults, will also have to be tested in children. The bill also directed the FDA to work with manufacturers to speed up studies for drugs that treat serious or life-threatening diseases in children.