[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 172 (Thursday, September 5, 2024)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 72279-72281]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-20121]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 172 / Thursday, September 5, 2024 /
Presidential Documents
___________________________________________________________________
Title 3--
The President
[[Page 72279]]
Proclamation 10795 of August 30, 2024
National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, 2024
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
During National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we
honor the extraordinary courage of the hundreds of
thousands of children who are facing cancer, who
survived cancer, or who were taken too soon by this
deadly disease. We offer strength and support to their
families and friends, who devotedly care for their
loved ones through every step of their cancer journeys.
And we recommit to finally ending cancer as we know it
so that every child has the opportunity to realize
their full potential and lead healthy, long, fulfilling
lives.
Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease for
children in America. As every family who has dealt with
cancer knows--of all the things cancer steals from us,
time is the cruelest. So many young, bright children
who should be exploring our world are forced to spend
their precious time confined to hospital rooms.
Meanwhile, families and caregivers are left to navigate
mountains of medical information, decipher complex
treatment options, and find the means to pay for
exorbitant medical bills as the emotional, physical,
and financial toll mounts.
For my family, and for millions of Americans, the fight
against cancer is personal. When I lost my son Beau
after his courageous battle with cancer, I buried a
piece of my soul. It is a feeling too many families
know all too well. That is why I came into office with
a mission to accelerate research into curing cancer and
to ensure that cancer patients and their families are
treated with dignity throughout the process. Toward
that aim, the First Lady and I reignited the Biden
Cancer Moonshot--mobilizing the entire country to cut
the cancer death rate in half within 25 years and to
strengthen support for patients and families.
Additionally, I formed the first-ever Cancer Cabinet to
break down silos and deliver all of the cancer
prevention, early detection, treatments, care, and
support needed to save more than 4 million Americans'
lives by 2047.
Through these and other initiatives, we are making
tremendous progress. We secured $4 billion in
bipartisan funding from the Congress to realize my
Administration's vision for a new biomedical research
agency, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for
Health, to drive breakthroughs in prevention,
diagnosis, and treatment for cancer and other diseases.
The National Cancer Institute developed a National
Cancer Plan to fast-track effective cancer treatments,
including for children, and this year alone we have
secured $7.3 billion for work across the National
Cancer Institute. We are creating a national network to
connect eligible children, adolescents, and young
adults to opportunities to participate in clinical
trials by launching the Childhood Cancer-Data
Integration for Research, Education, Care, and Clinical
Trials. The Institute's Childhood Cancer Data
Initiative is also providing free molecular testing of
tumors. Moreover, we are working to implement the RACE
for Children Act to identify and approve precision
pediatric drugs quickly. And I signed the Childhood
Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act to increase funding for
childhood cancer research.
[[Page 72280]]
My Administration is also working hard to ensure that
treatment is more accessible and affordable. I am proud
to strengthen Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act
(ACA) by keeping children covered under Medicaid for a
full year and expanding ACA coverage to millions of
families--saving them approximately $800 per year on
health insurance premiums. And we are receiving
commitments from companies, nonprofits, and patient
groups to increase screening, prevent exposure to toxic
substances, deliver new research innovations, and
improve access for more Americans to effective care.
At the same time, my Administration is making sure that
no family is left behind in the cancer treatment
process. Everyone needs a navigator who can help guide
them through each step of their cancer journey--from
sorting through health care costs to figuring out
transportation to the hospital. We delivered new
reimbursement codes so that, for the first time ever,
families facing cancer can get patient navigation
services paid for through Medicare, Medicaid, and
private insurance. Cancer navigation services are
personalized assistance to patients, caregivers, and
families to help guide them through the many decisions
and challenges that come with a cancer diagnosis, which
have been shown to reduce cancer disparities, improve
health outcomes, and make an enormous difference in
people's lives. To date, 40 cancer centers and
community oncology practices nationwide along with 7
leading insurance companies who serve more than 150
million Americans have committed to providing and
paying for navigation services for families facing
cancer.
Across the Nation, millions of families hold on to hope
that their loved ones will get the cancer treatment
they need to be cured for good. During this National
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, let us give strength
to all the pediatric patients, their families, and
their caretakers. Let us pay tribute to all the brave
kids who inspire us to keep fighting and never give up.
And let us recommit to doing all we can together to
create a brighter, cancer-free future for America's
youth.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of
the United States of America, by virtue of the
authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws
of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 2024
as National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. I
encourage citizens, government agencies, private
businesses, nonprofit organizations, the media, and
other interested groups to increase awareness of what
Americans can do to support the fight against childhood
cancer. I encourage anyone experiencing uncertainty
around risk factors or treatment options or looking for
other opportunities for support to connect with a
trained specialist at 1-800-4-CANCER or visit
cancer.gov.
[[Page 72281]]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirtieth day of August, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
ninth.
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2024-20121
Filed 9-4-24; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P