[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]


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                         Presidential Documents 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 172 / Thursday, September 5, 2024 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 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