Today: Kentucky Lung Cancer Advocate Meets with Lawmakers in Washington, D.C. to Ask Congress for Increased Research Funding

Kentucky resident and lung cancer advocate, Shannon Baker, met with her members of Congress today in Washington, D.C. during the American Lung Association’s LUNG FORCE Advocacy Day. As a part of the nationwide event, she joined more than 40 other people across the country who have been impacted by lung cancer to $51 billion in research funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), $11.6 billion in funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and support and protect Medicaid.

During Advocacy Day, Baker spoke with U.S. Representatives Morgan McGarvey and Brett Guthrie to share her personal experience with lung cancer and explain why investments in public health, research funding and quality and affordable healthcare are important to her.
 
The American Lung Association launched LUNG FORCE Advocacy Day in 2016 to ask members of Congress to support federal funding increases for lung cancer research, prevention and quality and affordable healthcare.

As a part of Advocacy Day, LUNG FORCE Heroes have succeeded in helping increase NIH lung cancer research funding by over 115%.

In 2022, Heroes successfully urged Congress to extend funding for tax credits so more than three million Americans were able to keep affordable healthcare coverage through the federal and state marketplaces.
Baker encourages others in Kentucky to advocate for lung cancer research and healthcare protections by contacting their members of Congress, which they can do at Lung.org/AdvocacyDay. Learn more about the LUNG FORCE initiative at LUNGFORCE.org.