Funding for Research Under Threat

Floor Speech

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Mr. MAGAZINER. Mr. Speaker, a recent vaccine trial for patients with pancreatic cancer using mRNA technology produced an astounding result: Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer.

More than 90 percent of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer die within 2 years, but among those who were in this vaccine trial, half are still alive today, more than 6 years later.

If these results continue in future rounds of the trial, we will have made an incredible breakthrough that could give new hope not only to those with pancreatic cancer but other forms of cancer, as well. This is just one of many ongoing studies showing great promise.

Unfortunately, right when we are on the cusp of making incredible advances in the fight against cancer, the funding for this research is under threat.

Last year, the White House proposed cutting funding for cancer research by 40 percent and canceled a number of research grants. Some of the biggest cuts have been to research of mRNA, the same technology used in the successful pancreatic cancer trial.

In August, the administration canceled grants for 22 mRNA vaccine research studies alone. This does not make America healthier.

My own family has been afflicted by cancer. I know the agony people feel when they receive that terrible diagnosis, the horrible process of chemo and radiation, the cost, and the sorrow that American families have had to live with because of a serious cancer diagnosis.

We cannot turn our backs on those families when we are so close to finding real cures. We have to continue funding the research.

The truth is that, even before the current administration, we weren't doing enough. Last year, the Federal Government spent about $7 billion on cancer research. The war in Iran is costing us more than a billion dollars a day.

Think about that. We will spend more on the war in Iran in 1 week than we spend on cancer research in an entire year. Think about the lives that could be saved and the families who would get to spend more holidays and graduations with their loved ones if we had the right priorities.

We don't need to spend billions more on unnecessary wars in the Middle East or ballrooms or more ICE agents. Instead, let's do what we do best as a country and invest in innovation and science to save lives. Stock-Trading Ban

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Mr. MAGAZINER. Mr. Speaker, it has been exactly 1 year since Speaker Johnson said that he supports a stock-trading ban for Members of Congress. One year, and what has happened? Absolutely nothing.

We need to pass a congressional stock-trading ban because it is not fair that Members of Congress have access to inside information that influences major industries--the pharmaceutical industry, the tech industry, and others--and can trade off of that information that average Americans don't have.

By the way, Members of Congress should not be conflicted when making decisions about how to legislate. The overwhelming majority of the American people want this reform. They understand that we have a corruption problem in Washington.

If a bill were brought to the floor today, it would pass overwhelmingly. I have a bipartisan bill along with Chip Roy, and Members on both the left, right, and center: Pramila Jayapal, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Brian Fitzpatrick, and Tim Burchett. We have a great bill with over 100 cosponsors. We could vote on that today, and it would pass.

We have got a discharge petition. We can get this done. We need a Speaker with the courage to do the right thing and call a vote.

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