We Need Your Help!
Join VBCF in taking action during the National Breast Cancer Coalition’s Virtual Lobby Day on Tuesday, June 16.
You can help by amplifying our message through your social media posts and/or with phone calls to your legislators. This is a quick and easy way to Take Action. When lawmakers hear directly from you, it can make a big impact. Let’s flood their social media pages on June 16th with these important messages on breast cancer policy.
ACTION STEPS FOR JUNE 16
Lookup Your Representatives
Enter your home address into the Who’s My Legislator tool to look up your Representatives/Senators.
After you have identified your legislators look at the Key Legislative Issues box to see if they are supportive of the Lobby Day priorities.
Make a Call
Sample Phone Message:
I am a constituent of Representative X from (your home city/county), VA. I am calling to ask the Rep/Senator to support ending breast cancer by funding the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program. This is important to me as a breast cancer (survivor/patient/advocate) because this program has been an important part of the progress made in breast cancer treatment over the last 20 years.
AND/OR
I am a constituent of Representative X from (your home city/county), VA,] I am calling to ask the Rep/Senator to support the HR 2178/S 1374, The Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act. This bill is important to me as a (breast cancer survivor/patient/advocate) because it ensures that individuals with metastatic breast cancer don’t have to wait to get access to the care they need.
Make a Facebook Post
Facebook Post Samples:
Thank yous:
Thank you @Rep________ for supporting the DOD breast cancer research program. Counting on your continued support! [Add a personal statement about why this matters to you]
Thank you @Rep________ for being a co-sponsor of HR 2178, a bill that waives the Medicare and SSDI waiting periods for people with metastatic breast cancer. [Add a personal statement about why this matters to you]
Asking for support:
@Rep________ I am counting on you to support women and men with breast cancer. Will you help? Please support full funding of the DOD breast cancer research program. [Add a personal statement about why this matters to you]
@Senator/Rep____________ We need your support to waive Medicare and SSDI waiting periods for people with metastatic breast cancer. Can the breast cancer community count on you to support S 1374/HR 2178? [Add a personal statement about why this matters to you]
IMPORTANT: Make sure to “tag” your legislator in your Facebook post. Also tag @VirginiaBreastCancerFoundation and @NBCCStopBC.
Post a Tweet
Twitter post Samples:
Thank yous
Thank you @Rep_________ for supporting the #DODbreastcancer research program and innovative breast cancer research. Counting on your continued support. #NBCConTheHill @NBCCStopBC #VBCFconnection
@Rep________________ thank you for supporting HR 2178 a bill to waive #Medicare and SSDI waiting periods for people with #metastaticbc. #NBCConTheHill @NBCCStopBC #VBCFconnection
Urging support:
@Senator/Rep I am counting on you to support women and men with breast cancer. Will you help? Support the DOD #breastcancer research program. #NBCConTheHill @NBCCStopBC #VBCFconnection
@Senator/Rep We need your support to waive #Medicare and SSDI waiting periods for people with #metastaticbc. Can the #breastcancer community count on you? #NBCConTheHill @NBCCStopBC #VBCFconnection
VA Legislator Twitter Handles:
VA-01 Robert J. Wittman @RobWittman
VA-02 Elaine Luria @RepElaineLuria
VA-03 Robert C. Scott @BobbyScott
VA-04 A. Donald McEachin @RepMcEachin
VA-05 Denver Riggleman @RepRiggleman
VA-06 Ben Cline @RepBenCline
VA-07 Abigail Spanberger @RepSpanberger
VA-08 Donald S. Beyer, Jr. @RepDonBeyer
VA-09 H. Morgan Griffith @RepMGriffith
VA-10 Jennifer Wexton @RepWexton
VA-11 Gerald E. Connolly @GerryConnolly
Senator Tim Kaine @TimKaine
Senator Mark Warner @MarkWarner
Key Legislative Issues
NBCC’s priorities for the 2020 Lobby Day are:
- Funding for the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program (DoD BCRP) – Advocates will be asking legislators to support $150 million in funding for FY2021 for this innovative and effective research program. Several VA legislators have already signed onto a letter of support for this funding: Rep. Bobby Scott (D-3rd), Rep. Donald McEachin (D-4th), Rep Abigail Spanberger (D-7th), Wexton (D-10th), Rep. Beyer (D-8th), Rep. Connolly (D-11th).
- Support for the Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act (H.R. 2178; S. 1374) would waive the waiting periods for Medicare and social security disability benefits for those with metastatic breast cancer. Several VA legislators are already co-sponsors of the House bill. But, we need more sponsors to get the bills moving in Congress. Virginia co-sponsors of House bill HR 2178: Rep. Donald McEachin (D-4th), Rep Abigail Spanberger, Rep. Connolly (D-11th)
Click here for more detailed information on the NBCC priorities
