When the American Cancer Society's Cancer Action Network held its annual civic lobby day in Washington last month, more than 500 volunteers pushed members of Congress to ensure cancer research and support for cancer patients remains at the top of the national health agenda.
It comes as Democrats and Republicans in Washington are locked in a budget impasse over the law's extension. expanded subsidies that help millions of people maintain the Affordable Care Act.
But these volunteers went beyond politics.
Mary Katherine Johnson is a former small business owner from the suburbs of Rochester, New York. She voted for Donald Trump three times.
Lexie Mealing, who used to work in a doctor's office, is from Long Island. She's a democrat.
But these two women share a bond: they are both breast cancer survivors.
“Not a single person here discussed whether you were a Democrat or a Republican,” said Mealing, one of 27 volunteers from New York. “Cancer doesn't care.”
Every volunteer has been affected to some degree by a cancer that is expected to kill more than 600,000 people in the US this year.
Johnson said each of her mother's 10 siblings died of cancer. She said she was concerned about the state of politics today. “I think we're probably more divided than we've ever been,” she said. “It scares me. I'm afraid for my grandchildren.”
Americans are truly divided on many issues: immigration, guns, President Trump.
However, in one recent survey7 in 10 voters said it is very important for the federal government to fund medical research. These included most Democrats and Republicans.
“Almost everyone in this country knows someone who has had cancer,” said Jarrett Lewis, a Republican pollster who has polled patient groups.
Recent KFF survey found that three-quarters of U.S. adults, including a majority of Republicans who support the Make America Great Again movement, want Congress to expand the subsidies that help Americans buy health insurance through the Affordable Care Act's marketplaces. KFF is a nonprofit health information organization that includes KFF Health News.
These subsidies, which are critical for people with chronic diseases such as cancer, are a sticking point in the budget standoff in Congress.
An army of volunteers from every state attacked 484 of the 535 Senate and House offices.
Not every visit was an unqualified victory. Many Republican lawmakers oppose extending insurance subsidies, arguing they are too expensive.
Lawmakers from both parties have backed increased research funding and support for expanding cancer screening.
As evening fell, volunteers met on the National Mall for a candlelight vigil.
John Manna, another New Yorker, is a self-proclaimed Reagan Republican whose father died of lung cancer. He reflected on the lessons this day could teach a divided nation.
“Get to know each other as people,” he said, “and then you can understand someone's position. We have a little disagreement, but, you know, we don't attack each other. We talk.”
