SUSAN G. KOMEN FOR THE CURE® ADVOCACY ALLIANCE
EDUCATES VOTERS, DEBATE WATCHERS ON MCCAIN/OBAMA HEALTH CARE AGENDAS

MORE THAN 100,000 PEOPLE ACROSS THE NATION HAVE SAID "I VOTE FOR THE CURE®"

DALLAS, TX (October 7, 2008) – To aid and help educate tonight's debate watchers and all voters about the positions of presidential candidates Senators John McCain and Barack Obama on key health care and cancer issues, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Advocacy Alliance today unveiled a series of resources available on its web site – www.IVotefortheCure.org.

The Komen Advocacy Alliance also announced that its year-long "I Vote for the Cure®" initiative has garnered more than 100,000 signatures on a petition to encourage candidates to put breast cancer at the top of their agenda, and registered more than 1,000 new voters in more than 70 cities at Komen Race for the Cure® and other events.

"Breast cancer touches each of us in some way, and Americans all across the country have told us that discovering and delivering its cures should be a national priority," said Shelley Fuld Nasso, director of public policy for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Advocacy Alliance. "Voters deserve to hear how the candidates would address this critical issue - and what better time than National Breast Cancer Awareness Month?"

Visitors to the site can find:

• A side-by-side comparison of each candidate's health care and cancer plans –
  http://komenpolicy.org/komenadvocacy/candidates.html.


• Responses to a Komen Advocacy Alliance questionnaire, where each was asked to address how they would (1) close gaps in the health care system and ensure access to care, including screening and treatment for breast cancer; (2) reduce disparities in health, education, and income; (3) ensure that the U.S. does not lose momentum in biomedical research and that medical advances make their way to patients; and (4) make high-quality health care more affordable and accessible for all Americans – http://komenpolicy.org/komenadvocacy/candidates_questionnaires.html.


• A transcript of remarks made by health care advisors to both campaigns made at a forum Friday, Oct. 3, in Philadelphia, as part of the 24-city Komen Community Challenge campaign to "Close the Gaps" in access to vital screening and treatment – http://cms.komen.org/stellent/groups/public/documents/komen_document/081003_obamamccain.pdf.

A nationwide survey commissioned by the Komen Advocacy Alliance earlier this year found that more than 90 percent of voters want the federal government to pay more attention to breast cancer research, screening and early detection and access to quality care for all. A majority of voters (62 percent) believe breast cancer is the most critical health problem facing women today. This is also true among low-income, minority and underserved populations surveyed, which are more likely to die from breast cancer than white women.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure® is the world's largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure®, Komen has invested $1 billion to fulfill its promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world. To continue this progress, Komen for the Cure has pledged to invest another $2 billion in the next ten years.