In this 117th Congress, status as of May 17, 2021 in the House and Senate
Senate passes S. Res. 231 by Unanimous Consent
Amid our struggle for recognition for children with brain cancer in the House, the US Senate has greatly benefited our community by unanimously passing the 2019, 2020, and now the 2021 DIPG/Pediatric Brain Cancer Awareness Resolutions, led by Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Senator Jack Reed (D-RI); also joining for the introductions were Senator Braun (R-IN), Senator Hyde-Smith (R-MS) and Senator Casey (R-PA). Unlike the House version, which would recognize May 17 in perpetuity, the Senate Resolution must be renewed each year.
House Introduces H. Res. 404 (DIPG Awareness Resolution)
We are hopeful that at some point during the 117th Congress, after 4 introductions of the House Resolution and quite literally one half of the House of Representatives signed onto it before the close of the 116th Congress, that House Leadership will allow consideration for scheduled time in the House of Representatives to discuss the urgent, unmet needs of children fighting brain cancer–the #1 cause of disease-related childhood mortality in the United States. In 2021, most still remain unaware of this fact, and the tragic deaths continue out of sight, and mind, and our children suffer without effective treatments.
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI-12) is the lead sponsor for the 117th Congress DIPG Awareness Resolution, and she was joined by David Joyce (R-OH-14), and 20 others supporting the introduction of the Resolution in the House of Representatives which occurred on May 17, 2021.
For your advocacy needs download the sample scripts and written messages which can be sent from anywhere in the USA to their Reps in Congress, or phoned in, with the simple “ask” of, “please cosponsor the DIPG Awareness Resolution, H. Res. 404…” Our goal is to attain a supermajority of the House Membership signed on by the end of this year. That number is 290, which forces House Leadership to consider the importance of the resolution’s receiving time for floor discussion and a vote. Our practical goal is 290 plus members, on or before Jan. 1 2022, allowing us 5 months to rally House Leadership to schedule a vote before May 17, 2022. We have until Dec. 31 for a vote for it to potentially pass, but we’re shooting for May 17th of 2022.