![](media/image1.jpeg){width="6.276388888888889in" height="1.93125in"}

**Quotes in Support of the American Center for CURES Act of 2005**

"The American Center for Cures will be a tremendous addition to our
nation's valuable tradition of biomedical research. By emphasizing
translational and applications research as well as discovery of
diagnostic markers, the ACC will bring the hope of basic science
discovery to the reality of patient care. The mandate and goal will be
to prevent, early diagnose, or cure the diseases that cause such
suffering to humanity. This effort will promote health diplomacy that
will bring the genius and resources of our nation to better the health
of all Americans."

*- Secretary Tommy Thompson, Former Secretary, Department of Health and
Human Services, Former Governor, State of Wisconsin*

"The need for a federal focus on finding cures has long been a top
priority for all of us who seek the rapid translation of scientific
advances into personal health benefits. With their landmark legislative
proposal, Sen.'s Cochran and Lieberman have taken a critical step along
our path to cures." *-S. Robert Levine MD, Chairman of the Health
Priorities Project of the Progressive Policy Institute*

\"As Governors around the country look to transform our complex health
care system, we must seek new cost-effective solutions that continue to
improve our overall health and productivity,\" said Michigan Governor
Jennifer M. Granholm.  \"The American Center for Cures represents a
bi-partisan effort to devote significant and lasting resources toward an
innovative approach to disease treatment and management, offering
Americans grappling with chronic and debilitating diseases the lasting
gift of hope.\" - *Governor Jennifer Granholm, Michigan*

­"Finding cures will improve the health of mankind.  As an example, by
simply delaying the onset of Alzheimer's disease by five years, the
health and productivity of older Americans will be enhanced.  Developing
cures will provide American families with a better quality of health
care that can be sustained over a longer period of time.  That is why I
urge the establishment of the American Center for Cures." *-Governor Tom
Vilsack, Iowa*

The American Center for Cures is a timely and creative proposal for
tackling\
an urgent national challenge: the skyrocketing costs of treating and
preventing chronic diseases. The confluence of such diseases and a
graying population not only threatens to make health care unaffordable,
but also jeopardizes prospects for healthy and successful aging. The
Center would focus the prodigious talents of our scientific community on
specific\
strategies to cure disease, saving lives and money over the long run.\
*-Will Marshall, President, Progressive Policy Institute*

"The American Center for Cures is a simple, bold, breakthrough idea: A
can-do country ought to have the capacity to solve chronic problems, not
just treat them." *- Bruce Reed, President, Democratic Leadership
Council*

"I think this goes a long way toward improving NIH\'s ability to do
large projects across institutes and to facilitate translational
research. I am happy to support this concept \...there are already a lot
of good ideas here.\" *-Leland Hartwell, Ph. D., Nobel Laureate,
Medicine and Physiology, President, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research
Center*

"I believe the American Center for Cures (ACC) is a wonderful effort
that focuses physicians and scientists on bringing the discoveries of
the laboratory to the patient. The lives of many Americans will be
improved by having the ACC bring to bear new resources in the fight
against chronic neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's,
multiple sclerosis, and other neurodegenerative disorders. I
enthusiastically support the American Center for Cures and hope that my
colleagues in biomedical research will join me."

*- Stanley Prusiner, M. D., Nobel Laureate, Medicine and Physiology,
University of California, San Francisco*

"The proposed ACC offers a blend of existing federal activities in
health research with several new initiatives, all aimed at speeding the
move from discovery to products that help human health.  The proposal
has multiple components including strengthening existing NIH authorities
in support of small business.  When enacted and in operation the results
of this new  focused activity should be very visible with improvements
to the public health that would not be possible without this new money
with mandates on how it is spent."

*- Robert Day, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., Emeritus Professor and Dean,
University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine,
Emeritus Professor and Director, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center,
Member, Public Health Sciences, Member, National Cancer Advisory Board,
National Cancer Policy Board*

"The establishment of an American Center for Cures with its emphasis,
prominence and integration into the rest of the United States
organization of health care related ventures would represent an enormous
step forward. The focus of the Center on translation of basic science
initiatives to the clinical arena will benefit those whose support has
taken us to the present date. I applaud the initiative."\
*- Fritz H Bach, M.D., Lewis Thomas Distinguished Professor, Harvard
Medical School*

"Medical discoveries over the past century have greatly increased the
quality and quantity of human life. New insights into biology will make
even more advances possible. The American Center for Cures will make the
translation of biological discoveries to the patient occur not only
faster but much more likely to happen. It is hard to imagine another
investment that would extend the quality and quantity of life than fully
funding the American Center for Cures." *- James O. Armitage, M. D., Joe
Shapiro Professor of Medicine, University of Nebraska College of
Medicine, Member, National Cancer Advisory Board*

"I am pleased to support the American Center for Cures (ACC) proposed
legislation that you introduced to the United Sates Senate on Wednesday,
December 7.  This legislation is critical and in the translation of
advances in fundamental biomedical science to improvements in the care
of people.  Please let me know if I can help make this dream a reality."

*- Lee Goldman, MD, MPH, Julius R. Krevans Distinguished Professor and
Chair, Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, University of California San
Francisco School of Medicine, President, Association of Professors of
Medicine*

"I enthusiastically support The American Center for Cures (ACC) Senate
legislation. The ACC will focus our nation's scientists and doctors on
applying basic scientific discoveries to help the patient. This critical
approach to research will not only help our friends and loved ones with
their health, it will be the 21^st^ Century American approach to solving
the health care financial crisis. By eliminating or reducing certain
diseases for all Americans, the looming federal and state Medicare and
Medicaid financial tsunami will be markedly reduced. There is no time to
lose. I urge the immediate passage of the ACC legislation."

*- Stephen Gleason, D. O., Ph.D.,  Former CEO Mercy Clinics, Former VP
Medical Operations for Catholic Health Initiatives, Former White House
advisor, Former chief of staff, Governor Tom Vilsack, Former
Presidential Representative to the World Health Organization, Assistant
Professor, Mayo Graduate School of Medicine*

\"The American Center for Cures will be the engine that brings basic
science\
discoveries and apply them to the patient.  It has been said that women
and\
minorities are not dying from the lack of research, they are dying from
the lack  of research being applied to them.  The ACC will focus the
talent of the\
greatest scientists and clinicians for one singular purpose: to cure,
prevent,\
or diagnose earlier diseases that afflict so many in the world.   As a\
mother, nurse, researcher, and educator, I believe that the ACC will
bring better\
health to all of us.  The time is now\...let us not waste
another moment.\"

*- Sandra Underwood, RN, PhD, University of Wisconsin School of Nursing*

\"The 20th Century saw a 100-percent increase in worldwide life
expectancy - one of the greatest achievements in history.  Today\'s
children face different challenges, including a higher risk of dying
from cancer and other diseases of aging than their grandparents did.  In
the 21st Century, our challenge is to use incredible advancements in
information technology and biology to defeat such diseases as cancer,
Alzheimer\'s, diabetes, Parkinson\'s and many other afflictions that
take years of quality life from our loved ones.  The most-important
benefit will be reduced human suffering.  And the value to our economy
will be measured in trillions of dollars.  The American Center for Cures
(ACC) legislation recognizes and responds to the imperative of defeating
these deadly diseases in our lifetimes.  I believe we can do that if we
summon the will to change the way we pursue new medical solutions. 
FasterCures supports passage of the ACC legislation and urges its rapid
implementation.  There is not a moment to lose.\"

*- M. Milken, Chairman, FasterCures/The Center for Accelerating Medical
Solutions*

"The American Center for Cures is a remarkable idea that will be the
bridge between the promise of scientific opportunities and the reality
of our nation's health needs -- to deliver cures. Americans deserve a
center that is totally dedicated to finding cures for our most
devastating and debilitating chronic diseases. The ACC is the natural
extension of the doubling of the NIH budget. Now we must have as a top
national priority an accountable, mission-driven Center for Cures to
rapidly identify "cure opportunities" already created by federal,
academic and private research laboratories and proactively accelerate
and rapidly translate these opportunities into real cures.

In an era of expanding needs, exploding knowledge of the biomedical
sciences, and demands of the public to have the knowledge applied to
their loved ones' ailments, the American Center for Cures offers new
hope and dynamic reality to Americans. The American Center for Cures is
the opportunity to commit the American genius, resources, and ethic to a
greater cause in a "moonshot" approach to diseases."

*- Richard J. Boxer, M. D., Clinical Professor, Health Policy, Medical
College of Wisconsin, Clinical Professor, Family and Community Medicine,
Medical College of Wisconsin, Clinical Professor, Surgery/Urology,
University of Wisconsin-Madison*

 "Having reviewed the material you so kindly sent me, I want to applaud
this pioneering, entrepreneurial approach which will undoubtedly
accelerate the process by which we discover and implement cures for
diseases and improve and enrich the quality of life of tens of millions
of Americans.  I hope that this bold solutions-oriented approach will
have overwhelmingly bi-partisan support in Congress and that it will be
signed into law by the President at the earliest possible moment."

*- Steve Grossman, Former Chair, Democratic National Committee, C.E.O.
Massachusetts Envelope Company*

\"The American Center for Cures is the best new idea in Washington DC in
a generation. It is timely, creative and compelling.\"

*- Joe Andrew, Former Chair, Democratic National Committee,
Sonnenschein, Nath and Rosenthal, LLP*

"The combination of NIH and industry-supported research, combined with
venture capital, has been very successful in bringing new drugs based on
fundamental biological discoveries into commercial reality. In areas
that combine fundamental biology and physical science and
engineering---biomedical devices, analytical, genomic, and diagnostic
tools, bioinformation systems, tissue engineering---the current system
works substantially less well."

*- George Whitesides, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry, Harvard Medical
School, (given in 2004)*

"The concept of the new institute is exciting."\
*- Arthur W. Nienhuis, M.D., Director, St. Jude Children\'s Research
Hospital (given in 2004)*

"The concept and its underlying philosophy are right on target. We need
to open cancer research in prevention, early diagnosis, and cure to
scientists in diverse fields that include physicists, chemists, computer
scientists and mathematicians." 

*- Frederick P. Li, M.D., Director, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and
Control, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (given in 2004)*

"The American Center for Cures will be extraordinarily important for all
Americans, and indeed all humanity. The new Center will combine
scientific disciplines that have previously not been brought to bear
upon biomedical problems. This is a unique and desperately needed
approach will break through the impasse and finally bring the formidable
power of all science to focus and solve the diseases that plague the
world.

The American Center for Cures has been designed to bring accountability
and responsibility for ultimate cures. Its success will be measured by
cures and cures alone.

As a father, husband, entrepreneur, and one who has seen too much
suffering, I believe it is incumbent upon us to take a bold approach to
biomedical research that will make our children and future generations
free of the diseases that have afflicted us and our ancestors. Let our
descendents look back at our generation and say, 'They reached for the
stars, and found they were capable of conquering old paradigms, fears,
and diseases.'"

*- Lou Weisbach*

*C.E.O. Stadium Capital Associates*

*Founder, HA-LO Industries, Inc.*

"Oscar Wilde once wrote, \"Morality, like art, begins with a line being
drawn someplace.\"

 With tremendous suffering and disease so prevalent in our country, the
American Center for Cures\' (ACC) proposed legislation being introduced
by Senators Lieberman and Cochran draws a line in the sand for health
and extending the lifetime of every individual.  From a religious point
of view, this certainly responds to the notion that we are identified
with life affirmation.

 I heartily endorse this legislation."

 *- Rabbi Steven B. Jacobs - Rabbi Michael Lerner*

*Temple Kol Tikvah Editor, Tikkun Magazine*

*Woodland Hills, CA Rabbi, Beyt Tikkun Synagogue*

*San Francisco, California\
*