Tester details Dennis Rehberg’s record of voting against cancer detection

Tester releases letter sent to Cancer Action Network

In Congress, Rehberg repeatedly gutted funding while protecting tax breaks for millionaires

BILLINGS, Mont. – The U.S. Senate campaign of Montana farmer Jon Tester is holding Congressman Dennis Rehberg accountable for his repeated votes against cancer screening and research.

Three times in the past year-and-a-half, Rehberg has personally tried to eliminate all funding for Title X, which provides life-saving cancer screenings and other health services for tens of thousands of Montana women every year—while protecting tax breaks for millionaires.

Montana’s 26 Title X Clinics served more than 27,000 Montanans in 2010—most of them women.

“It is important for all Montanans to know that Congressman Rehberg has an irresponsible record when it comes to funding cancer research and early detection,” said Dayna Swanson, Deputy Campaign Manager for Montanans for Tester. “We’re holding Congressman Rehberg accountable for a record of gutting funding for life-saving cancer screenings while protecting tax breaks for millionaires like himself.”

The campaign today also released a letter Tester recently sent to the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network. Tester told the organization he supports funding to ensure all women have access to lifesaving cancer screenings.

Tester’s letter, online HERE, also highlights Rehberg’s recent efforts to eliminate all Title X funding as chairman of the House committee that oversees federal health care funding:

• Rehberg’s vote for H.R. 1, a controversial funding bill in the U.S. House of Representatives (February, 2011)
• Rehberg’s Fiscal Year 2012 Labor-Health-Education appropriations proposal (October, 2011)
• Rehberg’s Fiscal Year 2013 Labor-Health-Education appropriations bill (July 2012)

Tester also noted that the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network last week said Rehberg’s latest proposal, “could increase the number of cancer patients and survivors who forgo lifesaving treatment because they lack health coverage.” [ACSCAN, 7/18/2012]

Rehberg last week proposed and voted to cut the Center for Disease Control’s Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion funding by $389 million.

Earlier this month, Tester’s campaign launched a television ad featuring a Montana cancer survivor who criticizes Rehberg for “wrong priorities.”

Click HERE to read a full backup of the TV ad.

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