During my professional life, I worked for 15 years as a financial case worker for cancer patients and saw first-hand how life-changing new medicines can be, along with how necessary it is to ensure these treatments are accessible for patients. My father’s battle with cancer and dementia in the final phases of his life further underscored for me the importance of continuing our investment into researching new therapies.

My experience leaves me deeply concerned about government proposals that could stymie investment into biomedical R&D. To me, it seems like these ideas prioritize government savings over new treatments that could change the lives of people like me. I don’t think that’s a fair trade.