First Lady Pool Reports of April 19, 2023

FLOTUS pool report #1 - Prevent Cancer Foundation event

FLOTUS entered the reception for Prevent Cancer Foundation at 6:25 pm. (Note: pool came ahead and pre-set so did not travel with her).

The reception took place in the Members Room at the Library of Congress.

FLOTUS spoke after several Congressional spouses (see list below). There were both Democratic and Republican lawmakers in the audience.

From her remarks (as always please check against official transcript).

FLOTUS: "I've talked about learning to navigate the unique role of being a political spouse. And I promised myself that I would never waste the platform that I was given and many of you know that challenge well, But looking at this crowd of accomplished and diverse leaders from across our country, I'm thinking not of the power of one voice, but of many."

More: "Cancer doesn't care who you vote for. It's not a red issue or a blue issue. It's a human issue."

She talked about the importance of education and prevention: "Catch it early and God knows that's the key - catch it early."

More: "But you don't have to be elected to make a difference. We all have a role to play, including spouses, because we serve Americans too, don't we?"

She talked about her and POTUS' Biden Cancer Moonshot: "We're excited to work with Congress. ... We can bridge party lines and state lines to end cancer as we know it. It's ambitious I know, but it's also within our reach. For Joe and for me, this is the mission of our lives, and we are ready and we are proud to work beside you."

She received a standing ovation. She exited after her remarks.

Pool spotted in the audience:

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Rep. John McGovern

Rep. Mark DeSaulnier

Rep. Brandon Williams

Rep. Vicente Gonzalez

Rep. Ed Case

Rep. Paul Tonk

Rep. Jim Himes

Rep. Joaquin Castro

Fox News' Jennifer Griffin

The lawmakers who took part in the speaking program are listed below in the background provided by the East Wing.

Speaker emerita Nancy Pelosi was coming in the Library of Congress building as pool was exiting.

Motorcade left at 6:53 pm and returned to White House at 7 pm.

And that's a wrap from your FLOTUS pool.

REPORTABLE BACKGROUND FROM THE OFFICE OF THE FIRST LADY

On Wednesday, April 19th, at 6:15 PM, as part of the Biden Administration's Cancer Moonshot, First Lady Jill Biden will join congressional members and spouses in showcasing bipartisan support for cancer prevention and early detection at a reception hosted by the Prevent Cancer Foundation's Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

Speaking program:

• Lisa McGovern, Executive Director of the Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program
• Rep. Nikema Williams
• LeeAnn Johnson, spouse of Rep. Bill Johnson
• Mary Himes, spouse of Rep. Jim Himes
• Martha Hill, spouse of Rep. French Hill
• Charlie Capito, spouse of Sen. Shelley Moore Capito

Earlier in the reception, Rep. Debbie Dingell, Rep. Doris Matsui, and Prevent Cancer Foundation CEO Jody Hoyos delivered remarks.

In February 2022, President Biden and Dr. Biden reignited the Cancer Moonshot and set a new national goal: if we work together, we can cut the death rate from cancer by at least 50 percent over the next 25 years, and improve the experience of people and their families living with and surviving cancer. As the President has said, "Cancer does not discriminate red and blue; it doesn't care if you're a Republican or a Democrat. Beating cancer is something we can do together."

Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program
Founded in 1991, the Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program is a program of the Prevent Cancer Foundation. It is a bipartisan effort to increase the public's understanding of cancer prevention and early detection. The Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program provides its members – Senate, House, Cabinet, Supreme Court, and Diplomatic Corps spouses and families – with resources to help promote cancer prevention and early detection in their own communities.

At the Congressional Families Action for Cancer Awareness Awards Luncheon in 2000, the program honored Dr. Biden with the Congressional Families Leadership Award for her work in Delaware through the Biden Breast Health Initiative. Each year, the program honors a spouse or congressional family member who makes a noted contribution in the field of cancer awareness.

Prevent Cancer Foundation
The Prevent Cancer Foundation is the only U.S.-based nonprofit organization solely dedicated to cancer prevention and early detection. It focuses its work on research, education, outreach, and advocacy.

Background on Dr. Biden's Cancer Advocacy Efforts:
The First Lady has been a tireless champion of the Cancer Moonshot, traveling the country and the world to hear from cancer patients and their families, as well as those who support them. She has focused on the importance of early detection and improving the experience of patients, families, and caregivers.

Since the start of the Biden Administration, the First Lady has participated in Cancer Moonshot engagements across nearly a dozen states and two countries. Last month, the First Lady visited the Louisiana Cancer Research Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, with Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. and his spouse Dr. Laura Cassidy to highlight the importance of colorectal cancer screening and investing in cancer research.

Dr. Biden's advocacy for cancer education and prevention began in 1993, when four of her friends were diagnosed with breast cancer. Following that year, she launched the Biden Breast Health Initiative to educate Delaware high school girls about the importance of cancer prevention. In 2015, after Dr. Biden and then-Vice President Joe Biden lost their son Beau to brain cancer, they helped push for a national commitment to ending cancer as we know it through the White House Cancer Moonshot. Following the Obama-Biden Administration, then-former Vice President Biden and Dr. Biden continued their cancer work through the Biden Cancer Initiative.