First Lady Pool Reports of October 24, 2022

FLOTUS pool report #1 - Cancer Moonshot event with Mary J. Blige

Good morning from the White House.

Jill Biden and Mary J. Blige are launching the American Cancer Society's (ACS) National Roundtables on Breast and Cervical Cancer in the State Dining Room this morning.

Event is scheduled to start at 11 am and is airing on White House live: https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/

Pool is holding in State Dining Room ahead of start and will send color since remarks are airing live.

There are about 100 guests seated in the room. Many of the women are wearing pink in all shades - from pale to shockingly bright.

Spotted: Keisha Lance Bottoms

Background on the event from the East Wing:

Background | First Lady Jill Biden Hosts Cancer Moonshot Event with the American Cancer Society and Special Guest Mary J. Blige - Monday, October 24th

On Monday, October 24th at 11:00 AM ET, as part of the Biden Administration's Cancer Moonshot, the First Lady will host an event at the White House with the American Cancer Society (ACS) and special guest and preventive cancer screening advocate Mary J. Blige to launch the ACS National Roundtables on Breast and Cervical Cancer. In response to President Biden's reignition of the Cancer Moonshot in February 2022, ACS pledged to launch new national roundtables on breast cancer and cervical cancer. These roundtables will bring together leading organizations and experts to drive progress and improve the lives of people living with cancer, as well as support their families. At the White House event on Monday, ACS and the cancer community is delivering on its commitment to launch the roundtables, which will begin their work this week through collaboration and strategic partnerships.

The ACS National Breast Cancer Roundtable aims to accelerate progress across the breast cancer continuum, reducing mortality and eliminating disparities. It will work to ensure all women have access to quality screening and treatment, and support patients and their families. The ACS National Roundtable on Cervical Cancer aims to eliminate cervical cancer in our lifetime. It will work to increase cervical cancer screening.

ACS-led roundtables provide an effective and proven model to catalyze change and investment across the cancer continuum by utilizing an "all hands on deck" approach. The organization currently leads the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable, the National HPV Vaccination Roundtable, the National Lung Cancer Roundtable, and the National Navigation Roundtable.

Monday's event will bring together oncology leaders from across industries, including medical professional societies, patient advocacy organizations, survivors, biopharmaceutical companies, public health agencies, government agencies, academic institutions, and researchers. The attendees primarily consist of leadership of each new roundtable.

Speaking program:

• Ms. Tamika Felder, Cervical Cancer Survivor
• Ms. Mary J. Blige, Preventive Cancer Screening Advocate
• Dr. Karen Knudsen, Chief Executive Officer of the American Cancer Society
• First Lady Jill Biden

Background on Dr. Biden's Cancer Advocacy Efforts:

First Lady Jill 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. As First Lady she continues her work emphasizing early detection efforts and improving the patient, family and caregiver experience with cancer. She has also focused on the importance of cancer screenings, especially those delayed or put off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She has encouraged government partners, the business community, and non-profit sectors to help make screenings more accessible and available to all.

As First Lady, Dr. Biden has been a fierce advocate for the fight to end cancer as we know it. Some of her recent work includes:

• October 2022: The First Lady joined cancer survivors and their families at the Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA. This game was dedicated to featuring the National Football League (NFL) and the American Cancer Society's "Crucial Catch" efforts to fight cancer through early detection and risk reduction.
• October 2022: In a Newsmax exclusive with Ambassador Nancy Brinker, the First Lady discussed the fight to end cancer as we know it.
• October 2022: To mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the First Lady, Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and National Cancer Institute (NCI) Director Dr. Monica Bertagnolli visited the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center in Broward County, Florida to highlight breast cancer survivorship.
• October 2022: To mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the First Lady and National Cancer Institute (NCI) Director Dr. Monica Bertagnolli visited the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center to highlight advances in breast cancer research and programs that support breast cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers.
• September 2022: For National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, the First Lady joined the Philadelphia Phillies for the team's Childhood Cancer Awareness Night to honor pediatric cancer patients, survivors, and their families at the game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA.
• May 2022: Dr. Biden visited the National Children's Hospital of Costa Rica to celebrate the finalization of memoranda of understanding between Costa Rica's public health authority, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Through this research collaboration, Costa Rican pediatric cancer patients will have access to a novel cancer immunotherapy treatment – CAR T-cell therapy – and Costa Rican medical personnel will receive training opportunities.
• March 2022: Dr. Biden visited St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, to learn about St. Jude's research initiatives and supportive services for patients and their families. Dr. Biden also greeted with Ukrainian pediatric cancer patients and families brought to St. Jude. Many Ukrainian pediatric cancer patients were displaced by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
• October 2021: The First Lady visited the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Hollings Cancer Center in Charleston, South Carolina, to highlight its efforts to address cancer health disparities and provide breast cancer screenings, education, and care to women in medically underserved communities across the state.
• October 2021: The First Lady spoke with Good Morning America's Robin Roberts at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York about her mission to get people screened for breast cancer.
• September 2021: The First Lady partnered with Lifetime toencourage people to get a mammogram in an effort to stop breast cancer and spread awareness on how early-detection can save lives.

Background on the Cancer Moonshot:

As Vice President, in 2016, Joe Biden led the Cancer Moonshot with the mission to accelerate the rate of progress against cancer. The cancer advocacy, patient, research and health care communities responded with tremendous energy and ingenuity. Now, President Biden has 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.

FLOTUS pool report #2 - Dr. Biden comforts Mary J. Blige

Some emotional moments as Mary J. Blige choked up talking about her family's battle with cancer and the importance of screenings. Dr. Biden comforted her. Details below:

Dr. Biden entered the State Dining Room at 11:11 am with Mary J. Blige, cervical cancer survivor Tamika Felder and American Cancer Society CEO Dr. Karen Knudsen.

"Good morning," she said as she walked into the room.

The four women sat on stage together. Speaking order: Felder, Blige, Knudsen, Biden

Blige talked about how cancer has effected her family and why cancer screenings are important: "That's why I've dedicated a great deal of my time to increasing awareness of the importance of preventative screenings, reminding people that their health is your wealth and urging them to make it a priority."

She also choked up when talking about her family, having to pause during these remarks: "So I'm convinced that if all my aunts, godmothers and grandparents [she paused to take a breath and say "oh.god"] had seen campaigns like this … They will have different outcomes."

After her remarks Blige took her seat on stage next to Dr. Biden. Dr. Biden reached over and held her hand while American Cancer Society CEO Dr. Karen Knudsen spoke.

Biden said of Knudsen: "Not only is she such an impressive doctor she's also a Phillies fan."

Biden to Blige: "Thank you for lending your powerful voice to this cause."

"You're welcome," Blige responded.

Biden: "We're going to find the best way to help people get vaccines, screenings, like mammograms and pap smears, and all of the care that they need, no matter their race, zip code, or background."

"None of us can beat cancer alone. And it will take all of us putting patients and their loved ones at the center of their own cancer journey from screenings to survivorship."

More: "Yes, the word cancer still has the power to strike fear into our hearts. But it doesn't have to be that way. Because we have power too - more than we've ever known. We're going to create a world where we can discover and dream our way past its paralysis, where we come together as a united community and rewrite the story that cancer tells Thank you for being a part of the future that we're building together. Thank you for helping us end cancer as we know it for good."

Speeches wrapped and they exited at 11:31 am.

Dr. Biden is wearing a green dress with a gold broach in the shape of a bird. Mary J. Blige is wearing a soft pink dress.

OMB director Shalanda Young and HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra are also here.

Thanks to AP's Darlene Superville for her help.