Remarks by the First Lady at a Cancer Moonshot Listening Session at the Foundation for Black Women's Wellness in Madison, Wisconsin

[As prepared for delivery.]

Thank you, Senator Baldwin.

Tammy's been an incredible champion in our fight against cancer. She and Joe are calling for more funding for the CDC's breast and cervical cancer early detection program, so more women can catch cancer early.

Tammy—I'm so grateful to have your powerful voice leading our cause here and in Washington.

Cancer changes everyone it touches.

When our son died from cancer, Joe and I knew we had to find purpose to help us deal with the grief from his death. That's why this is so personal to us.

That's why we reignited the Biden Cancer Moonshot—our White House initiative to build a world where cancer is not a death sentence. Where we invest in innovative research and help patients and their families navigate this journey. Where we stop cancer before it starts and make treatments more affordable if it does. Where we catch it early and help people live longer, healthier, happier lives. Because we know that the best way to fight cancer is to find it before it spreads.

And that's especially important when it comes to the deep disparities that we know exist.

We all know the statistics: life-saving screenings and treatments are often out of reach for neighborhoods of color, low-income areas, or rural places where care is difficult to access—where rates are higher and people more at risk.

Joe's budget invests in programs to help improve access to this type of care. So everyone, no matter where they live, has the opportunity to be screened when they need it.

And we all have a role to play: doctors, researchers, patients and their families, governments, non-profits, and businesses.

All of you joining us today are working to make that world possible.

Lisa, I want to thank you for hosting us today. What is happening here at the Foundation for Black Women's Wellness is an example of the kind of collaboration we need.

And Tammy and I just saw another piece of that work at the Exact Sciences' laboratory, where they're finding ways to detect cancer earlier, and get more people screened for colon cancer.

So, I want to thank all of you for taking the time to share your experience and your expertise.

Cancer has the power to change us. But we have power too.

For Joe and me, this is the mission of our lives.

Together, through the Biden Cancer Moonshot, we can end cancer as we know it.