Cancer is an issue that remains prevalent on most of our minds these days. Whether it’s a friend, relative, or even more personal, most people have been affected by cancer. Many have lost loved ones to the dreadful illness, and statistics on the number of women who will be affected by breast cancer alone sometimes in their lives are monumental. 2,000 Americans die every single day from cancer, making it one of the deadliest things we face together as a nation.

Right now, Senate Bill 717, also known as the ALERT Act, is up for consideration. This act would help raise our current standards used to treat cancer patients, something desperately needed in these modern times. Technological advances, the latest science and innovation, and the most up-to-date medicines are crucial when it comes to saving lives.

The ALERT Act would also help raise the standards of research up a notch, providing much needed funding and support for the scientific community currently waging a war against the deadly disease. A national database featuring the latest cancer research would be expanded to provide doctors all across the nation with the most up to date information and treatment options, ensuring that even the most rural areas have the scientific data necessary to develop solutions and care for patients.

Preventative care—perhaps the one health area that America lacks most—will also be covered by SB 717. Preventative services—such as early screening for cancer—would be included in the legislation. We all need to take personal responsibility as much as we can against cancer by eating right, exercising, and not smoking or drinking too much, but we can also band together by sponsoring this bill and ensuring that our brothers and sisters get the preventative medical services that they need—and that we, ourselves, get them as well.

Please write to Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson, sponsor of the ALERT Act, and voice your support today. Let Senator Hutchinson know that you are completely behind the bill and that you wish for its passing as quickly as possible. A letter is already pre-written here, though by adding your own voice and comments you can make an even more powerful impact. Include personal stories if you wish, as well as your own emotional response—as a citizen and voter as well as a human with cancer experiences—in order to send the most helpful message possible.