DWC Leaders Call Out Trump’s Cuts to Breast Cancer Research; Republicans Health Care Attacks at North Carolina Field Hearing
**Watch a video about the hearing here**
Raleigh, N.C — On Friday, October 24, DWC Policy Task Force Co-Chair Deborah Ross (NC-02) hosted the first-ever Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) Field Hearing. Joined by DWC Chairwoman Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03) and local experts in the field, the panelists discussed the Trump administration’s unprecedented cuts to the country’s breast cancer research and treatment funding.
During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and every month, Democratic Women’s Caucus members are laser focused on support for health care, including funding for breast cancer detection, research, and treatments. When faced with an unimaginable cancer diagnosis, families need to focus on caring for their loved ones without worrying about how to afford their treatment. ACA tax credits help make care costs more manageable for women, saving their lives. Trump and Republicans’ are trying to take away that relief—with Republican cuts to health care and without ACA tax credits, less women will be insured, so less women will go to the doctor and get diagnosed.
Additionally, President Trump has made significant cuts in funding to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where major breast cancer research is conducted, and proposed slashing the NIH budget by 40% in his 2026 budget. Significant medical breakthroughs in diagnosing and treating cancer are achieved with help from NIH funding. Access to life-saving breast cancer clinical trials and treatment are at risk not only due to extreme funding cuts, but also because Congressional Republicans have gutted Medicaid funding and refuse to address skyrocketing health care costs.
“We need to make sure that two things happen, that people have the money through Medicaid and the ACA tax credits to get the care they need and deserve, particularly people who have chronic illnesses like breast cancer. And we must invest in the research and the next generation of amazing discoveries that could make a cure for breast cancer. Imagine if we could do that. But both of those things are on the line with this Republican Congress and with Donald Trump and their health care cuts,” said DWC Policy Task Force Co-Chair Deborah Ross (NC-02).
“The Democratic Women's Caucus is asking our Republican colleagues to vote for the care that your mothers, wives, daughters and sisters need. We’re calling on them to fund breast cancer research,” said DWC Chairwoman Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03).
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