Sheryl Crow Lobbies Congress for Breast Cancer Research

Grammy-winning musician Sheryl Crow joined breast cancer survivors and prevention advocates at the U.S. Capitol Wednesday to urge funding of research into breast cancer's cause.

At a news conference, Crow was surrounded by members of Congress that included presidential contender Sen. Hillary Clinton D-N.Y. and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. They were all backing a bill that would give $40 million a year towards researching the environmental factors that increase the risk of breast cancer.

"Their stories are so inspiring," Crow, 45, said of cancer survivors. "These are the real rock stars in this area."

The Breast Cancer and Environmental Act would establish a national strategy to study the links between environmental factors that can increase breast cancer risk.

The bill would call for $40 billion per year from 2008 through 2012.

"We have not tapped into the area of the environment, and it's my belief that what's going on in the environment - which between breast cancer and the environment in the newspapers every single day - cannot be overlooked, Crow said. "We're not asking for money that's going to be taking away from labs, we're not asking for less research money to go to scientists. What we're asking for is more money. Now is not the time to be cutting money to cancer research."

Crow, from Kennett, Mo., had surgery last year after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Fran Visco, president of the National Breast Cancer Coalition, commended Crow for joining the fight against cancer so soon after her treatment.

Crow was watched by St. Louis County, Mo. Women from the back of the room. Sue Baebler, 57, survived breast cancer in the mid 1990s and now visits Washington three times a year to lobby for breast cancer research and education.

"We are on the right track," Baebler said. "We have a lot of great support for this bill this year."

Baebler and two others from St. Louis County had breakfast with Crow, lunch with Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and later were to see Sen. "Kit" Bond, R-Mo. McCaskill and Bond both support the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act.