Building bridges to cancer prevention and early detection in Puerto Rico
Lisa McGovern attended a Health Equity Fair near San Juan, Puerto Rico, with Rep. Pablo José Hernández and Monica Pascual.
EDUCATION & OUTREACH
Congressional Families® Program
Cancer touches all of us—and it takes all of us to beat it.
About the Program
The Congressional Families® Program is a bipartisan, non-political effort to increase the public’s understanding of cancer prevention and early detection through education and outreach. Members of Congress and their spouses/partners are supported in using their unique platforms to raise awareness, highlight resources and inspire action in their home districts and states through site visits, op-eds and social media content, building a nonpartisan community focused on stopping cancer.
Who We Are
The Congressional Families Program, led by a congressional spouse, includes more than 180 congressional spouses as part of its Executive Council and Advisory Committee.
The Program began in 1991 as a collaboration of the Prevent Cancer Foundation and the Congressional Club and focused on the areas of breast and prostate cancer. The success of the Program’s first five years, combined with medical advancements, led to the expansion of its scope to include more cancer types that can often be prevented or detected early. Using the Program’s tools, congressional members and spouses have a national impact by educating the public and encouraging steps to prevent cancer and detect it early for better health outcomes.
Executive Council
Lisa McGovern
Executive Director, Congressional Families
Spouse, Rep. Jim McGovern (Democrat, Mass.)
Charlie Capito
Spouse, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (Republican, W. Va.)
The Honorable Debbie Dingell (Democrat, Mich.)
Brenda Fleischmann
Spouse, Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (Republican, Tenn.)
Patti Garamendi
Spouse, Rep. John Garamendi (Democrat, Calif.)
Lorena Saenz Gonzalez
Spouse, Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (Democrat, Texas)
Barbara Grassley
Spouse, Sen. Chuck Grassley (Republican, Iowa)
Mary Himes
Spouse, Rep. Jim Himes (Democrat, Conn.)
Mikey Hoeven
Spouse, Sen. John Hoeven (Republican, N.D.)
Sarah Hospodor-Pallone
Spouse, Rep. Frank Pallone (Democrat, N.J.)
Wendy Murphy
Spouse, Rep. Greg Murphy, M.D. (Republican, N.C.)
Wayne Kye, D.D.S.
Spouse, Rep. Grace Meng (Democrat, N.Y.)
Martha Hill
Spouse, Rep. French Hill (Republican, Ark.)
Marcia Latta
Spouse, Rep. Bob Latta (Republican, Ohio)
Laina Marshall
Spouse, Sen. Roger Marshall (Republican, Kan.)
Colleen Ochoa Peters
Spouse, Sen. Gary Peters (Democrat, Mich.)
Monica Ruiz
Spouse, Rep. Raul Ruiz (Democrat, Calif.)
Alfredia Scott
Spouse, Rep. David Scott (Democrat, Ga.)
Ex-Officio members
LeeAnn Johnson (Republican, Ohio)
Barbara Morris-Lent (Republican, N.Y.)
The Honorable Marie Royce (Republican, Calif.)
Betty Ann Tanner (Democrat, Tenn.)
NPR’s “All Things Considered” Feature
Our unique, bipartisan program was recently showcased on NPR’s “All Things Considered.”
Listen HereCapitol Hill Events
The Program hosts invitation-only events attended by numerous Members of Congress and their spouses, as well as leaders in the cancer community. Since 1993, the Action for Cancer Awareness Awards Luncheon has been the program’s signature event. Awards are presented in the following categories: Congressional Families Leadership, Distinguished Service in Journalism and Excellence in Cancer Awareness. Previous honorees include: the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Chris Evert, Patrick Dempsey, Scott Hamilton, Hoda Kotb, and Siddhartha Mukherjee, M.D, Ph.D. Full list of recipients here.
Since 2023, the Program has also hosted a Spring Reception on Capitol Hill, to unite the congressional community with leaders and supporters from the cancer community on shared goals. At the event, the Carolyn “Bo” Aldigé Visionary Award is presented: Congressional Families Program co-founder Rep. Doris Matsui (Calif.) (2023), Dr. Francis Collins, who led the Human Genome Project, (2024) and the MIT Media Lab (2025) for its cutting-edge research in women’s health
Community Site Visits
The Congressional Families Program travels to communities across the U.S. (and around the world), joining with Members and spouses to highlight community grant projects or other local cancer prevention and early detection resources.
Congressional Families Program learns firsthand about Equal Hope in Chicago
Equal Hope met with the Congressional Families Program to share how the organization is combatting healthcare disparities with the support of a Prevent Cancer Foundation grant.
Visiting Comadre a Comadre in New Mexico
Comadre a Comadre is a culturally and linguistically designed project that provides training to trusted peer breast and cervical cancer survivors (also known as comadres) in the community.
Resources for congressional members and spouses
Congressional members and spouses are offered the Program’s toolkit and resources to educate their communities about cancer prevention and early detection.
Voices for Cancer Prevention
Congressional members and spouses are powerful voices to spread the message of cancer prevention and early detection across the U.S. This series invites Program members to share timely and vital information to educate the public and inspire action.
Examples of past participants include Rep. Troy Carter (La.) on Prostate Cancer Awareness Month; Rep. Debbie Dingell (Mich.) on routine cancer screenings; Rep. John Garamendi (Calif.) on UV Safety Month; Rep. Nikema Williams (Ga.) on National Minority Health Month; Charlie Capito, spouse of Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.) on Lung Cancer Awareness Month; Dr. Laura Cassidy, spouse of Sen. Bill Cassidy (La.), on Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month; and Dr. Wayne Kye, spouse of Rep. Grace Meng (N.Y.) on Oral Health Month.
With special thanks to our sponsors:
Advisory Committee
More than 180 Congressional spouses of sitting members of Congress have joined the Program’s Advisory Committee. By adding their names, these individuals demonstrate that cancer prevention is important to them and they support our work to stop cancer which knows no political, ethnic, gender, age or socioeconomic boundaries.
Caroline Aderholt
Alisha Aguilar
Leslie Alford
Robin Allen
Anne Arrington
Roxanne Babin
Linda Bachus**
M. Priyasri Bala, M.D.
Amanda Banks
Abby Bean
Tamra Bentsen**
Janine Bera, M.D.
Cindy Bergman
Megan Beyer
Vivian Bishop
Susan J. Blumenthal, M.D.
Cathy Boozman
Tracy Bost
Kevin Boyce
Sandy Buchanan
Zoe Bunnell
Fianny Cabrera
Charlie Capito*
Gina Carbajal
Meghan Conrad Carey
Amy Carter
Audrey Case
Margaret Cheney
Evelyn Chinea-Garcia
Dianne Cleaver
Rosel Cloud
Lisa Collis
T.J. Comer
Catherine “Smitty” Connolly
Sandy Cornyn
Eric T. Costello
Kris Cramer
Lisa Crank
Stacy Crawford
Imelda Cuellar
Pat Cunnane
Yuvonka Davis
Vera G. Davis
Amy DesJarlais
Rep. Debbie Dingell*
Tia Diaz Balart
Libby Doggett
Rodney Dowell
Heather Downing
Leah Ott Dunn
Suzette Ezell
Kalisha Figures
Scott Fischbach
Brenda M. Fleischmann*
Scott Fletcher
Mandi Flood
Philip Frank
Amy Franklin
Bronwen Fry
Sydney Barron Gallego
Patricia Garamendi*
Danielle Gill
Isobel Golden
Lorena Saenz Gonzalez*
Alexa Gooden
Lynn Gorguze
Maude Gosar
David Gowing
Barbara Grassley*
Cheryl Greene
Pam Harder
Stephanie Haridopolos, M.D.
Conan Harris
Nicole Beus Harris
Matt Harrison
Milford Hayes
Mary Herman
Becca Higgins
Martha Hill*
Mary Himes*
Mary Hodge
Mikey Hoeven*
Cathy Holahan
Sarah Hospodor-Pallone*
Bart Houlahan
Renee Hudson
Susan Huffman
Emily Hunt
Jolene Ivey
Elizabeth James
Kennisandra Jeffries
Mereda Davis Johnson
Tiia Karlén
Rhonda Kean
Tevis Keating
Katie Kennedy
Jennifer Kilmer
Roberta Kustoff
Wayne Kye, D.D.S., M.S.*
Kaylie LaLota
Jill LaMalfa
Robin Phelps Latimer
Marcia Sloan Latta, Ed.D.*
Chrissy Levin
Bill Lewis
Betty Lieu, Esq.
Desiree Loudermilk
Leslie Luttrell
Margaret Lynch
Jennifer Mannion
Laina Marshall*
Brianna Mast
Rep. Doris Matsui
Curtis McBath
Linda McCaul
Corlie McCormick
Christine McGarvey
Tracy McGuire
Simone-Marie Meeks
Tiffany Mfume, DrPH
Debra Miller, M.D.
Emily Miller
David Mills
Heather Moore
Mary Beth Morelle
Leah Moskowitz
Susan Moster
Liz Moulton
Jane Mrvan
Marion Munley
Wendy Murphy*
Tim Mynett
Andrea Neguse
Heather Obernolte
Leighton Oshima
Carrie McIntyre Panetta
Kelley Paul
Paul Pelosi
Colleen Ochoa Peters*
Fred Radewagen
Sarah Bloom Raskin
Esther Reynoso, M.D.
Monica Kohli Riley
Cynthia Rogers
Chelsea Rose
Monica Ruiz*
Patricia Rutherford
Rebecca Ryan
Roger Sant
Eve Schiff
Jennifer Schmidt
Julie Dann Schneider
Alfredia Scott*
Vivien Scott
Tracy Self
Karen Sessions
Lisa Sherman
Leslie Small
Sara R. Smith
Mary Sorteberg
Nicole Stanton
Jodi Stauber
Jane Stoever
Laura Strong
Christy Stutzman
John Sundahl
Helene Suozzi
Janet Thompson
London J. Thompson
Louis Torres
Terra Valadao
Katherine Van Hollen
Adrienne Vargas
Tonya Veasey
Ray Wagner
Sue Walberg
Brenda Weber
Margaret Cheney Welch
Sharon Westerman
Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides
Gayle Wicker
Angela Wied
Patty Williams
Steve Williamson
John Willoughby
Roxanne Wilson
Kathryn Wittman
Steve Wrinn
Sallyann Yakym
Lola Zinke
*Denotes Executive Council member
**Denotes ex-officio member
The Latest
Congressional Families Program learns firsthand about Equal Hope in Chicago
Breaking down barriers to cancer screenings, Comadre a Comadre
