“The Capitol building: proof that you can wrap dysfunction in marble and still make it look majestic.” – Unknown

On Monday morning, I boarded a flight to Washington D.C. for my second visit to The Hill. The trip to support the fight against breast cancer was a great reminder to keep trying even when you aren’t sure what, if anything, is working.

Let me give you a little background. My first experience in our nation’s capital was in 2016, where I was WAY out of my element. The Country Music Association Foundation had invited a handful of music business folks and songwriters to meet with our representatives to advocate for music education resources. I thought I knew how Washington worked. Turns out, I did not. At all. It was an amazing experience to be invited, but I felt uneducated in this area and realized I was one of those Americans who just assumed “other people” will take care of “all that stuff.” I was surprised at how much basic understanding I had forgotten or maybe never knew in the first place, outside of high school civics class. I couldn’t help but think how more much effective I could have been in those meetings if I knew more, and that Sarah Trahern and Tiffany Kerns probably would have been better off inviting someone else.  

 On a bus ride back to the hotel, Joe Galante sat next to me. “How you doing, kid?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” I answered him bewildered, staring out the window. He smiled and nodded.

After hours of ten-minute mini meetings, walking and talking sometimes crammed into hallways or entry ways to offices, meeting with what seemed like an endless number of interns or in one case, a very old man from Mississippi who was talking about his next term and I just keep thinking “really?” I walked away a little shell shocked.

 A lot of things have happened on planet Earth since 2016. I am not perfect, but I’ve tried to do better at paying attention to what I tune in to instead of tune out of, what I can do locally that actually matters and how I treat people who don’t agree with me.

It is so easy to disassociate from our power as citizens. Sure, I vote. Sure, I donate.  Sure, I have opinions. But after I vote or donate or voice my opinions to my friends who probably agree with me, what is it that I really do? What kind of lie have we told ourselves that justice comes in the form of posting heated messages online seeking validation from those who happen to think exactly like we do? Or worse, arguing with folks who don’t and deciding that’s effective strategy for change.

Fast forward to Monday when I found myself with an opportunity to join Susan G. Komen Center for Public Policy during their advocacy summit where hundreds of women showed up to Capitol Hill to fight for all of us.

Why is this important? Glad you asked… even if you didn’t. 😂

First of all, let’s address this head on…Susan G. Komen is a big ol’ organization that yields some big ol’ opinions. For me though, my interaction with the organization and the human beings that work for it across many verticals has solidified my trust in their mission. Their vision is a world without breast cancer and I’m here for that. I hope it happens in my lifetime and NO ONE ELSE has to go through this awful disease (even the assholes who comment on SGK posts or rag on people who fundraise for them).

As I was sitting in the advocacy briefings the night before our scheduled meetings on Tuesday, we got the news the Access To Breast Cancer Diagnosis (ACBC) Act was introduced. The energy in the room was intensely excited knowing we’d have a live bill to talk about in our meetings the next day.

Tuesday morning my new friend Bri (also from Tennessee) and I set off together to represent our state and talk about three issues:

1. Supporting the Access To Breast Cancer Diagnosis (ABCD) Act to increase access to medically necessary diagnostic and supplemental breast imaging by eliminating out-of-pocket costs for patients.

2. Preserving access to breast cancer screening and diagnostic services by investing in the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program in FY26 and cosponsoring the Screening For Communities to Receive Early and Equitable Needed Services (SCREENS) for Cancer Act

3. Making innovative breast cancer research a priority by restoring funding to the Breast Cancer Research Program.

There’s nothing new on the table per say – it’s keeping access to diagnostics and early detection programs afloat while simultaneously continuing research to find a cure. Pretty straightforward stuff that should be a no brainer. But is anything straightforward in Washington? Why no… no it’s not.

Our meetings were… interesting. A few of our leaders touted how hard they were working and then asked if we wanted photos. More of a meet and greet than a meeting I would say. A few staffers were extremely generous with their time and asked great questions. The thing about breast cancer is unfortunately since it’s so prevalent, almost everyone has a personal connection – or will. So as quick and frantic as these meetings can be, it is still possible to feel impact. Lastly, we had a couple of our esteemed leaders who declined to meet. I am quite sure that’s more of a scheduling conflict than anything, but I wouldn’t be me if we didn’t drop off materials at their offices and take the opportunity to entertain myself by landing a couple of zingers (hint hint – a certain TN person who sent out a holiday card with his family holding automatic weaponry). 

So if you’re like me and you aren’t sure if anything is worth it or anything works, you gotta keep trying. Do something different than what you’ve done over the last year and stop being paralyzed by complaints and complacency.

Time will tell if we made progress… but I will say that walking around our Capitol, seeing a sea of survivors in pink and all the hard working folks at Komen who fight like this every day wave and nod at each other knowingly on the go to all of our next meetings was a nice reminder that community and real life is a medicine we all need right now.

Be good online… and real life,
Jennie