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WASHINGTON - Rep. Chris Cannon has a reputation as a wonkish legislator working on the intricacies of intellectual property, technology and financial issues. But with only a few months left as a member of Congress, he plans to devote himself to something much more personal.
He wants to eradicate the rare cancer that claimed his oldest daughter's life.
Cannon plans to draft a bill that would create a multimillion-dollar prize for any researcher who finds a cure for three similar strains of sarcoma.
He discussed what he calls "the Rachel prize" during a wide-ranging interview last week where he also talked about his primary election defeat and his future plans. Normally bombastic and a tad scattered, Cannon turned serious and somber when the conversation turned to his daughter.
Rachel Cannon had clear cell sarcoma, which attacks the tendons and joints, mostly of young people. The disease went into remission for a few years, but returned and spread throughout her body as Cannon was seeking re-election in 2004. She died at the family home on Dec. 30, 2004 at the age of 25.
With the recurrence of his daughter's cancer, Cannon cut back on his congressional and campaign schedule to look for medical experts who could help. He found a group of Utah scientists who told him the disease originates when certain genes switch places, known as translocation. This creates a cell mutation marked by a certain protein that rapidly multiplies.
The researchers sequenced the protein found in Rachel's cancerous cells, believing they could create a vaccine that would target the abnormalities. If it worked, they could save 1,500 people a year who get the type of disease that killed Rachel and potentially 30,000 people who are diagnosed with the three sarcomas this bill would target, Cannon said.
Mark Rosenfeld, a molecular biologist who studies cancers in Utah, called sarcomas "one of the most evil of diseases" because it normally attacks young people and has a high death rate. But he is also optimistic that researchers could find potent therapies if they worked on the disease.
The research that began at Cannon's insistence didn't last that long.
"They just stopped when she passed away," Cannon said.
Since then, he has bandied about the idea of giving $5 million or more to any scientist who finished this work.
Now, he plans to try to fast-track the bill after his recent primary election loss to Jason Chaffetz. He has asked his friend, California Democratic Rep. Ann Eshoo, to cosponsor the bill and fight for its passage if they can get it done before he leaves office at the end of the year.
"This is sort of a friendship deal," said Cannon, who promised to call in as many political favors as he can. "I expect many, many people will jump on this bill quickly."
And if Cannon isn't able to get his bill through this year, a potential successor, Chaffetz, says he is supportive of the idea. Chaffetz's mom died of cancer and he says promoting research into cures is a noble cause.
The Rachel prize is one of three main legislative goals Cannon will focus on in the time he has left in office. He is also championing a bill that seeks to add transparency to the credit card fees that financial institutions charge merchants. The bipartisan bill recently received subcommittee approval and may pass the House before the end of the year, but is unlikely to become law soon.
Cannon also hopes to push through a bill that would give the president the ability to speed up the permit process for oil shale and tar sand mining in Utah and other Western states.
Each one of these items would be difficult to wrap up before he leaves office. Cannon gets to keep the title until January, but Congress is taking a month break in August and may only be in session until late September.
If he has to, Cannon promised to work on these three issues even after he leaves office. He won't become a lobbyist, saying "I would never take money." But he would use his status as a former congressman to access the House floor and talk to his former colleagues, many of whom have offered condolences on his 20-percentage point primary defeat.
Cannon, a six-term incumbent, repeatedly joked about his loss, even when the questions were on completely unrelated topics.
"There are two ways to look at this, either I'm out of touch with my constituents or I'm principled," he said, blaming the election on voters who wanted him to take a harder line on illegal immigration and people still upset at the 1990s demise of Geneva Steel.
Cannon decided he is principled. He also doesn't consider himself a politician.
"That's why it is not uncomfortable for me to be out of touch with my constituents," he said.
Still, he wouldn't rule out a return to elective office or Congress, saying it was "very possible" he would run again if the political landscape changes and he had a shot at rising into House leadership.
Until that time, Cannon will re-immerse himself in the business world, where he plans to take positions on the board of directors of small companies pushing technologies that would transform their industries. While he has yet to formally negotiate with any company, he said he has had initial conversations with eight groups that have developed innovative technologies in a variety of areas including mining. He envisions a role where he would use his business and political experience to help bring the technology to the market.
"I'm amazed at how many companies want me to do that," he said.