[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 24 (Tuesday, March 8, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 8, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                                MENTORS

  Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, I rise first today to pay tribute to 
our majority leader. I, like many of my colleagues, was stunned by his 
retirement announcement last Friday. His leadership in the Senate has 
been a source of pride for this body. When I arrived a little over a 
year ago, I was not sure what my reception would be. Senator Mitchell 
quickly dispelled many of the myths that I had heard about the good old 
boys in the Senate. He treated everyone with dignity and respect. He 
provided opportunities for us as newcomers to grow and learn and be a 
part of the decisionmaking process.
  Under his leadership, the Senate last year passed history-making 
legislation from the Family and Medical Leave Act and the budget 
deficit reduction package to the National Community Service Act and the 
Brady bill.
  Senator Mitchell's courage and determination are nationally 
recognized, but I also want to thank Senator Mitchell personally for 
his willingness to be a coach and a mentor to me in my freshman years 
in the Senate. Senator Mitchell, you have made me believe that this 
body can work for the good of all people. On behalf of thousands of 
families in my State, I thank you for your willingness to make a 
difference for our children, our families, and our communities. We will 
miss your leadership.
  I would also like to thank you for assembling the best staff on the 
Hill. They are wonderful to work with and deserve our sincere 
appreciation.
  But, Senator Mitchell, I also want you to know I stand ready with you 
to fight the many battles that are yet to come this session, from 
health care to the budget. There is much to be done, and I look forward 
to working hard with you on these issues in your last year of tenure in 
the Senate.
  Madam President, I want to talk about another mentor of mine, a long-
time friend, a man who got me into politics and taught me the ropes 
many years ago: Former Washington State Senator Donn Charnley. Donn and 
his wife, Melinda Denton, were there to encourage me throughout the 
years, from running for the school board, to the State legislature, to 
the U.S. Senate. Donn and Melinda encouraged me, helped me and were 
always there for me.
  Melinda was chair of the botany department at the University of 
Washington. She knew what it was like to be a woman pioneer in a man's 
field and a mother. We shared many stories.
  Melinda was devoted to her work. She visited me here in Washington, 
DC, last summer to urge me to make sure we passed strong environmental 
legislation. She was worried because of the loss of so many plants in 
our country and around the world. As a botanist, she knew the value of 
plants for medical research, agricultural production, and many other 
purposes. Melinda was forever traveling and gathering plants to 
preserve and catalog them before, as she said, it was too late.
  When Melinda visited me last summer, she complained of being tired. 
We joked about jet lag and the summer heat in this Washington. A few 
weeks later, Melinda went in for a checkup and was shocked to find out 
she had an ovarian tumor. She underwent surgery. Over the Christmas 
holidays, I visited with Donn and Melinda and was glad to hear they had 
gone on their usual skiing trip and were doing well.
  But a few short weeks later, I got a call. Melinda was back in the 
hospital for more tests, chemotherapy, taxol treatments, and more 
surgery. A week ago, I talked to Melinda and she told me the fight was 
over. Early this Saturday morning, Melinda died.
  The shock of her death holds me hostage. How could a vibrant woman in 
her forties, a mother, close to my own age, be gone so swiftly? Ovarian 
cancer: What is it? What causes it? How many women, like my friend 
Melinda, have died?
  I immediately called to get statistics and answers to my questions. 
Shocks again. We really do not know much about ovarian cancer. The 
National Cancer Institute says for those under the age of 65, death 
rates for certain cancers have fallen substantially. But some 
researchers say there is no good screening tool for ovarian cancer. 
Consequently, the cancer is found in advanced stages and is difficult 
to treat.
  Dr. Fred Appelbaum at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle 
told me that in 1993, 17,000 new cases of ovarian cancer were diagnosed 
and 12,000 women died. Two out of three women diagnosed with ovarian 
cancer will die. This is the opposite of those women diagnosed with 
breast cancer today. Over a lifetime, every woman has a 1 out of 50 to 
1 out of 100 chance of developing ovarian cancer.
  I believe I speak today for many women my age who are confused by the 
word on the street about diseases affecting women. One year we are told 
to have a mammogram every year, and we faithfully comply. Next we are 
told to have a mammogram every 5 years. Then we are told, well, maybe 
mammograms really are not as reliable as we thought. We go in 
faithfully for our Pap smears, but does early detection really work? Is 
taking tests the only thing we can do? When ovarian cancer is found, 
often there is very little that can be done.
  The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center is getting close to identifying a 
gene that gives women a higher risk of developing ovarian and breast 
cancer. We need to support that kind of research. If we can discover 
that gene, then those women with that gene can regularly be screened.
  Are more women dying of breast cancer today than when my mother was 
my age? It seems so, but the statistics in research are difficult to 
find. Is it caused by environment? Is it caused by food, medication? 
There are far more questions than answers.
  The only solution, in my mind, is research. As we work on health care 
reform and the budget for the remainder of this year, we must make sure 
that women's health care concerns are not forgotten or swept under the 
rug. I assure all of my colleagues, I will be watching and working to 
make sure that this does not happen.
  This is a very personal issue for me. Melinda left behind my friend 
Donn and an 8-year-old son. But Melinda's story is not unique. My 
colleague from the Highline School Board, Mary Louise Cline, 48 years 
old, died last week as well. The names are endless: My aunt Mary; my 
friend Kennie's sister, Carol Tyler; my friend Kate's mother, Ruth 
Cudlipp. It is too late for Melinda and the many others, but it is not 
too late for my daughter.
  I urge my colleagues to help me fund research and education for 
women's health care issues and to include strong language in the health 
care reform bill to address the needs of millions of women. It is the 
very least we can do.

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