[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 140 (Thursday, October 9, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H8812-H8813]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       BREAST CANCER LEGISLATION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from North Carolina [Mr. McIntyre] is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, today I wish to address an issue of 
extreme importance to all women in American society, breast cancer. As 
the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women, breast cancer is the 
second leading cause of cancer deaths among American women. The impact 
of this disease cannot be overstated. This year alone over 180,000 
women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 43,000 will die from it.
  In a nationwide attempt to raise awareness about this problem, this 
deadly disease, the month of October has been designated as Breast 
Cancer Awareness Month. And October 17, next week, has been named 
National Mammography Day in an effort to encourage women to get 
mammograms and to make sure that they are joined in the fight against 
this deadly disease.

                              {time}  1845

  I am joining many of my colleagues in the House, both here in 
Washington and other concerned citizens back home in southeastern North 
Carolina, in making sure that National Breast Cancer Awareness Month 
and National Mammography Day are used as an opportunity to push for the 
consideration of two bills that have been pending for too long here in 
this Congress. It is time for these bills to come out of committee, it 
is time for this Congress to take a stand in fighting a deadly disease 
that day in and day out is taking the lives of too many women, young, 
middle aged and old, in our society.
  The Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act would end the practice of 
drive-through mastectomies, and the Reconstructive Breast Surgery 
Benefits Act would require health insurance companies to provide 
coverage for reconstructive breast surgery resulting from mastectomies.
  Finding a cure for breast cancer is essential, but until it arrives 
we must address the vital importance of early detection, treatment and 
recovery from this deadly killer. It is time to take action, it is time 
to stop the talk and to get on with the walk to walk toward a recovery 
of this dreaded disease and do all that we can to get these bills out 
of committee and on this floor and voted on so that our women in this 
Nation can receive the help they need against this deadly killer. We 
can and should demand no less.

[[Page H8813]]



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