[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 59 (Tuesday, May 12, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S4682]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        THE BREAST CANCER STAMP

  Mr. FAIRCLOTH. Mr. President, I would like to ask everyone to take a 
moment to look at the most important stamp ever issued in our history, 
and that is the one we have the painting of here on the easel. I joined 
the U.S. Postal Service in unveiling this stamp in Chapel Hill, NC, 
yesterday, the day after Mother's Day, as my colleague, Senator 
Feinstein, did the day before in Los Angeles, CA.
  For the first time in U.S. history, the public will be able to play a 
more direct role in funding medical research and setting research 
priorities because of this stamp.
  This may look like a regular first-class postage stamp, but it is 
not. It is a semi-postal stamp, the first of its kind ever issued in 
this country. It took an Act of Congress to create it, and we did just 
that. It was done to raise money for breast cancer research.
  Incidentally, the United States is the only Nation around the world 
that has not issued semi-postal stamps before, but this stamp is 
different because part of the proceeds of this stamp will go directly 
to the NIH and the Department of Defense to pay for breast cancer 
research.
  My colleague from California, Dianne Feinstein, introduced this 
legislation here in the Senate as Congressman Vic Fazio did in the 
House of Representatives. While popular, the bill needed a vehicle to 
get it passed. I decided that if the Post Office could sell a Bugs 
Bunny stamp, they could sell a stamp to raise money for breast cancer 
research. I was able to add the proposal to an appropriations bill, 
and, along with the support of the majority of my colleagues here in 
the Senate and the House, the stamp now is born and in existence.
  The Postal Service was not excited about doing this stamp, and they 
were concerned that other groups sponsoring other diseases would be 
pushing for a similar stamp. I find no problem with that. I just 
cosponsored a bill introduced by Senator Snowe and Senator Burns that 
would create a semi-postal stamp to raise money for prostate cancer 
research. I think this is a great way to let the public play a much 
larger role in helping fund medical research, and the effort should be 
encouraged. In fact, the Postal Service Board of Governors met today 
and selected an old friend and fellow North Carolinian, Bill Henderson, 
to serve as the next Postmaster General. Let me be the first to 
congratulate an old friend.
  I have asked each member of the Postal Service Board to contribute an 
additional amount to this effort by turning over what would normally be 
collected for administrative costs to the cancer research fund. In 
other words, all of the gross money would go to cancer research. This 
is especially important in light of the fact that the Postal Rate 
Commission has just recommended that we raise the price of a first-
class stamp by 1 cent.
  If only 20 percent of first-class stamp buyers decide to buy this 
postal stamp--only 20 percent, one-fifth--we will raise $120 million 
annually. That is the same amount of funding increase we fought for in 
last year's budget for the National Cancer Institute. The stamp will be 
sold for 40 cents when it goes on sale in August. The difference in 
price from 32 cents or 33 cents required to send a first-class letter, 
either the 7 cents or 8 cents, will go directly to the NIH and the 
Department of Defense for their breast cancer research studies.
  If I could turn this into a ``Home Shopping Channel'' for a moment 
and address all the folks who may be watching: Please, I ask that they 
themselves buy and urge their friends to buy the stamp when it goes on 
sale this August. It is a wonderful gift, and when so giving it, when 
you make a gift, No. 1, you are sure the gift will be used, and you 
encourage the recipients of the gift to in turn buy the stamp 
themselves after the gift supply has been exhausted.
  There may be some confusion because about a year ago the post office 
released a breast cancer awareness stamp. This was a nice gesture, but 
it provided no money. This stamp will raise money for all the women and 
families afflicted by this dread disease. Let's prove the post office 
wrong and make the sale of this stamp a record-setting event.
  I thank all my colleagues, and especially Senator Feinstein, for 
their help in making this semi-postal stamp a reality. I urge you to 
join with the Postal Service, corporate sponsors, and breast cancer 
groups to plan events to launch the sale of this stamp completely 
around the country and in all the States. It has to be a success.
  I thank the Chair, and I yield the remainder of my time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maine.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I suggested the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I ask to speak up to 3 minutes as in 
morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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