[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 155 (Thursday, October 30, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H10135]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS AND THEIR FAMILIES
(Mr. SCOTT of Georgia asked and was given permission to address the
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join with others
in expressing my support for breast cancer survivors and their families
as we recognize the month of October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
As the husband of a breast cancer survivor, my courageous wife,
Alfredia Scott, I join with countless others in honoring the courage of
other breast cancer patients as they fight to overcome this devastating
disease. We honor their families, as they stand with them, hurting just
as badly, as they watch over and support their loved ones through their
treatment. We honor the doctors, the nurses, and the health care
professionals who provide critical help for these patients.
Almost everyone in America has been touched by this disease, which
strikes one in nine women; and it is the second leading cause of death
for women. As many of my colleagues have already noted, our Nation will
lose 40,000 people this year. Almost 212,000 new cases will be
diagnosed.
{time} 1015
We, as legislators, have a responsibility. We must do whatever we can
to stop this disease.
As a Georgia State senator, I fought for funding for breast cancer
research, and I authored the law that gives breast cancer patients the
right to determine their length of stay in the hospital and the medical
treatment they receive rather than the insurance companies.
Our inspiration is great: breast cancer survivors who have won their
fight, and the friends and families of those women who did not. I urge
us to work harder and make sure that we bring a cure to this deadly
disease.
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