[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 124 (Thursday, September 28, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1856-E1857]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH REFORM ACT OF 2006

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                               speech of

                         HON. MARTIN T. MEEHAN

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 26, 2006

  Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge this Congress to 
redouble its efforts in the fight against cancer.
  Over 33,000 people in my home state of Massachusetts will be 
diagnosed with some form of cancer this year.
  I recently met with a number of constituents about the importance of 
increased funding for cancer research. One of my constituents, Judith 
Hurley, shared her cancer story with me. After extreme weight loss and 
extensive testing, Judith was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast 
cancer, which had spread to her bones. Judith endured a variety of 
treatments, and made one thing clear to her doctors: she was not 
through raising her children.
  Mr. Speaker, I am happy to report that in July, Judith became a 5-
year cancer survivor.
  Another one of my constituents, Sue Tereshko is a two-time breast 
cancer survivor.
  Mr. Speaker, constituents like Judith and Sue are the beneficiaries 
of advances in cancer treatment.
  Congress must do more to fund cancer research and treatment programs.
  First, we should pass the National Institutes of Health Reform Act of 
2006, which authorizes a 5% increase in funding for the National 
Institutes of Health (NIH). Congress must also appropriate a 5% 
increase for the NIH in the

[[Page E1857]]

FY 2007 Labor-HHS Appropriations bill. A 5% increase over last year's 
levels would give an additional $240 million to the National Cancer 
Institute alone. This funding would allow the Institute to further fund 
the basic research necessary to determine the root causes of cancer and 
improve care.
  However, a 5% increase in NIH funding will only maintain pace with 
rising costs and inflation. It is essentially flat-funding for the NIH. 
Therefore, I challenge this House to support a 5% increase in NIH 
funding in addition to any increase to cover the cost of inflation, 
which Democrats have previously proposed.
  Second, Congress should pass the Breast Cancer and Environmental 
Research Act and the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act.
  Next week will begin National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. While 
important advances have been made, we still do not know what causes 
this disease, or how to prevent it.
  Breast cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer death among 
women. The American Cancer Society estimates that a woman in the United 
States has a 1 in 7 chance of developing invasive breast cancer during 
her lifetime--this risk was 1 in 11 in 1975.
  Congress has failed to act on the Breast Cancer and Environmental 
Research Act, a bill with the overwhelming bipartisan support of 255 
members. The Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act will further 
our understanding of the impact that environmental factors have on 
breast cancer. For the 3 million women living with breast cancer and 
their families, we should pass this important legislation.
  Congress should also pass the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act.
  My constituent Donna Carbone was lucky to have her surgeon override a 
hospital's decision to send her home less than 24 hours after her 
mastectomy in 1998. We must ensure that Donna's experience is no longer 
the exception to the rule, but instead becomes the standard quality of 
care.
  The Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act, which has the bipartisan 
support of 180 members, would prohibit an insurer from limiting 
impatient care following a mastectomy to less than 48 hours.
  On the eve of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, let's recommit ourselves 
to finding the root causes of breast cancer and improving patient care. 
Let's not offer just false hope, let us fight a real war on cancer by 
investing in the tools necessary to eradicate this disease.

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