[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 47 (Monday, March 19, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3274-S3276]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
By Mr. REED (for himself and Mr. Coleman):
S. 911. A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to advance
medical research and treatments into pediatric cancers, ensure patients
and families have access to the current treatments and information
regarding pediatric cancers, establish a population-based national
childhood cancer database, and promote public awareness of pediatric
cancers; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Mr. REED. Mr. President, I rise today to join my colleague, Senator
Coleman, in introducing the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act.
This bipartisan legislation seeks to achieve several important goals
in our battle against childhood cancer. Specifically, it will expand
support for pediatric cancer research, foster the career development of
more pediatric oncologists, establish a population-based national
childhood database, and provide essential information and support to
help families dealing with this devastating disease. Childhood cancer
impacts thousands of children and their families each year. While we
have made great strides in treating cancer, we have made relatively
little progress in advancing our understanding of the most common forms
of pediatric cancer. This legislation will provide the focus and
resources to hopefully one day find a cure.
Each year, more than 12,500 children are diagnosed with cancer, and
more than 2,300 of them lose their courageous battle with the disease.
Pediatric cancer not only takes a toll on the child, it affects the
entire family--the parents, siblings, friends, and extended family all
suffer when a child has cancer. I have had the honor of meeting one
such family from Warwick, RI who has taken the pain and devastation of
losing their nine year old son to neuroblastoma, a very aggressive
childhood cancer, and turned their tragedy into a message of hope. The
Haight family is committed, in memory of their son Ben, to providing
education, advocacy, and support to other families going through a
similar struggle with pediatric cancer. I never had a chance to meet
Ben Haight but his mother Nancy has told me of his passion for life and
his tremendous sense of strength and courage. Ben fought every day
during his four and a half year battle with this disease and his tragic
story highlights the importance of this legislation.
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It is my hope that the bill we are introducing today will help to
step up our efforts with regard to childhood cancer so that one day
Ben's story, and thousands of other children like him, will be one of
survival. In Rhode Island alone, about eight children each year succumb
to various forms of childhood cancer. Each of these children had hopes,
dreams, and desires that will never be fulfilled and one cannot
quantify the impact each of these children could have had on their
communities and on society as a whole. We need to be doing more to give
these children a chance to grow up and reach their full potential. It
is expected that by 2010 one out of 350 adults will be a survivor of
childhood cancer.
The Conquer Childhood Cancer Act will build the foundation necessary
to enhance federal efforts in the fight against childhood cancer and
will also complement the incredible work of the network of
organizations around the country dedicated to the prevention and cure
of pediatric cancer.
I look forward to working with my colleagues toward swift passage of
this important legislation.
I ask unanimous consent that the text of this legislation be printed
in the record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 911
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Conquer Childhood Cancer Act
of 2007''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Cancer kills more children than any other disease.
(2) Each year cancer kills more children between 1 and 20
years of age than asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, and
AIDS, combined.
(3) Every year, over 12,500 young people are diagnosed with
cancer.
(4) Each year about 2,300 children and teenagers die from
cancer.
(5) One in every 330 Americans develops cancer before age
20.
(6) Some forms of childhood cancer have proven to be so
resistant that even in spite of the great research strides
made, most of those children die. Up to 75 percent of the
children with cancer can now be cured.
(7) The causes of most childhood cancers are not yet known.
(8) Childhood cancers are mostly those of the white blood
cells (leukemias), brain, bone, the lymphatic system, and
tumors of the muscles, kidneys, and nervous system. Each of
these behaves differently, but all are characterized by an
uncontrolled proliferation of abnormal cells.
(9) Eighty percent of the children who are diagnosed with
cancer have disease which has already spread to distant sites
in the body.
(10) Ninety percent of children with a form of pediatric
cancer are treated at one of the more than 200 Children's
Oncology Group member institutions throughout the United
States.
SEC. 3. PURPOSES.
It is the purpose of this Act to authorize appropriations
to--
(1) encourage and expand the support for biomedical
research programs of the existing National Cancer Institute-
designated multicenter national infrastructure for pediatric
cancer research;
(2) establish a population-based national childhood cancer
database (the Children's Cancer Research Network) to evaluate
incidence trends of childhood cancers and to enable the
investigations of genetic epidemiology in order to identify
causes to aid in development of prevention strategies;
(3) provide informational services to patients and families
affected by childhood cancer;
(4) support the development, construction, and operation of
a comprehensive online public information system on childhood
cancers and services available to families; and
(5) establish a fellowship program in pediatric cancer
research to foster clinical and translational research career
development in pediatric oncologists in the early stages of
their career.
SEC. 4. PEDIATRIC CANCER RESEARCH AND AWARENESS.
Subpart 1 of part C of title IV of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 285 et seq.) is amended by adding at
the end the following:
``SEC. 417E. PEDIATRIC CANCER RESEARCH AND AWARENESS.
``(a) Pediatric Cancer Research.--
``(1) Special programs of research excellence in pediatric
cancers.--The Director of NIH, acting through the National
Cancer Institute, shall establish special programs of
research excellence in the area of pediatric cancers. Such
programs shall demonstrate a balanced approach to research
cause, prognosis, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of
pediatric cancers that foster translation of basic research
findings into innovative interventions applied to patients.
``(2) Fellowship of excellence in pediatric cancer
research.--The Secretary shall develop a grant mechanism for
the establishment, in cooperation with the National Cancer
Institute-supported pediatric cancer clinical trial groups,
of Research Fellowships in Pediatric Cancer to support
adequate numbers of pediatric focused clinical and
translational investigators thereby facilitating continuous
momentum of research excellence.
``(b) National Childhood Cancer Registry.--The Director of
NIH shall award a grant for the operation of a population-
based national childhood cancer database, the Childhood
Cancer Research Network (CCRN), of the Children's Oncology
Group, in cooperation with the National Cancer Institute.
``(c) Public Awareness of Pediatric Cancers and Available
Treatments and Research.--The Secretary shall award grants to
recognized childhood cancer professional and advocacy
organizations for the expansion and widespread implementation
of activities to raise public awareness of currently
available information, treatment, and research with the
intent to ensure access to best available therapies for
pediatric cancers.
``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section,
$30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012. Funds
appropriated under this section shall remain available until
expended.''.
______
By Mr. ROCKEFELLER (for himself, Mr. Harkin, and Mr. Kerry):
S. 912. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to expand
the incentives for the construction and renovation of public schools;
to the Committee on Finance.
Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, today I am reintroducing America's
Better Classroom Act, an essential initiative to respond to the
overwhelming needs for school construction and renovations. I welcome
the support of my colleagues, Senator Harkin, and Senator Kerry, who
have been strong leaders on school construction and education policy.
This bill is a wise investment in education and economic development;
it creates jobs while we build and renovate our schools.
The Department of Education reports that the average public school
building is 42 years old. In 1995, GAO estimated that we needed $112
billion for school construction and renovations of the three-quarters
of our schools that need funding to bring the buildings into good
overall condition. A more recent survey in 2001 in the Journal of
Education Finance indicates that the need is increasing, and the unmet
need for school infrastructure over the next decade is over $200
billion. My State of West Virginia will need as much as $2 billion for
school construction and renovations.
Combine these statistics with the fact that there is a proven
relation between the condition of school buildings and the performance
of students, and it is not difficult to see that the state of our
schools is entirely unacceptable. It is our responsibility to do all we
can to remedy this situation.
America's Better Classroom Act provides the financial tools to do
this. It will continue the Qualified Zone Academy Bonding (QZAB)
Program, which, in recent years, has provided $4.2 million for support
of school construction and renovations in disadvantaged communities.
This provision would provide $2.8 billion to continue and expand the
successful QZAB Program. Effective programs deserve continued support.
But the truth is that many school districts need help with school
construction and renovations, but cannot qualify for the QZAB program.
This is why the America's Better Classroom Act creates a $22 billion
Qualified School Bonding Program. Funding will be allocated to the
States based on the Title 1 formula so it is targeted, but the States
will have flexibility in allocating support among school districts.
When I visit schools in West Virginia, I am often stunned by the
aging buildings and compelling needs. In our fast-growing Eastern
Panhandle, new schools must be built or renovated to accommodate rapid
population growth. In other parts of the State, older school buildings
need renovations to be safe learning environments for our students. As
technology plays an increasingly important role in education,
classrooms need to be updated.
States and communities need the America's Better Classroom Act so
that we can make needed investments. School construction can play a
positive role in helping to stimulate our economy and create needed
jobs and is also an important investment in our children's education.
[[Page S3276]]
______
By Mr. CRAIG (for himself, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Crapo, and Mrs.
Murray):
S. 916. A bill to modify the boundary of the Minidoka Internment
National Monument, to establish the Minidoka National Historic Site, to
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain land and
improvements of the Gooding Division of the Minidoka Project, Idaho,
and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources.
Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I rise today with the support of my
colleague Senator Cantwell to introduce the Minidoka National Historic
Site Act of 2007. This act will modify the boundary of the Minidoka
Internment National Monument to establish the Minidoka National
Historic Site.
Adjacent to the Minidoka Internment National Monument is Herrmann
farm. Herrmann farm plays a historically significant role to the people
of Idaho and the United States. During World War II, the Herrmann farm
area was part of the Minidoka Relocation Center, one of the 10 city-
like camps where Americans of Japanese descent were interned.
Herrmann farm is also an excellent example of how relocation center
land was transformed after the war into small family farms suitable for
irrigation and farming. Many of these farms were allotted to World War
II veterans. These veteran settlers put forth the same stubborn
American spirit and ingenuity with which they helped to win the war, to
promote the farm area into a fruitful and prosperous agricultural
section.
Herrmann farm became one of a few Farm-In-A-Day sites within the
United States, where members of a community joined together in the
creation of a farm site within one day.
The Minidoka Internment National Monument area is also a notable
educational tool for residents of Idaho and the United States. Herrmann
farm is an excellent location to inform the public about the post-camp
homesteading era and agriculture in south-central Idaho as buildings,
features, and artifacts from both the relocation center and the Farm-
In-A-Day are present at the Minidoka site.
In addition to the historical and educational importance of Herrmann
farm, the Minidoka Internment National Site honors the hardships and
sacrifices of those Japanese Americans imprisoned during World War II.
Many of the Japanese American's who lived at this site are reaching
considerable age and want to see this area preserved for future
generations.
The site will incorporate the Nidoto Nai Yoni, ``Let it not happen
again'', memorial that commemorates those courageous Japanese Americans
of Bainbridge Island, WA, who were the first to be forcibly removed
from their homes and relocated to internment camps during World War II.
I ask the Senate to move swiftly on this bill, so the remaining few
Japanese Americans who are still alive today can revisit this site that
holds such meaningful memories. It is with pleasure and the support of
the Senator from Washington, that I introduce this act which preserves
areas of historical and educational importance for the people of Idaho,
Washington and the United States.
____________________