[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.

[[Page S3275]]

  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.

                          ____________________