[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 53 (Tuesday, March 27, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H3153-H3157]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      NATIONAL BREAST AND CERVICAL CANCER EARLY DETECTION PROGRAM 
                      REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2007

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1132) to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide 
waivers relating to grants for preventive health measures with respect 
to breast and cervical cancers, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1132

       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 ``National Breast and Cervical 
     Cancer Early Detection Program Reauthorization Act of 2007''.

     SEC. 2. NATIONAL BREAST AND CERVICAL CANCER EARLY DETECTION 
                   PROGRAM.

       Title XV of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300k 
     et seq.) is amended--
       (1) in section 1501(d)--
       (A) in the heading, by striking ``2000'' and inserting 
     ``2020''; and
       (B) by striking ``by the year 2000'' and inserting ``by the 
     year 2020'';
       (2) in section 1503, by adding at the end the following:
       ``(d) Waiver of Services Requirement on Division of 
     Funds.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a 
     demonstration project under which the Secretary may waive the 
     requirements of paragraphs (1) and (4) of subsection (a) for 
     not more than 5 States, if--
       ``(A) the State involved will use the waiver to leverage 
     non-Federal funds to supplement each of the services or 
     activities described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 
     1501(a);
       ``(B) the application of such requirement would result in a 
     barrier to the enrollment of qualifying women;
       ``(C) the State involved--
       ``(i) demonstrates, to the satisfaction of the Secretary, 
     the manner in which the State will use such waiver to expand 
     the level of screening and follow-up services provided 
     immediately prior to the date on which the waiver is granted; 
     and
       ``(ii) provides assurances, satisfactory to the Secretary, 
     that the State will, on an annual basis, demonstrate, through 
     such documentation as the Secretary may require, that the 
     State has used such waiver as described in clause (i);
       ``(D) the State involved submits to the Secretary--
       ``(i) assurances, satisfactory to the Secretary, that the 
     State will maintain the average annual level of State fiscal 
     year expenditures for the services and activities described 
     in paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 1501(a) for the period 
     for which the waiver is granted, and for the period for which 
     any extension of such wavier is granted, at a level that is 
     not less than--

       ``(I) the level of the State fiscal year expenditures for 
     such services and activities for the fiscal year preceding 
     the first fiscal year for which the waiver is granted; or
       ``(II) at the option of the State and upon approval by the 
     Secretary, the average level of the State expenditures for 
     such services and activities for the 3-fiscal year period 
     preceding the first fiscal year for which the waiver is 
     granted; and

       ``(ii) a plan, satisfactory to the Secretary, for 
     maintaining the level of activities carried out under the 
     waiver after the expiration of the waiver and any extension 
     of such waiver;
       ``(E) the Secretary finds that granting such a waiver to a 
     State will increase the number of women in the State that 
     receive each of the services or activities described in 
     paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 1501(a), including making 
     available screening procedures for both breast and cervical 
     cancers; and
       ``(F) the Secretary finds that granting such a waiver to a 
     State will not adversely affect the quality of each of the 
     services or activities described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of 
     section 1501(a).

[[Page H3154]]

       ``(2) Duration of waiver.--
       ``(A) In general.--In granting waivers under paragraph (1), 
     the Secretary--
       ``(i) shall grant such waivers for a period that is not 
     less than 1 year but not more than 2 years; and
       ``(ii) upon request of a State, may extend a waiver for an 
     additional period that is not less than 1 year but not more 
     than 2 years in accordance with subparagraph (B).
       ``(B) Additional period.--The Secretary, upon the request 
     of a State that has received a waiver under paragraph (1), 
     shall, at the end of the waiver period described in 
     subparagraph (A)(i), review performance under the waiver and 
     may extend the waiver for an additional period if the 
     Secretary determines that--
       ``(i) without an extension of the waiver, there will be a 
     barrier to the enrollment of qualifying women;
       ``(ii) the State requesting such extended waiver will use 
     the waiver to leverage non-Federal funds to supplement the 
     services or activities described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of 
     section 1501(a);
       ``(iii) the waiver has increased, and will continue to 
     increase, the number of women in the State that receive the 
     services or activities described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of 
     section 1501(a);
       ``(iv) the waiver has not, and will not, result in lower 
     quality in the State of the services or activities described 
     in paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 1501(a); and
       ``(v) the State has maintained the average annual level of 
     State fiscal expenditures for the services and activities 
     described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 1501(a) for 
     the period for which the waiver was granted at a level that 
     is not less than--

       ``(I) the level of the State fiscal year expenditures for 
     such services and activities for the fiscal year preceding 
     the first fiscal year for which the waiver is granted; or
       ``(II) at the option of the State and upon approval by the 
     Secretary, the average level of the State expenditures for 
     such services and activities for the 3-fiscal year period 
     preceding the first fiscal year for which the waiver is 
     granted.

       ``(3) Reporting requirements.--The Secretary shall include 
     as part of the evaluations and reports required under section 
     1508, the following:
       ``(A) A description of the total amount of dollars 
     leveraged annually from Non-Federal entities in States 
     receiving a waiver under paragraph (1) and how these amounts 
     were used.
       ``(B) With respect to States receiving a waiver under 
     paragraph (1), a description of the percentage of the grant 
     that is expended on providing each of the services or 
     activities described in--
       ``(i) paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 1501(a); and
       ``(ii) paragraphs (3) through (6) of section 1501(a).
       ``(C) A description of the number of States receiving 
     waivers under paragraph (1) annually.
       ``(D) With respect to States receiving a waiver under 
     paragraph (1), a description of--
       ``(i) the number of women receiving services under 
     paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of section 1501(a) in programs 
     before and after the granting of such waiver; and
       ``(ii) the average annual level of State fiscal 
     expenditures for the services and activities described in 
     paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 1501(a) for the year 
     preceding the first year for which the waiver was granted.
       ``(4) Limitation.--Amounts to which a waiver applies under 
     this subsection shall not be used to increase the number of 
     salaried employees.
       ``(5) Definitions.--In this subsection:
       ``(A) Indian tribe.--The term `Indian tribe' has the 
     meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Health Care 
     Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603).
       ``(B) Tribal organization.--The term `tribal organization' 
     has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian 
     Health Care Improvement Act.
       ``(C) State.--The term `State' means each of the several 
     States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the 
     Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Commonwealth 
     of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall 
     Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of 
     Palau, an Indian tribe, and a tribal organization.
       ``(6) Sunset.--The Secretary may not grant a waiver or 
     extension under this subsection after September 30, 2012.'';
       (3) in section 1508--
       (A) in subsection (a), by striking ``evaluations of the 
     extent to which'' and all that follows through the period and 
     inserting: ``evaluations of--
       ``(1) the extent to which States carrying out such programs 
     are in compliance with section 1501(a)(2) and with section 
     1504(c); and
       ``(2) the extent to which each State receiving a grant 
     under this title is in compliance with section 1502, 
     including identification of--
       ``(A) the amount of the non-Federal contributions by the 
     State for the preceding fiscal year, disaggregated according 
     to the source of the contributions; and
       ``(B) the proportion of such amount of non-Federal 
     contributions relative to the amount of Federal funds 
     provided through the grant to the State for the preceding 
     fiscal year.''; and
       (B) in subsection (b), by striking ``not later than 1 year 
     after the date on which amounts are first appropriated 
     pursuant to section 1509(a), and annually thereafter'' and 
     inserting ``not later than 1 year after the date of the 
     enactment of the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early 
     Detection Program Reauthorization of 2007, and annually 
     thereafter''; and
       (4) in section 1510(a)--
       (A) by striking ``and'' after ``$150,000,000 for fiscal 
     year 1994,''; and
       (B) by inserting ``, $225,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, 
     $245,000,000 for fiscal year 2009, $250,000,000 for fiscal 
     year 2010, $255,000,000 for fiscal year 2011, and 
     $275,000,000 for fiscal year 2012'' before the period at the 
     end.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Pallone) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I have a request from the gentleman from 
New York (Mr. Towns) to go out of order, and I yield 2 minutes to Mr. 
Towns at this time.


        Congratulating New York High School Basketball Champions

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Pallone very much for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate East New York's Transit 
Technical High School boy's basketball team for winning the PSAL New 
York City Championship.
  The East New York Transit defeated Thomas Edison High School of 
Queens with a score of 52-46. This is only the second time in the 
school's history that the Transit boys' basketball team made it to the 
State playoff. The first time was in 1993 when the team still played in 
the ``B'' division.
  I would also like to congratulate the staff of New York Transit Tech 
and its principal, Larry Kalvar, and its basketball coach, Michael 
Perazzo.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that you please join me in honoring the boys' 
basketball team at East New York Transit Tech High School for its 
outstanding accomplishment.
  I also rise to congratulate Brooklyn's Thomas Jefferson High School 
girls' basketball team for winning the PSAL A-league championship. The 
girls at Jefferson defeated New Town High School championship team to 
win the title, finishing with an overall 17-1 record, making this the 
first girls' basketball team to represent the borough of Brooklyn in 
the State playoffs.
  My congratulations also goes out to the Jefferson High School 
principal, Michael Alexander, and the girls' basketball team coach, 
Calvin Young, for doing a marvelous job with the team. We need to 
recognize him as well.
  I ask that you all please join me in honoring the girls' basketball 
team at Brooklyn's Thomas Jefferson High School for this outstanding 
accomplishment.
  Sometimes we criticize our young people about not doing what we feel 
is right, but here is a situation where some young people have done a 
very positive thing, and I think we should pause to salute them for 
that.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Let me also add my congratulations to the girls' basketball team at 
Brooklyn Thomas Jefferson High School. That is quite an accomplishment.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight in support of H.R. 1132, the National 
Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. The National Breast 
and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program has had many proven 
successes in screening low-income, minority and uninsured women for 
little or no cost.
  The Centers for Disease Control estimates that between 8 and 11 
percent of women nationwide are eligible for participation in this 
program. Since its inception in 1991, the early detection program has 
served almost 3 million women, providing more than 6.9 million 
screening examinations, and has diagnosed almost 30,000 breast cancers, 
95,000 precursor cervical lesions, and 1,800 cervical cancers. There is 
a direct link between these statistical figures and the lives that have 
been saved.
  The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the American Cancer 
Society have been instrumental in promoting the successes of the early 
detection program.
  I would also like to commend the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. 
Baldwin) and the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Myrick), a 
breast cancer survivor herself, who have worked tirelessly in bringing 
this legislation to the floor of the House and eventually to the 
President's desk to be signed into law. I urge my colleagues' support 
of this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the sponsor of the 
bill, Ms. Baldwin.

[[Page H3155]]

  Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. Speaker, it is high time we reauthorize the National 
Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. This important 
program provides breast and cervical cancer screening to low-income, 
uninsured women who otherwise would have little or no access to such 
care. Early detection is a woman's most powerful weapon against breast 
or cervical cancer because early detection, followed by early treatment 
intervention, greatly increases a woman's odds of beating cancer; and 
we know that our vigilance is having results as this is the second 
straight year of declining cancer deaths.
  The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program is a 
Federal-State partnership that builds on the existing public health 
infrastructure and involves all sectors of the community in outreach 
and delivery of services.
  Established in 1991, the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early 
Detection Program provides low-income women who have limited or no 
health insurance with breast and cervical cancer screening, education, 
outreach, and case management services. Administered by the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention, the National Breast and Cervical Cancer 
Early Detection Program provides access to mammograms, pap tests, 
surgical consultations, and diagnostic testing. The program is 
operational in all 50 states, four U.S. territories, the District of 
Columbia, and 13 American Indian or Alaskan Native organizations. The 
National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program also works 
with nonprofit organizations that provide supplemental funding for 
screening, education, outreach, case management and treatment services.
  To date, the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection 
Program has provided nearly 6.5 million screenings to 2.7 million 
women, detecting almost 30,000 breast cancers, almost 90,000 
precancerous cervical lesions and 1,700 cervical cancers.
  This reauthorization will strengthen this important program by 
increasing the program's authorization level. At its current $205 
million funding level, it is estimated that the program only provides 
services to 20 percent of all eligible women in the United States. This 
additional authorization would enable the program to provide 147,000 
more screenings per year.
  In addition, it will assist rural communities and special populations 
by permitting a five-State demonstration program for States to receive 
a time-limited waiver of current regulatory requirements in order to 
provide greater emphasis on education and outreach, while ensuring that 
women continue to have access to life-saving screening services.
  I have been honored to work on this reauthorization, and I want to 
thank the American Cancer Society and the Susan G. Komen Foundation for 
their continued support of this critical program.
  In addition, I have been honored to work with my colleague, 
Congresswoman Sue Myrick, in advancing this important legislation. In 
the war against breast and cervical cancer, we know that screening and 
early detection saves lives. I am very proud and pleased that on this 
issue Republicans and Democrats are working together to support a life-
saving program. I urge all of my colleagues to support this 
reauthorization.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Myrick), the cosponsor of this 
legislation.
  Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I am really pleased to be able to speak on 
behalf of this bill tonight in reauthorizing the Nation's breast and 
cervical cancer screening program in all 50 States.
  Many women around the country work hard but are uninsured and don't 
qualify for Medicaid or other insurance assistance. This program helps 
to give them peace of mind when it comes to a disease that women often 
fear the most: Cancer.
  Many hardworking women would like to be responsible and get 
preventive screenings. But, as we all know, it is very expensive to do 
so without insurance. And it is even more expensive for all of us if 
these women go without screening and an undiagnosed cancer is allowed 
to progress.
  The early detection programs in our States and districts provide free 
and low-cost screenings, medical referrals, and education for women who 
may not otherwise have access to preventive tests. It is literally a 
lifesaver for women across the country, because breast cancer is still 
the most common cancer among women, and cervical cancer is very 
preventable. Thankfully, we continue to make strides against these 
diseases.
  Millions of women have been screened; and at CDC's last count, they 
state the program has detected almost 30,000 breast cancers and over 
1,700 cervical cancers.
  As a breast cancer survivor, I know how scary it is to hear those 
words, ``You have cancer.'' I can't even imagine what it would be like 
to be told, ``But I'm sorry, I can't help.''
  That is why a few years ago I introduced a bill that would allow 
State Medicaid programs to cover treatment costs for women who are 
screened through the program; and it passed the House with only one 
``no'' vote in May, 2000. And of course 50 States do cover the 
treatment cost as well.
  We all know prevention is the most cost-effective way to fight the 
war on cancer, and this screening program saves money by detecting 
those cancers early and steering women towards treatment options.
  It is also, unfortunately, estimated that less than 20 percent of the 
eligible women in the country are served by the program; and so the 
bill today provides for enhanced preventive efforts and includes a 
structured limited waiver demonstration project through the Department 
of Health and Human Services to improve flexibility.
  States that can prove that they can increase the number of women 
served may apply to use the higher percentage of their Federal funding 
for outreach, education, medical training and other services. So, 
hopefully, some of the most vulnerable women will be reached.
  States must meet a series of requirements in order to apply for the 
waiver to ensure that the Federal dollars are spent as efficiently as 
possible.
  Grantees across the country have effectively leveraged the private 
dollars with the Federal money they receive; and, as others have 
acknowledged, I am grateful, too, to Susan G. Komen and the American 
Cancer Society and other groups for their dedication to the screening 
program.
  I am glad that this bill is on the House floor today; and I would 
like to thank the bill's sponsor, Representative Tammy Baldwin, for her 
hard work on this legislation. I would also like to thank Chairman 
Dingell and Ranking Member Barton for their prompt consideration of 
this bill. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1132.

                              {time}  2015

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), a champion on this issue.
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the National Breast 
and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program and its reauthorization. I 
commend the congresswomen who have spoken tonight, Mrs. Myrick and Ms. 
Baldwin, for their dedication to this important program and for their 
work to ensure its continued success.
  Cancer is a disease that affects almost all Americans in one way or 
another. It is as indiscriminate a disease as you can find. It does not 
care about your age, your family, your sex, your race, your religion.
  It reminds us that we are human and we are vulnerable. But as every 
survivor knows, it brings out our resilience, our strength, and it 
makes us value and really savor every moment of our lives afterward, 
and I can say that as a survivor of ovarian cancer.
  It has also taught us just how critical early detection can be; and 
when detected at its earliest stages, the 5-year survival rate for 
breast cancer is nearly 98 percent. When detected at its earliest 
stages, the 5-year survival rate for cervical cancer is more than 92 
percent. However, many women have limited access to life-saving early 
cancer detection.
  So in 1990, Congress created a National Breast and Cervical Cancer 
Early Detection Program, and I was

[[Page H3156]]

proud to be part of that effort. It provides access to critical breast 
and cervical cancer screening services for underserved women in the 
United States, especially those at high risk for breast cancer, 
including minority women and women with a family history of breast 
cancer.
  Since its launch, the program has served more than 2.9 million women, 
and it has provided more than 6.9 million screening examinations and 
diagnosed more than 29,000 breast cancers; 94,000 precursor cervical 
lesions; and 1,800 cervical cancers. Any way you look at it, these 
numbers represent incredible success, and they translate into lives 
saved.
  We have made tremendous progress in the fight against cancer, but 
there is no doubt we have a long way still to go. Today, the National 
Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program reaches only 20 
percent of eligible women. We need to work together to make sure that 
all women can take advantage of the medical advances we have seen, so 
that everyone has a fighting chance of beating this disease.
  That is why this legislation is so important. It provides this 
critical and proven program with the resources for 147,000 more 
screenings per year. Through a five-State demonstration project it 
extends assistance to rural communities and special populations, 
providing an emphasis on education and on outreach, while ensuring that 
women continue to have access to life-saving screening services.
  Reauthorization is critical. We know that more challenges lie ahead, 
and so we must keep up the drumbeat. Outreach, education, screenings: 
these make early detection possible. They make beating cancer possible. 
They are powerful tools that give us real hope.
  We do a lot of things in this institution. We deal with roads, 
bridges, any number of parks. This is life and death.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton).
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding.
  I want to thank Sue Myrick who has worked on this for such a long 
time, along with the gentlewoman from Wisconsin for sponsoring this 
bill. It really is so important for people to be screened early.
  I do not think there is a family in the United States that has not 
been touched by some form of cancer; and if you catch it early, the 
life expectancy can be extended a great deal of time, and in many 
cases, it can be cured.
  We had a personal experience in my family. In fact, I lost my first 
wife to cancer, and I think in part it was because there was not early 
detection of that cancer. So one of the things that I think is most 
important is that women and men get screened for various forms of 
cancer. There is prostate cancer in men. There is cervical cancer for 
women. There is ovarian cancer. There is breast cancer. There needs to 
be early screening.
  That is one of the reasons why Darrell Issa and I cosponsored Jo-
Anna's Law to make doctors and patients aware of the signs of cervical 
cancer very, very early so that women can be saved from terminally 
being ill. It is so important that they learn about these things before 
they get out of hand.
  I cannot express enough and I think Sue will tell you this, I cannot 
express enough the pain that a family goes through when they find out 
that one of their loved ones is terminally ill and it could have been 
prevented if you had found out about it early enough. That is why I 
think this is such a great program.
  I am glad this reauthorization is taking place, and I thank Sue once 
again for working so hard on this. I want to thank the gentlewoman from 
Wisconsin for working so hard on this. I thank you for yielding the 
time, and I would just urge anybody who is paying attention to this 
discussion tonight, and a lot of people are not, get detection early. 
Get screened early. It will save your life. It will save your family a 
lot of heartache if you learn about these things before it is too late.
  I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Oregon (Ms. Hooley), a member of our Health Subcommittee.
  Ms. HOOLEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for 
yielding and for all the work that he has done on this. I also thank 
Ms. Baldwin and Mrs. Myrick for all of their hard work and their 
commitment to this.
  The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program is 
vital to help promote the well-being of low-income and uninsured women 
throughout the country. The 5.8 million screening examinations provided 
under the program have saved lives. More than 22,000 women were 
diagnosed with breast cancer and over 1,500 with cervical cancer 
through the program's screening.
  Early detection of breast and cervical cancer can mean the difference 
between life or death. For breast cancer, the 5-year survival rate is 
95 percent when caught early. Given what we know about the importance 
of early detection, I believe it is critical to provide this screening 
assistance to low-income or uninsured women.
  I am also pleased that this reauthorization gives more flexibility to 
rural communities as they try to use these funds. The situation is so 
different in rural communities. Their outreach has to be different, and 
the fact that this bill acknowledges that, I am very pleased about it.
  This is an important, life-saving measure. It needs all of our 
support, and I thank the gentleman for the time.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, the gentlewoman from Oregon is indeed 
correct: this is important, life-saving legislation. Early detection 
expands the treatment options available to women who are afflicted with 
this disease.
  With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I just wanted to mention, Mr. Speaker, that screening for, and early 
detection of, breast and cervical cancer reduces death rates and 
greatly improves cancer patients' survival. Sadly, there is a low rate 
of screening among women of certain racial and ethnic minorities and 
among under- or uninsured women, which creates disparities in health 
outcomes.
  Since 1991, this program has served more than 2.5 million women 
nationwide, provided more than 5.8 million screening examinations, and 
diagnosed more than 22,000 breast cancers, 76,000 precursor cervical 
lesions, and 1,500 cervical cancers.
  This bill reauthorizes a program vital to the health and well-being 
of women nationwide. I just want to thank again Representatives Baldwin 
and Myrick for their hard work on this legislation and urge my 
colleagues to support H.R. 1132.
  Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 1132.
  Today in our country, millions of families are faced with the 
agonizing emotional and financial stress caused by a loved one who has 
cancer. In fact, every year cancer claims the lives of hundreds of 
thousands of Americans, making it our country's second leading cause of 
death. The financial costs of cancer on our society are also enormous, 
and it has been estimated by the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention that, in 2006 alone, the cost of cancer was an astonishing 
$206 billion dollars. This Congress must do more to accelerate the pace 
of cancer research, and to help alleviate the immense suffering of so 
many of our citizens.
  This bill is a small step that could have a significant impact on the 
lives of many women across our country. Every year, too many women fail 
to receive crucial preventative screenings because they do not have the 
means to see a doctor. Along with a good knowledge of their family's 
medical history, these screenings are the best indicators by which many 
women can determine whether they are at risk for common cancers. By 
providing easy access to these screenings, this bill would allow women 
to determine whether they are at risk for cancer, allow them to detect 
any problems early, and prevent any cancer from spreading, if it has 
already developed.
  We already know that prevention is a key factor to stopping the 
spread of cancer. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to recognize this 
reality and support this legislation because it would provide a crucial 
tool by which many women across our country could take control over 
their health and prevent the spread of cancer.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 
1132, the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program 
Reauthorization Act of 2007. This legislation will further the work of 
this important program within the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC). The National

[[Page H3157]]

Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) is a 
federally-funded initiative that provides access to breast and cervical 
cancer early detection services to low-income and underserved women.
  Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death 
among American women. Sadly, one in every eight American women--an 
estimated 200,000 women this year alone--will be diagnosed with breast 
cancer according to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The 
American Cancer Society reports in ``Breast Cancer Facts and Figures 
2005-2006'' that 40,410 women lost their fights with breast cancer last 
year. In 2007, the American Cancer Society estimates that 11,150 cases 
of cervical cancer will be diagnosed and about 3,670 women will lose 
the battle with cervical cancer this year alone. More must be done to 
provide access to early detection programs that have the potential to 
greatly reduce these staggering numbers.
  The NBCCEDP provides breast examinations, mammograms, pap smears, and 
a number of other services to women who fall at or below 250 percent of 
the Federal poverty level. To date, this successful program has served 
nearly three million women and diagnosed more than 29,000 breast 
cancers and 1,800 cervical cancers. Access to early detection medical 
services is an important step in battling breast and cervical cancers.
  As the Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus' 
Health Task Force, I am acutely aware of the high rates of cancer 
infections present in the Asian and Pacific Islander American 
communities. For instance, breast cancer is also the leading cause of 
cancer death for Filipino-American women, and cervical cancer strikes 
Vietnamese American women five times more often than Caucasian women, 
according to the Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum. I am 
also all too aware of the disparities that exist for and the challenges 
that must be overcome by women from minority communities in order to 
gain access to screening and diagnostic services for breast and 
cervical cancer. The CDC reports that the number of new breast cancer 
diagnoses over the last ten years has remained stable or decreased 
significantly within ethnic groups other than Asian and Pacific 
Islander American. The prevalence of breast cancer diagnoses in the 
Asian and Pacific Islander American, however, has increased during the 
last 10 years.
  On Guam, we have a shortage of oncology-related services. There is no 
radiology treatment center on Guam. Our only oncologist recently left 
the island. Cancer early detection is an even higher priority for the 
people of Guam in light of the challenges we face each day toward 
gaining better access to cancer diagnosis for those who may be at risk, 
better treatment for those battling the disease, and better long-term 
care for those who are survivors.
  As someone who knows firsthand the impact that breast and cervical 
cancer can have on a family, I urge my colleagues to support this 
important legislation and ensure that we make early detection and 
diagnosis of breast and cervical cancer a national priority.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1132, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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