[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 55 (Thursday, March 29, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4224-S4225]
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. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now 
proceed to H.R. 1132.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A 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.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I rise today to applaud the passage of 
H.R. 1132, the Breast and Cervical Cancer Reauthorization Act of 2007, 
a program that the Senator from Texas, Mrs. Hutchison, and I have 
worked closely to reauthorize. H.R. 1132, like our companion bill S. 
624, reauthorizes the successful Breast and Cervical Cancer Early 
Detection Program. The legislation authorizes increased funding for 
this program to $275 million over 5 years and provides States with 
greater flexibility to reach priority, hard to reach populations 
including women living in rural areas and racial and ethnic minorities.
  Senator Hutchison and I would like to clarify with the chairman and 
ranking member the intent of the new waiver demonstration project. The 
legislation authorizes the establishment of a waiver demonstration 
project that will allow States to leverage nonFederal funds for breast 
and cervical cancer screening and follow-up services, reduce barriers 
to screening, and increase the number of women served. Non-Federal 
funds for breast and cervical cancer services/activities are available 
in some States through State or local government sources and private 
sources. Leveraging these non-Federal funds will augment limited 
available Federal funding and thus enable the efficient and effective 
utilization of resources to provide education and outreach to screen 
more women. It is Congress's intent that the Secretary, acting through 
the Director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, will 
administer the described demonstration project as part of its overall 
management of the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Program.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I thank my good friend from Maryland 
for her support and partnership in reauthorizing this very important 
piece of legislation, and I appreciate the assistance we received from 
Chairman Kennedy and Ranking Member Enzi, as well as the administration 
and our House colleagues. Early detection of breast and cervical 
cancers saves lives

[[Page S4225]]

and is essential to our fight against these devastating diseases. The 
national early detection program has given millions of disadvantaged 
women access to vitally important cancer screenings, and I am proud of 
our commitment to continuing the Federal investment in these services. 
I hope that the new waiver demonstration project will provide the small 
number of States seeking to fully leverage private contributions the 
ability to capitalize on those fund expand access and services to even 
more women. I also look forward to the information CDC gathers in its 
report to help guide us in ensuring we provide the most screenings for 
our Federal investment. I thank my colleagues for working with us to 
expand this important program in our fight to reduce the number of 
cancer deaths in the United States.
  Mr. KENNEDY. I commend Senators Mikulski and Hutchison for their 
leadership on this issue and thank Senator Enzi for his hard work to 
get this bill through the Senate. I agree with Senator Mikulski that it 
is the intent of Congress that the Secretary, acting through the 
Director, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, will administer 
the described demonstration project as part of its overall management 
of the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Program.
  Mr. ENZI. I want to thank all of the key members--Senator Hutchison, 
Senator Mikulski, Senator Kennedy and others for their ongoing work and 
dedication to this program. I am glad that we have been able to 
complete our work today and send this bill to the Presiaent. I also 
agree that it is our intent that the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention administer the new waiver authority which is added to the 
National Breast and Cervical Cancer Program as part of this 
reauthorization process. The waiver authority is integral to the 
overall program implementation. As such, it should remain within the 
purview of the CDC.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be 
read three times, passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the 
table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the 
Record, with no intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (H.R. 1132) was ordered to a third reading, was read the 
third time, and passed.

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