[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 79 (Monday, May 14, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1037]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO MOTHER'S DAY

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                        HON. PATRICK J. KENNEDY

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 14, 2007

  Mr. KENNEDY. Madam Speaker, yesterday, mothers from across the Nation 
were besieged with flowers, candy, homemade cards, and gifts in 
celebration of Mother's Day. As we all take a moment to honor the women 
in our lives, it is important for Congress to do the same. For the past 
several years, the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act has 
been stalled in the Congress. This critical legislation would authorize 
a research program at the National Institutes of Health to study the 
potential links between breast cancer and the environment. It would 
also include consumer advocates in the peer review and programmatic 
review process. While it is generally believed that the environment 
plays some role in the development of breast cancer, the extent of that 
role remains a mystery. Less than 30 percent of breast cancers are 
explained by known risk factors, which means that up to 70 percent of 
those who suffer are still searching for answers.
  As with other cancers, if we know what causes it, we can do so much 
more to prevent it from ever occurring. On this Mother's Day, let's 
pass the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act for our moms, for 
our daughters and future moms-to-be, and for everyone who has ever been 
touched by a loved one with breast cancer. It is time to celebrate the 
women in our lives with more than pink flowers and pajamas; it is time 
to celebrate them with the honor and commitment to medical research 
that will soon save their lives.

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