[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 177 (Thursday, November 15, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S14478]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            BREAST CANCER RESEARCH STAMP REAUTHORIZATION ACT

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today to thank all of my 
colleagues for their support in extending the highly successful breast 
cancer research stamp for 4 additional years.
  This bill has the strong bipartisan support of Senator Hutchison and 
61 other Senators from both sides of the aisle.
  Without congressional action, this extraordinary stamp is set to 
expire on December 31 of this year, and it deserves to be extended.
  This legislation would: Permit the sale of the breast cancer research 
stamp for 4 more years--until December 31, 2011; allow the stamp to 
continue to have a surcharge above the value of a first-class stamp 
with the surplus revenues going to breast cancer research programs at 
the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense, and 
not affect any other semipostal proposals under consideration by the 
U.S. Postal Service.
  A recent report by the Government Accountability Office, GAO, 
released just last month, confirms that the breast cancer research 
stamp continues to be an effective fundraiser in the effort to increase 
funds to fight the disease.
  Since the stamp first went on sale 9 years ago, over 790 million 
breast cancer research stamps have been sold by the U.S. Postal 
Service--raising $57.8 million for breast cancer research.
  These dollars have led to significant advances in the treatment of 
breast cancer through research at the National Institutes of Health, 
NIH, which receives 70 percent of the stamp's proceeds, and at the 
Department of Defense, DOD, which receives the remaining 30 percent of 
the proceeds.
  For example, the GAO reported that: In 2006, NIH began to use the 
stamp's proceeds for a new program called the Trial Assigning 
Individualized Options for Treatment to help determine which breast 
cancer patients are most likely to benefit from chemotherapy. Dr. Susan 
Neuhausen at the University of California used an NIH award that has 
led to many insights into breast cancer risks--using both genetic and 
environmental data to further define the breast and ovarian cancer risk 
for individuals with a specific genetic mutation. Dr. Archbald Perkins 
at Yale University used a Department of Defense award to do research to 
help with the prognosis of some breast cancers by using new techniques 
to identify novel genes involved in cancer.
  In addition to raising much needed funds for breast cancer research, 
this wonderful stamp has also focused public awareness on this 
devastating disease, and it is just as necessary today as ever.
  About 3 million women in the United States are living with breast 
cancer, 1 million of whom have yet to be diagnosed. This year alone, 
about 178,480 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed among 
American women. And one out of every 8 women nationwide will get breast 
cancer in her lifetime, with the disease claiming another woman's life 
every 13 minutes.
  Extending the life of this remarkable stamp is crucial. With the sale 
of the breast cancer research stamp, every dollar we continue to raise 
will provide hope to breast cancer survivors and will help save lives 
until a cure is found.
  Again, I thank my colleagues for supporting this important 
legislation.

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