[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 189 (Tuesday, December 11, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H15248-H15249]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       SPECIAL POSTAGE STAMP FOR BREAST CANCER RESEARCH EXTENSION

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the Senate bill (S. 597) to extend the special postage stamp for 
breast cancer research for 4 years, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the Senate bill.
  The text of the Senate bill is as follows:

                                 S. 597

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY.

       Section 414(h) of title 39, United States Code, is amended 
     by striking ``2007'' and inserting ``2011''.

     SEC. 2. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.

       The National Institutes of Health and the Department of 
     Defense shall each submit to Congress and the Government 
     Accountability Office an annual report concerning the use of 
     any amounts that it received under section 414(c) of title 
     39, United States Code, including a description of any 
     significant advances or accomplishments, during the year 
     covered by the report, that were funded, in whole or in part, 
     with such amounts.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Davis) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa) will 
each control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.


                             General Leave

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, now it is my pleasure to yield 
such time as he might consume to the author of this legislation, 
Representative Clay from Missouri.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Illinois 
(Mr. Davis) for yielding the time and for his leadership on the 
subcommittee with this piece of legislation.
  S. 597, as amended, ensures greater accountability by requiring that 
the NIH and DOD issue annual reports to Congress detailing how proceeds 
from the breast cancer research stamp are allocated. In addition, the 
bill extends reauthorization of the breast cancer research stamp until 
2011.
  I am grateful to Senator Feinstein for agreeing to this change. Now 
the Senate version of the breast cancer semipostal will be identical to 
the measure I sponsored, H.R. 1236, which was unanimously passed by the 
House on October 30, 2007.
  Unlike many programs that are not reauthorized timely but continue to 
operate, the breast cancer research stamp must be reauthorized or the 
U.S. Postal Service will discontinue selling the stamp. In fact, the 
Postal Service was forced to take this stamp off sale for 26 days in 
2004 because the Senate did not act in time.
  Amid constituent concerns of stamp sales being halted, I contacted 
the Postmaster General of the U.S. Postal Service to ensure that sales 
would continue. I was assured that the stamp would not be removed from 
shelves; however, the Senate must pass this bill by December 31.
  Mr. Speaker, let me again thank all of the breast cancer 
organizations, the Postal Service, and my colleagues in the House and 
Senate for their support.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting swift passage of S. 
597, as amended.
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I join happily with the gentleman from 
Missouri and my own home State Senator, Senator Feinstein, in urging 
immediate passage of this renewal.
  This extension is not only critical, but it comes at a time when 
those of us on this House floor are still remembering the recent loss 
of Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis. Yes, in fact, today could be considered 
to be Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis' Breast Cancer Awareness Day because 
it's not just the statistic of 180,000 people, mostly women, getting 
breast cancer or 40,000 dying, it's a friend and a colleague who fought 
valiantly through not only this Congress but the previous Congress, and 
almost, but did not, win against this dreaded disease.
  Breast Cancer Awareness stamps are not about the $54 million raised, 
although that goes a long way towards adding to the research pool. It's 
about the countless millions of people who receive a stamp that sends a 
message that reminds them to get that available mammogram, to, in fact, 
do a self-test, to be aware of lumps, to be aware of the possibility of 
this terrible and invasive disease taking the life of their wife, their 
daughter, their mother. So, I join again in urging passage of this.
  And I might take a personal liberty that you don't often see on the 
House floor. My opponent in my last race and, God willing, my opponent 
in this race, Jeeni Criscenzo, is presently fighting cancer. I saw her 
yesterday in California dealing with the effects of chemo. Her 
detection was relatively early; she has a good chance. But it's things 
like this that the House does that sometimes gets criticized as not 
substantial legislation that hopefully will save women like my opponent 
and friend, Jeeni Criscenzo, from the kind of terrible tragedy that 
befell Jo Ann Davis and so many other women last year.
  With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I certainly join with my colleague from California in 
extolling the legacy of Representative Jo Ann Davis, who served with us 
on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
  Mr. Speaker, S. 597, as amended, now mirrors the House version of the 
Breast Cancer Semipostal measure which was unanimously passed by this 
body on October 30, 2007.
  The House version, H.R. 1236, which was sponsored by representative 
William Lacy Clay, reauthorizes the sale of the breast cancer stamp for 
an additional 4 years from 2007 to 2011. The bill

[[Page H15249]]

also follows up on the Government Accountability Office's 
recommendations that the relevant agencies report the use of monies 
received from the sale of the stamp, including a description of any 
significant advances on accomplishments that were funded by the sale.
  As a member of the Oversight Committee Subcommittee on Federal 
Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia, Representative 
Clay is to be commended for his diligence and patience for working with 
all parties and securing an acceptable compromise on the sale of the 
breast cancer stamp.
  I note proudly that the United States Postal Service has sold over 
785.6 million breast cancer research stamps from which $54.626 million 
has been transferred to the National Institutes of Health and the 
Department of Defense for breast cancer research and awareness.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the public for buying the breast cancer 
semipostal stamp and the numerous organizations for lending their 
strong support for its continuation. With your help, I am confident 
that we will find a cure.
  I urge swift passage of this bill, and again commend the 
representative from Missouri, our colleague, Representative Clay, for 
his introduction.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 597, to reauthorize 
the Postage Stamp for Breast Cancer. Breast cancer is the second 
leading cause of cancer death among women and the leading cause of 
cancer death among women under the age of 40. Research is key to 
improving breast cancer prevention, detection and treatment. In the 9 
years the stamp has been sold, it's raised more than $40 million to 
fund breast cancer research around the country. In those nine years, 
great strides have been made, but we can do more and that's why we 
should support the extension of the breast cancer stamp.
  In addition to this important legislation, we need to do more to 
prevent breast cancer deaths in women under the age of 40. 
Approximately 11,000 women under the age of 40 will be diagnosed with 
breast cancer this year, of which nearly 1 ,300 will die. However, most 
research, education, and prevention efforts are focused upon women over 
the age of 45. That's why I introduced the Annie Fox Act, H.R. 715, 
named after a young woman in my district who was diagnosed with breast 
cancer and died at the age of35. This bill will authorize research into 
the causes of breast cancer in younger women and educate them about the 
risks of breast cancer.
  It is important that we not only continue to fund research and 
education over the ages of 45, but that we also do so for our younger 
women so that they may live long, healthy lives. I applaud the passage 
of this important legislation and look forward to working with my 
colleagues to pass H.R. 715, the Annie Fox Act.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 597, 
which would reauthorize the highly successful special postage stamp 
that supports breast cancer research.
  Breast cancer affects virtually every American family. Most of us 
have lost a family member--grandmothers, mothers, aunts, sisters, and 
daughters--to breast cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates 
178,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed this year with 
breast cancer. They estimate 40,000 women will die from the disease. 
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, accounting for 
more than one in four cancers diagnosed in women.
  We must do everything we can to understand the causes of breast 
cancer so we can effectively prevent and treat it. Since its inception, 
the breast cancer research stamp has raised $53 million for life-saving 
research. Proceeds from the sale of the stamps fund research at the 
National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense. By 
reauthorizing the breast cancer research stamp, we would ensure that 
this funding source for breast cancer research continues.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan 
legislation.
  Mr. DAIVS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. 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 Illinois (Mr. Davis) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the Senate bill, S. 597, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the Senate bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title was amended so as to read: ``A Bill to amend title 39, 
United States Code, to extend the authority of the United States Postal 
Service to issue a semipostal to raise funds for breast cancer 
research.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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