[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 83 (Thursday, June 4, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S6174]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            PRAISE OF DR. DOUGLAS LOWY AND DR. JOHN SCHILLER

  Mr. KAUFMAN. Madam President, I would like to continue what I began 
last month by honoring the contribution of our Federal employees.
  On May 4, I came to the floor to discuss the importance of 
recognizing the hard work and dedicated service of our Federal 
employees. This is especially important because of our recovery efforts 
during these challenging economic times. The programs we enact, it is 
easy to say, will be carried out by a Federal workforce that requires 
people's confidence. I know from personal experience how industrious 
and trustworthy civil servants are. The public needs to know too.
  As I said then, we also need to encourage more of our graduates to 
enter careers in public service. America is blessed with so many 
enthusiastic and entrepreneurial citizens. We need them to lend their 
talents. We need their ideas, their creative minds. This is why I have 
made it a priority to honor excellent public servants and call 
attention to what Federal employees can and do accomplish.
  In my previous remarks, I promised to highlight some of our excellent 
public servants from this desk every so often. In keeping with my 
promise, I rise to speak about two Federal employees whose achievements 
are particularly relevant to our work in this session: the current 
state of our health care system.
  As many know, cervical cancer is the second most common cause of 
cancer deaths in women worldwide. It takes the lives of almost a 
quarter million women each year. Here in America, nearly 11,000 women 
are diagnosed annually.
  What distinguishes cervical cancer from most other cancers is its 
cause. While many cancers are linked to a genetic predisposition for 
abnormal cell growth, nearly all cases of cervical cancer result from 
viral infections. The majority of these infections come from exposure 
to the human papillomavirus or HPV. HPV is the most common sexually 
transmitted disease affecting Americans.
  When Dr. Douglas Lowy and Dr. John Schiller began studying HPV, 
little did they know that their 20-year partnership as researchers 
would lead to the development of a vaccine.
  Working at the National Institutes of Health's National Cancer 
Institute Center for Cancer Research, the two discovered that previous 
attempts at creating a vaccine had failed because a genetic mutation 
existed in the virus, making it difficult for the body to produce 
antibodies against it.
  Once Drs. Lowy and Schiller made this finding, they worked to create 
a modified version of the HPV without the mutation. This development is 
instrumental in the creation a few years ago of a vaccine that will 
prevent the vast majority of cervical cancer cases from developing.
  Because over 80 percent of those who develop cervical cancer cases 
live in developing nations, Drs. Lowy and Schiller have been working 
with the World Health Organization to make the HPV vaccine available to 
women around the world.
  In recognition of their achievement, the two men jointly were awarded 
the 2007 Service to America Federal Employee of the Year Medal.
  Today, women and girls age 9 through 26 have the ability to be 
vaccinated against developing cervical cancer.
  Once again, I call on my fellow Senators to join me in honoring Dr. 
Lowy and Dr. Schiller and all Federal employees who have distinguished 
themselves in their service of our Nation.

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