[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 144 (Wednesday, October 7, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H11092-H11100]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. McMahon). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of January 6, 2009, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman 
Schultz) is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority 
leader.


                             General Leave

  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the subject of this bipartisan 
Special Order on the subject of breast cancer awareness.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, tonight, like so many times 
before, I stand with my friends and colleagues on both sides of the 
aisle to address an issue that is both personal and universal.
  As you may know, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 
It is a privilege to be with fellow survivors and advocates celebrating 
25 years of breast health awareness education and empowerment.
  Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in women ages 15 
to 54 according to the National Cancer Institute. In 2009 alone, the 
American National Cancer Society estimates that there will be 194,280 
new cases of breast

[[Page H11093]]

cancer across the nation, and 40,610 of these Americans will die from 
the disease.
  Although these statistics may seem discouraging, we have made 
significant progress. Steady declines in breast cancer mortality among 
women since 1990 have been attributed to a combination of early 
detection and improvements in treatment. When breast cancer is detected 
at early stages, the survival rate for women is 98 percent. Simply 
stated, many of these improvements would not have happened without 
Breast Cancer Awareness Month and its focus on research, education and 
awareness which increase early diagnoses and save lives.
  On a personal level, I know the importance of early detection. Nearly 
2 years ago, after I found a lump in my breast while doing a self exam 
in the shower, my doctor diagnosed me with breast cancer. I had just 
turned 41. Having been a legislator for more than 17 years and having 
passed breast cancer legislation, I knew a lot about breast cancer. I 
knew the importance of early detection, clinical exams every 3 years 
after age 20, every year after 40, mammograms every year after 40, and 
yet for all that I knew, I soon realized how much I didn't know. I knew 
about the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, the so-called breast cancer 
genes, but I didn't know that some women were more likely to have the 
mutation. I didn't know that even with no immediate family history of 
breast cancer, as an Ashkenazi Jew I was five times more likely to have 
the mutation or that I would have up to an 85 percent lifetime chance 
of getting breast cancer and up to a 60 percent chance of getting 
ovarian cancer.
  I knew that young women can and do get breast cancer. But like a lot 
of young women, I didn't know just how many of us it touches. And after 
talking with health care providers, survivors and advocates, it became 
clear that many other young women did not know these things either. 
Despite our seeming wealth of knowledge on breast cancer, an astounding 
40 percent of young women with breast cancer said that prior to their 
diagnosis, they did not know that a young woman could get breast 
cancer.
  That's why on March 26, cancer-free and determined to be among the 
last young women who did not know enough about breast cancer, I 
introduced H.R. 1740, the Breast Cancer Education and Awareness 
Requires Learning Young Act, or the EARLY Act. And just this morning, 
the Energy and Commerce Committee's Health subcommittee held a hearing 
on this critical legislation as well as several other important breast 
cancer legislation.

  The EARLY Act is designed to educate young women and their physicians 
about breast health and provide support for young women diagnosed with 
breast cancer. Young women must learn to be their own voices, to speak 
up for themselves and know when they need to go to their doctor, 
because at the end of the day the old saying rings true, ``knowledge is 
power.'' And when the EARLY Act becomes law, we will fulfill the vital 
goals of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, increasing education, research 
and awareness all year long.
  However, research, education and awareness are not all that we focus 
on when it comes to Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We must also take 
this opportunity to honor and recognize the people close to us who have 
won their fight against breast cancer, those still fighting, those we 
have lost, and those who are working hard every day to make sure no one 
else dies from breast cancer.
  We honor the determination of those women and the hope that their 
courage gives us all. It is an honor to be here tonight, standing 
together in solidarity as we observe Breast Cancer Awareness Month, 
wholly committed to increasing early diagnoses, saving more lives and 
ultimately finding a cure to wipe out this deadly disease. Together, we 
will save more of our moms, our sisters, our grandmas, our daughters 
and our loved ones. We can and will empower women to learn the facts, 
know their bodies, speak up for their health and embrace support.
  Mr. Speaker, I am particularly pleased tonight in an environment in 
which sometimes, in fact too recently, we struggle to do almost 
anything in a bipartisan fashion, and the intensity and the fervor in 
which we engage in debate here often prevents us from coming together. 
The Members of the House of Representatives truly came together today 
in support and in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. They came 
together in honor of women who have passed away from breast cancer, in 
honor of survivors, in honor of women still fighting the disease.
  It is my privilege to yield to and introduce my very good friend, 
fellow breast cancer survivor, someone who has been there for me even 
before I shared my own story publicly, Congresswoman Sue Myrick, the 
gentlelady from North Carolina.
  Mrs. MYRICK. Thank you so much. I really appreciate Ms. Wasserman 
Schultz for her efforts in organizing this Special Order tonight. I 
especially want to commend her for the courage that she had in being 
willing to share her story, because she won't have any idea of how much 
this is going to mean to people. There will be people that will be 
touched by what you did for years to come because you were willing to 
speak out and to do this legislation. So thank you for introducing the 
bill as well.
  As was noted, October is the 25th anniversary of Breast Cancer 
Awareness Month. And we have made great strides. Just this week, it was 
announced that scientists in Canada have, for the first time, decoded 
all of the 3 billion letters in the DNA sequence of a certain type of 
tumor. And in the process, they found all the mutations, or the 
spelling mistakes, that caused the cancer to spread. We know there is a 
lot to be done in this fight. And I'm also particularly concerned about 
young women who are diagnosed with aggressive cancers. We've been 
concerned for some time. That's why we worked with the National 
Institutes of Health and the environmental people to see if there are 
links there to figure out why young women in their 20s and 30s are 
developing breast cancer. It used to be an older person's disease.

                              {time}  2030

  So there is a lot of work to be done in that area as we move forward.
  But in my city of Charlotte, there was a group of young women in 
their twenties who were survivors of breast cancer, which they didn't 
expect. They really just felt so alone, and they formed a group called 
Breast Friends as a support group. The unfortunate part is this group 
is growing. It's growing a lot faster than we would like to see it 
grow. That's one of the challenges we're facing is that so many young 
women are being diagnosed with this disease. That's the reason I'm 
pleased to be the lead cosponsor on this bill, the EARLY Act.
  Representative Wasserman Schultz has done an excellent job, and it 
does address some of the needs that younger women who are breast cancer 
patients and survivors have because it's a unique battle. It's 
different than has been faced in the past when it comes to diagnosis 
and treatment and decisions that need to be made. It's a lot different 
than what those of us who are older, who are survivors have had to face 
and will have to face in the future.
  I have always supported breast cancer research funding over these 
many years, and there is no doubt that it's an important piece of the 
puzzle, but education efforts like those in the EARLY Act are also an 
important piece, because most younger women don't think they can get 
breast cancer and society tends to tell them, Wait until you are older 
to get a mammogram. Now there is even talk that self-exams aren't 
really the way to go. Well, I disagree with that. You are a good 
example of that one.
  We all need to help spread the word. We have got a lot of work to do, 
not only in our districts, but we need to continue this fight to find a 
cure. So I thank all of the colleagues that have joined us tonight in 
this Special Order. It means a lot to everyone, and I also know that 
they're going to go home to their own districts and do all the advocacy 
work that we all do over a period of time, and hopefully we will find a 
cure one day.
  With that, I yield back.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, the gentlelady from North 
Carolina (Mrs. Myrick) has been such a passionate advocate on behalf of 
all cancer patients. As the co-Chair of the Congressional Cancer 
Caucus, she has

[[Page H11094]]

done an absolutely incredible job at raising awareness not just about 
breast cancer but about all types of cancer. I think, given how much 
cancer has touched Americans' lives in a very personal way, it's 
important that we have local advocates like Sue Myrick, and it's my 
privilege to be side by side with you as cosponsors of the EARLY Act. 
Thank you so much.
  It's now my privilege to yield 4 minutes to the gentlelady from 
California, Lois Capps, who has a health care professional background 
as an RN, prior to her election to Congress, and has been one of the 
leading voices in women's health in the House of Representatives.
  Mrs. CAPPS. As one of the co-Chairs of the House Cancer Caucus, along 
with my friend and colleague Sue Myrick, I am so pleased to join my 
colleagues here tonight. I applaud you Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Sue 
Myrick for organizing this Special Order, this time together, and for 
the legislation that you have introduced. I acknowledge my own sister, 
a breast cancer survivor, and I acknowledge our sisterhood.
  There were men and women standing on the Capitol steps today who have 
worn pink today in recognition. It's a lot deeper than that, but there 
is a sisterhood of those who have been touched by this disease, and the 
men who have been touched as well, some with breast cancer, also men 
who love people with breast cancer and have stood by them and supported 
them, and that network has really made all the difference.
  I applaud the amazing work of the advocacy groups for all that they 
do on behalf of breast cancer patients and their families. It's because 
of them that we've really come such a long way in the fight against 
this disease. And because of them, we've taken this disease out of the 
closet. The advocates against breast cancer and for understanding it 
have paved the way for many other disease entities to have survivors, 
and those touched by it really become vocal and become the strong 
voices.
  When I first became a nurse--and that was many years ago--the word 
``cancer'' was hardly ever said out loud in public, and you never said 
the word ``breast'' in public. But everyone who has worked so 
tirelessly over all the years to make sure that people understood that 
these are not words to be embarrassed by or shamed by but, rather, to 
be empowered by, they encourage us to know how to be more aware of how 
to take care of our own bodies through prevention and early detection, 
and that's a lot about what this legislation is about.
  So now we've reached an age and a time where more and more women know 
the importance of self-exams, of learning about family histories and 
risk factors and taking advantage of early detection mechanisms like 
mammograms. But far too many women still face barriers. Too many women 
are discriminated against by insurance companies for having this 
disease. Whether it's the egregious practice of kicking you out of the 
hospital too soon after reconstructive surgery or posing barriers to 
accessing annual mammography, we need to put an end to these practices, 
and I am proud to be a cosponsor of legislation to do so.
  I also applaud efforts to target populations that are still 
marginalized--minorities and young women. Both of these populations 
need better access to information and better access to quality care. We 
need to pass legislation to make information and quality care more 
accessible.
  So I proudly stand with my colleagues who are championing efforts in 
Congress to improve breast cancer research, awareness, detection, and 
treatment. I do this on behalf of my constituents, my family, my 
friends, people who know all too well what it's like to receive the 
diagnosis of breast cancer.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you so much. Again, the gentlelady from 
California, Lois Capps, has been just one of the most outstanding 
health care advocates in the Congress. I knew about her advocacy and 
her leadership in health care even before I arrived in Congress in 
2004, and it is a privilege to serve with you. It truly is.
  It's now my privilege to yield 2 minutes to a woman who has recently 
joined the Congress, was elected in the class of 2008, worked hard to 
get here and has been doing a fantastic job, served in the Nevada State 
Senate as the State Senate minority leader and is a good friend of 
mine, Congresswoman Dina Titus from the great State of Nevada.
  Ms. TITUS. Thank you so much.
  As we begin Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I'm honored to stand here 
with my colleagues and recognize those women we know who have battled 
breast cancer. First let me thank Debbie Wasserman Schultz for her 
leadership on this issue. Her personal courage and subsequent push for 
education and early detection are both inspiring and encouraging.
  Unfortunately, everyone has a story, one of their own experiences or 
those of a friend or a family member who has battled cancer. Each year 
we lose mothers, sisters, daughters, and friends to breast cancer. In 
Nevada, an estimated 1,270 new cases of invasive breast cancer were 
diagnosed among women in 2008, and 430 of those women died of the 
disease. This is a tragedy, and what makes it even more tragic is that 
many of those deaths could have been prevented if women knew the risk 
factors and if researchers had what they needed to make breakthroughs 
in understanding and curing cancer. I believe we must empower every 
woman with the tools she needs to fight this deadly disease. Women 
should have access to the latest health information, undergo frequent 
health screenings, and receive preventive care.

  Sadly, Nevada has one of the lowest mammogram screening rates 
nationally. Recent estimates are that only 54 percent of women over the 
age of 40 have had a mammogram in the past year. Nevada is currently 
ranked 48th in the Nation for percentage of women ages 40 to 69 who 
obtain mammograms annually. This is just unacceptable.
  And unfortunately, too many younger women think that breast cancer is 
something that happens to older women, yet it's the leading cause of 
cancer deaths in women under the age of 40. So we must redouble our 
efforts to reach out to young women, to increase awareness of the 
threats and the warning signs that lead to early diagnosis. That's why 
I'm proud to also be a cosponsor of the EARLY Act.
  Too often, women who have undergone a difficult surgery, both 
emotionally and physically, find themselves forced by their insurance 
companies to leave the hospital before they're ready. This, too, is 
unacceptable. Women must have the adequate support after breast cancer 
surgery that they need to get them on the road to recovery.
  Indeed, we have all been touched by cancer. It can be a devastating 
disease, and those who have fought and are fighting it demonstrate a 
remarkable strength every day. They teach us all the lessons of life 
and living and the importance of family and friends. I believe they are 
true heroes who are role models for us when it comes to strength and 
courage.
  While breast cancer has affected too many women in Nevada and across 
the country, there is also an enduring hope that we can join together 
to search for a cure. Between the strength and determination of breast 
cancer survivors and the generous spirit of volunteers, I'm optimistic 
that we can defeat breast cancer if we stand together in this fight.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you so much, Congresswoman Titus. Your 
leadership and the fact that you've joined the Congress added another 
woman to our ranks. Women's health and making sure that we can focus 
the attention and the agenda on women's health here in the United 
States House of Representatives is so incredibly important. We already 
have a sort of head cheerleader, so to speak, although I don't mean to 
trivialize her position. But the first woman, Speaker of the House of 
Representatives, has been a passionate advocate for women's health and 
has always encouraged making sure that we have more women join our 
ranks. You've done an incredible job since you've been here. I'm so 
pleased that you've joined us in the House of Representatives.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to spend a couple of minutes just highlighting 
some unique facts that, really, most people are unaware of when it 
comes to breast cancer. What I've learned since my own diagnosis and 
since getting involved in a more personal way in trying to pass the 
EARLY Act is--we all hear the expression, Everyone knows someone who

[[Page H11095]]

has breast cancer. Well, today we really can say that everyone had 
someone close to them that had breast cancer.
  It's just amazing after I shared my own story how many--I was 
standing there in the well the day that I shared my story with folks, 
and I can't tell you how many Members came up to me and touched my arm 
and said, Debbie, my daughter had breast cancer, my mother, my sister, 
my wife. People stopping me on the street, on the airplane, on the ball 
field with my kids. It's amazing. The outpouring of people reaching out 
to connect with me has just been absolutely incredible, because breast 
cancer touches so many people and touches women in a very personal way. 
But what's really frustrating about breast cancer is how it strikes 
certain populations in a more deadly way.
  Another thing that I realized is that there are higher risk 
populations that too often are unaware of their risk. Like me, as an 
Ashkenazi Jewish woman, I was not really aware of my risk of having a 
greater likelihood of carrying the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation. 
Subsequently when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I did a genetic 
blood test and found out that I am a carrier of the BRCA2 gene. But in 
doing research for the EARLY Act, the statistics that I learned about 
African American women and breast cancer were really startling.
  African American women have the highest breast cancer death rate 
among minority women. It's 34 per 100,000 people in the population, 
African American women from ages 35 to 44. So younger African American 
women have a breast cancer death rate more than twice the rate of white 
women in the same age group, and they are 34 percent more likely to die 
of cancer than are whites, and more than twice as likely to die of 
cancer as are Asians or Pacific Islanders, American Indians or 
Hispanics.
  We have got to raise awareness in higher-risk populations and 
minority populations, and we have to change the disparity, the 
disparity in the survival rate and the disparity in terms of access to 
health care for their populations, because we know that early detection 
is the key.
  At this time, to talk some more about that, is a very good friend of 
mine, another newly elected Member from the great State of 
Pennsylvania, professionally a dietitian before she was elected to 
Congress, a small business owner, and most importantly, a mother of 
five. I now yield 3 minutes to the gentlelady from Pennsylvania, Kathy 
Dahlkemper.
  Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Thank you so much for asking me to join you tonight 
as we have this very Special Order hour to honor Breast Cancer 
Awareness Month and to recognize those that battle breast cancer across 
this country. But more than that, we're here to deliver an important 
message to the American people tonight.
  Not only are we on your side in the fight against breast cancer, but 
we are one with you in the fight against breast cancer. We are one with 
you not simply because we believe in your cause and to share your 
goals, and it's not only because we empathize with your hardship, we 
are one with you because breast cancer is just as real for us as it is 
for millions of Americans across the country.
  This disease, as it's been said tonight, knows no boundaries, knows 
no borders. It's blind to race, socioeconomic status, and age, and it 
certainly does not care whether you are a Member of Congress. All in 
all, nearly 150,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this 
year, and more than 40,000 women will, sadly, succumb to the disease.
  But what do these numbers really mean? They are certainly alarming 
and give us pause, but the truth behind these numbers is that 150,000 
families will confront a crisis this year; 150,000 families will be 
subjected to the fear they may lose a mother, a sister, a daughter or a 
dear friend, and 40,000 families will see that fear become a reality.

                              {time}  2045

  Like so many American women, breast cancer became a real cause of 
concern for me, but I was one of the lucky ones. When my doctor told me 
I needed a biopsy to check for breast cancer, I was scared and worried 
what it would mean for my family. But, thankfully, breast cancer never 
became a reality for me. My biopsy came back clear.
  Other women I know were not as lucky as I. Numerous friends have lost 
their mothers to breast cancer. Witnessing our loved ones suffer is a 
pain that cannot be accurately described. And that's why we are here, 
to honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month and to show our solidarity with 
the hundreds of thousands of women battling breast cancer now and 
celebrate the more than 2\1/2\ million women who are breast cancer 
survivors.
  I would like to share with you some stories from real women from the 
Third District of Pennsylvania.
  Cindy Hanna of Mercer County was 38 years old when she was diagnosed 
with breast cancer in 2003. Cindy was one of the lucky ones. She had a 
mammogram on her doctor's recommendation that caught her cancer early, 
and she is now a breast cancer survivor.
  Cindy shared her experience in the Sharon Herald paper. She quotes: 
``I had no symptoms. I wasn't even thinking cancer. My cancer was very 
close to my spine, and if I had waited until I was 40, like most 
doctors recommend, who knows what would have happened.'' Cindy is now 
the coordinator of the Medical Equipment Recycling Program at UPMC 
Horizon in Farrell. This month she is tying pink ribbons in towns 
across her county to help raise awareness and encourage women to get 
mammograms early, like she did.
  Sue Kilburn of Meadville, Pennsylvania, was diagnosed with breast 
cancer when she was in her late 40s after an annual mammogram. Her 
doctor told her she had to choose between a lumpectomy and a mastectomy 
to treat the disease. She shared her journal with the Meadville Tribune 
Newspaper, and she writes:
  ``The words ring out unlike anything I have ever experienced before. 
I find no anger, just feel numb, dumbfounded and questioning how? When? 
It was just a routine mammogram.''
  She survived her battle with breast cancer, and now she works as a 
clinical nurse breast care educator at the Yolanda G. Barco Oncology 
Institute. The position is funded through a grant from the Susan G. 
Komen Foundation.
  Cindy and Sue are heroes. They are survivors. And they are committed 
to helping women beat breast cancer. For Cindy and Sue and thousands 
like them, early detection saved their lives. Because they had regular 
mammograms, their cancer was detected early. When tumors are detected 
early, we know they are nearly 100 percent treatable.
  This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, let's encourage the women in our 
lives, our mothers, our sisters, our daughters, and friends, to get a 
mammogram. Early detection saved Cindy and Sue, and that's why I 
support the EARLY Act. Let's work together to make their stories the 
story for every woman diagnosed with breast cancer.
  I thank you.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you so much, Congresswoman Dahlkemper. 
Again, it was a thrill to see you come to the House of Representatives 
and add your expertise, particularly as a dietician, and thank you for 
sharing those personal stories from your district in Pennsylvania.
  The important thing about Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and when we 
talk about breast cancer it is putting a face on it, helping people to 
understand, because so often statistics are really easy to just kind of 
glaze over and stop paying attention to.
  Here tonight to help us continue to raise awareness is the 
gentlewoman from southern California, Susan Davis, who has made health 
care a signature issue during her time in both the California Assembly 
as well as the United States House of Representatives, a member of the 
Education and Labor Committee, one of the three committees in the House 
of Representatives that passed part of the health care reform 
legislation, and she has also been a leader by pushing for billions of 
dollars in funding for NIH.
  I yield to the gentlewoman from California.
  Mrs. DAVIS of California. I am so happy to join my colleagues here 
this evening, and I want to thank you, Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz 
and Congresswoman Myrick, for your leadership on this issue.
  Some years ago I decided to participate in a 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk 
in

[[Page H11096]]

my hometown of San Diego. I had had a college roommate who, with 
successful treatment, had survived breast cancer, and I wanted to show 
my support. Walking would mean being with many women and men across San 
Diego who, like her, had fought the disease, and I knew I'd also be 
supporting many organizations that have worked to heal them.
  I remember thinking about how I would find the time to train for the 
walk, because I wanted to be certain that if I took it on that I was 
going to complete the walk. And with time-management skills and 
congressional travel schedules, I wasn't sure how that all would work 
out, but I was really delighted to have signed up.
  Breast cancer hadn't really affected me personally. The disease 
hadn't struck my family. I just felt the need to walk with others.
  Soon after I signed up for the event, I was looking forward to 
joining my sister and her husband for dinner and just catching up on 
our lives and sharing stories of our children. I was actually really 
excited to also tell her that I had signed up for the walk. She's a 
marathon runner, and I thought maybe she wanted to join me since 
walking for 3 days would probably be really easy for her.
  But my sister at that dinner had news of her own to share. She had 
just had a biopsy and it had come back malignant. Her diagnosis: breast 
cancer.
  Far too many people know what it's like to sit there as I did and 
hear that news from someone that you love so dearly. And I know my 
colleagues on the floor today have expressed that as well. At that 
point my commitment and passion for the walk was only heightened, 
particularly as I spent the next 6 months or more talking with my 
sister about her treatment and her progress.
  During the 3-day walk, I listened to so many people whose loved ones 
had been personally affected by breast cancer. As you know, each story 
is really heartbreaking and inspiring all at one time. I remember all 
the T-shirts with the pictures, and many of them were of loved ones who 
had lost their lives to breast cancer.
  It's because of my sister and my roommate and my colleagues here that 
I have heard so much about breast cancer. And I'm so proud to work here 
in Congress to promote much of the legislation that we have talked 
about today. Legislation like the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act, 
the Breast Cancer Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young Act, 
the EARLY Act, and other bills on this issue. I also strongly support 
the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program, which is 
resulting in exciting advances to find better treatments and eventually 
a cure. And I know that so much has changed since that 3-day walk I 
took quite a few years ago.
  As everyone has said, at some point in their lives, nearly every 
American will have a family member or friend who battles breast cancer. 
We must do more to ensure that women of all ages, including younger 
women, know how breast cancer can affect them.

  My sister was fortunate to have treatment that allowed her to 
continue her work and take care of her family. And I am so grateful and 
happy to stand here and say that she has been in remission for more 
than 6 years.
  But I know that everyone's story is not like hers. Many women, and 
men, lose this battle every year.
  I am just proud to join with my colleagues this evening, and I want 
to thank them again for honoring so many who in their lives have 
survived breast cancer and remembering those who didn't. We need to 
continue to support increased education awareness and the momentum that 
will bring us all to a cure.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you very much.
  It's now my privilege to introduce and yield to a gentleman who is, 
again, another recent addition to the House of Representatives, elected 
in November of 2008, someone who I have really seen exercise incredible 
leadership since his election to the United States Congress, and 
apparently the token man here tonight. So it's really especially 
wonderful that he has joined us.
  Steve Driehaus hails from Ohio and is the former minority whip in the 
Ohio House of Representatives. He is also a former Peace Corps 
volunteer, which, to me, that kind of altruism and volunteerism is so 
incredibly admirable. He is the father of three young children, whom I 
know he is most proud of.
  It's my pleasure to yield to him on behalf of Breast Cancer Awareness 
Month.
  Mr. DRIEHAUS. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. And I want to 
acknowledge the tremendous work of Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz and 
Congresswoman Myrick on this issue.
  I hail from the great State of Ohio. We looked into the breast cancer 
statistics in the State of Ohio, and we learned that more than 8,000 
new diagnoses occur every year for men and women in the State of Ohio 
with breast cancer. And nearly 2,000 breast cancer fatalities still 
occur every year in the State of Ohio.
  While this rate has declined in recent years, in part due to the 
emphasis on early detection and treatment, we all know that it's still 
way too high.
  In Southwest Ohio, we've made progress. We have the Breast Cancer 
Alliance of Greater Cincinnati, focusing on advocacy, education, and 
communication. We have the Cris Collinsworth ProScan Fund, promoting 
breast cancer awareness and education, providing access to early breast 
cancer detection services, and offering support to breast cancer 
patients. We've got the Breast Cancer Registry of Greater Cincinnati, 
housed at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, which is 
designed to obtain information from and about women and men diagnosed 
with breast cancer, with a purpose to support research about the causes 
of breast cancer.
  But while all of these things lead to greater awareness and greater 
education around breast cancer, it's interventions like the EARLY Act 
and the Breast Cancer Awareness Month that help us bring national 
attention and national focus to young women, older women, young men, 
and older men about the dangers of breast cancer.
  I remember when I was just a little boy my grandma's being diagnosed 
with breast cancer. I didn't know what it meant at the time. I knew 
grandma was sick. I knew she was in trouble. She eventually succumbed 
to cancer. And I think just like every one of us, we have those 
stories. But back then when I was a little boy, we didn't have this 
awareness about breast cancer. We didn't have the early diagnosis that 
we have today. And that's why so many women lost their lives to this 
dreaded disease.
  We are making progress in this country. We are making tremendous 
progress. And it's through actions like the EARLY Act, it's through 
actions like Breast Cancer Awareness Month that we make that progress.
  So I again want to applaud my colleagues on the floor tonight and 
lend the voice of the men of America in support of these efforts. I am 
proud to be a cosponsor of the legislation. I think it's a critically 
important piece of legislation, and I appreciate your taking the time 
tonight to again educate the people in America on the issue.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you so much, Mr. Driehaus. Again, it has 
absolutely been a privilege to work with you since you joined us in the 
House of Representatives. You've been really doing an incredible job, 
and I appreciate especially your taking time out of your evening, 
especially late in the evening, 9 o'clock at night, to help raise 
awareness about the importance for women to focus on their breast 
health and to help women and men be focused on breast cancer awareness 
in this month of October and all throughout the year.
  It's now my privilege to introduce someone whom I have come to know 
over the last number of years and whose district I have traveled to on 
a number of occasions and whose leadership I've seen demonstrated both 
in her hometown of Columbus as well as here on the floor of the House. 
She served as a former school board member in Franklin County, a former 
county commissioner in Franklin County, and now serves in the United 
States House of Representatives with distinction.
  I yield to the gentlelady from Ohio, Mary Jo Kilroy.
  Ms. KILROY. I want to say thank you to both of my colleagues, 
Representative Myrick, with whom I have the great honor of serving as 
one of the

[[Page H11097]]

co-Chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Cancer Caucus, and of course 
the gentlewoman from Florida for your strength as cancer survivors and 
for leadership on this issue.
  I am lucky, Representative Wasserman Schultz, to have you as a 
friend, and I appreciate very much the kind comments you made just a 
few minutes ago about me. You have taught me so much about this Chamber 
and what it means to serve here as a Member of this House.

                              {time}  2100

  Last weekend, we saw some very interesting things happen on the 
football fields. We heard earlier from Representative Capps--and I 
remember those days when breast cancer was something to be whispered, 
when my mother and her sisters or my father's sisters would whisper in 
the other room about somebody who had been diagnosed, and things have 
changed that way.
  And last weekend we saw some very large athletes who are man enough 
to wear pink. Hundreds of NFL football players shed their dirty cleats 
for fresh pink and white athletic shoes to show their support for 
Breast Cancer Awareness Month, to show their support for their mothers 
or sisters or aunts or grandmothers or for the thousands of women 
diagnosed with breast cancer in this country.
  Awareness is very important. And I think awareness helps lead to 
action, the kind of action that we've talked about tonight with our 
sponsorship of the EARLY Act, the kind of action that dedicates 
resources to research and to access to health care.
  The pink wave was a wonderful show of solidarity for cancer survivors 
and for continued research funding that we in this Chamber have 
supported. And while professional athletes get a lot of attention, I 
would like to call your attention to the next generation of athletes, 
to some women in my district who are also drawing attention to the 
cause and to the fight for a cure. In fact, they are instead of running 
for the cure, they are volleying for the cure.
  And this week I visited Hilliard Bradley High School and presented 
each member of the Hilliard Bradley volleyball team with a recognition 
certificate for their service to the community through the Volley for 
the Cure event that took place at their high school on September 14. 
The Hilliard Bradley volleyball team and their coach, RyAnne Ufferman, 
with the support of small businesses and the community of Hilliard, 
raised $2,300 for the local affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Race for 
the Cure. The team had a T-shirt, a bake sale, and a raffle at their 
match against Fairbanks Local to raise awareness and money for the 
cause.
  It's great that these young women recognize an issue that is facing 
us as women in this country, the need to raise further awareness and 
further resources so that we have a cure. And I was so pleased with 
them for their leadership. This is a new high school. These are not the 
seniors that are looking for something on their resume. These are 
freshman, sophomores, and juniors in this new high school on this new 
team stepping out beyond their comfort zone to go out and knock on 
doors and ask for money to join us in this cause to find the cause and 
the cure for breast cancer, a disease that affects in one way or 
another almost every single American. And it can only be eradicated if 
we all continue our efforts at the Federal level to support and to fund 
important research and to continue the grassroots support that we see 
at important organizations like Susan G. Komen.
  I cannot tell you how proud I am of the 25 young women who put this 
event together, as well as for their four coaches.
  These young women and this 25th anniversary of Breast Cancer 
Awareness Month should serve as a reminder to all of us to take breast 
cancer screening seriously and to make sure eliminating breast cancer 
is a priority for our country. We hold the key to this in our 
incredible doctors, in our scientists; and I hope that they will 
continue to receive the support they need.
  People will learn how to be more aware of breast cancer and the need 
for examinations and prevention and detection, and we'll continue to 
work so that all of us, all women, have access to the women's health 
care that they need.
  Thank you very much for this opportunity.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you so much, Congresswoman Kilroy. It is 
so wonderful to serve in the House of Representatives with you, and as 
someone who has recently shared her personal health care battle and 
highlighted the need for health care reform as a reflection of your own 
personal story, I really just admire your courage. And it's been an 
incredible privilege to work with you. Thank you so much.
  It's now my privilege to introduce not only my friend but my next-
door neighbor in Washington, D.C., a woman who has been a passionate 
advocate, a fighter--really you look in the dictionary and look up the 
word ``fighter'' and ``passion'' and Shelley Berkley is right there.
  She served prior to her election to Congress in the Nevada State 
Assembly. And I would like some credit for pronouncing ``Nevada'' 
correctly. So I want to pat myself on the back for that. Ms. Berkley 
served on the Nevada State Community College Board of Regents as well. 
She is the mom of two wonderful sons, both of whom I've met and who 
have done her proud.
  And it's my privilege to yield time to her tonight for Breast Cancer 
Awareness Month.
  Ms. BERKLEY. Thank you, Congresswoman.
  I would like to thank both Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and 
my dear friend Congressman Sue Myrick for leading the charge, and a 
special thank you to Debbie. She did mention that we're next-door 
neighbors.
  And I want to tell you, Debbie, I used to--you know, in the morning 
before I start getting ready to come to work--and I am always at work 
by 8 o'clock no matter where I have to be; it's usually by 8. And I 
would be sitting at my dining room table having my cup of coffee and 
reading the newspaper, and at ungodly hours there was Debbie getting 
into her car, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out where she 
was going at this hour. I said, Where can this woman be going?
  But then by 8 o'clock I would see her at whatever meeting we were at. 
And I never knew until you made that public disclosure of what you were 
going through and that you were going through it by yourself, with your 
loved ones, but not sharing with your colleagues because you wanted to 
keep this personal and not tell people at that time. And I cannot tell 
you the admiration I had for you long before that, but particularly 
afterwards.
  And, Sue, same thing. I recall distinctly when you were going through 
your treatments and how brave you were during that time, and it's an 
inspiration for all of us.
  This is a very important piece of legislation, and that's why I came 
to the floor at 9 o'clock in the evening. It's particularly personal to 
me.
  There isn't a woman in my family that has not died of cancer, of 
breast cancer: both my grandmothers, all of my aunts, my mother. The 
worst day of my life is when my sister, Wendy, 47 at the time, called 
me up and told me that she had been diagnosed with cancer. Given the 
background of my family, listening to this my knees buckled because I 
was so fearful of her fate. But because times have changed and there's 
early detection and better awareness of this dreaded, horrible disease, 
horrible disease, she was able to get the treatment that she needed. 
They practically killed her to cure her, but she's alive today and 
doing not only very well but she just became a grandmother last Friday. 
And that could not have happened in my mother's generation or my 
grandmothers' because they weren't aware of what they needed to do in 
order to protect themselves.
  I am hoping that when we are discussing health care in this country 
that we are able to change the paradigm of how we deliver health care 
services to the people that we represent throughout the United States 
of America. This is a perfect example of legislation that is important 
because it raises awareness for all women, young and old, but 
particularly younger women that need to know what to look for, what to 
expect, what are the signs, and what they can do when they suspect that 
they have the early signs of cancer.

[[Page H11098]]

  I think the reality is with early detection, you can prevent these 
diseases and seek the treatment that you need so that you can go on to 
lead a long and wonderful life and have children and grandchildren just 
like my sister Wendy.
  Women don't take very good care of ourselves. We're always taking 
care of everyone else. And the little aches and pains we have we tend 
to ignore because we're too busy during the day to deal with it. We 
cannot afford to let that happen because sometimes it's those little 
pains, those little bumps, those little things that we don't pay 
attention to that could ultimately lead us down a path that we don't 
want to go.
  If you have a sick mother, you have a sick family because in most 
cases, the mother is the linchpin of the family. And if you're going to 
have a women that doesn't take care of herself, doesn't know what the 
early signs of cancer are, doesn't know what to look for and what to do 
should they suspect, then they're not going to treat themselves; 
they're not going to have early detection; they're not going to have 
prevention of this disease. And the entire family is going to be 
harmed, and the loss to the family is dramatic.
  So I cannot thank you enough for introducing this legislation. I'm a 
proud cosponsor. I look forward to being on the floor and voting for 
this and pressing that green button.
  And I thank you all, not only on behalf of the women in my family--
those that have gone, those that are still here and those that are yet 
to be born--but for the millions of other American women and families 
that this legislation is going to help and to save. And I thank you 
both for that.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you, Congresswoman Berkley for your 
leadership and for your friendship and for your neighborliness.
  At this time I would like to yield to the gentlelady from North 
Carolina who will yield to some colleagues who have joined us on her 
side of the aisle.
  Mrs. MYRICK. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
  I wanted to make a couple of points before I do that, and one of them 
is we can't spend an evening talking about breast cancer without 
remembering our dear friend JoAnn Davis who was a Member here. And she 
fought a courageous, courageous battle. She truly did. Unfortunately, 
she was diagnosed late. She had a very aggressive cancer and she lost 
that battle a couple of years ago. And it's still hard every time I 
think of her. She was a tremendous, tremendous person and very valiant.
  The other thing I wanted to just mention was when we talk about the 
awareness that this bill is promoting, women still today don't want to 
get mammograms simply because they're afraid they will hurt. And you 
know, I have had so many women say that to me; and then I have other 
women say, Well, I really don't want to know. And you know, we really 
need to make women aware that they better find out sooner rather than 
later. And that's why this legislation is so important.
  And men, too. I have two male friends in Charlotte who both have 
breast cancer and never had any idea--and one of them, unfortunately, 
because they didn't think he had breast cancer, he isn't with us any 
longer.
  So there is a lot of work to do, and again I commend you for this.
  And I have the pleasure of introducing a gentleman who is also new to 
Congress, and we're delighted he's here, the gentleman from Louisiana 
(Mr. Cao). I will yield to him 2 minutes.
  Mr. CAO. Thank you very much for yielding me time.
  Mr. Speaker, I stand here today to support this very important 
legislation to bring awareness to breast cancer. For many women in my 
district and all over the United States, breast cancer is a life 
threatening disease. It is therefore imperative that we as a Nation do 
all we can to work towards a cure.
  The national statistics for breast cancer rates are intimidating. It 
is the leading cause of death in women ages 50-54. Thus, very few 
families are left untouched by the pain and suffering it causes.
  However, thanks to the efforts of the Susan G. Komen Foundation and 
other breast cancer awareness groups, breast cancer has the highest 
survival rate of any cancer that afflicts Americans. In fact, there are 
2.5 million survivors that owe their lives to these efforts and to the 
power of early detection.
  My home district, the Second Congressional District of Louisiana, has 
the highest breast cancer mortality rate of any district in the United 
States and, unfortunately, the lowest early detection rates.
  Thanks to recent medical developments, early detection means more 
treatment options and higher success rates. It literally saves lives.
  As part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I want to stress the 
importance of having regular screenings to guarantee early detection 
and to improve women's chances for survival.
  I would also like to acknowledge a woman from Louisiana who's 
currently struggling with breast cancer, Mrs. Tara Stoulig Monistere.
  Mrs. Monistere is a 34-year-old wife and mother who was diagnosed 
with stage IV breast cancer shortly after the birth of her daughter. 
Her situation is unusually difficult in that breast cancer rarely 
strikes young women and new mothers with such intensity. Every aspect 
of her life is compounded with greater stress levels and hardships as a 
result of this disease.
  However, she remains an active member of her community, maintains 
close relationships with family members, and fights her disease with 
great faith, bravery, and determination.

                              {time}  2115

  Mrs. Monistere's personal struggle with breast cancer is one of 
countless examples that proves that this disease is too common for 
women of all ages. Breast cancer attacks a new victim every 2 minutes, 
and an estimated 3 million women are living with it in the United 
States today. I urge all women in my district and throughout the 
country to get tested regularly. Through continued awareness and 
preemptive action, we will proactively fight this disease and save more 
lives.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you very much, Mr. Cao, for joining us 
this evening. Again, this has been a bipartisan Special Order, as well 
as male, female, a combination of devotion to making sure that the 
women in our lives and the 1 percent of men that are diagnosed with 
breast cancer every year are more aware of the importance of focusing 
on their breast health.
  It is now my privilege to yield time to the gentleman from Illinois 
who is celebrating a birthday today. That is particularly exciting, and 
we appreciate him coming down to help raise awareness about the 
importance of breast cancer on his birthday. He is a father of two. 
Prior to his election to Congress last year to fill an unexpired term 
of the former Speaker, he was a scientist, a very successful and 
learned scientist, and has added incredible expertise to the discussion 
and debate we have here in the House of Representatives, Mr. Foster 
from Illinois.
  Mr. FOSTER. Today I rise in support of my sister, Susan Adlai Foster, 
a survivor of breast cancer; and in remembrance of my grandmother, 
Nanette Raymond, who was not. Today I also rise in strong support of 
Breast Cancer Awareness Month to recognize the strength of the women 
who have endured this terrible disease. This year alone, it is 
estimated that 192,000 women will be newly diagnosed with breast 
cancer, and it will claim the lives of over 40,000 women. However, it 
is a great disservice to these strong, courageous women to reduce them 
to statistics. They are our mothers, sisters, grandmothers, and our 
friends.
  I lost my grandmother to breast cancer. Thankfully, my sister has 
survived her battle with this disease. I firmly believe that we must 
take all steps necessary to promote awareness and research to find a 
cure so my daughter and her generation do not suffer through this same 
experience.
  It has become obvious that part of breast cancer is environmental, 
part of it is genetic, and a large part can be mitigated through early 
detection. We must press ahead on all fronts to mitigate and eventually 
eliminate this scourge.
  I would also like to take this opportunity to applaud the efforts of 
the Susan G. Komen Foundation that has done so much to advance this 
cause and to spread the message that early testing saves lives.

[[Page H11099]]

  I encourage all of my colleagues to cosponsor and vote for H. Res. 
708, congratulating Nancy Goodman Brinker, who founded the Susan G. 
Komen Race for the Cure, for receiving the Presidential Medal of 
Freedom.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you so much, and happy birthday.
  It is now my privilege in the last couple of minutes before we yield 
back, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, to yield time to the 
gentlewoman from northern California who is a passionate fighter on 
behalf of the causes that she and her constituents care about, Lynn 
Woolsey.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of breast cancer 
awareness and to honor two very brave congresswomen, Congresswoman 
Wasserman Schultz and Congresswoman Myrick.
  Mr. Speaker, breast cancer is a disease that has touched the lives of 
far too many people. Young women are especially high risk for breast 
cancer. In fact, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death 
among women ages 15-45 because breast cancer tends to be more 
aggressive in younger women due to lack of appropriate screening, 
diagnostic tools, and inadequate education about the disease among 
young women and among the medical community.
  We must give young women the tools they need to fight this disease by 
educating them, and we must make sure that they receive early 
detection, because when breast cancer is detected in the early stages, 
the survival rate is more than 98 percent. That is why I support H.R. 
1740, the Breast Cancer Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young 
Act of 2009. This bill would increase awareness of risk factors for 
breast cancers and encourage early detection of the disease among young 
women through community-centered informational forums, through public 
service advertisements, and media campaigns.
  H.R. 1740 also aims to educate health care professionals about the 
unique circumstances young women diagnosed with breast cancer face.
  In addition to educating women, Mr. Speaker, about the risks of 
breast cancer, we must expand research into the causes and treatments 
for breast cancer, especially among young women who are excluded from 
breast cancer studies. Breast cancer is more difficult to diagnose in 
young women because screening methods that work on older women are less 
successful on younger women.
  We also need to learn more about the long-term effects cancer 
treatments have on women of any age. That is why the Annie Fox Act is 
an act that will help us invest in prevention and in treatment.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to stand here with my colleague from 
Florida and my colleague from North Carolina. I commend them both on 
the strength they have shown during their personal battle with this 
disease, and I applaud their efforts to help all women fighting breast 
cancer. I pledge to work with them so we can get this behind us.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you so much. As Ms. Woolsey steps away 
from the podium, I really want to acknowledge her leadership, 
particularly on young women breast cancer issues because prior to my 
introduction of the EARLY Act, she was one of the leading voices on 
breast cancer in young women, and we can't thank her enough.
  Mr. Speaker, as our hour comes to a close, I want to thank 
Congresswoman Myrick for her leadership and her friendship. I think the 
point we want to make tonight is that although Breast Cancer Awareness 
Month is celebrated throughout the entire month of October, it is 
important for us to focus on breast cancer awareness and for women to 
focus on their breast health throughout the year.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, during breast cancer 
awareness month, in solidarity with, and through the strength of, 
thousands of breast cancer survivors and victims throughout these 
United States.
  I stand by my friend and colleague Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman 
Schultz whose fight with this disease is an incredible story of will 
and perseverance;
  I stand by many longtime friends in our community who have been 
affected by this terrible disease;
  And I stand by hundreds of thousands of women whom I will never know 
nor meet, but whose stories we already know all too well.
  And though breast cancer affects both genders, it disproportionally 
targets women, with men being about 100 times less likely to be 
stricken with the disease.
  And as women, our chances of developing invasive breast cancer at 
some time in our lives is incredibly high, by some counts a 1 in 8 
chance.
  This makes breast cancer the second most common cancer among women.
  Almost everyone in this country unfortunately knows someone who has 
suffered from breast cancer.
  Whether that person is your mother, sister, partner, or friend, the 
story is always heart wrenching.
  Through efforts such as breast cancer awareness month, all of us work 
to bring about greater breast cancer education, prevention, diagnosis 
and treatment.
  But it is stories of some of the brave women with this terrible 
disease that I want to share today.
  Linda Gayle Burrowes never expected to be a statistic.
  But for her 49th birthday she received the gift that would save her 
life.
  A friend of hers insisted on giving Linda a mammogram; and the day 
after Linda's birthday, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
  She is a survivor because this angel sent gift caught the disease 
early, and Linda was determined that other women would not be like her, 
leaving their life up to chance.
  Three months after her mastectomy, she started the breast cancer 
support and educational group ``Your Bosom Buddies'', which has 
meetings the 3rd Thursday of each month at the Women's Health Center at 
Baptist Hospital in my community.
  There is also the story of Mary Lamberts, who is a 9-year breast 
cancer survivor.
  Mary has a history of cancers on both sides of her family, so she 
always prepared for the worst on her check-ups.
  But 90% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history 
of the disease.
  The diagnosis came after Mary had a mammogram, followed by an 
ultrasound that same day after her radiologist saw something 
suspicious.
  During the surgery to follow, her doctor found multiple tumors.
  Most of the tumors were removed but she had to undergo over 30 
treatments of radiation, and remain on a regimen of powerful drugs for 
years afterwards.
  Thankfully, many men and women do survive this terrible disease.
  And no one knows the simple gifts in life like a survivor.
  Rosa Andreu Vila was diagnosed with breast cancer 12 years ago and 
went through a lumpectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation and has 
mercifully been in remission.
  She has told me that in the 12 years since her diagnosis, due to 
early detection and treatment, she has been able to see both of her 
sons graduate from college and be married, and is now a proud first-
time grandmother.
  These are stories of survivors, but new cases of breast cancer happen 
every day.
  Dr. Frank Mave, a local doctor of osteopathy, is one of the newly 
diagnosed males with breast cancer and just had surgery this month.
  He is only just now beginning his ``long and winding road'' with 
chemo and radiation, and we pray for him and all others who are on 
their way to being survivors.
  These stories show that there is hope, and people are increasingly 
surviving breast cancer.
  In the United States, breast cancer is becoming one of the most 
survivable cancers, if the disease is detected early.
  And this is the point of breast cancer awareness month.
  We must remain vigilant in our efforts to educate and diagnose and 
treat.
  With these three pillars, we can and will save lives.
  Let us make sure that we educate one another on the dangers of breast 
cancer and the need for routine checkups.
  In memory of Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis, who passed away at the age 
of 57 while serving last Congress after a two-year battle with breast 
cancer;
  For all men and women in my community and throughout the United 
States currently battling this terrible disease;
  For my daughters, and my new baby granddaughter Morgan Elizabeth, I 
thank my friend and colleague Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz 
for her leadership on this issue.
  Her story serves as an inspiration to all.
  Let us make sure our efforts to defeat this terrible disease continue 
at full force.
  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank my colleagues, Debbie 
Wasserman Schultz and Sue Myrick for organizing this very important 
Special Order hour tonight.
  Recognizing breast cancer awareness month is about more than issuing 
a proclamation or delivering a speech. It is about honoring the women 
who have fought bravely

[[Page H11100]]

against breast cancer and committing to finding a cure so that they and 
other women can live healthy lives.
  These women and their families have created a community of hope for 
those who struggle every day--with courage and dignity--with this 
terrible disease.
  They are mothers, daughters, sisters, friends, and advocates whose 
strength and tenacity have driven us toward significant progress in 
treating breast cancer.
  Improvements in treatments coupled with advances in early detection 
and screening methods have increased the survival rates for women to 98 
percent when breast cancer is detected in its earliest stages.
  But this remarkable achievement can not stop us from ensuring this 
terrible disease is cured once and for all.
  Government can't cure cancer, but it can put the resources in the 
hands of scientists who will. That's why I have made funding biomedical 
research at the National Institutes of Health a top priority in 
Congress.
  It is hard to believe, but when I was first appointed to the 
Appropriations Committee in 1991, the federal government was spending 
just $133 million on breast cancer each year.
  In the last decade, however, that investment has increased 
dramatically--to more than $1.3 billion between spending at the 
National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, and 
Department of Defense.
  Furthermore, last year, legislation I authored with Representative 
Sue Myrick to study the link between the environment and breast cancer 
was enacted into law.
  In addition to fighting for more research into the causes and best 
treatments for breast cancer, I have also spearheaded the effort to 
substantially increase and accelerate research into early detection 
technologies.
  Mammography screenings are a woman's best chance for detecting breast 
cancer early, and when coupled with new treatment options, can 
significantly improve a woman's chances of survival.
  However, experts and scientists agree that we still have not found 
the 21st century early detection method we need.
  I am pleased that the National Cancer Institute is spending close to 
$55 million per year to research better screening methods for breast 
cancer spurred by my legislation, the Better Screening for Women Act.
  The federal commitment to cancer research has enabled us to make 
enormous strides in our understanding of this complex disease.
  The investment we make in research and education today will improve 
care for each and every cancer patient, and move us closer to the day 
when we eradicate cancer.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be speaking 
before you today about the importance of ``National Breast Cancer 
Awareness Month.'' This campaign goes back a quarter of a century, 
starting as a weeklong campaign in 1985, by AstraZeneca, a 
pharmaceutical company; its aim from the start has been to promote 
mammography as the most effective weapon in the fight against breast 
cancer. This month and throughout the year, we should all be committed 
to ongoing education about options for breast health and helping women 
become more informed so that they can make educated choices about 
breast health.
  Breast cancer is a disease that impacts all Americans, affecting 
women and men of all backgrounds, races, and incomes. Women in the 
United States have the highest incidence rates of breast cancer in the 
world; 141 among white women and 122 among African American women.
  Among women in my home state of Texas, breast cancer is the most 
common cancer, and the second-most common cause of cancer death (after 
lung cancer). Women in the U.S. have a 1 in 8 (12.5%) lifetime chance 
of developing invasive breast cancer and a 1 in 35 (3%) chance of 
breast cancer causing their death. There were 216,000 cases of invasive 
breast cancer and 40,000 deaths in 2004. In 2007, breast cancer was 
expected to cause 40,910 deaths in the U.S. (7% of cancer deaths; 
almost 2% of all deaths).
  It is unacceptable enough that so many women today meet such an end. 
But, worse still, several studies have found that black women in the 
U.S. are more likely to die from breast cancer even though white women 
are more likely to be diagnosed with the disease. Even after diagnosis, 
black women are less likely to get treatment compared to white women. 
The journal Cancer Causes and Control, for instance, found in their 
sample that there has been no improvement in mortality from breast 
cancer for black women in 23 years.
  Worldwide, breast cancer is by far the most common cancer amongst 
women, with an incidence rate more than twice that of colorectal cancer 
and cervical cancer and about three times that of lung cancer. However 
breast cancer mortality worldwide is just 25% greater than that of lung 
cancer in women. In 2004, breast cancer caused 519,000 deaths worldwide 
(7% of cancer deaths; almost 1% of all deaths). The number of cases 
worldwide has significantly increased since the 1970s, a phenomenon 
partly blamed on modern lifestyles in the Western world.
  However, research has proven that by making treatment available, we 
can fight this horrendous disease. In my home city of Houston, the Ben 
Taub General Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine strive to ensure 
that the most advanced medical care is available to all the city's 
residents regardless of wealth or ability to pay. Ben Taub General 
Hospital is vital in providing care to the over 1.1 million Houston 
residents without health insurance, and millions more with little or 
low insurance coverage. For over 100 years, Baylor College of Medicine 
has firmly committed to caring for patients, regardless of their 
ability to pay.
  That is why we all work to raise awareness and educate our fellow 
citizens about this horrible disease; that is why we must fight to make 
sure breast cancer is defeated through early detection and funding for 
a cure; and that is why, to make sure that women across our nation have 
the treatment they need to fight this battle, we must pass real health 
care reform in America.
  In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank everyone here for 
being part of this fight, and I pledge to remain by your side until 
breast cancer is defeated, and no American woman ever again has to fear 
it.

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