[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 158 (Wednesday, October 28, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H11990-H11992]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            NATIONAL METASTATIC BREAST CANCER AWARENESS DAY

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 787) expressing support for designation of 
October 13, 2009, as National Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 787

       Whereas metastatic breast cancer refers to Stage IV breast 
     cancer when cancer cells travel from the breast, either 
     through the bloodstream or the lymphatic system, to other 
     parts of the body, including the bones, liver, lungs, or 
     brain, and continue to grow in their new location;
       Whereas an estimated 192,370 women and 1,910 men in the 
     United States will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, 
     and 62,280 women will be diagnosed with in situ breast 
     cancer;
       Whereas nearly 30 percent of women diagnosed with early 
     stage breast cancer will develop Stage IV advanced or 
     metastatic breast cancer;
       Whereas in developing countries, the majority of women with 
     breast cancer are diagnosed with advanced stage or metastatic 
     disease;
       Whereas the statistic that 155,000 women and men are 
     presently living with metastatic breast cancer in the United 
     States underscores the immediate need for increased public 
     awareness;
       Whereas there currently is no cure for metastatic breast 
     cancer, and metastatic breast cancer frequently involves 
     trying one treatment after another with the goal of extending 
     the best quality of life as possible;
       Whereas scientists and researchers are conducting important 
     research projects to achieve breakthroughs in metastatic 
     breast cancer research;
       Whereas metastatic breast cancer is rarely discussed during 
     Breast Cancer Awareness Month, however those living with the 
     disease should never feel isolated or ignored;
       Whereas metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day emphasizes 
     the urgent need for new, targeted breast cancer treatments 
     that will provide a high quality of life and long life 
     expectancy for patients by making Stage IV cancer a chronic, 
     but not fatal disease;
       Whereas the House of Representatives is an institution that 
     can raise awareness in the general public and the medical 
     community of breast cancer; and
       Whereas October 13, 2009, would be an appropriate date to 
     designate as National Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) supports the designation of National Metastatic Breast 
     Cancer Awareness Day;
       (2) encourages all people in the United States to become 
     more informed and aware of metastatic breast cancer; and
       (3) respectfully requests the Clerk of the House to 
     transmit a copy of this resolution to the Metastatic Breast 
     Cancer Network.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Pallone) and the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. 
Myrick) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.


                             General Leave

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material in the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 787. This 
resolution expresses support for designating October 13, 2009, as 
National Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day.
  Metastatic breast cancer refers to stage IV breast cancer, the most 
advanced stage of this form of cancer. At this point, cancer cells have 
spread beyond the breast and underarm lymph nodes to other areas of the 
body. Sadly, there is no cure for breast cancer once it has reached 
this stage.
  Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in women. 
The National Institutes of Health estimates that nearly 195,000 new 
cases will be diagnosed in 2009, the majority of which occur among 
women. Nearly 30 percent of women diagnosed with early stage breast 
cancer will develop metastatic breast cancer; and despite this 
startling statistic, advanced breast cancer is rarely discussed during 
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
  This resolution supports designation of National Metastatic Breast 
Cancer Awareness Day. It encourages all people in the U.S. to become 
more informed and aware of metastatic breast cancer and requests that 
the Clerk of the House transmit a copy of this resolution to the 
Metastatic Breast Cancer Network.
  Earlier this month, my subcommittee held a hearing on four pieces of 
legislation that focus on prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of 
breast cancer. During this hearing, we heard from four of my colleagues 
who have sponsored legislation to address this important health issue. 
Those are Congressman Nadler, Congresswoman DeLauro, who is also the 
sponsor of this resolution today, Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz, and 
Congresswoman Castor. We also heard testimony from a number of advocacy 
groups and the National Cancer Institute.
  Mr. Speaker, this hearing and the resolution before us today 
underscore the importance of early detection of breast cancer and 
ensuring that, once diagnosed, women receive the best quality treatment 
available. As House Resolution 787 highlights, it's especially 
important that women with metastatic breast cancer feel supported 
rather than feeling isolated or ignored.
  As National Breast Cancer Awareness Month draws to a close, I would 
like to take this opportunity to comment on the important issues raised 
with respect to the experience of breast cancer patients in today's 
medical environment. These patients and many others lack access to 
preventive services that are recommended by experts. Many patients lack 
coverage of the medical care that they need. That's precisely why we 
are hard at work trying to pass health reform legislation that will 
improve access to quality and affordable health care for every 
American.
  If enacted, America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, 
currently H.R. 3200, will make dramatic improvements in our efforts to 
battle breast cancer. Specifically, it will provide affordable access 
to insurance. H.R. 3200 would prohibit insurers from excluding patients 
or charging higher premiums because of preexisting conditions. It would 
offer protection against high out-of-pocket costs by limiting 
deductibles and copayments and precluding insurance companies from 
establishing limits on annual or lifetime benefits. H.R. 3200 would 
also prohibit insurers from rescinding or dropping insurance policies 
on the basis of health status.
  This bill would also provide coverage of preventive services in 
Medicare, Medicaid, and within the newly established Health Insurance 
Exchange, free of cost sharing. This means that services like 
mammograms would be available free of copays. Early detection and 
treatment can help reduce the number of patients who ever get to stage 
IV while we continue our efforts to find a cure for those who do.
  I am pleased to join my colleagues today in raising awareness about 
breast cancer, and particularly stage IV breast cancer.
  Of course I want to thank, in particular, the gentlewoman from 
Connecticut, Congresswoman DeLauro, and my colleague from New Jersey, 
Congressman LoBiondo, for their leadership.
  Let me just say about Congresswoman DeLauro, she has been basically a 
champion on every aspect of breast cancer since I've been here. I 
think, really, without her efforts, we would not have gone as far as we 
have in terms of providing meaningful research and treatment. So it's 
certainly no surprise that she is the prime sponsor of this resolution 
today.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to be here today to support 
Representative DeLauro's Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day 
resolution.
  As has already been mentioned many times this month, October is 
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and we see it all over by the 
pink ribbons everywhere, media campaigns. Throughout the last 30 days, 
there has been good exposure. The month is nearly over, but the need 
for breast cancer

[[Page H11991]]

awareness and education continues all year long.
  October 13 has been recognized as National Metastatic Breast Cancer 
Awareness Day, and I would like to thank the Metastatic Breast Cancer 
Network for their continued community outreach.
  Awareness and education has assisted in the annual decline in deaths 
from breast cancer. The Centers for Disease Control has stressed the 
importance of women receiving regular mammograms, which can help 
doctors diagnose breast cancer in its early stages, which was my 
fortunate experience. It is because of these successful programs and 
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month that encourage early diagnosis 
before the cancer cells travel from the breast to other parts of the 
body, including the most well-known and, unfortunately, the places they 
go the most often, the bones, the liver, the lungs, and the brain. And 
that describes metastatic breast cancer.

                              {time}  1100

  It's commonly known as stage IV breast cancer because it is diagnosed 
when the cancer has spread to one or more of these distant sites in the 
body. For all intents and purposes, it is the scariest form of the 
disease and one that is very difficult to fight. People face reality 
when they're first diagnosed and are told that they're at stage IV. For 
others, it's a diagnosis they face later on as they go through their 
treatment, which is happening to one of my friends currently.
  For these women, time is truly of the essence, and the support of 
family, friends and of the medical professionals is crucial. Sadly, 
metastatic breast cancer is deadly in most cases, but the good news is 
that research continues to make great strides in survival rates and in 
the quality of life for these patients. So I am very proud to support 
this resolution to designate October 13 as Metastatic Breast Cancer 
Awareness Day.
  I thank my good friend, Representative DeLauro, who is also a cancer 
survivor, I might add--long term--for sponsoring this bill.
  With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the sponsor of the 
legislation, the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro). I can't 
say enough about her. Her championing on the issues of breast cancer 
research, treatment, et cetera, are really always out there.
  Ms. DeLAURO. I thank the gentleman for the time, and I also want to 
say to him thank you for your very, very kind words. It has been my 
honor to work in partnership with Congressman Pallone. He is enormously 
committed to health care and to health care reform but with particular 
interest to women's health issues. He has been a strong partner in his 
championing of these efforts on the committee which he chairs.
  I also want to say a ``thank you'' to my colleague Congressman 
LoBiondo for cosponsoring this resolution with me today and a 
particular ``thank you'' to my colleague and good friend, Congresswoman 
Myrick, for all of her efforts and stamina. We are a band of sisters in 
this effort. Thank you so very, very much.
  Mr. Speaker, following the lead of eight States across the Nation--
Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Washington, and 
my home State of Connecticut--this resolution expresses support for 
designating October 13, 2009, as National Metastatic Breast Cancer 
Awareness Day.
  Right now in America, it has been said that 15,000 men and women 
around the country are living with metastatic, or stage IV, breast 
cancer. It means that the cancer cells have traveled from the breast to 
other areas in the body, such as to the liver, lungs, bones or brain, 
and the cells are now growing there. There is no cure for breast cancer 
once it has metastasized, and most of today's current medical 
treatments are focused only on extending the best quality of life for 
the patient.
  Breast cancer is the second leading type of cancer among women. In 
this year alone, 192,000 women--over that number--and 1,900 men in the 
United States will be diagnosed with the disease, and over 62,000 women 
will die from it. Thirty percent of women diagnosed with earlier stages 
of the illness will eventually suffer from metastatic breast cancer. 
The later it is diagnosed, the more likely it is that the cancer has or 
will metastasize.
  Missed opportunities of early detection is a major reason why women 
in developing countries, as well as right here in the United States 
with our own most vulnerable citizens, are more likely diagnosed with 
late-stage breast cancer. Without adequate access to preventative 
medical care, the health of the poor here and around the world is 
already at extreme risk.
  For all of these reasons and more, we believe that Congress should 
support this resolution and should get behind National Metastatic 
Breast Cancer Awareness Day on October 13. Not only will such a day 
help to emphasize the urgent need for new and targeted breast cancer 
treatments for stage IV cancer patients, but it will raise awareness, 
and it will save lives.
  I know firsthand. I'm a cancer survivor--ovarian cancer. I was 
fortunate enough to have been diagnosed at stage 1. If it had not been 
caught early by my doctor or if the cancer had metastasized, there is a 
good chance I would not be standing here today. We need to promote 
awareness of metastatic cancers in any way that we can so that women 
and men will know how to get timely mammograms and cancer screenings 
that might just save their lives.
  Even as doctors and scientists search for a cure for metastatic 
breast cancer, it is up to us to help make the treatment affordable for 
women in need and to pass comprehensive health insurance reform now, 
not later. Too many women with breast cancer today are forced to make 
decisions based on their finances and not on what is best for their 
health. All too often, as they bravely battle their illnesses, they 
must also fight high out-of-pocket costs and denied claims. If they 
become too sick to work, they must face the terrifying prospect of 
losing their coverage altogether.
  While today we express our support for a National Metastatic Breast 
Cancer Awareness Day, I hope very soon in the future we will reaffirm 
our commitment to breast cancer patients by passing meaningful health 
insurance reform.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mr. PALLONE. I yield the gentlewoman 1 additional minute.
  Ms. DeLAURO. Today's resolution has the support of several key 
organizations, including Living Beyond Breast Cancer, breastcancer.org, 
The Wellness Community, Breast Cancer Network of Strength--formerly Y-
ME--and the Young Survivor Coalition.
  By drawing attention to this disease, we can help medical researchers 
find ways to provide a higher quality of life and a longer life 
expectancy for patients. We can help make stage IV cancer a chronic but 
not a fatal disease, and we can encourage the women and men we love to 
stay aware of metastatic breast cancer and to protect themselves 
through regular checkups and screenings.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I am very pleased to yield so 
much time as he may consume to the other sponsor of the legislation, 
the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. LoBiondo).
  Mr. LoBIONDO. Thank you, Congresswoman Myrick, and thank you to 
Congressman Pallone and to Congresswoman DeLauro for their advocacy on 
this very important issue.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in very strong support of the resolution 
designating October 13 as National Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness 
Day.
  We have heard a lot of statistics. They are staggering, and they are 
staggering because, much of the time, some of this can be prevented. 
The resolution recognizes the need to raise the level of awareness and 
to increase research on treatments that will provide a higher quality 
of life and longer life expectancies for patients living with and 
fighting metastatic breast cancer.
  I participated in an American Cancer Society cancer awareness event 
about 2 weeks ago on a Sunday in my district in southern New Jersey. On 
a Sunday morning, in a driving Nor'easter rainstorm with very high 
winds and with rain coming down in buckets, we had

[[Page H11992]]

hundreds of people who showed up because they believed that their 
involvement would make a difference. They were helping to raise the 
level of awareness. They were helping to get the message out that we 
can challenge this terrible disease and that we can make progress.
  Metastatic breast cancer refers to stage IV breast cancer, which is 
when cancer cells travel and then do terrible things in other locations 
of the body. We know that, in this year, there will be in excess of 
190,000 women, almost 2,000 men and, very, very tragically, in excess 
of 62,000 women who will lose their lives.
  So I am a very proud cosponsor of this resolution. I encourage all of 
my colleagues to join in support of this. All of America should 
understand that, united and together, we can make a difference. We can 
make a difference against this dreaded disease.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Harman).
  (Ms. HARMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend her 
remarks.)
  Ms. HARMAN. Thank you, Mr. Pallone, for yielding time to me to speak 
on this bill and on the bill that was just considered.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be a member of the Health Subcommittee of 
the Energy and Commerce Committee. I regret the fact that it has taken 
us so many months to get to a place where we are almost ready to 
consider comprehensive health care reform. I strongly support it, 
especially with a robust public option. Yet this is a good day because, 
today we will pass a more limited bill that identified a huge problem, 
metastatic breast cancer.
  I have been fortunate not to have cancer, but there are many cancer 
survivors in this body, some of whom have survived breast cancer. I am 
the sister of Dr. David Lakes, who is an oncologist in Northern 
California and who was voted Healer of the Year in Marin County for the 
work he has done with those who suffer from metastatic breast cancer. I 
am very proud of him.
  I am very proud of the sponsors of this legislation, who understand 
how critical it is not just to focus on the fact of this disease, but, 
as Ms. DeLauro said a few minutes ago, on how to make it a chronic 
disease and not a killer. So I strongly support this legislation.
  As the author of Legislation to extend the PSIC Grant Program, the 
Public Safety Interoperable Communications Grant Program, which was 
debated just moments ago, I urge us to continue the program which 
provides $1 billion in grants to State and local governments for 
interoperable communications systems, which, obviously, will be needed 
in the event of the next terrorist attack or natural disaster.
  Eight years after 9/11, we have not fixed one of the two major 
problems on that day. One problem was that we failed to connect the 
dots. The other was that we could not communicate in realtime among our 
first responders to the catastrophe both in New York and in Washington. 
Nationally, we still lack an interoperable communications network. That 
will require more work by Congress and the FCC to build out the now 
vacant 700 megahertz analog spectrum so that, nationally, all of our 
first preventers, or responders, can communicate.
  In the meantime, it is significant that our communities will be able 
to access additional Federal funds because of the action recommended 
moments ago to pass S. 1694 which is identical to H.R. 3633--an action 
that means the bill will become law.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mr. PALLONE. I yield to the gentlewoman 1 additional minute.
  Ms. HARMAN. Let me finally say that the PSIC extension legislation is 
supported by the major city police chiefs, the National Governors 
Association, the National Emergency Management Association, the 
Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials, the 
Telecommunications Industry Association, mayors in Los Angeles, New 
York and Houston, the Los Angeles County Sheriff--Lee Baca--and many 
others because they know that having interoperable communications in 
our cities and regions is critical.
  Just as metastatic breast cancer is an emergency that we must deal 
with, so is the lack of a truly national interoperable communications 
capability. We took a big step this morning. I hope we will take a 
bigger step later this year.
  I thank Chairman Pallone for the work that he does on the Health 
Subcommittee. I am proud to be a member.
  Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Nevada (Ms. Berkley).
  Ms. BERKLEY. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I had not planned to speak on this resolution when I 
came to the floor, but after listening to Ms. DeLauro's eloquent 
discussion of it, I felt duty-bound to weigh in as well in very strong 
support.
  There isn't a woman in my family who has not died from breast 
cancer--both of my grandparents, all of my aunts, of which I had 
several, and my mother. My sister, thank goodness, is a survivor, and 
has just celebrated the birth of her first grandchild herself; but it 
is in our family, and I cannot tell you how important this resolution 
is to increase the awareness of this deadly disease.
  By the time my mother passed away, her breast cancer had metastasized 
throughout her body, and as she lay there with her family around her, 
she couldn't help but ask why she was still there. It broke our hearts 
to see this woman who had raised us so well and who was so strong in 
our family literally fall apart before our very eyes.
  So I hope that this resolution will increase the awareness of this 
dreaded disease that hits almost every household in the United States 
and that causes such pain and suffering. Let us be aware of it, and let 
us use this opportunity to educate our fellow citizens so that they can 
receive the treatment they need in a timely manner so they do not 
suffer as my entire family has.
  I want to thank the gentlewoman from Connecticut, and want to urge 
all of my colleagues to give this resolution a resounding thumbs up.

                              {time}  1115

  Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I would just urge everyone to support this 
resolution. I particularly want to thank the survivors, Mrs. Myrick, 
Ms. DeLauro, and Ms. Wasserman Schultz.
  They just spend so much time devoted to this issue, whether it's 
research, treatment, to try to find a cure or to just raise awareness. 
I never cease to be amazed by their efforts. I want to thank them and I 
urge everyone to pass the resolution.
  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 New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 787.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________