[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 129 (Thursday, September 26, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1386]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES R. LANGEVIN

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 26, 2013

  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I recently met with a passionate 
constituent from Rhode Island who told me of her mother's struggles 
with pancreatic cancer. Katie Boucher recounted the story of her 
mother, Marie Boucher, who was diagnosed in 2008 and passed away just 
four months later at the age of 59. Her story resonated with me, not 
only because my own grandfather battled pancreatic cancer, but because 
an estimated 45,000 people were diagnosed with this illness in 2013 
alone.
  Despite great advancements in medical science, we are still woefully 
behind the mark when it comes to pancreatic cancer. To make matters 
worse, the budgetary impacts of sequestration are forcing cut-backs at 
the National Institutes of Health, which is responsible for funding 
much of the biomedical research across the country.
  Mr. Speaker, we can achieve deficit reduction without sacrificing the 
vital research that not only drives better health outcomes, but also 
drives our local economies. I ask my colleagues to join me in urging 
stronger funding for NIH and a stronger focus on biomedical research, 
not just for Marie Boucher and her daughter, but for the thousands of 
people who are fighting for their lives in every single district across 
the country.

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