[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 149 (Tuesday, December 9, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H8889-H8891]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   EARLY ACT REAUTHORIZATION OF 2014

  Mrs. ELMERS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 5185) to reauthorize the Young Women's Breast Health 
Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young Act of 2009, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5185

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``EARLY Act Reauthorization of 
     2014''.

     SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF THE YOUNG WOMEN'S BREAST HEALTH 
                   EDUCATION AND AWARENESS REQUIRES LEARNING YOUNG 
                   ACT OF 2009.

       Section 399NN(h) of the Public Health Service Act (42 
     U.S.C. 280m(h)) is amended by striking ``$9,000,000 for each 
     of the fiscal years 2010 through 2014'' and inserting 
     ``$4,900,000 for each of fiscal years 2015 through 2019''.

     SEC. 3. GAO REPORT ON HHS ACTIVITIES TO PROVIDE BREAST CANCER 
                   EDUCATION.

       Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall 
     submit to the appropriate committees of the Congress a 
     report--
       (1) listing and detailing the activities of the Department 
     of Health and Human Services that provide or support breast 
     cancer education described in subsection (a), (b), (c), or 
     (d) of section 399NN of the Public Health Service Act (42 
     U.S.C. 280m); and
       (2) identifying any such activities that are duplicative 
     with each other or with other Federal breast cancer education 
     efforts.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
North Carolina (Mrs. Ellmers) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gene 
Green) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from North Carolina.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. ELLMERS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
insert extraneous materials in the Record on the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. ELLMERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Upton), the chairman of the Energy and Commerce 
Committee.
  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise this afternoon in strong support of 
H.R. 5185, the EARLY Act. This very important bipartisan bill would 
reauthorize education and outreach programs at the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention created to highlight the breast cancer risks 
facing young women.
  Breast cancer, as we know, is an issue that hits close to home for 
many Americans. While most breast cancers are found in women who are 
over 50 years old or older, about 11 percent of all new cases of breast 
cancer in the U.S. are found in women 45 and younger. And while 
diagnosis and treatment are difficult for women of any age, young 
survivors often find it even more challenging.
  This bill would reauthorize the important programs created in the 
EARLY Act, first passed to increase an understanding of breast cancer 
among young women by conducting prevention research and a campaign to 
raise awareness among the public and medical providers about early 
cases of breast cancer.
  This bill continues to improve the health and quality of life of 
young breast cancer survivors and young women who are at a higher risk 
of getting the disease.
  I want to particularly thank the two authors of the bill, 
Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, herself a breast cancer 
survivor, and Energy and Commerce Committee member Renee Ellmers, who 
is managing the bill this afternoon. I am so proud to support this 
effort.
  The prevention, treatment, and ultimately curing of diseases requires 
an all-hands-on-deck effort to not only educate but also innovate on 
new cures and treatments.
  Early this year, the Energy and Commerce Committee embarked on the 
21st Century Cures initiative with a goal of finding cures and 
treatments for thousands without one, including this terrible disease.

                              {time}  1400

  Sadly, we have all been touched in some manner by cancer or some 
other disease, whether it is a personal diagnosis or a courageous fight 
by a loved one. We have been encouraged and humbled by the support that 
we have seen for this initiative, but also understand that there is a 
great deal of work ahead. We look forward to meeting that challenge, 
and this bill helps us.
  I would urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Again, I 
particularly want to commend the two gentleladies who will be speaking 
here this afternoon and urge all my colleagues to vote for it, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to our 
colleague from Florida, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the 
Democratic sponsor of this legislation.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 
5185, the reauthorization of the Breast Health Education and Awareness 
Requires Learning Young Act, or the EARLY Act.
  The EARLY Act, which I first introduced in 2009 with my good friend 
and former colleague Sue Myrick of North Carolina, was cosponsored by a 
humbling 378 Members of the House and became law in 2010.
  This law, which has been capably implemented by the U.S. Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention, must now be reauthorized so we can 
ensure the good work being done by the CDC can continue.
  I am very thankful to my good friend, Congresswoman Renee Ellmers, 
for leading the reauthorization effort with me this year. I also deeply 
appreciate the support and assistance of Chairman Fred Upton and 
Ranking Member Frank Pallone in helping bring this reauthorization bill 
to the floor today. It would not have happened without their 
willingness and their support.
  Lastly, but certainly not least, thank you to Senators Amy Klobuchar 
and David Vitter for sponsoring the Senate version of this important 
reauthorization bill.
  The EARLY Act focuses, Mr. Speaker, on a central tenet, that we must 
empower young women to understand their bodies and speak up for their 
health. Too many women and their health practitioners think that breast

[[Page H8890]]

cancer is not something that happens to younger women, but the hard 
truth is that more than 26,000 women under age 45 are diagnosed with 
this deadly disease each year, and too often, their breast cancer is a 
more aggressive form and is caught later than it should be.
  The EARLY Act created a crucial education and outreach campaign 
administered by the CDC and highlights the breast cancer risks facing 
young women while empowering them with the tools they need to fight 
this deadly disease.
  It is also designed to help education and sensitize healthcare 
providers about the specific threats and warning signs of breast cancer 
in younger women that lead to early detection, diagnosis, and survival.
  The EARLY Act also created the Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer in 
Young Women within the CDC, made up of breast cancer medical 
professionals and advocates from around the Nation. The advisory 
committee is hard at work developing evidence-based messages for groups 
at high risk, from genetic testing to fertility preservation and the 
basics of insurance coverage.
  The CDC is rolling out a number of targeted media outreach strategies 
to reach specific groups of young women who are more at risk for 
developing breast cancer.
  Understanding these risks is critical, Mr. Speaker, because the 
statistics are sobering. One in eight women we know will get breast 
cancer in her lifetime. Breast cancer strikes women from all 
backgrounds, races, and ethnicities. It strikes the rich and the poor, 
those with access to quality health care and those with little or no 
health care.
  I was a young woman at high risk, but I didn't know it. Just months 
after a clean mammogram in late 2007--I know my colleagues here have 
heard me tell my story--I heard those terrible words, ``You have breast 
cancer.''
  Thinking of my children and their future, I underwent seven 
surgeries, including a double mastectomy, and for as much as I thought 
I knew as an advocate in the fight against breast cancer throughout my 
legislative career, there was so much I didn't know.
  I did not know that as an Ashkenazi Jew, I was five times more likely 
to have a genetic mutation that drastically increased the likelihood of 
getting breast or ovarian cancer. I did not know that I am in fact a 
carrier of the BRCA gene, which gave me up to an 85 percent lifetime 
chance of getting breast cancer and up to a 60 percent chance of 
getting ovarian cancer.
  I was fortunate that I had the resources I needed to learn about my 
risks and got the help I needed, but I didn't find my tumor through 
luck, Mr. Speaker. I found it through knowledge and awareness, which is 
what the EARLY Act has been able to give so many young women.
  After I was diagnosed with breast cancer and experienced the 
importance of early detection firsthand, I knew that I had to introduce 
legislation to help other young women facing this terrible disease.
  In the first few years of this law, the CDC has already accomplished 
incredible work: identifying where the gaps exist in education and 
awareness among young women and healthcare providers about breast 
health; supporting young survivors through grants to organizations 
focused on helping these survivors cope with the many unique challenges 
that they face as young survivors, including fertility preservation and 
long-term survivorship challenges; and in implementing a targeted media 
campaign, including innovative social media efforts to reach women at 
the highest risk.
  The EARLY Act has also supported specific statewide initiatives. In 
Georgia, the State established a statewide breast cancer genetics 
services network for referrals of women at high risk and to help 
collect baseline and post-implementation data.
  In 2012, Michigan distributed over 14,000 Michigan Department of 
Community Health cancer family history guides to assist providers in 
identifying high-risk patients for referral to genetic specialists.
  In addition to the 30 bipartisan cosponsors here in the House, the 
reauthorization of the EARLY Act has the support of the Susan G. Komen 
foundation, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, 
Livestrong Foundation, Young Survival Coalition, Living Beyond Breast 
Cancer, Cancer Support Community, FORCE, the Black Women's Health 
Imperative, and the Tigerlily Foundation.
  I know these groups have a deep understanding of both the amazing 
work we have accomplished so far but also the challenges that lie 
ahead. We must continue these important efforts and empower more women 
with the knowledge and tools they need to fight this disease, not just 
to survive, but to thrive. Together, we can save more of our moms, 
sisters, grandmothers, daughters, and sister friends.
  Please help us keep up the momentum and stand with Congresswoman 
Ellmers and myself and countless young women in support of 
reauthorization of the EARLY Act.
  Mr. Speaker, if I might add, on Sunday, I marked a celebration of 7 
years as a survivor of breast cancer, so this is particularly poignant 
and significant, and I am so appreciative of the leadership of the 
House on both sides of the aisle for giving this bill the full 
attention that it needs and deserves.
  Mrs. ELLMERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I just want to say that I am so proud and honored to 
have been asked to join with my good friend, Debbie Wasserman Schultz 
from Florida, as an original cosponsor on this very important 
bipartisan EARLY Act and thrilled to see this reauthorization 
considered in the House of Representatives.
  The EARLY Act has a proven record of success, saving countless lives 
through both preventive and early detection measures. Unfortunately, 
like many good friends like my friend from Florida, they were stricken 
with an awful cancer.
  There are still far too many courageous women fighting this disease, 
including a dear friend of mine back home in Dunn, Fonnie Godwin. 
Fonnie was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 42, and 4 years 
later, she continues her courageous fight against this disease.
  The EARLY Act will serve to shed light on this disease and give hope 
to all women like Fonnie who are still fighting this awful, awful 
cancer. This legislation ensures that all women, young and old, have 
the information and resources necessary to protect themselves and also 
supports those who are in remission.
  This legislation will continue its important work of educating future 
generations on the risks associated with this disease. I look forward 
to seeing the EARLY Act pass this House and advance on to the Senate 
today.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as 
I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5185, the EARLY Act 
Reauthorization of 2014. According to the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention, over 220,000 women and 2,000 men were diagnosed with 
breast cancer in 2011, making breast cancer the most common cancer 
among women. Approximately 11 percent of the new breast cancer cases 
occur in women under 45 years of age.
  Young women who have close relatives diagnosed with breast cancer 
before age 45, have changes in certain breast cancer genes, were 
treated with radiation therapy to the breast or the chest as a child or 
a young adult, or possess certain other risk factors may be at higher 
risk for getting breast cancer at a young age.
  The EARLY Act was first signed into law in 2010 to improve young 
women's breast health awareness and assist young women diagnosed with 
breast cancer. The act has supported public health research on breast 
cancer in young women, communication and education initiatives, and 
support services to young breast cancer survivors and their families.
  Mr. Speaker, today's legislation reauthorizes the EARLY Act at 
currently appropriated funding levels and requires a study to identify 
any activities under the act that are duplicative of other Federal 
breast cancer education efforts.
  I want to acknowledge Representatives Wasserman Schultz and Ellmers 
for their work on this issue and also thank leaders and staff on the 
Energy and Commerce Committee for helping to bring H.R. 5185 to the 
floor today.

[[Page H8891]]

  I urge colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation. Breast 
cancer is an issue that has touched almost every family I know, and 
this is one way Congress can react to it.
  Mr. Speaker, we are ready to close, and we have no other speakers.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. ELLMERS. Mr. Speaker, we are ready to close.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I just want to say again thank you to my good friend for allowing me 
to be a part of this. I know how important it is to her and, again, 
thousands and thousands like her; and, again, to my friend Fonnie 
Godwin back home, Fonnie has touched so many lives. She is a teacher, 
she is a wife and a mother, and she is involved in her church and her 
community.
  On Christmas Eve, she will be at First Presbyterian Church in Dunn 
playing the bells in the choir. I always see a smile on Fonnie's face, 
and today, I want to make that smile even bigger.
  Again, Mr. Speaker, thank you so much for allowing this to move 
forward today, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Fleischmann). The question is on the 
motion offered by the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Ellmers) 
that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5185, as 
amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________