[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 113 (Monday, July 20, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1083]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             BREAST CANCER AWARENESS COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT

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                               speech of

                           HON. GARRET GRAVES

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 14, 2015

  Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, breast cancer is the most 
common cancer among American women, except for skin cancers. In fact, 
current statistics show that about 1 in 8 women in the United States 
will develop invasive breast cancer during their lifetime. It is 
estimated that in the United States 231,840 women will be diagnosed 
with and 40,290 women will die of cancer of the breast in 2015. This 
means that every 13 minutes a woman dies of breast cancer in the United 
States.
   Due to early detection, increased awareness and improved approaches 
to treatment, death rates from breast cancer have decreased since 1989, 
but it is still the second leading cause of death in women. It is the 
most frequently diagnosed cancer among nearly every racial and ethnic 
group, including African American, American Indian, Alaska native, 
Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic/Latina women. African-American 
women have the highest death rates of all racial and ethnic groups 
overall and are at least 44 percent more likely to die of breast cancer 
as compared to other racial and ethnic groups. This is largely due to 
disease type and lack of adequate care.
   Approximately $16.5 billion is spent on breast cancer treatment in 
the United States according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The 
NCI also estimates that the cost of breast cancer treatment will 
continue to rise if current trends hold steady. Finding a cure for 
breast cancer is in the best interest of the American public and is a 
goal of the United States government.
   While combined funding for breast cancer research through the 
National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense's Breast 
Cancer Research Program and the National Cancer Institute approaches 
one billion dollars, additional private sector support for breast 
cancer research will help us find a cure even faster.
   H.R. 2722, the Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin Act is 
designed to generate additional funding for breast cancer research at 
no cost to taxpayers. The bill compels the U.S. Treasury to raise money 
for breast cancer research through the sale of $5 pink gold coins, and 
$1 silver commemorative coins in 2018. The additional funding for 
breast cancer research will aid the efforts currently underway to find 
a cure for this deadly cancer.
   This week, it was brought to the attention of this body that the 
largest non-government funder of breast cancer research and initially 
selected as one of the recipients of breast cancer research funding 
pursuant to H.R. 2722, issues grants to Planned Parenthood. This 
development gave me pause and conflicted with my well-established pro-
life convictions. While I commend work on breast cancer research, I am 
against any direct or indirect federal funding for abortion.
   I was pleased that we were able to resolve the issue by amending the 
recipient of funds generated pursuant to the Breast Cancer Awareness 
Commemorative Coin Act, H.R. 2722 and designating 100% of the funds to 
the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. I supported the amended version 
of H.R. 2722 and was proud to see this legislation pass through the 
House. I encourage my colleagues in the Senate take up this bill so 
that we can move forward with the good and necessary work of pursuing a 
cure for the most common cancer in women worldwide.

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