[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 172 (Monday, November 30, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H8433-H8435]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        BREAST CANCER RESEARCH STAMP REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2015

  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (S. 1170) to amend title 39, United States Code, to extend the 
authority of the United States Postal Service to issue a semipostal to 
raise funds for breast cancer research, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 1170

       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 ``Breast Cancer Research Stamp 
     Reauthorization Act of 2015''.

[[Page H8434]]

  


     SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF POSTAGE STAMP FOR BREAST CANCER 
                   RESEARCH.

       Section 414(h) of title 39, United States Code, is amended 
     by striking ``2015'' and inserting ``2019''.

     SEC. 3. ENSURING THAT FUNDS GENERATED BY SPECIAL POSTAGE 
                   STAMP SALES ARE USED FOR BREAST CANCER 
                   RESEARCH.

       Section 414(c)(1) of title 39, United States Code, is 
     amended in the matter following subparagraph (B) by adding at 
     the end the following: ``An agency that receives amounts from 
     the Postal Service under this paragraph shall use the amounts 
     for breast cancer research.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Chaffetz) and the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson 
Coleman) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Utah.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CHAFFETZ. 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 materials on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Utah?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in support of S. 1170, the Breast Cancer Research Stamp 
Reauthorization Act of 2015. It is sponsored primarily by Senator 
Dianne Feinstein of California.
  S. 1170 extends a requirement for the United States Postal Service to 
produce and sell a specific semipostal stamp with the proceeds going to 
fund breast cancer research.
  Importantly, all of the funds collected must be used for breast 
cancer research, and S. 1170 includes explicit language to ensure that 
this is the case. Since the stamp was launched in 1998, it has raised 
nearly $82 million for breast cancer research.
  This money is sent to two research programs. The bulk of the money, 
70 percent, goes to the National Institutes of Health, and the 
remaining 30 percent goes to the medical research program at the 
Department of Defense. We hold both of these organizations accountable 
and should continue vigorous oversight of them.
  Both the NIH and Department of Defense select specific programs and 
proposals to receive funding and report on these programs each year. 
The funds raised by this stamp have helped make meaningful advances in 
the fight against breast cancer.
  I urge Members to support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise in strong support of S. 1170, the Breast Cancer Research Stamp 
Reauthorization Act of 2015. I thank Senator Feinstein of California 
for her leadership on the legislation and her commitment to funding 
breast cancer research. This is a very important bipartisan issue, and 
25 Senators have joined Senator Feinstein in sponsoring this 
legislation.
  I also want to thank my colleague, Representative Speier, also from 
California, for introducing the House companion bill, which has 59 
cosponsors from both sides of the aisle.
  I thank Chairman Chaffetz for bringing this bill to the floor and for 
his support of this crucial legislation.
  S. 1170 would extend the authority of the United States Postal 
Service to issue the popular semipostal stamp that raises funds for 
breast cancer research. Currently, Postal Service customers can choose 
to buy a 60-cent breast cancer research stamp. The extra 11 cents above 
the price of the regular first-class stamp minus the Postal Service's 
administrative costs go to lifesaving research.
  Since its first issuance in 1998, the Postal Service has sold almost 
1 billion breast cancer research stamps, generating nearly $82 million 
that has gone directly to the National Institutes of Health and the 
Department of Defense to fund vital research.
  In a 2014 report to Congress, the National Cancer Institute of the 
NIH has concluded: Having this additional funding has furthered the 
cancer research community's efforts to exploit increasing knowledge of 
genetics and molecular biology to develop more effective and less toxic 
treatments for breast cancer.
  Research funding from this semipostal stamp is critical in the fight 
against breast cancer, as one in eight women in the United States will 
develop invasive breast cancer during her lifetime, according to the 
American Cancer Society.
  Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women 
after lung cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that, in 2015, 
about 40,000 women will die from this disease.
  If we do not pass the measure before us today, the authorization for 
the Postal Service to sell the breast cancer research stamp will expire 
by the end of the year.
  I, therefore, will urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to 
support S. 1170.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from California, Ms. Speier.
  Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for joining in this 
effort tonight. I would like to thank my colleague and coauthor of the 
House version of this bill, H.R. 2191, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, for 
her support and leadership on this issue. I want to also thank Senator 
Dianne Feinstein and Senator Enzi. Senator Feinstein has supported this 
legislation. She was actually the original author of the legislation 
back in 1997.

                              {time}  1915

  Breast cancer, there is probably not one person in this room who 
hasn't been touched by breast cancer either themselves, through a 
family member, or through a friend.
  Our courageous colleagues, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, 
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Senator Heidi Heitkamp, and spouses 
of many Members have all been impacted. My mother survived breast 
cancer. One of my best friends did not. My health legislative assistant 
who worked on this legislation lost her mother to breast cancer. She 
was only 13 years of age when her mother died.
  This is an important bill. What is most important about it is the 
fact that we have made some progress. But still, one in eight women 
will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. It is still the second 
leading cause of death for women in this country.
  What is really important about this legislation is the genesis of 
this legislation. It is an all-American story. It reminds me of the 
quote by Margaret Mead:
  ``Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens 
can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.''
  In this case, there is the story of an immigrant who came to this 
country, got educated here, and became a doctor at 26. He became a 
breast cancer surgeon in Sacramento, California. His name is Dr. Ernie 
Bodai. He was concerned and frustrated by the slow pace of breast 
cancer research and all the surgeries he found himself doing over and 
over again.
  So what did this breast cancer surgeon do? He came to Congress. He 
made 15 trips to Congress. He spent over $100,000 of his personal money 
to convince Congress to pass a bill authorizing a breast cancer stamp. 
In so doing, he was able to generate over, as we have heard already 
tonight, $80 million. In fact, we are coming close to having sold 
almost a million stamps in this country for breast cancer research.
  One man had a vision. He came to Congress. It took him over 2 years 
to convince us to do it, but we did it. It is time now to reauthorize 
the legislation, and I am hopeful that we will do it, because it has in 
fact shown to be very effective. In fact, it has been used in finding 
genes that are protective against breast cancer, linking treatment 
outcomes with certain genes, and identifying women with a low risk of 
recurrence who can be spared chemotherapy.
  So, my colleagues, this is an important bill to reauthorize. The 
deadline is, as we have been told, fast approaching. Let's continue the 
search for a cure. Let's be part of that search by buying breast cancer 
stamps and by reauthorizing the bill.
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Wyoming (Mrs. Lummis).

[[Page H8435]]

  

  Mrs. LUMMIS. I thank the gentleman from Utah, and I want to thank him 
for bringing this bill to the floor. I also want to thank the majority 
leader, Kevin McCarthy, for bringing this bill to the floor tonight so 
we can see this authorization through before the end of this calendar 
year.
  I am proud to join my friend, Jackie Speier, my colleague from 
California, and other House colleagues, as well as Senator Dianne 
Feinstein and my Senator and dear friend, Mike Enzi from Wyoming, in 
passing this reauthorization bill.
  The stamp says, ``Fund the Fight. Find a Cure.'' That is why we are 
here tonight. This is a budget-neutral way to fund critical research to 
treat and, hopefully, one day cure this disease.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in proud support of the Breast Cancer 
Research Stamp Reauthorization Act of 2015. To have over $80 million 
raised since 1998 from this stamp for breast cancer research and have 
it be budget-neutral is a wonderful way to acknowledge the importance 
of what we can do as private citizens once the government authorizes 
and empowers us to fund research through something we would buy every 
day anyway, and that is stamps.
  So, once again, it is so important that we continue to support this 
funding of medical research and doing it in a fiscally responsible way 
that could save hundreds of lives. Who knows; maybe that one little 
book of stamps that you buy that helps fund breast cancer research will 
be the one that finds the cure.
  Fund the fight. Find a cure.
  Mr. Speaker, again, I want to thank my colleague, Jackie Speier; the 
committee chairman, Jason Chaffetz; the majority leader, Kevin 
McCarthy; and everyone who has cosponsored this bill, worked on this 
bill, brought it through the Senate, and brings it to the attention of 
the House of Representatives tonight.
  We can fund the fight. We can find a cure. And tonight, this is the 
best way to move forward with that goal in mind.
  Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I want to thank all those involved because, as was noted earlier, 
every life in this building and across this country and across the 
world has been touched by breast cancer. I lost my mom to breast 
cancer. I lost my dad to cancer as well--colon cancer.
  This is a program that seems to work. It has been in place since 
before the year 2000. The numbers are quite startling. Instead of 
paying 49 cents for a stamp, you pay 60 cents. And that money, 
accumulated over time, has generated tens of millions of dollars. It is 
something that is worthwhile.
  I appreciate Mr. McCarthy and his passion for this issue. I 
appreciate Mrs. Lummis and her desire to tackle this. I also appreciate 
what Ms. Speier and Mrs. Watson Coleman have added to this discussion 
and their passion on tackling this issue. It truly transcends 
everything we do. It touches every life, and it is something we must 
win and we must overcome. This happens to be one of those government 
programs that actually works.
  And so we are suggesting to our colleagues that we vote ``aye'' and 
support this and allow it to continue. It is one of the good things we 
do.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in support 
of S. 1170, the ``Breast Cancer Research Stamp Reauthorization Act of 
2015.''
  I would like to recognize Senator Feinstein for her commendable 
leadership in fighting for greater awareness of breast cancer and 
finding cures and treatment through breast cancer research.
  This is a simple yet incredibly power piece of legislation.
  S. 1170 will reauthorize through December 31, 2019, the Breast Cancer 
Research Stamp, which will require the U.S. Postal Service to issue a 
special postage stamp for first-class mail that costs more than the 
regular first-class stamp in order to raise funds for breast cancer 
research.
  Importantly, agencies receiving these funds from the Postal Service 
must use them on breast cancer research.
  Breast cancer accounts for 1 in 4 cancer diagnoses among women in 
this country.
  This is an astonishing statistic that cannot be overstated--it must 
be stopped.
  Breast cancer is also the most commonly diagnosed cancer among 
African American women.
  As an African American woman and I am a breast cancer survivor and I 
know these statistics all too well.
  As a Member of Congress, a mother, grandmother, sister and wife, it 
is my responsibility and duty to fight to insure that every American 
can win in the fight against cancer.
  I understand first-hand how important proper and adequate funding is 
to defeat breast cancer.
  As a proud cancer survivor, I am also proud to have secured adoption 
of an amendment to the FY 2014 Defense Appropriation Act that increased 
funding for breast cancer research by $10 million.
  We must continue to raise funds for research in order to ensure that 
the women of our nation no longer have to suffer.
  This bill will ensure that additional funds will be used towards 
life-saving research to protect all of our grandmothers, mothers, 
daughters, sisters, aunts and love ones.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Utah (Mr. Chaffetz) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, S. 1170.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. CHAFFETZ. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________