[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 180 (Friday, December 11, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H9275]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      A TRIBUTE TO MEG MECCARIELLO

  (Mr. KATKO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life of 
Meg Lawyer-Meccariello, who fought a hard battle against mesothelioma, 
an asbestos-related cancer.
  Early in my term I met Meg in my office in Washington when she came 
to share the story of her sister, Mary Jo Lawyer Spano, who lost her 
life in her courageous battle with mesothelioma.
  Meg shared how mesothelioma had tragically impacted her family, 
claiming the lives of Mary Jo and her father and leaving Meg and her 
sisters with unnerving diagnoses.
  I vividly remember Meg's frustration and disparity by the information 
and lack of awareness about mesothelioma.
  Despite all of this, Meg was a tremendous advocate for finding a cure 
for this terrible disease. Meg was instrumental in the introduction of 
legislation named in her sister's honor which would create the Nation's 
first mesothelioma patient registry.
  I will continue to champion this legislation in Congress, now in 
memory of both Mary Jo and Meg. Meg lived with hope, strength, and 
grace, and she left this world a better place.
  The Meccariello and Lawyer families are in our prayers.

                          ____________________