[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 70 (Tuesday, April 30, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H3311]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1215
         RISING FOR LORI SMITH AND COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING

  (Ms. HOULAHAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Ms. HOULAHAN. Madam Speaker, today I rise for Lori Smith of 
Pennsylvania, a member of my community who passed away last month after 
a very long and hard-fought battle with stage IV colorectal cancer.
  When she first received her diagnosis, Lori learned that several of 
the symptoms that she had been experiencing had been there for over a 
decade. So, Lori stood up. She harnessed the power of social media and 
advocacy to share her story with the world, to stand up and fight for 
her life and the lives of all those affected by this insidious disease.
  We met with Lori's husband, Kenny, here in Washington to hear of her 
brave fight and of their tireless work to make sure that other families 
never have to go through the pain that they went through.
  That was March 19. Lori passed away on March 20.
  I refuse to let Lori's death and the thousands of cancer-related 
deaths go unnoticed. I cosponsored H.R. 1570, the Colorectal Cancer 
Screening Act, which would waive Medicare's cost-sharing requirements 
for preventive screening of colonoscopies.
  I urge the House and the Senate to pass this bipartisan and 
lifesaving legislation.
  As we continue to search for a cure, the greatest tool at our 
disposal is always early diagnosis. No one in our country should ever 
have to forego lifesaving screenings.
  And to all my fellow Americans battling cancer, I will not stop 
fighting for you.

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