[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 23362]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       20TH ANNIVERSARY OF NATIONAL BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I rise today to share my support and 
thoughts on the 20th anniversary of October's designation as National 
Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I am pleased to see the dedication and 
awareness that has grown over the past 2 decades regarding this 
specific type of cancer.
  Twenty years ago, very few people openly discussed breast cancer. 
General public awareness regarding the high occurrence or symptoms was 
next to none. As a result many lives were lost do to the lack of 
knowledge and education regarding detection, treatment, and prevention. 
However, over the past 2 decades awareness has reached astronomical 
levels. Today, breast cancer awareness is displayed by various 
organizations and facets of all kinds both in and out of the health 
care community. Most of all breast care awareness is highlighted by the 
growing number of survivors who are alive to share their stories of 
difficulty and hope. That alone is a feat in itself which shows that 
public awareness has grown and continues to do so.
  My wife Barbara is one of these survivors, who battled this 
condition, not once, but twice. If it was not for the continuous 
efforts over the past 2 decades, my wife may not have had the knowledge 
or encouragement to detect early symptoms and seek diagnosis and 
treatment. My family and I are thankful everyday that Barbra made it 
through these difficult ordeals. Together we learned how important it 
is for women of all ages to be proactive in learning about prevention, 
detecting symptoms, and seeking early treatment.
  I applaud the various efforts that are being carried out nationwide 
by varying entities such as business, corporations, media, 
publications, schools, spokespersons, and women and men of all ages. 
This widespread dedication is a tremendous force that has proven to be 
influential in our Nation's efforts to combat this disease.
  I believe it is important for all of us to take an active part in 
helping to educate the public and find a cure. Currently, there are 
legislative initiatives geared towards increasing research and funding 
for all types of cancer, including breast cancer. It is my hope that as 
this Congress draws to a close that we work together in a broad 
bipartisan manner to see that we secure necessary funding for the 
National Institutes of Health, NIH, and the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention, CDC. The President has requested inadequate funding 
levels in the fiscal year 2005 budget for these programs, which oversee 
a great deal of cancer research done in this country. As a member of 
the Senate Committee on Appropriations I was pleased to support and 
help pass increased funding for the NIH and CDC in the fiscal year 2005 
Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriation bill. But 
it is still critical that my colleagues work in a bipartisan manner and 
support these increases as we complete the final stages of the 
appropriations process.
  Once again, I commend the work and dedication of all the individuals 
who continue to bring awareness to this important cause in the month of 
October, as well as year round. These efforts have saved numerous lives 
and will someday hopefully eradicate this type of cancer.

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