[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 12249-12254]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1915
       CAROLINE PRYCE WALKER CONQUER CHILDHOOD CANCER ACT OF 2008

  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1553) to amend the Public Health Service Act to advance 
medical research and treatments into pediatric cancers, ensure patients 
and families have access to the current treatments and information 
regarding pediatric cancers, establish a population-based national 
childhood cancer database, and promote public awareness of pediatric 
cancers, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1553

       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 ``Caroline Pryce Walker 
     Conquer Childhood Cancer Act of 2008''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) Cancer kills more children than any other disease.
       (2) Each year cancer kills more children between 1 and 20 
     years of age than asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, and 
     AIDS, combined.
       (3) Every year, over 12,500 young people are diagnosed with 
     cancer.
       (4) Each year about 2,300 children and teenagers die from 
     cancer.
       (5) One in every 330 Americans develops cancer before age 
     20.
       (6) Some forms of childhood cancer have proven to be so 
     resistant that even in spite of the great research strides 
     made, most of those children die. Up to 75 percent of the 
     children with cancer can now be cured.
       (7) The causes of most childhood cancers are not yet known.
       (8) Childhood cancers are mostly those of the white blood 
     cells (leukemias), brain, bone, the lymphatic system, and 
     tumors of the muscles, kidneys, and nervous system. Each of 
     these behaves differently, but all are characterized by an 
     uncontrolled proliferation of abnormal cells.
       (9) Eighty percent of the children who are diagnosed with 
     cancer have disease which has already spread to distant sites 
     in the body.
       (10) Ninety percent of children with a form of pediatric 
     cancer are treated at one of the more than 200 Children's 
     Oncology Group member institutions throughout the United 
     States.

     SEC. 3. PURPOSES.

       It is the purpose of this Act to authorize appropriations 
     to--
       (1) encourage the support for pediatric cancer research and 
     other activities related to pediatric cancer;
       (2) establish a comprehensive national childhood cancer 
     registry; and

[[Page 12250]]

       (3) provide informational services to patients and families 
     affected by childhood cancer.

     SEC. 4. PEDIATRIC CANCER RESEARCH AND AWARENESS; NATIONAL 
                   CHILDHOOD CANCER REGISTRY.

       (a) Pediatric Cancer Research and Awareness.--Subpart 1 of 
     part C of title IV of the Public Health Service Act (42 
     U.S.C. 285 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:

     ``SEC. 417E. PEDIATRIC CANCER RESEARCH AND AWARENESS.

       ``(a) Pediatric Cancer Research.--
       ``(1) Programs of research excellence in pediatric 
     cancer.--The Secretary, in collaboration with the Director of 
     NIH and other Federal agencies with interest in prevention 
     and treatment of pediatric cancer, shall continue to enhance, 
     expand, and intensify pediatric cancer research and other 
     activities related to pediatric cancer, including 
     therapeutically applicable research to generate effective 
     treatments, pediatric preclinical testing, and pediatric 
     clinical trials through National Cancer Institute-supported 
     pediatric cancer clinical trial groups and their member 
     institutions. In enhancing, expanding, and intensifying such 
     research and other activities, the Secretary is encouraged to 
     take into consideration the application of such research and 
     other activities for minority, health disparity, and 
     medically underserved communities. For purposes of this 
     section, the term `pediatric cancer research' means research 
     on the causes, prevention, diagnosis, recognition, treatment, 
     and long-term effects of pediatric cancer.
       ``(2) Peer review requirements.--All grants awarded under 
     this subsection shall be awarded in accordance with section 
     492.
       ``(b) Public Awareness of Pediatric Cancers and Available 
     Treatments and Research.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary may award grants to 
     childhood cancer professional and direct service 
     organizations for the expansion and widespread implementation 
     of--
       ``(A) activities that provide available information on 
     treatment protocols to ensure early access to the best 
     available therapies and clinical trials for pediatric 
     cancers;
       ``(B) activities that provide available information on the 
     late effects of pediatric cancer treatment to ensure access 
     to necessary long-term medical and psychological care; and
       ``(C) direct resource services such as educational outreach 
     for parents, peer-to-peer and parent-to-parent support 
     networks, information on school re-entry and postsecondary 
     education, and resource directories or referral services for 
     financial assistance, psychological counseling, and other 
     support services.

     In awarding grants under this paragraph, the Secretary is 
     encouraged to take into consideration the extent to which an 
     entity would use such grant for purposes of making activities 
     and services described in this paragraph available to 
     minority, health disparity, and medically underserved 
     communities.
       ``(2) Performance measurement, transparency, and 
     accountability.--For each grant awarded under this 
     subsection, the Secretary shall develop and implement 
     metrics-based performance measures to assess the 
     effectiveness of activities funded under such grant.
       ``(3) Informational requirements.--Any information made 
     available pursuant to a grant awarded under paragraph (1) 
     shall be--
       ``(A) culturally and linguistically appropriate as needed 
     by patients and families affected by childhood cancer; and
       ``(B) approved by the Secretary.
       ``(c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall 
     be construed as being inconsistent with the goals and 
     purposes of the Minority Health and Health Disparities 
     Research and Education Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 202 note).
       ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--For purposes of 
     carrying out this section and section 399E-1, there are 
     authorized to be appropriated $30,000,000 for each of fiscal 
     years 2009 through 2013. Such authorization of appropriations 
     is in addition to the authorization of appropriations 
     established in section 402A with respect to such purpose. 
     Funds appropriated under this subsection shall remain 
     available until expended.''.
       (b) National Childhood Cancer Registry.--Part M of title 
     III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280e et seq.) 
     is amended--
       (1) by inserting after section 399E the following:

     ``SEC. 399E-1. NATIONAL CHILDHOOD CANCER REGISTRY.

       ``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the 
     Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
     shall award a grant to enhance and expand infrastructure to 
     track the epidemiology of pediatric cancer into a 
     comprehensive nationwide registry of actual occurrences of 
     pediatric cancer. Such registry shall be updated to include 
     an actual occurrence within weeks of the date of such 
     occurrence.
       ``(b) Informed Consent and Privacy Requirements and 
     Coordination With Existing Programs.--The registry 
     established pursuant to subsection (a) shall be subject to 
     section 552a of title 5, United States Code, the regulations 
     promulgated under section 264(c) of the Health Insurance 
     Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, applicable 
     Federal and State informed consent regulations, any other 
     applicable Federal and State laws relating to the privacy of 
     patient information, and section 399B(d)(4) of this Act.''; 
     and
       (2) in section 399F(a), by inserting ``(other than section 
     399E-1)'' after ``this part''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Pallone) and the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Terry) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.


                             General Leave

  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, we're here today to consider H.R. 1553, the Caroline 
Pryce Walker Cancer Act of 2008.
  Between infancy and 15 years of age, cancer is the leading cause of 
death by disease among children in the United States. In 2007, 
approximately 10,000 new cases of pediatric cancer were diagnosed in 
children ages 0 to 14 years.
  Although the incidents of invasive cancer has increased slightly over 
the past 30 years, mortality has declined dramatically for many 
childhood cancers. Despite these advances, treatments for some 
childhood cancers are inadequate. Negative effects resulting from 
current pediatric cancer therapies indicate a need to strengthen 
Federal support for activities leading to an enhanced understanding of 
childhood cancers and treatments that are less toxic and more 
effective.
  H.R. 1553 would strengthen the Federal investment in pediatric cancer 
research and reassert Congress's commitment to conquering childhood 
cancer. This legislation directs the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services to continue to enhance, expand, and intensify pediatric cancer 
research and other activities related to pediatric cancer. Furthermore, 
this legislation directs HHS and the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention to enhance and expand infrastructure to track the 
epidemiology of pediatric cancer into a comprehensive nationwide 
registry of actual occurrences of pediatric cancer.
  I want to thank my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee 
for working together in a bipartisan fashion to get this important 
legislation to the floor today. I would also like to commend, in 
particular, Representative Chris Van Hollen and also Representative 
Deborah Pryce, whose diligent work and commitment to this issue are the 
reason we're here today.
  This legislation, Madam Speaker, is named in memory of Representative 
Pryce's 9-year-old daughter Caroline who tragically lost her valiant 
battle against a rare form of cancer, neuroblastoma, on September 4, 
1999. I can't think of a more fitting tribute to Caroline Pryce Walker 
than to see her mother's legislation overwhelmingly pass the House 
floor today.
  I encourage all of my colleagues in the support of this bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TERRY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise with Ranking Member Joe Barton and all of our 
Energy and Commerce colleagues in enthusiastic support of H.R. 1553 
which is called appropriately the Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer 
Childhood Cancer Act of 2008.
  I would like to thank my friend from Ohio (Ms. Pryce) for introducing 
this important piece of legislation. I want to thank Chairman Dingell 
and Subcommittee Chairman Mr. Pallone for working in such a bipartisan 
manner as we moved this bill through our Energy and Commerce Committees
  Because of the bipartisan efforts of all of those involved in this 
legislation, I'm proud to say that the legislation before us today will 
now work in conjunction with the NIH Reform Act of 2006, and I believe 
that this bill should serve as a model for others that seek to improve 
a particular field of research at the NIH.
  As my colleagues are no doubt aware, I firmly believe that it is our 
responsibility as Members of Congress to ensure that the NIH has the 
latitude and flexibility to continue its research in all areas of 
health care.

[[Page 12251]]

  Our focus in Congress should be on ensuring that the NIH, along with 
other relevant Federal agencies, receive the necessary funding to carry 
out their missions; and I believe that Congress must also strive to 
avoid micromanaging the NIH unless we want to inadvertently hamper the 
very scientific discoveries that we all want to see come to fruition.
  Deborah Pryce is a committed mother and a dedicated, tireless 
advocate for ending the dreadful curse of childhood cancer in our great 
Nation and throughout the world. Through this legislation, she is 
honoring not only the memory of her daughter but also the memories of 
all the children and families who have suffered from cancer. As a 
parent, I can't imagine anything more tragic and devastating to see 
your child go through that.
  So we've worked so hard to help improve the research capacity of the 
National Institutes of Health. Always keep in mind that it is my 
sincere desire that these efforts would lead to fewer parents knowing 
this awful feeling of loss.
  We will all greatly miss Representative Pryce after her retirement 
from the House at the end of this Congress. Without question, she is 
leaving both a legacy for her work on behalf of the people of Ohio as 
well as further leadership of the Republicans in the House of 
Representatives.
  Again, I thank my colleagues for their efforts, Mr. Pallone, Mr. 
Dingell, Mr. Barton, and encourage all of my colleagues on this side of 
the aisle to support this legislation.
  With that, Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of our time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I would yield 4 minutes to the lead 
Democratic sponsor of the bill, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Van 
Hollen).
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. I thank my colleague.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill, the Caroline 
Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood Cancer Act of 2008, and I want to first 
and foremost thank my colleague, Deborah Pryce, for her leadership and 
commitment on this very important issue that affects so many children 
and families around our Nation. We're all very grateful to her for 
working to prevent other people and other families from facing the same 
tragic loss that she and her family experienced with the loss of a 
child, and I'm honored to have worked with her on this bipartisan piece 
of legislation.
  I also want to thank Chairman Dingell, Chairman Pallone, Ranking 
Members Barton and Deal and their staffs for working to bring this 
legislation to the floor today and for their commitment on this very 
important issue.
  I think that the title of this bill is a fitting tribute not only to 
Deborah Pryce's daughter, Caroline Pryce Walker, but also to the other 
millions of children who have courageously fought pediatric cancer and 
those who are bravely fighting pediatric cancer today as we speak on 
this floor.
  I have had the opportunity to meet with many of those children and 
their families who are struggling with childhood cancer. One of them, 
Matthew Grossman, was diagnosed at the age of 13 with a very rare brain 
tumor. Before his diagnosis, he was a soccer player, a swimmer, a 
talented young musician from Bethesda, Maryland. Matthew underwent 7 
months of chemotherapy, brain surgery, 6 weeks of daily radiation to 
the brain and spine, and two bone marrow transplants.
  This brave young man has been in full remission since January 2006. 
He went back to school and rejoined his class, despite having been out 
of school for a year and a half. He recently celebrated his 17th 
birthday and continues to play guitar, perform in a band, and sing in 
his school's choir.
  Matthew is one story out of thousands. Unfortunately, there are many 
children who are not as fortunate as Matthew. Cancer remains the number 
one killer of children under the age of 15 who die from disease in this 
country. Pediatric cancer, including brain tumors, comes in many 
variations. Each year there are about 12,000 new cases of pediatric 
cancer. And while the incidents of pediatric cancer has increased, the 
causes are largely unknown.
  Thanks to past funding in childhood cancer research, we know that 78 
percent of childhood cancer patients overall are now able to survive 
the disease. Forty years ago, it was a much different story. Cure rates 
for children with cancer was lower than 10 percent. This shows that 
biomedical research and funding that we've been able to do has saved 
lives, and it's also why we're here today to say we need to finish the 
job and continue the commitment because currently, the NIH has not 
received the funds it needs.
  We know that the President's proposed budget this year has once 
again, unfortunately, been flat funded for NIH. Since the doubling of 
the NIH budget in the year 2003, that funding has not kept pace with 
biomedical inflation, and that has impeded our ability to delay and do 
the research we need into the onset of many diseases. If we fail to 
invest in innovative research at NIH, we will forfeit the opportunities 
to make ground-breaking, life-saving work to save lives.
  The NCI currently spends approximately $170 million a year on 
pediatric cancer research. Much of this now goes to laboratory and pre-
clinical testing. We also need to do the important work to invest in 
clinical trials. An NCI peer review group of scientists in 2002 
recognized this and recommended $54 million in funding for pediatric 
cancer clinical trials. That level was never funded.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman's time has expired.
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, if I could yield the gentleman an 
additional minute.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman.
  That level was never fully funded, and since then, this funding has 
been cut.
  Because Federal funding for pediatric research continues to drop, 
many critical trials have been put at risk. As many as 20 studies has 
been put on hold and enrollment in new clinical trials has decreased by 
more than 400 children. This is taking us in the wrong direction.
  This act will enhance and expand pediatric cancer research activities 
at the NIH, establish a pediatric cancer registry, and increase 
educational informational and support services to patients and families 
affected by childhood cancer.
  Madam Speaker, we can do better in our fight against pediatric 
cancer. Let's help give our children and their families the future they 
so deserve by passing this bill. I urge my colleagues, and once again, 
thank our colleague, Deborah Pryce, for leading by example in this very 
important area.
  Mr. TERRY. Madam Speaker, at this time I yield as much time as she 
may consume to the author and the grand gentlelady from Ohio (Ms. 
Pryce).
  Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. I thank the gentleman for yielding very much.
  Madam Speaker, I believe today we stand on the cusp of something very 
significant, and that is the chance to spare families forevermore from 
having to hear the words ``your child has cancer.'' Today, after many 
hard years of work by staff here on Capitol Hill, by people in the 
administration, by grassroots groups across the country, by concerned 
citizens everywhere, we will consider a bill that will make a historic 
difference in the lives of more than 12,000 children a year who are 
diagnosed with cancer.
  I would like to thank my colleagues, especially Chairman Dingell and 
Chairman Pallone, Ranking Members Barton and Deal, my cosponsor Chris 
Van Hollen who just spoke, a great supporter on my side of the aisle, 
Mike McCaul, and for a new friend that I have found here in Congress, 
Joe Sestak, who also knows the issue far too well and who also has 
heard the words ``your child has cancer.''
  Madam Speaker, some of us that I have just named are rivals of the 
highest degree and the strongest of adversaries when it comes to 
politics and even some issues. But as for the issue of cancer, we have 
a unique way of transcending the political and tapping into what is 
uniquely human among us.

[[Page 12252]]



                              {time}  1930

  I would also like to thank my friend Darlene Hooley and my very dear 
friend Lois Capps, also on the committee, and also Mrs. Capps has been 
one of those sad Members of the club who has heard the words, ``Your 
daughter has cancer.'' I want to thank them for their thoughtfulness, 
that they suggested that this bill be renamed in honor of my daughter, 
Caroline, who as it was mentioned lost her courageous battle with 
cancer 9 years ago.
  In the years that I've been working on this legislation, my friends 
have been with me every step of the way, as has Caroline, making sure 
that her little promise to help those other kids that she played with 
in their fights and so all the kids who come after her won't have to go 
through what she did. Madam Speaker, Caroline would have graduated from 
high school last Friday. This is our graduation gift to her.
  So, yes, this bill is very personal to me, and it should be very 
personal to everyone because there is not a single American who hasn't 
been touched by this dreadful disease called cancer. Unfortunately, 
there are far, far too many, and we must know that a Nation with our 
resources or a Nation with our scientists, our committed doctors and 
oncologists and our fighting spirit, we can and we will do more to 
defeat this disease that attacks our children and put an end to their 
suffering.
  You know, cancer is no longer the mystery that it once was. The 
scientific and medical communities continue to crash through barriers 
every day to unlock cancer's deadly secrets. We will continue to cut 
this opponent down to size, but we continue to lose one in every five 
children diagnosed. Each and every school day, 46 children, more than 
two classrooms, will be diagnosed with cancer; 2,300 of them will die 
from it. We can and we will do better.
  The bill before us today provides the lifeblood necessary to continue 
our advancements in pediatric cancer research, $30 million annually 
over 5 years. It is a very small price to pay for the life years that 
will be saved.
  This bill creates a national database on childhood cancers to help 
researchers detect trends in these diseases, variables like genetics, 
geography and environmental influences that may be sources that are 
possibly causing these diseases which we can't figure out.
  The bill provides for education and information services to patients 
and families to ensure that they are aware of and have access to 
appropriate clinical treatment, as well as the array of needed support 
services. Madam Speaker, nothing equates to the fear and uncertainty 
felt when a parent hears a cancer diagnosis for their child. This will 
give them somewhere to turn.
  What this bill will help us learn about pediatric cancer will likely 
yield breakthroughs in our understanding of other diseases and 
treatments. And pediatric cancer research is leading the way in 
clinical advancements.
  You see, last year, roughly 1.4 million people were diagnosed with 
cancer; yet, a measly 3 percent of those patients were enrolled in 
clinical trials. Now, by contrast, clinical trials are now part of the 
standard of care for pediatric cancer, and the vast majority of 
children diagnosed are enrolled in these trials.
  And we're learning so much because of these enrollments. We're 
learning more about the trials than we thought possible. We're learning 
how to successfully handle survivorship issues. We're helping these 
kids live longer, and more importantly, we're inching closer to a cure.
  For the past few weeks, hundreds of thousands of people filled the 
streets of our Nation's cities in the National Race for the Cure. It is 
an emotional, humbling and awe-inspiring experience to bear witness to 
this sea of pink humanity, women, men, and children from all walks of 
life, united by the common goal of defeating breast cancer.
  Today, with this bill, we have a chance to capture that same spirit 
and resolve, to reclaim the many hundreds of life years lost, to save 
countless families the grief and despair of this sickness and death of 
a little one, and to one day look back upon this moment as a true 
catalyst that led to the end of childhood cancer.
  I urge all my colleagues to support this legislation, and I urge them 
to urge our Senate colleagues to support this legislation, as we look 
forward to seeing the end of this plague upon our children.
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I would yield 3 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps).
  Mrs. CAPPS. I thank my colleague.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in very strong support of H.R. 1553, the 
Conquer Childhood Cancer Act. It is very fitting that we have named 
this legislation in memory of Caroline Pryce Walker, daughter of this 
bill's champion, my dear colleague, Deborah Pryce.
  This bill is going to take necessary and important steps to address 
specific needs of pediatric cancer in at least three significant ways. 
It will ensure that we have enough qualified pediatric oncologists and 
nurses. It will improve clinical trials for the treatment of cancer in 
children. Finally, it would also conduct more public awareness about 
treatment options and support for children with cancer and their 
families.
  As one of the co-chairs of the Cancer Caucus, along with my colleague 
from Ohio, I am so proud to see this bill, which was one of our 
priorities, and a personal priority as we all know, moving forward.
  I want to share a bit about how the momentum behind this bill has 
already spurred people across the country into action.
  Just this past Saturday, I attended an event in my town of Santa 
Barbara called ``Kids for a Cure.'' Amazingly, it was organized by 
Madison Lewandowski, an 8-year-old constituent of mine, who, despite 
being so young, knows that she can make a difference in the lives of 
others. I told my young friends who were gathered last Saturday that I 
was going to share this story as a testimony to this legislation and to 
what is happening across this country.
  Madison organized a wonderful charity event, with proceeds going to 
the Cancer Center of Santa Barbara's pediatric research fund. We all 
enjoyed a day of story telling, face painting, a silent auction, and 
this amazing rummage sale in which children and their families brought 
used toys to share with other children and their families and raise 
money in the process, and that money all going to raise awareness for 
pediatric cancer. I can think of nothing more powerful than the sight 
of children advocating on behalf of other children.
  I know our colleague from Ohio in these past 9 years has spearheaded 
a number of community events around the country actually and in this 
city to raise awareness for childhood cancer and to raise the necessary 
funds to be added to the funds, which our legislation will hopefully 
make possible for pediatric cancer.
  So whether it's through community organizing or comprehensive 
legislation, we are all working together in this country to fight 
pediatric cancer.
  I am honored and proud to be a part of this effort, particularly on 
this day, to honor my colleague and friend as well because of the 
dedication she has provided for this House in leading us to this point.
  I thank the leadership of our committee that has brought us to this 
point as well and the work that we will do with our colleagues to make 
sure this legislation is passed and signed into law.
  Mr. TERRY. Madam Speaker, at this time, I yield 5 minutes to the 
gentleman from Texas.
  Mr. McCAUL of Texas. I thank the gentleman.
  Madam Speaker, every now and then, as Members of Congress, we have 
one of those moments, a moment when we feel like we can truly make a 
difference. This, in my view, is one of those moments, and I want to 
thank Congresswoman Deborah Pryce for her leadership, her perseverance 
in this issue.
  It's been a long, hard fight, but we got here. It's going to pass, 
and this is a great day. It's a great day for those who have suffered. 
It's a great day for those who have been in pain. It's a great day for 
the victims.

[[Page 12253]]

  This bill provides a beacon of light. It provides a voice for the 
innocents who don't have a voice, for children whose eyes we have 
looked into who are dying from this dreaded disease, for victims of 
this disease like my constituents Tim and Donna Culliver who lost their 
son Adam at the age of 4, to Caroline who lost her life at the age of 
9.
  I think of my own daughter, Caroline, my five children, the countless 
other children out there who could be a victim of this dreaded disease. 
This bill will lead the path towards a cure for cancer.
  And this is not a Republican or Democratic issue. This is an American 
issue. It's an issue for the children, and it's a fitting tribute to 
you, Congresswoman Pryce, and your daughter, Caroline, for all the hard 
work and the efforts you've put into this.
  I've been through the pediatric hospital, as many of us have, and 
there's nothing more painful than to look into the eyes of a child who 
is dying from this disease, who's afflicted with this disease, whose 
parents look at you as a Member of Congress and say: Isn't there 
something you can do? Can you stop this?
  I watched my best friend in grade school die from cancer, and we have 
all been touched, as Deborah Pryce said, by this disease in some way or 
another. But this is a real monumental moment, a moment where we truly 
can make a difference. They often say the measure of a man's life or 
woman's life is the, do I leave this world in a better place than it 
was before I came in. I can truly say that with the passage of this 
bill, that this Congress and this brave Congresswoman, through her 
leadership and her legacy, will leave this world a better place.
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Sestak).
  Mr. SESTAK. Madam Speaker, 12,000 children will be diagnosed with 
cancer this year; 2,000 will not make it with their cancer to the end 
of this year. But there's no real face to those numbers until you've 
had it happen to you. As my new, wonderful friend from Ohio had it with 
her beautiful daughter, Caroline, or I did with my 4-year-old daughter 
Alex, nothing in my 31 years in the military, whether it was the 
ravages of being in war or whether it was the challenges of a cold 
peace, ever prepared for me for those words ``tumor,'' ``cancer,'' the 
words that need to be removed from our vocabulary by eradicating it 
from the lives of our children.
  When you live in a cancer ward and oncology ward, you see such hope 
as a child, your child, holds your hand and puts all that hope in you 
as a parent, knowing that you're going to make it all right. And at the 
same time, as you so well know, you see such hopelessness at times in 
the oncology ward when there's nothing else to be done.

                              {time}  1945

  I came down today to speak of you. You really do take that wonderful 
dictum of Hubert Humphrey to fruition, that ``the moral test of a 
government is how well it does take care of those in the dawn of life, 
the children, so that they might see the twilight of life as seniors.
  The only sad thing about today is that you won't be here next year. 
In the Bible, Jonathan and David, as they departed, the two great 
warriors, for the very last time, Jonathan said to David, ``Tomorrow 
thou shalt be missed because thy seat shall be empty.'' Your seat won't 
be empty because you have left such a wonderful legacy behind for my 
daughter, so she will have a chance in the future, if it does come 
back. Because you all will, in this legacy, not only for her, but for 
so many, have given them the opportunity, those in the twilight of 
life, to know the dawn of life, to see the twilight of life as seniors. 
So thank you for her that, yes, we, as parents, can make it all right.
  I urge all my colleagues to support this bill. And thank you very 
much.
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from 
Ohio (Ms. Kaptur).
  Ms. KAPTUR. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Madam Speaker, it is a great privilege this evening to rise in 
support of H.R. 1553, the Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood 
Cancer Act of 2008, and to thank my beloved colleague from Ohio, from 
our Buckeye State, Deborah Pryce, a loving mother and a very, very able 
Congresswoman, for taking her grief and helping place it here, and in 
memory of her beautiful daughter, taking that struggle forward for the 
sake of the future of our country.
  I suppose one could say, ``for every season there is a purpose,'' and 
Caroline's season forever will be spring; and that what you lived 
together you shared with the country. And the personal became political 
in the best sense so that we could make it better for those who will 
come after us. And after all, is that not what we are here to do?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional minute to the 
gentlewoman.
  Ms. KAPTUR. I also stand here this evening in memory of a young 
gentleman by the name of Zachary Hebda from the State of Maryland, who 
died at the age of seven of a childhood cancer. And at seven, that 
child had such measure, just like an adult. And he faced, as your 
daughter did, something that we, as adults, wonder if we could face. 
And we never forget them because they hold us up in our own work with 
their strength and their courage. We need answers. We need answers for 
our children. We need to stem this disease, and we need to prevent and 
we need to cure.
  I want to thank Congresswoman Pryce for her years of service and 
doing what is so wrenching, to continue after the loss of someone who 
is so much a part of yourself and helping us better ourselves as a 
country. I thank you for this exceptional piece of legislation.
  I thank Chairman Pallone. I thank Congresswoman Capps and those who 
have supported you in this effort. And I thank you for, most of all, 
sharing Caroline with us as a most beautiful, beautiful memory and 
tribute to her and to you.
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Congresswoman Pryce and I came to the floor 
as a mother, and certainly someone who has spent a good deal of time 
working in the Women's Caucus. And we would be together in a time when 
Democrats and Republicans would come together around issues of children 
and women. And I know of your forceful voice. And so I come today to 
thank you for this legislation and this tribute to Caroline because, 
coming from Houston, we have the Texas Children's Hospital. And I have 
visited the McDonald's House, which is a home that families are able to 
use to be able to see the children who are with their family who are 
suffering from cancer and obviously are in great need of pediatric 
research. And you see the smiling faces, and you see the uniqueness of 
their look, if you will--many of their heads are shaven--but you also 
see love. And this is what this bill represents to all of us; it is a 
testament of love, and the fact that children should have a future.
  Caroline Pryce Walker, in the words Conquer Child Cancer Act of 2008, 
is embodied in the love that you have for your daughter.
  I just want to recount one or two of the findings, because I think it 
is very important to note that cancer kills more children than any 
other disease. Many of us don't know that. You would think of many 
other elements that might kill. You don't know that cancer is the 
number one killer of children.
  Each year, cancer kills more children between one and 20 years of age 
than asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis and AIDS. So I simply want to 
close by indicating that I was in a committee hearing and we just 
finished and I saw you speaking on the floor, and I was compelled to 
just come and say thank you. Thank you for your leadership. And you 
have entrusted in us the fact that we will carry on in your name and in 
your daughter's name.
  I ask for support of this bill, and I thank Chairman Pallone.
  Mr. TERRY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the rest of our time.

[[Page 12254]]

  I've participated in some very intense debates on this House floor. 
And these are times that, on a bill like we have before us today, where 
truly we all come together. It's beyond bipartisanship, as people have 
heard from the rather dramatic and emotional testimony from all of the 
Members who have testified here today. Because there is nothing more 
emotional than a child who has been diagnosed with a cancer. There is 
just nothing more traumatic to a parent, to a family. And if there is 
anything that we can do as a congressional body to try and alleviate 
that type of pain a family could suffer in the future, we should 
undertake that. And we've done it here today.
  I want to thank Deborah Pryce for her strength, not only in her 
testimony here on the floor today, but for the years that she has 
continued to work this issue and push it forward to its House 
conclusion today.
  I also want to just thank Mr. Pallone and Mr. Dingell, who 
participated in this bill and made sure that it moved through our 
committee in a timely way and onto the House floor, as well as Mr. Van 
Hollen and so many other supporters of this bill. Many thanks go out to 
them.
  So we should be proud, as Mr. McCaul and many speakers said, of our 
efforts here today. I encourage every single member of our conference 
on this side of the aisle to join me in supporting the Caroline Pryce 
Walker Conquer Childhood Disease Act.
  With that, Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I would like to urge all my colleagues to support this 
bill overwhelmingly. And I want to make a commitment to Congresswoman 
Pryce, as she had urged, that we get this over to the Senate and get it 
passed as quickly as possible so we can send it to the President.
  I know that this is in memory of her daughter Caroline, and all the 
different things that have been said here today is certainly a tribute 
to you and all that you have done here in the House of Representatives.
  I just want to say, I've watched you over the years. I know you were 
the chairwoman of the Republican Conference, and as you said, we were 
often battling. But in all of that, Congresswoman Pryce was always a 
lady and really someone who was able to get along with people on both 
sides of the aisle and work towards good government goals.
  So this bill really is a tribute to her in memory of her daughter. 
And I just want to thank her again for all that she has done.
  Mr. DREIER. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague Ms. 
Pryce for introducing H.R. 1553, the Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer 
Childhood Cancer Act of 2008. As a co-sponsor of the bill, I am proud 
to support this measure.
  We all know that cancer is a devastating disease that affects untold 
numbers of Americans each year. While it is often easy to think of 
cancer as only affecting adults, the measure before us today is a 
reminder that cancer is in fact the leading cause of disease-related 
death in children in the United States, claiming the lives some 2,300 
children annually. It is therefore fitting that this bill has been 
named in honor of Caroline Pryce Walker, the late daughter of our 
colleague Deborah Pryce, who lost her battle against neuroblastoma in 
1999 at nine years of age.
  As many of us know, there are numerous institutions throughout the 
country which are dedicated to providing better care and research for 
childhood cancer patients. I am particularly proud to have several 
participating institutions located in my home state of California, 
including Cure Search, which has a research center located in the city 
of Arcadia, as well as the City of Hope, which is located in the city 
of Duarte. These institutions work under an unincorporated, nationwide 
network known as the Children's Oncology Group, which is comprised of 
over 200 childhood cancer treatment and research centers that 
collaborate on clinical trials and translational research of pediatric 
cancer.
  The work of Cure Search and the City of Hope, along with hundreds of 
other institutions across the county, has helped to make significant 
advances in the treatment of childhood cancer. When the National Cancer 
Institute founded the first pediatric cooperatives in 1955, the 
childhood cancer survival rate was a mere ten percent. Thanks to the 
collaborative work being performed through the Children's Oncology 
Group, that number has risen to seventy five percent today, and it is 
because of these joint efforts that new trends and therapies in 
childhood cancer are discovered each year.
  However, in recent years, treating cancer has become just one aspect 
of addressing the health needs of children afflicted with the disease. 
The Children's Oncology Group has been at the forefront of raising 
awareness about the challenges that exist in the post-treatment, cancer 
survivorship period. For example, few may know that two-thirds of the 
children who survive cancer will ultimately experience at least one, if 
not more, long-term health issue as a result of their treatment. These 
so called ``late-effects'' pose substantial health challenges for those 
who are fortunate enough to survive childhood cancer as well as for the 
doctors who treat them.
  To that end, the Children's Oncology Group has taken an important 
lead in focusing greater attention on long-term complications that 
arise from radiation and other therapies and has worked to study the 
long-term care needs of childhood cancer survivors. In fact, one of my 
constituents, Dr. Smita Bhatia, a resident of Arcadia who works at the 
City of Hope, served as the Chair of the Late Effects Committee at the 
Children's Oncology Group for eight years and was instrumental in 
establishing national guidelines for survivorship care. Today, these 
guidelines are being used to help equip survivors with the tools they 
need to identify the side-effects of specific cancer treatments and 
remain healthy as they mature into adulthood.
  The measure before us today will help advance our understanding of 
childhood cancer by addressing the need to obtain more accurate data to 
study trends and evaluate the most effective courses of treatment. 
While approximately 12,500 children in the United States are diagnosed 
with cancer each year, researchers have experienced great difficulties 
in pinpointing the exact causes of childhood cancer. Because of its 
random occurrence in children across the United States, it has been 
nearly impossible to acquire statistically significant data on the 
causes of and effective treatments for childhood cancer. The work of 
Cure Search and the City of Hope will be amplified by the underlying 
bill, which authorizes the creation of a national childhood cancer 
research database to provide better statistics on the occurrence of 
childhood cancer as well as the most effective treatments for patients. 
Building this database is critical to ensuring that those who are 
responsible for treating childhood cancer have the very best data 
available to them.
  Additionally, the bill authorizes $30 million to enhance and expand 
biomedical research programs that allow scientists to study how tumors 
form and spread as well as the impact that genetics can have on the 
likelihood of cancer and relapses of the disease. The bill also will 
provide better educational and informational services for childhood 
cancer patients and their families to ensure that they have access to 
appropriate clinical treatments and support services.
  H.R. 1553, Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood Cancer Act, 
affirms a long-term commitment to providing a cure to childhood cancer 
and also will ensure that doctors and patients alike are provided with 
the best information to make important medical decisions in the near-
term. As we seek to address the needs of childhood cancer patients, 
survivors and their families, I urge my colleagues to recognize the 
importance of the research that will be authorized by H.R. 1553 and 
support this bill.
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1553, as amended.
  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. TERRY. Madam 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 and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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