[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 18]
[House]
[Pages 24330-24331]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           BATTLING BREAST CANCER THROUGH HEALTH CARE REFORM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LANGEVIN. Madam Speaker, I would like to offer my sincere thanks 
to my colleagues and friends Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz and 
Congresswoman Myrick for their incredible courage and leadership in 
fighting for those who are affected by breast cancer.
  October, as we know, is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I 
can think of no better way to honor and support the women living with 
this disease or to honor the memories of those who have lost their 
battle with breast cancer than to help raise awareness by sharing some 
of our own personal stories. Each one of us has a personal story to 
tell about how breast cancer touched the lives of our families and has 
changed our lives, and I'm no exception.
  My mother is a breast cancer survivor. She beat this disease several 
years ago, and I'm so proud of her for the strength and the courage 
that she has shown throughout a very difficult journey. She has served 
as an inspiration to me to be a voice here in Washington, not just for 
her, but for the hundreds of thousands of women and men who are 
diagnosed with breast cancer each year.
  For far too long, our Nation was silent about this disease because of 
a pervasive fear and stigma. Thankfully, education and advocacy efforts 
over the past several decades have empowered survivors to come out of 
the shadows and walk down the Halls of Congress to demand action.
  It's because of my mother and the Rhode Island advocates who I am so 
proud to represent that I joined with a strong majority of my 
colleagues to fight for increased funding for research at the National 
Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense so that we may 
continue to advance lifesaving treatments for breast cancer patients 
everywhere.
  However, this is not just about research. We must also ensure that 
every patient has access to proper medical care. I believe that the 
only way to do this is through comprehensive health insurance reform.

                              {time}  1900

  Madam Speaker, Congress certainly must pass a bill that covers 
preventative services such as mammograms and MRIs, that eliminates 
discriminatory exclusions for individuals with preexisting conditions, 
and ensures gender parity. I strongly believe that access to quality 
health care should be a fundamental right and not a privilege for the 
wealthy who can afford it.
  I hear stories daily from friends and constituents whose lives are 
turned upside down due to a cancer diagnosis. Our Nation can and we 
must do better. Together we can make a difference in the lives of 
breast cancer patients everywhere.
  I would like to once again acknowledge my colleagues here this 
evening for speaking out in the fight against breast cancer, and I look 
forward to my continued work with them in the future.

[[Page 24331]]



                          ____________________