[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 16500-16501]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as we close out the 
month to recognize October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
  Even as Congress has struggled with the basic task of funding our 
Federal Government, we are mindful that we have pressing problems and 
important work to do to raise awareness and help women survive this 
deadly disease.
  Over the last few decades, these public efforts have helped educate 
people and promote awareness about breast cancer, but we must remain 
vigilant in the fight because there is so much more to be done.
  The statistics are sobering: one in eight women will get breast 
cancer in her lifetime. This disease strikes women--and some men--of 
all backgrounds, races, ethnicities, and ages. While all women are at 
risk, many still think it can't happen to them, especially young women. 
But I know all too well that it can. In 2007, when I was just 41 years 
old, I learned I had breast cancer.
  While we have made significant advances on some fronts, recent 
studies show that more and more young women are being diagnosed with 
breast cancer, and metastasis rates are not going down.
  I believe we have a responsibility as Members of Congress to take 
Breast Cancer Awareness Month one step further and turn awareness into 
action. We must take action to implement the Affordable Care Act and 
continue to ensure that every single person in this country has access 
to the information they need to make informed decisions about their 
health.
  We must take action to ensure women get the preventative services and 
screenings they need, while understanding their risks and treatment 
options.
  With this in mind, in 2009 I sponsored the Education and Awareness 
Requires Learning Young Act, or the EARLY Act. The EARLY Act focus on 
equipping young women with the tools they need to take charge of their 
health.
  Currently, the Centers for Disease Control is developing evidence-
based interventions and working with advocacy organizations on programs 
that provide support services for young breast cancer survivors and 
their families, as well as a national education and awareness campaign 
to help young women understand their risk and take charge of their 
health.
  Even with the CDC's work under the EARLY Act, we must do more to 
assist those women who survive breast cancer, and I am developing new 
legislative efforts on this front. I am working with my colleagues on 
both sides of the aisle.
  Young cancer survivors face very different life challenges than older 
survivors--from fertility preservation issues to the long-term health 
and neurocognitive effects of cancer treatments. With cancer care, one 
size does not fit all. The young face many more years as survivors and 
have unique challenges that arise that are not experienced by survivors 
who are diagnosed later in life.
  There was good news from the Supreme Court earlier this year when 
they took some action to help improve our ability to detect, diagnose, 
and treat breast cancer. This past June, the Justices ruled unanimously 
that a company cannot patent naturally occurring genes. This decision 
paves the way for more companies to offer genetic tests for gene 
mutations that significantly increase the risk of developing diseases 
like breast or ovarian cancer. Thanks to this ruling, more women will 
have access to affordable testing and second-opinion testing about 
their risks and courses of treatment.
  Like many others before me, when I was diagnosed with breast cancer 
and later identified as a BRAC2 gene mutation carrier, I had to make 
life-altering decisions without the benefit of a second opinion or even 
a second test. That will now be a thing of the past thanks to the 
Supreme Court decision.
  Again, though, there is still so much more to be done. We must work 
to guarantee that insurers, including programs like Medicare, cover 
testing where appropriate and preventative surgery where necessary.
  And there is still work left to be done to fully implement the 
Affordable Care Act. While implementation of any major change comes 
with great changes--and we have certainly had some of those--it also 
comes with great reward. For example, I am thrilled that this coming 
January, with the opening of the health insurance marketplaces, no 
woman will ever have to worry again about being dropped from her health 
coverage when battling breast cancer.

                              {time}  1045

  Before the Affordable Care Act, too many Americans were just one 
diagnosis away from having to face cancer

[[Page 16501]]

without affordable, quality coverage that could not be taken away.
  A case in point is my friend Mary Ann Wasil of the Get in Touch 
Foundation. She wrote me a few weeks ago to say her life literally 
depends on the Affordable Care Act. Mary Ann is battling advanced 
breast cancer. She is currently on COBRA insurance. When that runs out, 
she would surely be uninsurable without the Affordable Care Act. Mary 
Ann's chemotherapy treatment for the month of July alone was $110,000. 
Simply put, without coverage she could not afford the treatment she 
needs. Her note to me said: ``This is real for me. It is life or death 
for me.''
  This is why the Affordable Care Act is so important for breast cancer 
warriors like Mary Ann.
  I have had so many women come up to me, Mr. Speaker, and confess that 
they haven't had a mammogram in years because before the Affordable 
Care Act, they could not afford the expensive copays and deductibles or 
feared the prohibitive costs of treatment. They were literally afraid 
to get a diagnosis because they were worried they couldn't afford 
treatment.
  That worry is a thing of the past. Education and awareness is only 
half the battle. For breast cancer or any serious disease, access to 
affordable, quality health insurance is a necessity. It is not a 
privilege. It is a right for every American. Looking forward, we must 
work together to help women know their risks, discover cancer early, 
and access the best treatment possible.
  As we continue to learn more and help more young women, let us 
commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a renewed dedication to 
support our mothers, sisters, daughters, and sister-friends. Together, 
let's eradicate breast cancer once and for all.

                          ____________________