[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 190 (Tuesday, October 5, 2021)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 55447-55448]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-21885]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 190 / Tuesday, October 5, 2021 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 55447]]


                Proclamation 10268 of September 30, 2021

                
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, 2021

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                During National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we stand 
                with the courageous women and men who have been 
                diagnosed with breast cancer and honor those who have 
                lost their battle to this terrible disease. As the 
                second most common cancer affecting women, an estimated 
                1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer over the course 
                of their lifetime and 281,550 women will be diagnosed 
                with breast cancer in the United States in 2021. Cancer 
                touches so many families across the country--including 
                ours. It is up to all of us to continue fighting for a 
                cure and to ensure that every American has access to 
                the quality care they need.

                This year marks the 30th anniversary of the National 
                Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, 
                which provides free breast and cervical cancer 
                screenings to low-income, uninsured, and underinsured 
                women in every State, as well as many Tribal 
                organizations and Territories. To find information on 
                how to get screened through this program, visit: 
                cdc.gov/cancer/nbccedp/screenings.htm. Early detection 
                is one of the most important strategies for treating 
                breast cancer successfully, and regular screenings are 
                the most reliable way to detect it early. The COVID-19 
                pandemic has disrupted many parts of our lives, and has 
                produced new deficits in breast cancer early detection, 
                so there is renewed urgency to getting these 
                recommended screenings scheduled, before a cancer has 
                spread and becomes less treatable. I encourage everyone 
                to maintain their scheduled screenings, doctor 
                appointments, and treatments without delay while 
                observing coronavirus safety measures.

                For decades, the medical community and advocates have 
                helped our Nation make great progress in the fight 
                against cancer. First Lady Jill Biden is proud to be a 
                part of that movement, having founded the Biden Breast 
                Health Initiative, which educated high school girls in 
                Delaware about breast health and helped them spread the 
                word to their own families. Still, our Nation has a 
                long way to go before this disease no longer threatens 
                American lives. I am committed to doing everything I 
                can to bring together our cancer research community and 
                give them the resources they need to make progress in 
                the prevention, detection, and treatment of breast 
                cancer. That is why I have called for the creation of 
                an Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health at the 
                National Institutes of Health (ARPA-H) which would 
                invest $6.5 billion to develop breakthroughs that 
                prevent, detect, and treat cancer and other deadly 
                diseases. My American Rescue Plan also expands access 
                to affordable health insurance coverage, ensuring that 
                more women are able to receive these screenings and 
                treatments without worrying about cost.

                The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has expanded coverage to 
                millions of women who were previously uninsured and has 
                given millions of women access to preventive services, 
                including screening tests such as mammograms with no 
                out-of-pocket costs. Additionally, insurance companies 
                can no longer discriminate against women with pre-
                existing conditions, such as breast cancer. My 
                Administration is committed to protecting and building 
                on the

[[Page 55448]]

                ACA to ensure that more people have access to quality, 
                affordable health care and to lifting the inequitable 
                health burden that falls on Black women.

                As we observe National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, 
                we are united in our commitment to ending breast cancer 
                and improving the lives of all those affected by this 
                illness. We applaud the advocates, medical 
                professionals, researchers, and caregivers who dedicate 
                their lives to making progress toward cures. This 
                month, we stand in solidarity with breast cancer 
                survivors across the country and reaffirm our 
                commitment to advancing research efforts that deliver 
                hope to patients everywhere.

                More information on breast cancer is available at 
                cancer.gov/breast. Information specialists at the 
                National Cancer Institute are also available to help 
                answer cancer-related questions in English and Spanish 
                at 1-800-422-6237.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by virtue of the 
                authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws 
                of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2021 
                as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I encourage 
                citizens, government agencies, private businesses, 
                nonprofit organizations, and other interested groups to 
                join in activities that will increase awareness of what 
                Americans can do to prevent and control breast cancer, 
                and pay tribute to those who have lost their lives to 
                this disease.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                thirtieth day of September, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                sixth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2021-21885
Filed 10-4-21; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3395-F2-P