Annie Fox Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 597) to extend the special postage stamp for breast cancer research for 4 years, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, now it is my pleasure to yield such time as he might consume to the author of this legislation, Representative Clay from Missouri.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I certainly join with my colleague from California in extolling the legacy of Representative Jo Ann Davis, who served with us on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Mr. Speaker, S. 597, as amended, now mirrors the House version of the Breast Cancer Semipostal measure which was unanimously passed by this body on October 30, 2007.

The House version, H.R. 1236, which was sponsored by representative William Lacy Clay, reauthorizes the sale of the breast cancer stamp for an additional 4 years from 2007 to 2011. The bill

also follows up on the Government Accountability Office's recommendations that the relevant agencies report the use of monies received from the sale of the stamp, including a description of any significant advances on accomplishments that were funded by the sale.

As a member of the Oversight Committee Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia, Representative Clay is to be commended for his diligence and patience for working with all parties and securing an acceptable compromise on the sale of the breast cancer stamp.

I note proudly that the United States Postal Service has sold over 785.6 million breast cancer research stamps from which $54.626 million has been transferred to the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense for breast cancer research and awareness.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the public for buying the breast cancer semipostal stamp and the numerous organizations for lending their strong support for its continuation. With your help, I am confident that we will find a cure.

I urge swift passage of this bill, and again commend the representative from Missouri, our colleague, Representative Clay, for his introduction.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women and the leading cause of cancer death among women under the age of 40. Early detection and education are key to winning this battle. It is imperative that we reauthorize the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Act, H.R. 1132, so that all women are given access to free and low-cost breast and cervical screenings. No woman should be denied these life-saving screenings simply because they cannot afford them. Further, all women should be made aware of the benefits of each screening and the risks of these cancers through public education programs.

This issue is very important within my District of Marin and Sonoma Counties in California, and especially so in Marin County because it has the highest rate of breast cancer in the country. Among white women, aged 45 to 64, the breast cancer rate in Marin has increased 72 percent in the last decade. Marin County's rates are approximately 40 percent higher than the national average and about 30 percent higher than the rest of the Bay Area. This is why early detection and education in women of all ages is so important.

In addition to this important legislation, we need to do more to prevent breast cancer deaths in women under the age of 40. Approximately 11,000 women under the age of 40 will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, of which nearly 1,300 will die. That's why I introduced the Annie Fox Act, H.R. 715, named after a young woman in my district who was diagnosed with breast cancer and died at the age of 35. This bill will authorize research into the causes of breast cancer in younger woman and educate them about the risks of breast cancer.

It is important that we not only continue to fund preventative screenings, education and research for women over the ages of 45, but that we also do so for our younger women so that they may live long, healthy lives.

I applaud the passage of this important legislation and look forward to working with my colleagues to pass H.R. 715, the Annie Fox Act.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women and the leading cause of cancer death among women under the age of 40. Early detection and education are key to winning this battle. It is imperative that we reauthorize the National Breast & Cervical Cancer Early Detection Act, H.R. 1132, so that all women are given access to free and low-cost breast and cervical screenings. No woman should be denied these lifesaving screenings simply because she cannot afford them. Further, all women should be made aware of the benefits of each screening and the risks of these cancers through public education programs.

This issue is very important within my District of Marin and Sonoma Counties in California, and especially so in Marin County because it has the highest rate of breast cancer

in the country. Among white women, aged 45 to 64, the breast cancer rate in Marin has increased 72 percent in the last decade. Marin County's rates are approximately 40 percent higher than the national average and about 30 percent higher than the rest of the Bay Area. This is why early detection and education in women of all ages is so important.

In addition to this important legislation, we need to do more to prevent breast cancer deaths in women under the age of 40. Approximately 11,000 women under the age of 40 will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, of which nearly 1,300 will die. That's why I introduced the Annie Fox Act, H.R. 715, named after a young woman in my district who was diagnosed with breast cancer and died at the age of 35. This bill will authorize research into the causes of breast cancer in younger woman and educate them about the risks of breast cancer.

It is important that we not only continue to fund preventative screenings, education and research for women over the ages of 45, but that we also do so for our younger women so that they may live long, healthy lives.

I applaud the passage of this important legislation and look forward to working with my colleagues to pass H.R. 715, the Annie Fox Act.

Mr. Speaker, I join happily with the gentleman from Missouri and my own home State Senator, Senator Feinstein, in urging immediate passage of this renewal.

This extension is not only critical, but it comes at a time when those of us on this House floor are still remembering the recent loss of Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis. Yes, in fact, today could be considered to be Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis' Breast Cancer Awareness Day because it's not just the statistic of 180,000 people, mostly women, getting breast cancer or 40,000 dying, it's a friend and a colleague who fought valiantly through not only this Congress but the previous Congress, and almost, but did not, win against this dreaded disease.

Breast Cancer Awareness stamps are not about the $54 million raised, although that goes a long way towards adding to the research pool. It's about the countless millions of people who receive a stamp that sends a message that reminds them to get that available mammogram, to, in fact, do a self-test, to be aware of lumps, to be aware of the possibility of this terrible and invasive disease taking the life of their wife, their daughter, their mother. So, I join again in urging passage of this.

And I might take a personal liberty that you don't often see on the House floor. My opponent in my last race and, God willing, my opponent in this race, Jeeni Criscenzo, is presently fighting cancer. I saw her yesterday in California dealing with the effects of chemo. Her detection was relatively early; she has a good chance. But it's things like this that the House does that sometimes gets criticized as not substantial legislation that hopefully will save women like my opponent and friend, Jeeni Criscenzo, from the kind of terrible tragedy that befell Jo Ann Davis and so many other women last year.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 597, to reauthorize the Postage Stamp for Breast Cancer. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women and the leading cause of cancer death among women under the age of 40. Research is key to improving breast cancer prevention, detection and treatment. In the 9 years the stamp has been sold, it's raised more than $40 million to fund breast cancer research around the country. In those nine years, great strides have been made, but we can do more and that's why we should support the extension of the breast cancer stamp.

In addition to this important legislation, we need to do more to prevent breast cancer deaths in women under the age of 40. Approximately 11,000 women under the age of 40 will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, of which nearly 1 ,300 will die. However, most research, education, and prevention efforts are focused upon women over the age of 45. That's why I introduced the Annie Fox Act, H.R. 715, named after a young woman in my district who was diagnosed with breast cancer and died at the age of35. This bill will authorize research into the causes of breast cancer in younger women and educate them about the risks of breast cancer.

It is important that we not only continue to fund research and education over the ages of 45, but that we also do so for our younger women so that they may live long, healthy lives. I applaud the passage of this important legislation and look forward to working with my colleagues to pass H.R. 715, the Annie Fox Act.