To amend title 39, United States Code, to extend the authority of the United States Postal Service to issue a semipostal to raise funds for breast cancer research.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 384) to amend title 39, United States Code, to extend the authority of the United States Postal Service to issue a semipostal to raise funds for breast cancer research.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, Senate bill 384, introduced by Senator Dianne Feinstein from the great State of California, would extend the authority of the United States Postal Service to issue semipostal stamps to raise funds for breast cancer research. The bill enjoys cosponsorship on both sides of the aisle; 66 Senators have cosponsored it, and my committee has voted it out unanimously. Senate bill 384 is very simple yet important that we pass, and pass before the end of the year. Senate bill 384 will allow the United States Postal Service to continue to sell special postage stamps that generate funds used for breast cancer research.

In 1997 President Clinton signed Public Law 105-41, known as the Stamp Out Breast Cancer Act. The law authorizes the Postal Service to sell, for the first time, a special semipostal stamp for first-class mail. Under the law, the United States Postal Service sells this stamp at a price that is above the standard first-class mail rate. Buyers willingly buy this, knowing that this is helping stamp out breast cancer.

After accounting for administrative costs, the Postal Service then transfers surplus funds to the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense for breast cancer research. Today the sale of each 55 cent stamp generates 11 cents to go toward breast cancer research. Since being offered to the public in 1998, nearly 925 million--that's right, 1 billion--of these stamps have been sold, and over $74 million of proceeds have been transferred to the NIH and the Department of Defense for breast cancer research.

I would like to thank my colleague, the ranking member of the full committee, Mr. Cummings, and my colleague here today, Mr. Clay, for championing this bill and its reauthorization. I would also like to thank Senator Feinstein for her work in moving this bill in the other Chamber in a timely fashion.

The authorization for this stamp expires on December 31. Mr. Speaker, it is important that we act and act today if we are, in fact, going to continue to help the more than 2.5 million women currently living with breast cancer nationwide and the over 200,000 women diagnosed with this disease each year in our country. The funds generated from this stamp are greatly needed. Each dollar raised for research increases the likelihood that more people will become cancer survivors rather than cancer statistics.

I urge all of my colleagues to vote for the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my strong support for S. 384, legislation that reauthorizes the semi-postal breast cancer research stamp for four additional years.

I want to thank my friend, Senator Dianne Feinstein, for sponsoring this bill.

I am proud to serve as lead sponsor on H.R. 466, the counterpart legislation for S. 384, that was introduced here in the House of Representatives.

The breast cancer research stamp has been of critical importance in the battle against breast cancer--both in raising awareness of the diseases, and raising tens of millions of dollars for important research activities.

Since 1998, the U.S. Postal Service has sold over 903 million ``semi- postal'' breast cancer research stamps.

The sale of these stamps has resulted in over $72 million being raised that has gone directly to supporting breast cancer research at the National Institute of Health.

If Congress does not act by the end of the year--the authorization to sell the breast cancer research stamp will expire within a few short weeks.

Aside from skin cancer, breast cancer is considered the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women nationwide.

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 2.5 million women in the United States are living with breast cancer today.

The research money raised by the breast cancer stamp makes a real and immediate difference in the lives of women diagnosed with breast cancer--and gives all of us hope that one day we can live in a world without this devastating disease.

The awareness the stamp creates is also critical--as we continue to stress the importance of preventative measures and early detection with America's women.

I urge my colleagues to join me in reauthorizing the breast cancer research stamp tor another four years, and vote ''yes'' on S. 384.

Let's stand with America's our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and daughters--and vow to continue to work towards a world without breast cancer.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I'm pleased to rise in support of S. 384, along with my chairman, Mr. Issa of California, of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. I want to thank him for bringing this legislation to the floor.

This bill, S. 384, will extend the authority of the U.S. Postal Service to issue the popular semipostal stamp that helps to raise funds for breast cancer research. The measure before us, S. 384, is sponsored by our Senate colleague, Senator Dianne Feinstein, and here in the House, Representative Joe Baca, also from California, who introduced the companion version of this legislation.

Cancer is one of the scourges of our society, and this is a truly bipartisan bill that makes a huge difference in a cost-efficient manner. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this bill without reservation. This will allow the American people to continue contributing to the fight against breast cancer and cancer in general for another 4 years. I urge passage of this bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.