Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas SERVICE Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2102) to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Under Secretary for Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide mammography screening for veterans who served in locations associated with toxic exposure.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on S. 2102.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 2102, the Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas Supporting Expanded Review for Veterans in Combat Environments Act, or SERVICE Act, introduced by Senator Boozman.

I applaud Dr. Miller-Meeks and Chairwoman Brownley for their initiative on this urgent issue and for introducing the House companion.

The purpose of this bill is to ensure that any veteran who was deployed in support of a contingency operation in specified locations during defined periods is eligible for a mammography screening by a VA healthcare provider. The specified locations are theaters of operations where burn pits are currently--or were previously--being used.

This bill also requires inclusion of other locations and time periods as determined by the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry.

Additionally, the SERVICE Act requires a report that compares breast cancer rates for veterans deployed to the specified locations, comparing data to other members of the Armed Forces who were not deployed during that period, and to the civilian population.

Many of us here today were lucky enough to have had the honor of meeting Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas; a fierce advocate, loving wife and mother, and an exemplary Marine Corps veteran, who served near a burn pit in Fallujah. Kate passed away last month after battling stage IV breast cancer.

She gave her last days to her fellow veterans, fighting for the passage of comprehensive toxic exposure legislation that would provide potentially lifesaving care crucial for similarly exposed veterans.

While I support this important and timely legislation, I also stress the urgency of passing the Honoring our PACT Act. It is time for our country to make good on its promise to toxic-exposed veterans.

It is up to us, Members of Congress, to fight for our Nation's veterans as they have fought for us. Our Nation's veterans do not have time to wait.

I support S. 2102, and I ask my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in passing this important piece of legislation, the Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas SERVICE Act.

I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2102, the Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas Supporting Expanded Review for Veterans in Combat Environment, or SERVICE Act.

Dr. Thomas was a marine--oorah--veteran and a public health professional, who was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer following her deployment to Iraq.

She was just 38 years old when she was diagnosed. She was just 42 years old when she died of breast cancer on April 5 of this year.

My thoughts and prayers are with her family and loved ones.

Dr. Thomas' passing is a tragic reminder of how high the stakes are when it comes to better serving veterans suffering from toxic exposure.

Both VA and DOD have conducted studies that indicate that women who have served in the military have an elevated risk for breast cancer.

The bill that bears Dr. Thomas' name would help more toxic-exposed veterans like her have access to breast imaging services from the VA, regardless of their enrollment status.

The bill is sponsored by Senator Boozman of Arkansas, and I thank him for his work on this legislation. I also thank Congresswoman Miller- Meeks, the House sponsor, who has been a strong champion for it as well. Dr. Miller-Meeks is a veteran herself, and women veterans have no better advocate than she.

I am proud to support the bill today, and I hope that all of my colleagues will join me.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Miller-Meeks).

Mr. Speaker, as we have noticed today, this bill and other bills deal specifically with the promise we have made, I have made, and I know that Chairman Takano as well has made, to try to make things better for our women veterans. We also had the bills that dealt with the sexual trauma. These are issues that are vitally important. I appreciate what we have worked on today. We want to make sure that we provide for those needs.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this piece of legislation along with all the others that we have moved today, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Bost for yielding me time to speak.

I rise today to express my support for S. 2102, the Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas SERVICE Act. I was proud to introduce the House companion of this important bipartisan piece of legislation with Congresswoman Brownley. I thank Senators Boozman and Wyden for their work in passing this bill.

The importance of this bill is that the United States Preventative Health Service indicates mammography at an annual level after age 40, and our veterans who have risked their lives and their health in service to our country are exposed to toxins and burn pits and need treatment and screening to prevent long-term health issues and at an earlier time period. Female veterans are especially at risk for several types of cancer, especially breast cancer. Female veterans are at a 20 to 40 percent higher risk of breast cancer, and female veterans who have been exposed to toxic exposure are at an even higher risk.

As a doctor, I understand just how lifesaving early mammogram screenings can be. I have always told my patients that early detection is the key to successfully treating all types of cancer. This bill will allow for an earlier mammography screening for female veterans who served in locations with toxic exposure.

This bill is in honor of Dr. and Marine Corps veteran Kate Hendricks Thomas, who unfortunately passed away in April due to stage IV breast

cancer. Dr. Thomas advocated for earlier mammography screenings for female veterans that were exposed to toxic exposure.

The bipartisan and bicameral SERVICE Act will give female veterans access to more screenings to stay ahead of this terrible disease. Today, as a 24-year Army veteran, I am proudly voting in support of this bill to protect and save the lives of our female veterans.

I urge all of my colleagues to join me in voting in favor of S. 2102, the Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas SERVICE Act. I look forward to a strong bipartisan vote today and sending this bill to the President to become law.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be discharged from further consideration of S. 2102 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Boozman substitute amendment be considered and agreed to and that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time.

I know of no further debate on the bill, as amended.

Mr. President, I further ask that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.