Extending Special Postage Stamp for Breast Cancer Research

Floor Speech

EXTENDING SPECIAL POSTAGE STAMP FOR BREAST CANCER RESEARCH -- (House of Representatives - October 27, 2005)

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Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Government Reform Committee, I am pleased to join my colleague in the consideration of S. 37, legislation extending the special postage stamp for breast cancer research for 2 years. This measure, which was sponsored by Senator DIANNE FEINSTEIN, was introduced on January 24, 2005, and unanimously passed by the Senate on September 27, 2005. On October 20, 2005, the Government Reform Committee unanimously reported S. 37.

The Stamp Out Breast Cancer Act, (Public Law 105-41) authorized a special Semi-postal stamp for first-class mail. The price of this class stamp is 45 cents, 8 cents above the regular rate of 37 cents. The authority to issue this stamp expires on December 31, 2005. S. 37, which was cosponsored by 69 members of the U.S. Senate would extend the program until December 31, 2007.

Sale of the Breast Cancer Semi-Postal stamp, first issued in 1998, has raised more than $44 million for breast cancer research from more than 650.5 million stamps. By law, 70 percent of the net amount raised is given to the National Institutes of Health, and 30 percent to the Medical Research Program at the Department of Defense.

We owe our interest in semipostal stamps to Dr. Ernie Bodhai, chief of surgery at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Sacramento, California, and former Representative Vic Fazio. Dr. Bodhai took his idea for a special breast cancer research fundraising stamp to Rep. Fazio, and in 1996, Rep. Fazio introduced the first semipostal bill, H.R. 3401, the Breast Cancer Research Stamp Act. He was subsequently joined in this effort by Senator FEINSTEIN when she introduced identical legislation in the Senate the same year.

The following year, Representative Fazio and former Representative Susan Molinari sponsored H.R. 1585, Stamp Out Breast Cancer. This bill, which was subsequently enacted into law, authorized a breast cancer research stamp for two years and required the General Accountability Office (GAO) to evaluate the effectiveness and appropriateness of this method of raising funds. In 2000, GAO determined that the semipostal stamp was indeed successful and an effective and appropriate way to fundraise. The GAO also determined that the Postal Service do more to recover its costs associated with the breast cancer research stamp program.

To address health issues raised by semipostal legislation pending in Congress, Representatives JOHN MCHUGH and CHAKA FATTAH, introduced H.R. 4437, the Semipostal Authorization Act. This act, which became law (PL 106-253) provided the Postal Service with discretionary authority to issue semipostal stamps, provided the revenue raised goes to federal agencies and is for medical research. This authority is similar to the discretion the Postal Service currently has in determining which commemorative stamps to approve and issue.

Mr. Speaker, every two minutes, a woman in the U.S. is diagnosed with breast cancer. And, excluding cancers of the skin, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. This year, it is estimated that about 212,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed, along with 58,000 new cases of non-invasive breast dancer. And, 40,000 women are expected to die from this disease.

It must be noted, that men get breast cancer too. According to the American Cancer Society, about 1200 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in American men each year.

Breast cancer is the leading cancer among white and African-American women. However, African-American women are more likely to die from this disease. And the incidence of breast cancer in women has increased from 1 in 20 in 1960 to 1 in 7 today.

Annually, nearly $7 billion is spent on the treatment of breast cancer. All the more reason to support the Breast Cancer Semipostal Stamp. Through the sale of this stamp, we are able to raise awareness of this disease and participate directly in raising money for needed research.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Tom Davis and Ranking Member Henry Waxman, as well as the chairmen and ranking members of the House Energy and Commerce and Armed Services Committees for moving quickly to get S. 37 to the House floor. It is wonderful to be able to approve this bill now, given that October is designated as ``Breast Cancer Awareness Month.''

I urge the swift passage of this bill.

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