Providing for Further Consideration of H.R. National Defense

Floor Speech

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Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my amendments to the FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act that will help save lives and promote the health and well-being of those who are serving or have served our country.

The CDC estimates that nearly 264,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year and as many as 1 in 8 women will live with this disease at some point in their life. The American Cancer Society predicts that 43,250 women will lose their lives to breast cancer in 2022.

My colleagues must also understand that the plight of breast cancer is not an equitable one. Black women are more likely to die of breast cancer. In my home state of Wisconsin, black women with breast cancer have a mortality rate of 56 percent, far outpacing the death rate for white women according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

While treatment for this disease has evolved drastically, access to a conclusive, accurate, early, and expedient diagnosis remains challenging.

Mammograms are a basic screening tool to help try and detect breast cancer as soon as possible. However, for women with dense breasts, mammograms alone may not be sufficient to help identify breast cancer as dense breasts can make mammograms harder to accurately read. As a result, women with dense breasts may be called back for additional follow-up tests more frequently than others and dense breasts can also put women at higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer within 12 months of a normal mammogram result.

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), nearly 50 percent of women over 40 who get mammograms have dense breasts and live with an increased chance of developing breast cancer, a risk that is separate from the effect of dense breasts on the ability to read a mammogram.

For individuals with dense breasts for whom additional testing may be needed to confirm breast cancer, even with insurance they may face additional costs for these potentially life-saving diagnostic screenings.

My amendment directs the GAO to examine current health policies at the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to ensure that those with dense breasts can access additional cancer screenings without facing burdensome financial barriers. Cumulatively, the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs provide healthcare to over 18 million American service members and veterans. My amendment would require GAO to examine whether existing VA and DOD programs provide beneficiaries with low-cost screenings and diagnostic tools needed to confirm breast cancer, especially when standard mammograms are inconclusive or ineffective. Additionally, GAO will be required to examine and provide recommendations on how each agency can improve their policies to address the unique challenges of identifying breast cancer in those with dense breasts.

We must do all we can to ensure that our veterans and active-duty personnel receive the highest quality care available. We can accomplish this by evaluating current policies and developing new ones that prioritize the health of those who serve or have served our country. While there is no cure for this disease, we can certainly do more to improve access to screening and treatment.

Additionally, I have offered an amendment that would require the Secretary of Defense to ensure that TRICARE includes programs and policies to promote universal education on healthy relationships and intimate partner violence.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 1 in 4 women have experienced sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime. Sadly, it can occur in every community, including our military community, to both men and women regardless of age, economic status, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or other characteristics.

The amendment would require TRICARE to provide guidance to healthcare providers, health workers, and managed care entities to help educate and to establish routine assessment and screenings for signs of intimate partner violence.

I thank the Chairman for his support of my amendments.

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