Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act of 2024

Floor Speech

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Mr. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from Florida (Ms. Castor) for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my bill, the Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act of 2024.

This bipartisan legislation would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs, to conduct an interagency review of research on women and lung cancer, as well as access to preventive services. It also calls for interagency collaboration on public awareness campaigns to increase education and promote early detection.

While smoking rates continue to decline and overall lung cancer rates fall, there is one deeply concerning exception: young women who have never smoked. Studies show that women nonsmokers are now twice as likely as nonsmoking men to develop lung cancer.

The statistics are indeed staggering. According to the American Cancer Society, 162 women in the United States die of lung cancer every single day. That is about one woman every 8 to 9 minutes. In 2024 alone, an estimated 59,280 women will lose their lives to this disease. Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths among women, and we must do far more to address it.

This bill is about solutions. By increasing access to preventive services and public awareness, we can lower the prevalence of lung cancer among women.

Mr. Speaker, despite progress in preventing and treating lung cancer, disparities persist. Women continue to see slower declines in lung cancer rates as compared to men. It is past time for the Federal Government to step up, confront this disparity head-on, and take real action to address it.

Today is also a bittersweet day for me because much of the inspiration for this bill comes from my late colleague and friend, Congressman Rick Nolan. Rick was committed to this fight in honor of his late daughter, Katherine Benson, who courageously battled stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer until her untimely death in 2020 at just 46 years old. Katherine is survived by her husband and four children, and her legacy continues through this effort.

I am also proud to have worked on this proposal with the late Senator Dianne Feinstein, who was a steadfast advocate for addressing disparities in lung cancer outcomes. Senator Feinstein and I first introduced this legislation together in 2016, and her dedication to improving the lives of women impacted by lung cancer will never be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, I also thank my friend and fellow Pennsylvanian, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, for co-leading this effort from across the aisle.

Finally, I am grateful to the members of the Energy and Commerce Committee for helping advance this bill on both sides of the aisle, especially my good friend, Brett Guthrie.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, this is a commonsense, bipartisan proposal to save lives and close a glaring disparity in healthcare. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4534 and stand with the countless women and families impacted by lung cancer.

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