American Cancer Society Fly-In

Floor Speech

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Ms. SEWELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome to our Nation's Capitol patient advocates from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network for their annual fly-in.

This week, 700 advocates representing every State and all 435 congressional delegations and districts will be raising awareness of the urgent need for policies that improve cancer prevention, early detection, treatment, and patient support. It is truly an honor to have these advocates with us this week sharing their stories of resilience, loss, determination, and hope.

Like so many of these advocates, I know firsthand the impact cancer can have on our families. On June 10, 2021, I lost my beloved mother, Nancy Gardner Sewell, to pancreatic cancer. Like so many patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, my mother's cancer was not detected until it was stage IV, and therefore, was not treatable.

Tragically, the cancer took her life 8 short weeks after her diagnosis. It was a shock to our entire family, the lingering effects of which I feel every day.

In an effort to turn my pain into passion, I made a commitment to do all that I could to prevent other families from experiencing such a painful loss. That is why I am proud to be leading legislation alongside my Republican colleague, Congressman Jodey Arrington from Texas, to expand access to early detection cancer screenings.

Our bill, the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act, would create a pathway for Medicare to cover emerging blood tests, once FDA approved, which holds the promise of screening for up to 40 types of cancers with a single blood draw.

When it comes to cancer, we know that early detection is our best protection, and that is exactly what this bill will do. It is about ensuring that those who are most at risk can catch cancer early and stop it before it spreads.

Thanks to the advocacy of the American Cancer Society and their partners, our bill has bipartisan support. Mr. Speaker, 295 House Members and 62 Senators have cosponsored it.

Last Congress, Jodey surprised me by renaming the legislation in honor of my late mother, Nancy Gardner Sewell, of Selma, Alabama, who passed away in 2021 from pancreatic cancer.

Who was she?

My mom was a devout Christian who lived a life of faith, an exemplary educator, and a library media specialist. She served in the Selma public school system for 36 years where she shaped minds and uplifted children. As a librarian, she was a strong advocate for reading, initiating the Reading is Fundamental, RIF, program in 1973, delivering books to children throughout Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee. It is a program that still serves children in Selma and Dallas County and Alabama's rural Black Belt today.

Nancy Sewell was a trailblazing civic leader. She became the first African-American woman elected to Selma's city council and served as an inspirational role model for women in politics.

Her favorite saying was: Bloom where you are planted.

We can make a difference right where we are, and she made a big difference in the lives of so many people whom she touched.

Again, I want to thank the American Cancer Society and their more than 700 supporters for honoring my mother on this day of advocacy, her birthday.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join us in this important effort. Let's pass H.R. 842, the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi- Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act and pave the way for a world without cancer.

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