LET US BEGIN ANEW THE WAR AGAINST CANCER -- (House of Representatives - May 09, 2000)

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   The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from California (Mr. HORN) is recognized for 5 minutes.

   Mr. HORN. Mr. Speaker, in 1990, Congress passed and President Bush signed into law the Breast and Cervical Cancer Mortality Prevention Act, creating the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program.

   This program allows States to work with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to provide screening services for breast and cervical cancer for low-income or health insurance for uninsured women.

   Unfortunately, this legislation did not provide for access to treatment once a woman screened through the program was diagnosed with this devastating breast and cervical cancer. What a heartbreaking irony.

   Common sense tells us there are two steps to fighting breast cancer: detection and treatment.

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   The Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act of 2000 will fill the critical void left by the 1990 law. This bill will provide Medicaid coverage to uninsured women who have been screened and diagnosed with breast cancer through the Center for Disease Control Program.

   As Mother's Day approaches, passage of the Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act of 2000 is a fitting tribute to all our mothers, sisters, wives, and daughters.

   As a cosponsor of this legislation and a long-time supporter of breast cancer research, I am so delighted to lend my support to this important bill. I encourage all of my colleagues to do the same.

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