Madam Speaker, I would like to offer my sincere thanks to my colleagues and friends, Congresswoman Wasserman-Schultz and Congresswoman Myrick, for their courage and leadership in fighting for those who are affected by breast cancer.  October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I can think of no better way to honor and support the women living with this disease than to help raise awareness by sharing some of our own stories.  Each one of us has a personal story to tell about how breast cancer has touched our families and changed our lives. 

My mother is a breast cancer survivor.  She beat this disease several years ago, and I am so proud of her for the strength and courage she has shown throughout a very difficult journey.  She has served as an inspiration for me to be a voice here in Washington, not just for her, but for the hundreds of thousands of women and men who are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. 

For far too long, our nation was silent about this disease because of a pervasive fear and stigma.  Thankfully, education and advocacy efforts over the past several decades have empowered survivors to come out of the shadows and walk down the halls of Congress to demand action.  It is because of my mother, and the Rhode Island advocates who I am so proud to represent, that I join with a strong majority of my colleagues to fight for increased funding for research at the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense, so that we may continue to advance life saving treatments for breast cancer patients everywhere. 

However, this is not just about research.  We must also ensure that every patient has access proper medical care, and I believe the only way to do this is through comprehensive health insurance reform.  Congress must pass a bill that covers preventative services, such as mammograms and MRIs, eliminates discriminatory exclusions for individuals with preexisting conditions, and ensures gender parity.  I strongly believe that access to quality health care should be a fundamental right, not a privilege.  I hear stories daily from friends and constituents whose lives are turned upside-down due to a cancer diagnosis.  Our nation can and must do better.   Together we can make a difference in the lives of breast cancer patients everywhere.

I would like to once again acknowledge my colleagues here this evening for speaking out in the fight against breast cancer, and I look forward to continuing my work with them in the future.