E-Newsletter: Shelley's Weekly Update: Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Statement
Dear Friends,
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and it's estimated that almost 40,000 women in the United States will die of breast cancer this year. These are mothers, sisters, grandmothers, wives, daughters. And thousands of men will be diagnosed with breast cancer as well.
Almost every family in West Virgina -- and across the country -- has been touched by somebody who has had breast cancer, and I'm certainly no exception. My mother-in-law, Ruth Eskew Capito, died tragically at age 51, diagnosed with breast cancer. I never knew her as a mother-in-law. My children never got to enjoy the pleasures of having her as their grandmother. The emptiness and hurt never goes away.
With the efforts of many dedicated to fighting breast cancer, we are making some progress -- but limited progress in stopping premature deaths caused by this terrible disease. We must speed up our progress, which is why I have introduced H.R. 1830, the Accelerating the End of Breast Cancer Act, along with a bipartisan group of cosponsors.
The Accelerating the End of Breast Cancer Act sets a national goal of ending deaths from the disease by 2020. This bill would establish a commission that would direct federal and private-sector resources towards the promising treatments aimed at stopping metastasis, or the spread of breast cancer to other parts of the body.
This legislation is not designed to spend more taxpayers' dollars. In fact, the bill does not authorize any new federal spending. Instead, it is designed to direct our existing research dollars in the most efficient way possible.
So far 172 bipartisan members of Congress have joined me by cosponsoring this legislation, and I hope many other members will step forward to support breast cancer research. Together, we can make a difference.
I spoke on the House floor earlier this week in support of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the Accelerating the End of Breast Cancer Act. To watch my floor speech, please click on the photo below.
WATER BILL WILL SUPPORT WV JOBS
I was proud to vote yes this week on H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act, which passed the House 417-3. The bill's passage is a significant victory for West Virginia jobs and American jobs.
West Virginia is in the Ohio River Basin, where coal makes up 59 percent of the shipped tonnage. Waterways and ports support 9,900 local jobs and directly contribute $1.6 billion to the West Virginia economy. Domestic power plants rely on our rivers to maintain a steady supply of coal, and our country's coal exports have nearly doubled in the last four years.
Efficient and effective water transportation has never been more important to West Virginia's economy. Projects like the Marmet Lock and Dam in the Second Congressional District demonstrate the important of these projects. I'm pleased that this bill takes steps to protect the Inland Waterways Trust Fund so we can reduce the $8 billion package of pending construction projects on our rivers. Completing these projects will create jobs and spur growth.
I hope my colleagues in the Senate will join us in passing this bipartisan bill and sending it to the president for his signature.
MOBILE OFFICE HOURS
I will be holding mobile office hours in Riverton, Ranson, Romney and High View next week. Chris Strovel, my Eastern Panhandle field representative, will be available to help Second District residents who are having problems with federal agencies and programs. Please bring along documents you have received from federal agencies related to your issues.
Monday, Oct. 28
11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
North Fork Senior Center
Route 28
Riverton, W.Va. 26814
Tuesday, Oct. 29
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Jefferson County Senior Center
103 West Fifth Ave.
Ranson, W.Va. 25438
Wednesday, Oct. 30
11:30 to 1 p.m.
Romney Senior Center
School Street and Birch Lane
Romney, W.Va. 26757
Friday, Nov. 1
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Capon Valley View Senior Center
Christian Church Road
High View, W.Va. 26711
SERVICE ACADEMY NOMINATIONS
Members of Congress have the privilege of nominating a select group of individuals for admission to the United States Air Force, Merchant Marine, Military (West Point) and Naval service academies. The deadline to apply for a nomination from my office is Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013. All application materials must be received in my Charleston office by 5 p.m.
At minimum, applicants should be residents of the Second Congressional District of West Virginia, unmarried, and at least 17 years of age, but not older than 23 as of July 1 of the entrance year (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy applicants must not have passed their 25th birthday). A nomination is required in order to receive an appointment. I strongly encourage students to request a nomination from all applicable nominating sources, as obtaining an appointment to a service academy is a highly competitive process.
Thank you for reading my weekly e-newsletter, and as always, you can join in the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.
Sincerely,
Shelley Moore Capito
Member of Congress
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