Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2017

Floor Speech

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Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Chairman, Members of the House, I would like to begin by thanking the staff and respective chairman and ranking member and my colleagues as well, Frank LoBiondo and Lois Capps, who co-chair with me the Lung Cancer Caucus. I have come to be so impressed with the hard work that the staff and the chairman and the ranking member do to bring this legislation forward.

My amendment would simply increase the amount of money available for lung cancer research by $2 million, from $12 million to $14 million, in the hope that we can do better.

Mr. Chairman, $2 million, I know, is but a dent in the Defense operations budget, but it is a source of great hope and great promise for people struggling with lung cancer, the most deadly of all cancers. 159,000 people, including many veterans, are victims of that each year.

I think so many of you know that my daughter Katherine was diagnosed some time ago with an advanced stage form of lung cancer. I would be remiss if I didn't thank my colleagues for their prayers, for their condolences, for their support, and for their support for this medical research to give hope to the victims of lung cancer for the future because, but for the money that this Congress has appropriated, my daughter wouldn't be experiencing the hope that she has for her recovery. With this additional amendment--it is a small one--I am appreciative of your support for it because it provides not only great hope for Katherine and her family, but it offers hope for so many more people all across the country affected with this dreadful disease.

I thank the committee, and I urge adoption of the amendment.

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