Rep. Fossella Scores 100% Rating from National Breast Cancer Coalition

Press Release

Congressman Vito Fossella today was awarded the "Certificate of Excellence" from the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC) in recognition of his perfect score on the group's annual Congressional Record of Support. Bay Ridge resident and breast cancer advocate Sara Messina joined the NBCC in presenting the award to Fossella during a recent ceremony in his Capitol Hill office.

Fossella joined with NBCC and Messina in 2005 in Bay Ridge to announce his support for legislation, The Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act (H.R. 2231), that would direct $30 million over five years for a large-scale study into the possible link between environmental factors and the development of breast cancer. Fossella cosponsored the bill in response to an American Cancer Society report that revealed breast cancer accounted for more than 10% (171 out of 1,106) of new cases of cancer in Bay Ridge in 2004.

Fossella said, "I am honored to receive this recognition from the National Breast Cancer Coalition for my efforts to fight the disease. I believe very strongly in this cause, and working with the NBCC and advocates like Sara we are making progress in developing new methods to prevent, cure and eradicate breast cancer. With a new case of breast cancer being diagnosed every two minutes and a woman dying from the disease every 13 minutes, we must continue to pursue new research to help scientists and doctors better understand what causes breast cancer and new ways to fight it."

Elizabeth Wohl, New York State Field Coordinator for the NBCC, said, "I want to express my appreciation for Representative Fossella's leadership and dedication in helping NBCC achieve its goal of eradicating breast cancer. As one of the Representatives to support all of our priorities, Representative Fossella has shown himself to be committed to substantive breast cancer policy that will have an impact on all women at risk of or diagnosed with the disease. I also want to thank Representative Fossella for being one of the first legislators to co-sign H.R. 1157 this year, and I look forward to working with him on this and other important legislative initiatives during the 110th Congress."

Messina said, "Thank you Congressman Fossella for all of your support and for signing on again to the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act (BCERA). As an NBCC member and advocate, our goal is to eradicate breast cancer. We believe this can be achieved through the research and collaboration of the scientific and medical community for innovative grants funded by the Department of Defense (DOD) program and the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act. The use of Herceptin in breast cancer treatment was a direct result of a DOD program."

The NBCC rated Members of Congress on the group's priorities for the 109th Congress, including both specific legislation and public policies for which no legislation has yet been introduced. The rating scores Members of Congress on their support of NBCC's priorities, including:

• Continued funding of $150 million dollars for the Department of Defense Peer-Reviewed Breast Cancer Research Program (DOD BCRP);
• Enactment of the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act (H.R.2231/ S.757);
• Preservation of the Medicaid Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program, and
• Enactment of the Fair Access to Clinical Trials (FACT) Act (S.470).

In Fiscal Year 2005, Fossella helped appropriate $715.6 million to the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute for breast cancer research. Fossella also helped provide $210 million in Fiscal Year 2004 to the Centers for Disease Control's National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP), which provides both screening and diagnostic services, including clinical breast examinations, mammograms, pap tests, surgical consultation and diagnostic testing for women whose screening outcome is abnormal.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among American women and the leading cause of cancer death for women worldwide. Approximately 3 million women in the United States are living with breast cancer (of which 2 million have been diagnosed and an estimated 1 million who do not yet know that they have the disease.) It is estimated that 240,510 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed among women in the United States this year, and 40,000 American women will die of this disease.

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