Breast cancer does not know boundaries and affects women of all ages, color, and ethnicities.  Chances are someone very close to you has or will be diagnosed with some form of cancer, and that is why early detection is so important.  There have been tremendous advancements in the detection and treatment of cancer, but awareness is the best defense against this deadly disease.  

It is important to perform monthly self examinations and, if you are a woman over the age of 40, a yearly mammogram by your doctor.  I urge you to be cognizant of your family history as you are more likely to be at risk for the disease if your family has a history of the disease. 

Knowledge is the most powerful tool in the fight against cancer.  I hope that you will take a few moments and visit www.cancer.org and www.avonwalk.org to learn about prevention, early detection, and local resources in Arkansas in the fight against the most common cancer among women.  I strongly encourage you to spread the word of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month to your family, friends and your community to get the message out that early detection and diagnosis is the key to survival and winning the fight against breast cancer. 

As your Representative in Congress, I will continue to support breast cancer research and treatment funding in Congress.  I am a co-sponsor of the Breast Cancer Research Stamp Reauthorization Act with allows the United States Postal Service to issue special stamps to help fund breast cancer research.  I am also a co-sponsor of the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2005, which would require group health insurance coverage to include medical and surgical benefits and radiation therapy in the treatment of breast cancer.  I remain committed to defeating breast cancer by raising the public’s awareness and continuing to fund the research necessary to fight this disease.

The Pine Bluff Arsenal is unique because it has invested millions of dollars in specialized infrastructure and environmental regulatory permit capacity, providing essential capacity to manufacture, repair, assemble, and store specialized chemical and biological defense equipment.  This new designation allows the Pine Bluff Arsenal to manufacture, remanufacture, and sell both articles and services not only to government entities, but also to the private sector.   

“This is tremendous news for the Pine Bluff Arsenal and the hard working families in Pine Bluff, White Hall, and Southeast Arkansas,” said Ross.  “The CITE designation for the Pine Bluff Arsenal will make the Arsenal the preferred military site for production, storage, and maintenance of Chemical and Biological Defense Equipment.  Such a designation ensures that the distinctive missions provided by the Pine Bluff Arsenal will continue for years to come, creating economic opportunity and potential for new jobs.”  

"We believe that the CITE designation will allow us to evolve into a true joint and interagency full-spectrum logistics platform, positioned to serve not only the warfighter, but national homeland defense efforts, as well as the commercial sector," said Larry Wright, Pine Bluff Arsenal Civilian Executive.

In the FY06 Defense Authorization Bill, Ross requested the language which directed the Secretary of the Army to fully examine the Pine Bluff Arsenal as a CITE for Chemical and Biological Defense Equipment.  

Ross delivered remarks on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives following Reverend Kassos’s opening prayer: 

“Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I welcome my hometown Pastor from First United Methodist Church in Prescott, Arkansas to the United States House of Representatives, Reverend David Kassos, and his wife, Donna. 

“Each and every week I travel to our nation’s capitol to represent the people of Arkansas’s Fourth Congressional District and this great country.  Each and every weekend I travel home to Prescott, a small town of 3,600 people, and worship with my family at the Methodist Church I have called home for much of my life.   

“It is this church, where my father grew up and where my children are being raised, that keeps me grounded and instills in me the small town values I was raised on and still believe in.  It is the lessons that I have learned from this church that help guide me in the decisions I make in the United States Congress.  My faith is profoundly important to me, and Reverend Kassos is not only my spiritual advisor, he is my friend and he is my fishing buddy.  It is a tremendous honor to have him serve as our Chaplain today in the United States House of Representatives.” 

Reverend Kassos, an El Dorado native, has served as the Pastor at First United Methodist Church in Murfreesboro and McGehee.  He moved to Prescott with his wife, Donna Kassos, in June 2004.