Virtually every family in America has been touched by cancer.  My heart goes out to all those families who face or have faced this challenge. 

As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I strongly support increased funding for medical research that is critical to the prevention and treatment of all diseases.  Over the last five years, Congress has succeeded in doubling the budget of the National Institute of Health (NIH).  This is a significant step towards providing cutting-edge treatments for victims of all diseases. With more funding, NIH will be able to continue its research into diseases like breast cancer, with the hope of one day finding a cure for this and many other diseases. 

Several years ago, I voted for The Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998, which was signed into law. The law mandates that insurers that provide benefits for mastectomy must also provide coverage for reconstructive surgery.  Unfortunately, the bill did not require insurance companies to cover a 48-hour hospital stay following a mastectomy.  I have cosponsored H.R. 1886, the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2003, to help women who have mastectomies get the time they need to recuperate.  Doctors and their patients should have the final say in how long a patient should be hospitalized following surgery, not insurance companies.