Congressman Randy Forbes
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OCTOBER 19, 2009 Twitter Facebook YouTube Digg RSS
Pink Ribbons


I came to know Margaret Brothers when I was a young attorney, fresh out of law school.  Margaret spoke her mind cautiously, voicing her opinion only when necessary and only in sincerity, a quality that was rare then, and even more rare today.  I remember bringing my wife-to-be in to meet my coworkers for the first time.  Upon her departure, the other women chatted animatedly about their approval of my new fiancée, while Margaret sat quietly in the back, her hands folded in her lap.  As the other women returned to work, Margaret was the last to leave.  As she stood up and began to walk to the door, my heart dropped.  I was sure she disapproved.  As she reached the door, she quickly spun around and looked me directly in eyes. “I approve,” was all she said.  And that was all I needed.

And so began my friendship with Margaret.  In the years that followed, I would come to know Margaret as a deeply loving mother, a hard-working employee, a true and dedicated friend, and above all, a committed Christian.  She was well-dressed, walked with poise, and always carried a legal pad even years after leaving the legal profession to become a member of my congressional staff.  She was always matter of fact, and her comments were to the point.  And she used her smile like she used her words: carefully, genuinely, and warmly.

In 2001, Margaret went to the doctor and heard the words that 200,000 women hear each year: “You have breast cancer.”  Naturally, she and her family were shaken. For three years, Margaret endured doctor appointments, surgical procedures, and chemotherapy treatments.  She lost some things - her hair, her appetite, and her energy to name a few. But Margaret never lost faith in God or her devotion to others.  Even when her strength was at its weakest and her own personal needs at their greatest, she came to work everyday because she knew that in helping others - whether helping a senior get their Social Security check, or helping a veteran get their benefits - she was living a life worth living.

On October 17, 2004, surrounded by family and loved ones, Margaret died.  We gathered on a rainy Wednesday to say goodbye. 

October always reminds me of Margaret. It is the month she died, but it is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Twenty years ago, very few people openly discussed breast cancer. Today, pink ribbons can be found on wrist bands, lapels, bumpers, and even football players and referees on Monday Night Football. Most of all, breast cancer awareness is highlighted by the growing number of survivors who are alive to share their stories of difficulty and triumph.

Each of us probably knows someone who has been impacted by this disease. A mother. A friend. An aunt. A teacher. A sister. A neighbor. According to the American Cancer Society, one in eight women will get breast cancer in her lifetime. More than 40,000 people will die from the disease this year. Even for women who have survived cancer, the fear of the disease returning hardly goes away. Breast cancer is a ravaging disease that deserves our full commitment at a personal and federal level.
 
Campaigns like National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Susan G. Komen for the Cure have worked hard to draw attention to the importance of early detection for women across the country. Death rates from breast cancer have been declining since 1990 due in large part to these efforts. Over the past 20 years, mammography rates have more than doubled for women 50 years of age and older. Still, there are thousands of women who do not take advantage of early detection and others who do not get screening mammograms or clinical breast exams at regular intervals.

Mammography tests are proven to be the most reliable tests in early detection of breast cancer. Most private insurance plans, as well as government insurance programs like Medicare and Medicaid, include regular mammogram screenings. Free and low-cost mammograms are also available for women without health insurance. For a list of programs near you, contact the Centers for Disease Control at (888) 842-6355 or the National Cancer Institute at (800) 4-CANCER.

There are also a number of resources online to help you stay informed on early detection and prevention of breast cancer, including the following sites: 

Breast Cancer Q&A
Breast Cancer Facts
Questions to Ask Your Doctor

The federal government has a role in fighting breast cancer, too. In addition to the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act (H.R. 1691) to allow breast cancer patients and their doctors to decide whether they should recuperate in the hospital for 48 hours before returning home, I’ve introduced a bill to help launch us into a new era of medical discovery in America. It would enable us to invest in cures for diseases that are impacting millions of Americans, like breast cancer. The Accelerate Cures for Patients Act, H.R. 3475, would double funding for medical research at the National Institutes of Health and prioritize funding towards research that has the greatest potential to become a useful treatment for patients. Imagine the impact we could have on a disease like breast cancer if we unleashed our best and brightest scientists to deliver us medical breakthroughs. Advancing these research efforts would bring an immediate impact to women across the country.

Together, we have an opportunity to come significantly closer to making breast cancer a disease of the past. Today, the pink ribbon serves as the official symbol of hope to the victims of breast cancer and to the family and friends who have lost loved ones to breast cancer. Perhaps the pink ribbon, through the efforts of citizens and public servants, will eventually stand for victory in cancer disease research.

The Maze of Employment Law
 

Any small business owner knows the responsibility of running a successful business is much more complicated than simply turning a profit. Operating a business with employees requires accountability and responsibility, both to the company and its workers. Just ask any small business owner—there is tax responsibility, the worry of whether health and safety standards are being met, the choice of employee benefit plans, just to name a few.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) provides a number of helpful online resources to help small business owners walk through the confusing maze of employment law. 

• The Employment Law Guide for Small Businesses, a publication of the DOL, offers helpful information on developing wage, benefit, safety and health, and nondiscrimination policies for small businesses in the general industry. You can find the guide online at www.dol.gov/compliance/guide/index.htm.

• An interactive e-tool called eLaw Advisors answers federal employment law questions in an easy-to-understand way by simulating an interaction you might have with a law advisor. eLaw Advisors are beneficial to both employers and employees and can be found at www.dol.gov/elaws/.

• A summary of major employment laws is available as a tool to acquaint you with basic employment issues such as the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act, among others. The summary also includes references to the full description of each federal law listed in the summary. The summary is available at http://www.dol.gov/opa/aboutdol/lawsprog.htm.

Don’t get lost in employment law. Take advantage of the resources provided to you and make the most of your small business. For more information on employment law, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s website at www.dol.gov.

 

A Healthy Future for America? 

 

 


Read Congressman Forbes' blog entry where he discusses the cost of the Baucus healthcare bill and the steps Congressman Forbes believes we should take on healthcare.

 

Follow this to read. 


See How Your Tax Dollars Are Being Used

 


Expectmore.gov assesses the performance of every Federal program to hold them accountable for improvement. See which programs are effective and which ones are not. 


Follow this link to find out. 


Tour the Capitol 
 



Contact Congressman Forbes' tour coordinator, Anne Pace, to schedule a tour of the Capitol Building on your next trip to Washington, DC.   

Follow this link to go. 


Other News

Oct 14, 2009 
Keeping the aircraft carrier fleet afloat  
 

Oct 14, 2009
Nation’s Largest Military Officer Association Throws Support Behind Flag to Honor Fallen Troops  

Oct 8, 2009
Forbes Announces Funding to Advance Math, Science, Technology Education for Minority Students  


ON THE HILL
PHOTO GALLERY
Congressman Forbes joins Newt Gingrich as the sponsor of the premier of his newest documentary, Rediscovering God in America II. 
Congressman Forbes meets with one of his youngest constituents in his office in Washington, D.C. 
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