In the News

Republican U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers urged a Fayetteville audience of largely women Monday night to reach out to their congressional senators to advocate for that legislative body's version of the 21st Century Cures Act.

Ellmers, who is from Dunn and represents North Carolina's Second Congressional District, has called funding for research at the National Institutes of Health a priority to find solutions to move health care forward in the form of cures.

She told the audience of more than 350 people attending the Breast Cancer Education Forum at the Embassy Suites that there are roughly 10,000 diagnosed diseases, but only about 500 known cures.

"Essentially," Ellmers said, "it's funding better research, better development, making sure that the NIA - the National Institutes of Health - has the dollars it needs to do research. (The legislation is) looking at this from the perspective that cures are what we need to do."

Ellmers is a nurse and married to a general surgeon.

Last month, a version of the 21st Century Cures Act "passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in the House," she said. "It is in the Senate right now. ... This is something we need to do for our future."

Ellmers, a three-term incumbent, is running for re-election this year against four other Republicans and a Democrat.

The congresswoman discussed a couple of other pieces of health care legislation that she has been involved in.

Together with Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Democrat from Florida, Ellmers introduced the Early Act (the Breast Health Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young Act) in the House.

Two years ago, Congress passed a five-year reauthorization of the Early Act that Ellmers said "is making sure we continue with research and development in the areas that affect breast cancer, especially in younger women."

Ellmers called the PALS Act, aka Protecting Access to Lifesaving Screenings Act, "possibly the worst-case scenario anyone could ever imagine when we're seeing more and more cases of breast cancer in young women, especially ages 40 to 49."

The PALS Act would place a two-year moratorium on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation for women receiving mammograms, according to Ellmers.

The article above appeared in The Fayetteville Observer, February 8, 2016