House Passes Bill Reauthorizing Breast Cancer Research Stamp
Rep. Baca Served as Primary Sponsor of Counterpart Bill Introduced in House of Representatives
Washington, DC – Today, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation, S. 384, to reauthorize the sale of a special-rate U.S. postage stamp, with proceeds from the stamp going to the National Institute of Health to fund breast cancer research. Congressman Joe Baca (D-Rialto) served as lead sponsor of the counterpart bill in the House, H.R. 466 – The Breast Cancer Stamp Reauthorization Act, and worked closely with Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA) to ensure passage of S. 384 in the House of Representatives.
“The breast cancer research stamp has been highly successful in both raising tens of millions of dollars for important research, and raising public awareness of the ongoing need to fight a disease that affects millions of American women and their families,” said Rep. Baca. “I am proud to work with my colleague, Sen. Diane Feinstein, to achieve passage of this important legislation through both chambers of Congress.”
Breast cancer is considered the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women nationwide, aside from skin cancer. Since 1998, the U.S. Postal Service has sold over 903 million “semi-postal” breast cancer research stamps — raising $72 million for breast cancer research. In addition, the successful stamp has focused public awareness on the devastating disease and provided hope to breast cancer survivors. The Breast Cancer Research Stamp Authorization Act of 2011 permits the sale of the stamp for four additional years beyond the current expiration date of December 31, 2011.
“It is essential that we do all we can in Congress to ensure breast cancer research is adequately funded,” concluded Rep. Baca. “By reauthorizing the breast cancer research stamp, we can continue to support the mothers, grandmothers, wives, sisters, and daughters struggling with the disease. Together, we will continue to work towards a world without breast cancer.”
In 2007, Rep. Baca and Senator Diane Feinstein introduced legislation that passed both Houses of Congress and was signed into public law by the President, reauthorizing the stamp through this year. S. 384 passed the Senate by a unanimous consent vote earlier this month, on December 5, 2011.
December 17, 2011 - 1:57 am
As a breast cancer survivor and co-founder of the Breast Cancer Research Stamp (BCRS), I am grateful to Senator Dianne Feinstein, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Congressman Joe Baca for spearheading this year’s legislation to reauthorize the Breast Cancer Research Stamp.
Our work is far from done. We need to ensure that this historic stamp designed to save lives continues to be purchased, supported and promoted by all Americans and the international community.
Many Americans have given life to the Breast Cancer Research Stamp and the stamp has given hope to the all too many still searching for a cure and means of prevention to eradicate this rampant disease that has become a blight on our nation.
The grassroots support for this special fundraising (semipostal stamp) gained momentum in the Inland Empire by a special program that I created ubder the auspices of the WIN Against Breast Cancer organization and “Breast Buddy Breast Care Program” that I founded and implemented in the Kaiser Permanente Fontana medical center where Congressman Baca was first introduced to the Breast Buddy Breast Care Program and our peer support breast cancer survivor volunteers who embraced the Breast Cancer Research Stamp from the moment it was conceived and we partnered with a Kaiser Permanente surgeon, Ernie Bodai, who reached out to me for my support as Founder, President and CEO of the national WIN Against Breast Cancer organization.
We were soon joined by another advocate, David Goodman, who had recently lost his beloved wife to breast cancer, and the rest is history! A surgeon, breast cancer survivor/advocate and widow, supported by a tenacious team of breast cancer survivors (“Breast Buddies” and others) were determined to make the Breast Cancer Research Stamp a reality.
The Breast Cancer Research Stamp is the first postage stamp of its kind in United States history dedicated to raising funds for a special cause. This historic stamp designed to save lives was first issued on July 29, 1998. Since the stamp was first issued, the United States Postal Service has sold more than 903 million stamps, raising over $74.1 million to date for breast cancer research. The stamp currently costs 55-cents and is deemed valid as a 44-cent first-class stamp. The additional 11-cents charged for each stamp is directed to research programs at the National Institutes for Health, which receives 70 percent of the net proceeds, and the Department of Defense breast cancer research programs, which receive the remaining 30 percent of the net proceeds.
The public support for this stamp has been unparalleled. We urge swift signing of the legislation into law by President Obama and undiminished support from individuals and corporations throughout our country and beyond to ensure the stamp’s ongoing survival and success. The American people now represent the lifeline for this landmark stamp. We encourage the public to continue to buy the stamp and to contact their members of Congress to voice their strong support for the important legislation.
Please contact your members of Congress to thank them for their support. Please continue to purchase and promote the Breast Cancer Research Stamp (BCRS) at every opportunity. This holiday season and throughout the year, please give a gift of life and hope to “Fund the Fight to Find a Cure: by using the BC Research Stamp on all of your mailings. This beautiful stamp also makes a wonderful gift and as an added bonus, a portion of the cost of each BCRS can be tax-deductible!
Please show your support for the extension of the Breast Cancer Research Stamp by immediately calling, faxing, writing and e-mailing your Congressional Representatives in the House of Representatives and the United States Senate to thank them for their sponsorship and support of the Breast Cancer Research Stamp reauthorization legislation. It is now in the hands of President Obama to sign the legislation into law before December 31st of this year when the BC Research Stamp is set to expire.
I have posted a lot of relevant information on the Breast Cancer Research Stamp Facebook Group page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/BreastCancerResearchStamp/); please feel free to review and use the information in your communications with your members of Congress.
In addition to the resources that I have posted on this group page, the public can obtain the contact information at the following site:
http://www.congress.org/
The net proceeds from sales of the Breast Cancer Research Stamp benefit breast cancer research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Defense (DoD) Breast Cancer Research Programs.
Breast Cancer Research Stamps can be purchased by calling 1-800-STAMP 24 and on-line at:
http://shop.usps.com/
(Product search keywords: Breast Cancer Research Stamp)
To learn more about the National Institutes of Health Breast Cancer Research Program and the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) breast cancer research grants derived from the stamp, visit:
http://newscenter.cancer.gov/pressreleases/stampawards.html
To learn more about the Breast Cancer Research Stamp and the involvement of the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program, visit:
http://cdmrp.army.mil/pubs/factsheets/bcstampfactsheet.htm
Congress.org – Legislative_process
http://www.congress.org
E-mail, call or write the President, Congress or state and local government based on your ZIP code. Find groups’ Take Action alerts or create your own.
Bill Summary & Status – 112th Congress (2011 – 2012) – S.384 – THOMAS (Library of Congress)
thomas.loc.gov
Latest Title: A bill to amend title 39, United States Code, to extend the authority of the United States Postal Service to issue a semipostal to raise funds for breast cancer research
Sponsor: Sen Feinstein, Dianne [CA] (intro’d 2/17/2011)
Related Bill: H.R.466
Extends, for four years, the authority of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to issue a semipostal to contribute to funding for breast cancer research.
Bill Text – 112th Congress (2011-2012) – THOMAS (Library of Congress)
thomas.loc.gov
Bill Summary & Status – 112th Congress (2011 – 2012) – H.R.466 – THOMAS (Library of Congress)
Latest Title: To amend title 39, United States Code, to extend the authority of the United States Postal Service to issue a semipostal to raise funds for breast cancer research.
Sponsor: Rep Baca, Joe [CA-43] (introduced 1/26/2011)
Related Bill: S.384
To amend title 39, United States Code, to extend the authority of the United States Postal Service to issue a semipostal to raise funds for breast cancer research .
Here is my original letter of support for the Breast Cancer Research Stamp Reauthorization Legislation addressed to United States Senator Dianne Feinstein:
The Honorable Dianne Feinstein
331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senator Feinstein:
As the Founder of the Women’s Information Network Against Breast Cancer (WIN ABC) organization, the Founder of the nationally acclaimed Breast Buddy Breast Care Program[1] and as a breast cancer survivor, I am writing this letter to communicate my strong support for the reauthorization of the Breast Cancer Research Stamp (BCRS) and your current legislation and efforts to extend the sale of the highly successful BCR Stamp for four additional years. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you for your steadfast leadership and ongoing commitment in the fight against cancer.
I devoted two years of my personal life and resources to help secure the passage of the original legislation that you spearheaded to create the now historic Breast Cancer Research Semipostal Stamp. The WIN Against Breast Cancer organization and I also initiated and led the grassroots efforts to help secure the subsequent legislative reauthorizations that you introduced, while also working to promote the Breast Cancer Research Stamp throughout the United States. Those of us in the breast cancer advocacy community are now rolling up our sleeves to secure more co-sponsors for your current Breast Cancer Research Stamp reauthorization legislation in the United States Senate and the reauthorization legislation in the House of Representatives to get the bills (S.384 and H.R.466) passed in both houses of Congress and signed by President Obama as soon as possible.
The Breast Cancer Research Stamp has captured the essence of innovation, philanthropy, volunteerism and partnership that are such an integral part of our country’s history and spirit. Reauthorizing the Breast Cancer Research Stamp will give all of us the opportunity to continue working together to eradicate breast cancer once and for all, ensuring that children can one day grow up free and protected from the specter of this horrible disease. Since the Breast Cancer Research Stamp was first issued on July 29, 1998, over 907 million Breast Cancer Research Stamps have been sold, raising over $74.1 million to date to fund the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense breast cancer research programs. In addition, it is important to keep in mind that the awareness that this historic stamp designed to save lives has raised continues to be priceless.
With the passage of the current legislation to reauthorize the issuance of the Breast Cancer Research Stamp, the American people can continue to raise millions of additional dollars to fund cutting edge research to end this rampant disease that is a blight on our nation, striking more than 260,000 people and claiming the lives of more than 40,000 breast cancer victims each year in this country alone. The Breast Cancer Research Stamp is just as necessary today as it was over thirteen years ago when Congress first authorized the BCR Stamp. The facts speak for themselves.
I am pleased to report the following statistics which are from a colleague of mine, Ann Geiger, PhD, who is one of the best and brightest epidemiologists in the United States[2]:
• “Five year breast cancer survival has improved from 75% in 1975-77 to 89.9% in 1999-2006. This is due to improvements in detection, treatment and survivorship care/behaviors that have arisen from research investments.”
There is still much work to be done on the breast cancer research front. Dr. Geiger further reports:
• “Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women (excluding skin cancer).
• More than 2.5 million women are living with breast cancer in the U.S. today. Latest estimates vary a bit, but fall within the range of 2.6 to 2.7 million women with a history of breast cancer. These are living women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer at some point from 1974 to 2006 (most recent available data).
• Over 200,000 women have been diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States in each of the past few years, and will be diagnosed in the coming year.
• Though much less common, 1,970 men were diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States last year.”
• Aside from non-melanoma skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States. It is also one of the leading causes of cancer death among women of all races and Hispanic origin populations. For more information, visit “Cancer Among Women” on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website at http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/data/women.htm.3
In 2007 (the most recent year numbers are available)—[4]
• 202,964 women in the United States were diagnosed with breast cancer.*†
• 40,598 women in the United States died from breast cancer.*†
• *Incidence counts cover approximately 99% of the U.S. population. Death counts cover 100% of the U.S. population. Use caution in comparing incidence and death counts.”
Through your shared vision and leadership, many Americans have given life to the Breast Cancer Research Stamp and the BCR Stamp has given hope to those still searching for ways to cure, better treat and prevent this life threatening, life altering disease. The public support for the BCR Stamp has been unparalleled. We urge swift passage through Congress of the current reauthorization legislation and undiminished support from individuals and corporations throughout our country to ensure the Breast Cancer Research Stamp’s survival and ongoing success. The United States Congress and the American people now represent the lifeline for this landmark stamp, currently slated to be pulled from the market on December 31, 2011.
The addition of semipostal stamps to the offerings of the United States Postal Service (USPS) has been beneficial for its employees, customers and the USPS organization as a whole. In working closely with the USPS over the past several years, I have learned first-hand that the creation and continued availability of the Breast Cancer Research Stamp have increased employee morale, enhanced public perception and remains an asset to the United States Postal Service.
As you know, three semipostal stamps have been issued by the United States Postal Service and today only the Breast Cancer Research stamp is currently available:
1. The Breast Cancer Research Semipostal Stamp, Issuance Period: 1998–current. Net proceeds of more than $74.1 million to date have gone to the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense.
2. The Heroes of 2001 Semipostal Stamp, Issuance Period: 2002–2004. Net proceeds of $10.5 million went to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 3. The Stop Family Violence Semipostal Stamp, Issuance Period: 2003–2006. Net proceeds of $3.1 million went to the United States Department of Health and Human Services.[5]
The reauthorization of the Breast Cancer Research Stamp helped to ensure the BCR Stamp’s success alongside the Heroes of 2001 Stamp, which raised comparable funds to the Breast Cancer Research Stamp during its first nine months of issuance and which helped raise awareness and support for the third semipostal stamp that was issued, the Stop Family Violence Stamp.
The forthcoming issuance of the Save Vanishing Species Stamp has the potential to further bolster the awareness of the United States Postal Service’s semipostal stamps even more and encourage concerned citizens to contribute to the furtherance of both worthy causes. As we have seen from the robust sales of three concurrently available semipostal stamps, these individual contributions add up to hundreds of millions of dollars in vital financial support of issues of national import and as previously stated, the public awareness raised by the semipostal stamps continues to be priceless.
Thank you for your ongoing efforts to “Fund the Fight to Find a Cure”, Senator Feinstein. You have our heartfelt gratitude. Please feel free to call upon me at any time if I can be of assistance to you and your colleagues in any way.
Respectfully yours,
Elizabeth “Betsy” Mullen
Nonprofit, Health Care and Public Policy Consultant
Founder, WIN Against Breast Cancer
Founder, Breast Buddy Breast Care Program
Co-founder, Breast Cancer Research Stamp
http://www.linkedin.com/in/betsymullen
[1] The signature program developed by Betsy Mullen, the Breast Buddy Breast Care Program, was identified as an innovative best practice by the Commonwealth Fund and the American Association of Health Plans (AAHP). Representing over 130 million health plan members throughout the United States, the American Association of Health Plan’s recognition established the Breast Buddy Program as “an exemplary practice…an outstanding women’s health program that really is making a difference in improving women’s health.”
[2] Sources: Ann Geiger, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Public Health Science, Wake Forest University School of Medicine; Altekruse SF, Kosary CL, Krapcho M, Neyman N, Aminou R, Waldron W, Ruhl J, Howlader N, Tatalovich Z, Cho H, Mariotto A, Eisner MP, Lewis DR, Cronin K, Chen HS, Feuer EJ, Stinchcomb DG, Edwards BK (eds). SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2007, National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2007/, based on November 2009 SEER data submission, posted to the SEER web site, 2010. American Cancer Society Cancer Facts & Figures 2010.
[3] * 40,598 women in the United States died from breast cancer.*†
*Incidence counts cover approximately 99% of the U.S. population. Death counts cover 100% of the U.S. population. Use caution in comparing incidence and death counts. Source: U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group. United States Cancer Statistics: 1999–2007 Incidence and Mortality Web-based Report. Atlanta (GA): Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Cancer Institute; 2010. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/uscs.
[4] Source: U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group. United States Cancer Statistics: 1999–2007 Incidence and Mortality Web-based Report. Atlanta (GA): Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Cancer Institute; 2010. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/uscs.
[5] Source: United States Postal Service Press Release, May 11, 2011; website: http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2011/pr11_049.htm
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