Donald M. Payne: “Wednesday marked the seventh anniversary of the death of my father, the late Congressman Donald Payne. My father was a…”

“Wednesday marked the seventh anniversary of the death of my father, the late Congressman Donald Payne. My father was a tireless advocate in this House, but he lost his life to colorectal cancer too early. That is why each year I sponsor a resolution recognizing March as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, a time to educate the public about the disease and the need for screening. I introduced that resolution on Wednesday, the anniversary of the loss of my father. I also introduced the Removing Barriers to Colorectal Screening Act, a bipartisan bill joined by Representatives Rodney Davis, Don McEachin, and David McKinley as co-leads. More than 100 Members have joined on as cosponsors, and I hope the remaining Members will join as well. Mr. Speaker, when people use Medicare to get colonoscopies, they are hit with an unexpected bill if polyps are removed. That is a monetary barrier to screening, and screening saves lives. My father, unfortunately, did not get screened for colorectal cancer. It wasn't something that people of his generation did. But we can honor his legacy by improving education and removing barriers to screening. ____________________”