Political Quotes

“Thank you, Congressman Payne, for your shared interest in this very important topic. Mr. Chairman, I commend my colleague for his steadfast support of colorectal cancer awareness research, prevention, and treatment efforts. As the second leading cause of death in men and women in the United States, we have both seen the personal toll that colorectal cancer can have on family members and loved ones. Congressman Payne obviously lost his father; I lost my brother-in-law. It was very painful for all of us. We lost them all too soon. It has been a privilege to work together with you on an issue that has raised awareness and increased preventive screenings. This is an issue that affects far too many of our veterans and, as you mentioned, this bill takes steps to support the VA's prevention and treatment efforts. The report's language should not be misconstrued as only focusing on blood tests, and I certainly encourage the VA to expedite its review of alternative colorectal cancer screening tests, including DNA stool- based noninvasive tests. We certainly want to encourage the VA in that regard. I look forward to continuing to work with on you these important matters. Again, I want to really commend Congressman Payne for his determination and steadfast interest in advancing therapies and treatments for colorectal cancer. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.”