On the recordApril 30, 2019
Today I rise for Lori Smith of Pennsylvania, a member of my community who passed away last month after a very long and hard-fought battle with stage IV colorectal cancer. When she first received her diagnosis, Lori learned that several of the symptoms that she had been experiencing had been there for over a decade. So, Lori stood up. She harnessed the power of social media and advocacy to share her story with the world, to stand up and fight for her life and the lives of all those affected by this insidious disease. We met with Lori's husband, Kenny, here in Washington to hear of her brave fight and of their tireless work to make sure that other families never have to go through the pain that they went through. That was March 19. Lori passed away on March 20. I refuse to let Lori's death and the thousands of cancer-related deaths go unnoticed. I cosponsored H.R. 1570, the Colorectal Cancer Screening Act, which would waive Medicare's cost-sharing requirements for preventive screening of colonoscopies. I urge the House and the Senate to pass this bipartisan and lifesaving legislation. As we continue to search for a cure, the greatest tool at our disposal is always early diagnosis. No one in our country should ever have to forego lifesaving screenings. And to all my fellow Americans battling cancer, I will not stop fighting for you. ____________________





