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Cancer Bill Heads to White House

by Md. Dem. Sen. Barbara Mikulski - 03/30/07 1:57 PM ET

I came to Congress to change and save lives, which is why I am so pleased that legislation I authored, the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program Reauthorization Act of 2007, is on its way to the President for his signature. The bill reauthorizes and increases funds for the program I created in 1991 that helps low-income women without health insurance gain access to essential medical tests that can detect breast and cervical cancer.

The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) reaches out to low-income, underserved women who are uninsured or underinsured, and helps them get access to life-saving mammograms and cervical cancer screenings. An increase in funding will allow a greater number of women to have access to the program’s services.

I promised the thousands of women who depend on this program that I would not give up until this program was reauthorized, and my promises made are promises kept.