HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 97-4608, by Representatives Mitchell, Ogden, Sehlin, Robertson, Pennington, Lambert, Carrell, Ballasiotes, Radcliff, Delvin, Conway, Hankins, K. Schmidt, Zellinsky, Dyer, Sterk, Sump, Thompson, D. Sommers, Dickerson, Kenney, Cody, Mason, Mielke, Boldt, Ballard, Costa, Scott, Cole, Johnson, Parlette, Cairnes, O'Brien, Lantz, Hickel, Anderson, Poulsen, Van Luven, Backlund, D. Schmidt, Romero, Alexander, Constantine, Morris, Fisher, Quall, Murray, Hatfield and Kessler

WHEREAS, More than three thousand eight hundred women in Washington will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year; and

WHEREAS, Nearly one thousand women in Washington lost their lives to breast cancer in 1996; and

WHEREAS, Women who die from breast cancer lose an average of twenty years of their life; and

WHEREAS, Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women; and

WHEREAS, The medical treatment costs of breast cancer nation-wide total over six billion dollars annually; and

WHEREAS, Underfunded research into the causes of breast cancer have not yet determined a cause, prevention, or cure for the disease; and

WHEREAS, Research into the cause and cure for all cancers totals only one-tenth of one percent of the federal budget;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives honor and support the American Cancer Society's "Campaign 2.6" signature drive calling on the President of the United States and members of the United States Congress to recommit to eradicating breast cancer by investing two billion six million dollars in breast cancer research between now and January 1, 2000, and mandating that breast cancer activists be among those who decide how that money is appropriated; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives to the Secretary of the United States Senate; the Chief Clerk of the United States House of Representatives; the Honorable Patty Murray, United States Senator; the Honorable Linda Smith, United States Representative; John Seffrin of the American Cancer Society National Home Office; Sherry Bailey of the American Cancer Society National Home Office; Fran Visco of the National Breast Cancer Coalition; Willie Stewart, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Western Pacific Division of the American Cancer Society; Ann Marie Pomerinke, Chief Executive Officer, Western Pacific Division of the American Cancer Society; Theresa Miller of the Breast Cancer Task Force of the Western Pacific Division of the American Cancer Society; and Deb Schiro of the division office of the Western Pacific Division of the American Cancer Society.