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Prostate Cancer Stamp Resource Center Hot! Prostate Cancer Research Stamp Fails in Congress "180,000
men will be newly diagnosed with prostate cancer |
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Prostate Cancer Research Stamp Fails in Congress
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But, Why Did the Bill Really Fail?
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The Stamp Out Prostate Cancer Act, H.R. 2562, failed to pass Congress this year and the decision to issue a Prostate Cancer Research Stamp similar to the Breast Cancer Research Stamp now rests with the Postal Service - or does it? Our discussions with Representative Cunningham's office indicate that Congress may yet play a part in the issuance of a prostate semi-postal stamp with Cunningham taking the lead in the next Congress. So, stay tuned. . . . Following the success of the Breast Cancer Research Stamp, Congress found an increasing number of disease awareness activist groups requesting that they be given a semi-postal stamp to raise awareness and money for their cause. Added to this flood of requests was an increasing number of non-disease activist groups, each wanting a stamp for their cause - including safe railroad crossings and the World War II Memorial planned for the Mall. Several options were discussed in Congress: pass each stamp that gained a respectable level of support; pass a bill providing for rotating semi-postals, each on sale for one year (diabetes for one year, Alzheimer's the next year, prostate the next year, and so on); or authorize the Postal Service to issue semi-postals and transfer all semi-postal decisions to the Postal Service. Having faced this dilemma once before, with the issuance of commemorative days, weeks, and months (Father's Day, Mother's Day, National Men's Health Week, etc.) being transferred to another entity, Congress decided to follow precedent and transfer semi-postal decisions somewhere else. This led to the passage of H.R. 4437, which transfers all decisions on semi-postals to the Postal Service. H.R. 4437 also reauthorized sale of the Breast Cancer Research Stamp for 2 more years. H.R. 4437 was signed by President Clinton and became Public Law 106-253 on July 28, 2000, thereby insuring continued sales of the Breast Cancer Research Stamp and transfer of decisions about all other semi-postals, including the proposed Prostate Cancer Research Stamp, to the Postal Service. Specifically, H.R. 4437 reads in part: Sec. 416. Authority to issue semipostals (a) DEFINITIONS- For purposes of this section-- (1) the term `semipostal' means a postage stamp which is issued and sold by the Postal Service, at a premium, in order to help provide funding for a cause described in subsection (b); and (2) the term `agency' means an Executive agency within the meaning of section 105 of title 5. (b) DISCRETIONARY AUTHORITY- The Postal Service is hereby authorized to issue and sell semipostals under this section in order to advance such causes as the Postal Service considers to be in the national public interest and appropriate. (c) RATE OF POSTAGE- The rate of postage on a semipostal issued under this section shall be established by the Governors, in accordance with such procedures as they shall by regulation prescribe (in lieu of the procedures under chapter 36), except that-- (1) the rate established for a semipostal under this section shall be equal to the rate of postage that would otherwise regularly apply, plus a differential of not to exceed 25 percent; and (2) no regular rates of postage or fees for postal services under chapter 36 shall be any different from what they otherwise would have been if this section had not been enacted. The use of any semipostal issued under this section shall be voluntary on the part of postal patrons. But, Why Did The Bill Really Fail? The Prostate Cancer Research Stamp was introduced in both the 105th and 106th Congresses and received substantial member and activist support, yet still failed to pass. It failed to pass for a number of reasons but the most important reason is that even though men die at higher rates for the top 10 causes of death, men's health does not receive much government attention - and prostate cancer is just one of many critical men's health concerns. Until men's health is made a national priority and given the government and public attention it needs, prostate cancer issues will continue to struggle and receive 2nd rate status. Women's health, however, has been a national priority for over a decade. The establishment of an Office of Women's Health in 1991 paved the way for a number of important women's health initiatives including passage of the Breast Cancer Research Stamp in 1997, an emphasis on women's health research at NIH, and the establishment of a substantial Breast and Cervical Cancer outreach and treatment program at CDC. We applaud the effort of activists for women's health to place prevention, awareness, and research of women's health issues on the front burner. However, it is unfortunate that policy makers were left with the impression that women's health and research had been neglected, thereby implying that men's health issues needed no attention. The imprint of this erroneous impression can be found on virtually every health issue considered by Congress and the Administration - and affects individual health issues like prostate cancer. Today, there are women's health offices at almost all federal agencies that have an interest in health and twice as many women are enrolled in federally funded research on women's health at NIH than men enrolled in research on men's health. Representative Cunningham will take the lead again next year and push for issuance of the prostate cancer research stamp. Bookmark this site and check it regularly for updates on this issue. Senator Strom Thurmond and Rep. Randy Cunningham are leading the way with the introduction of the Men's Health Act of 2000 in the Senate and in the House. The Men's Health Act of 2000 will establish an Office of Men's Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate the fragmented men's health awareness, prevention, and research efforts now being conducted by federal and state government. If passed, this legislation will finally give men's health issues the legitimacy needed to make advancements in all high risk disease issues affecting men, including prostate cancer. Your voice counts! To learn more about this issue, and to support the Office of Men's Health, go to the Office of Men's Health Resource Center and write a letter in support of the Men's Health Act of 2000. And, ask for and buy the existing prostate cancer awareness stamp. |
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For further information, please contact us at: The
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