LEAHY WILL FIGHT FOR $25 MILLION BREAST CANCER RESEARCH; VOWS TO TAKE BATTLE TO THE HOUSE

WASHINGTON, D.C.--The Senate last night approved Senator Patrick Leahy's effort to pump $25 million into breast cancer research. But Leahy says the fight is just beginning.

Leahy says the battle now shifts to a Senate/House conference to assure the funds stay in place and are not siphoned off to finance other Defense Department projects.

The Vermont senator will be a conferee on the bill that he amended to include breast cancer research funding, despite some Pentagon opposition. Secretary Aspin failed to set aside any Department of Defense research funds in the budget despite Congressional approval of $2 1 0 million last year.

Leahy successfully fought language that he labeled "blatantly sexist" in last year's bill, after the department set aside research funds for prostate cancer but balked- on including breast cancer research in the DoD budget.

Leahy joined women protestors on the steps of the Capitol last year to dramatize the need for more research into the causes of breast cancer, which has a higher mortality incidence in Vermont than most other states.

"With the funds approved last year, this program has recruited new scientists into a critical field of research and brought thousands of innovative proposals forward," Leahy said.

Leahy said the $25 million in research funds signals researchers that the "Congress won't give up until we find out what is killing our mothers, wives and daughters."

"We have to keep going."

Leahy's efforts have won the praise of Fran Visco, President of the National Breast Cancer Coalition.

"Once again, Senator Leahy's leadership has been pivotal in our fight to obtain the research funds necessary to eradicate breast cancer," Visco said.

"His action ensures that the important research effort begun last year at the Department of Army will continue."

Leahy joined with Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) last year in an effort to save $210 million intended for breast cancer research as part of the Defense Appropriations bill. The two Senators protested what Leahy called "an act of cruel, mean sexism," when they learned that breast cancer funding had been cut while funding for prostate cancer remained in the bill. The funding was eventually approved.

The defense spending measure now goes to a conference committee of House and Senate members.