The National Breast Cancer
Coalition's Congressional award was presented to Leahy by local attorney
Pat Barr, who is on the Coalition's Executive Committee and is co-chairwoman
of the Breast Cancer Network.
"He's one of the few who
doesn't stop," Barr said. Leahy has been credited with securing $300 million
from the defense budget for cancer research. "We couldn't be successful
and effective without Leahy," she said.
"My part was an easy one,"
Leahy said. He credited Barr and the people on the committee whom, he said,
are involved in a "true grassroots coalition" as the ones who made it all
happen.
"Every senator who walked
out of the conference room encountered a member of the breast cancer coalition
by the door," Leahy said. "They made a lot of converts along the way."
Leahy said retired Gen. Colin
Powell supported the breast cancer effort but wanted to know why funding
should come from the defense department. Leahy pointed out that a lot of
money is spent for prostate cancer research and since the military has
both men and women research money for breast cancer research -- which affects
men too -- is appropriate.
"We could build a couple
less missiles and use the money for cancer research," he recalls telling
Powell. "It's good for women in the military and has an effect on people
throughout the world."
The coalition's platform
states that there are 2.6 million women living with breast cancer today.
In 1996, 184,300 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 44,300
women will die of the disease.
"We've had successes but
we keep at it," Leahy explained. AI wish we would have started 20 years
ago; so many of you are survivors and it wouldn't be that way without (the
breast cancer network)."
Leahy said he continues to
fight for cancer research funding for his wife, his two daughters, his
friends, and above all, because it's right.
"There are so many coalitions
that separate people," Leahy concluded. "It's good to have something to
bring people together."
The coalition is now petitioning
the president and the Congress to appropriate $2.6 million for breast cancer
research between now and the year 2000. The group hopes to get 2.6 million
signatures from across the country.
The National Breast Cancer
Coalition's Congressional award was presented to Leahy by local attorney
Pat Barr. |
