Date: 2013-06-13
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Let me thank the gentleman from Washington for his leadership and the gentleman from California for their work and their work with my office and staff. One of the efforts that we have been working onwhen I say that. Congress and individual Membersis to approach and to continue to work on the issue of breast cancer that impacts women throughout this country. and certainly women and men in the United States military. Im very pleased in this en bloc to have an amendment by Jackson Lee that really cements the collaboration between the Department of Defense Office of Health to collaborate with the National Institutes of Health to provide resources. to identify specific genetic and molecular targets and biomarkers for triple negative breast cancer. often not heard of. I will tell you. in the course of my involvement. Ive had daughters of those who lost their livestriple negative breast cancer is a particularly negative but deadly form of breast cancer where the victim does not last very long. Ive lost dear friends. And this highlighting the biomarker will bring down the cost of treatment. but more importantly will help to stem the tide of those who quickly die because there is no treatment because it accelerates so quickly and lives are lost. I also am grateful that we are beginning to make some steps. Though I indicated my support for the Speier and Gabbard amendment. I am pleased to be able to have in this language. a board. a place where sexual assault prevention information and resources bring it out in the open and let people know. men and women. how they can access resources. Lets put it forward so that people are safe. so that we can stop it and get in the gap. I think honoring our men and women in the United States military is particularly important. Over the years. I have supported increased funding for PTSD and recognized the crises that many of our soldiers are facing in the need for mental health services. We can see some of the impact of those in terms of family situations and violence. domestic violence. So I have in this en bloc an amendment that will provide more mental health counselors. or focus on more mental health counselors. to ensure that the 200.000 veterans of military service and Active Duty soldiers will have the ability to be able to get that kind of service. It is also important to be fiscally responsible. and I have an amendment that improves the management of defense equipment and supplies through automated information datacaptured technology. This will support the work of the DOD to adopt a proven private sector method for more efficiently managing inventory. and thats inventory going from what we have in Afghanistan to left over in Iraq and to many other places. We want to save money. I also am very grateful that there is a managers amendment in this en bloc. something very close and near and dear to my heart. and that is the outreach by the Department of Defense to small businesses. minorityowned businesses and womenowned businesses. I can tell you that they are the backbone of America. Even though we are downsizing on some of the contractual relationships. I can tell you that obviously they bring about $537 billion as obligated by Federal agencies. These small businesses can benefit. They create jobs. And the outreach is going to be vital beyond where the bases are. beyond where the areas where you would likely think. Let me also say this. I want to thank the committee for working with me on an amendment that I thought was very important. and that is the study of the procurement practices of our intelligence assets and to be able to improve how we deal with intelligence. I know that we will work together on that going forward. and I believe that it is important that we do work together. These are amendments that I believe will improve the conditions of our very important military personnel. And again. to all of them. Happy Fathers Day.