SANTA BARBARA, Calif., May 19 CA-The-MesoFoundation
SANTA BARBARA, Calif., May 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Six years ago,
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) first introduced her proposed legislation to ban
asbestos and invest federal funding in the research critically needed to
develop effective treatments for the vicious cancer, mesothelioma, and other
asbestos related diseases. Since 2002, the Mesothelioma Applied Research
Foundation (Meso Foundation) has worked closely with Senator Murray to stop
the death and suffering and to get this life-saving legislation passed. On
October 4th, 2007, 120 Meso Foundation volunteer advocates from all over the
country descended on Capitol Hill, meeting with their Senators, and urging
support for the legislation. By the end of that very day, the Senate
unanimously passed it.
On the House side, Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN) introduced the
companion legislation as The Bruce Vento Ban Asbestos and Prevent Mesothelioma
Act of 2007 (H.R. 3339). The Environment and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee
of the House's Energy and Commerce Committee (E&C Committee) has taken the
lead on the legislation. In its draft, known as the Committee Print, the
Environment and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee has carried forward Senator
Murray's work on the ban, eliminating an exception for asbestos present at 1%
or less by weight, making the ban a matter of federal statute rather than EPA
regulation, and adding enforcement provisions.
The critically needed medical research funding provisions from Senator
Murray's and Congresswoman McCollum's legislation have not yet been added to
the Committee Print. The Meso Foundation has been working with the E&C
Committee's Health Subcommittee to draft these provisions.
The Meso Foundation issued a statement today saying,
"We commend the Environment and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee of the
Energy and Commerce Committee for following up on the historic leadership
of Senator Patty Murray and Congresswoman Betty McCollum and taking up the
issue of carcinogenic asbestos. We support the strongest possible ban on
asbestos and applaud the Sub-committee for their work in drafting the
Committee Print.
For the sake of all those already exposed, those now sick, and those who
will be exposed in the future to asbestos already in place, we call on the
Health Subcommittee to follow Senator Murray and Congresswoman McCollum in
recognizing the necessity of a robust asbestos disease research program,
and to adopt the research funding provisions included in their
legislation. Once these provisions have been added to the existing
Committee Print, we call on the House of Representatives to pass this
legislation as quickly as possible so that it can be conferenced with the
Senate-passed legislation championed by Senator Murray, and a bill can be
presented to the President for signature."
Representative Lois Capps (D-CA) and the staff of the House Energy and
Commerce Committee held a briefing session on Monday, May 19th to educate the
key staff of other House members on the critical need for this legislation.
Meso Foundation Medical Liaison Mary Hesdorffer, a nurse practitioner with
twelve years' experience treating meso patients and designing clinical trials,
was one of the key speakers. Based on her professional experience with
hundreds of meso patients, Mary spoke on why the Meso Foundation supports the
Committee Print and the House's effort to pass the strongest ban possible.
She also explained why the research funding provisions are so critically
important for the millions who were exposed in the past sixty years - and all
those who will continue to be exposed to the asbestos already pervasive in our
environment.
The Meso Foundation has also issued an "Action Alert" urging all 15,000 of
its constituents to call on their House Representative this week to support
prompt passage in the House of the asbestos ban and research funding
provisions. This year, as part of its annual Symposium on Malignant
Mesothelioma, the Meso Foundation will be holding another Advocacy Day, on
June 26. "We are again bringing our army of advocates -- doctors,
researchers, and most importantly, families directly impacted by this deadly
cancer -- to D.C. to tell their stories. We are going to make sure the House
and the President complete the life-saving work started by Senator Murray,"
said Chris Hahn, Meso Foundation Executive Director.
Asbestos is so deadly that there is no known safe level of exposure. Even
a tiny bit of fiber can cause mesothelioma. Approximately 3000 Americans are
dying each year from the cancer, the result of exposures that occurred ten to
sixty years ago. Those at risk include everyone from U.S. Navy veterans,
workers in shipyards or demolition, brake mechanics, roofers and cement
masons, to workers' families and even those who lived, worked or went to
school in contaminated buildings. Most meso patients die within two years of
diagnosis.
"We started this effort with Senator Murray six years ago," says Hahn.
"Since then, 3,000 wonderful people in the U.S. have died every year because
of the lack of effective medical treatments for meso. We don't want another
day to go by without the research funding needed to develop those treatments."
The Meso Foundation is a not-for-profit collaboration of patients and
families, physicians, advocates and researchers dedicated to eradicating the
life-ending and vicious effects of mesothelioma. The Foundation spurs meso
research with seed-money grant funding, over $5 million to date. The
Foundation also provides patients and families with information on
mesothelioma treatments, clinical trials and medical referrals through its
full-time mesothelioma nurse practitioner and its website, www.curemeso.org.
The Meso Foundation also hosts the annual Symposium to educate patients and
families on the latest advances in meso research and treatment. This year,
the Symposium will be held in Washington, DC on June 26-28.
SOURCE The Meso Foundation
