Ehrlich on Washington column, June 13, 1999

MEWS FROM Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr Second Congressional District of Maryland 1 407 York Road, Suite 304 3 1 5 Cannon House Office Building Lutherville, Maryland 2 1 093 Washington, D.C. 205 1 5 EHRLICH ON WASHINGTON Week of June 13, 1999 By Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Woman’s Health in the 106,h Congress As an athlete, who has played competitive sports, I know how sweet it is to nm the traditional “victory lap.” Recently, I was reminded of how much more a victory lap can mean as I kicked off the Relay for Life event in Bel Air. Relay for Life is an overnight event, where teams circle laps around a track to raise money for cancer research and awareness. The first group to circle the track is cancer survivors. This victory lap celebrates them and honors those who could not take the lap. Taking part in special events back in the district, like this one, reminds me of the constituents I meet every day to discuss health care. Many of the personal stories I hear are directly from women. I value this viewpoint because women are often the ones responsible for making daily decisions regarding health care for their families, their businesses, and themselves. I believe Congress can be there to help them make these decisions. I have supported and voted for many good Republican-led initiatives which benefit women’s health. A few examples include the following: Biomedical Research - As a staunch supporter of federally funded biomedical research, I am working hard to double National Institute of Health’s (NIH) budget by 2003. The NIH invests billions of dollars on diseases and conditions which strike our mothers, wives, and sisters. For example, this year, the NIH will spend nearly $500 million on breast cancer C