Senate Approves Continuing Breast Cancer Research Stamp

$47.4 million raised for breast cancer research to date

Washington, D.C. (September 28, 2005) – The U.S. Senate today approved legislation sponsored by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) that would extend the Breast Cancer Research Stamp for another two years.

“The Breast Cancer Research Stamp is the first stamp of its kind dedicated to raising funds for a special cause and remains just as necessary today as ever,” Senator Feinstein said. “The money raised with each sale of this exceptional stamp will help save lives until a cure is found. This wonderful stamp has also focused public awareness on a devastating disease and provided hope to breast cancer survivors to help find a cure. I hope that the House will act soon to continue the legacy of the stamp.”

“This program demonstrates our strong commitment to raising awareness and finding a cure for this deadly disease,” said Senator Hutchison. “Every stamp purchased is a personal contribution to the fight against breast cancer and this legislation ensures people across America can continue giving.”

With strong bipartisan support from 69 Senators from both sides of the aisle, this bill will permit the sale of the Breast Cancer Research Stamp to continue until December 31, 2007. The stamp is set to expire at the end of this year if this legislation is not enacted.

Since 1998 when the stamp was first introduced, the United States Postal Service has sold more than 650 million Breast Cancer Research Stamps and raised $47.4 million for breast cancer research.

The stamp will continue to have a surcharge of up to 25 percent above the value of a first-class stamp, and does not affect any other semi-postal proposals under consideration by the Postal Service.

Seventy percent of the proceeds from the stamp will continue to go to breast cancer research programs at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and 30 percent of the proceeds will continue to go to breast cancer research programs at the Department of Defense (DOD). Since the creation of the stamp, NIH has received approximately $31 million and the DOD about $13 million.

Breast cancer is considered the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in every major ethnic group in this country. Over two million women in the U.S. are living with breast cancer, one million of whom have yet to be diagnosed. This year, approximately 211,240 women in this country will get breast cancer and about 40,410 women will die from this dreadful disease. Though much less common, about 1,300 men in America are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.

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