October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
There is broad agreement that early detection is key when it comes to all forms of cancer. However, there can be different opinions about which screening practices are most effective, and women experience this with breast cancer screenings. Experts have various perspectives on the age that women should begin screenings, how often they should get screened, and by what method. Regardless of these differences, there are some recommendations that are just common sense.
First, according to the Prevent Cancer Foundation, women should make sure to do breast self-examinations. If anything feels strange or different, it is a good time to go in for a doctor’s visit. Secondly, women should see a doctor at least once a year and prepare questions in advance, especially if there is a family history of cancer. It is important to talk to your doctor about screening options and when screenings should start, given all individual risk factors. Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, this is a good time to talk to your doctor about what screening methods might be right for you or a loved one.
Spotlight on the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
In the House of Representatives, committees are a major component in helping the House function efficiently. With the House currently out of session, I wanted to take some time to highlight work of the three committees I serve on. I am starting with the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, a committee I have been a member of my entire tenure in Congress. Federal agency oversight has been an important part of the Science Committee’s work this year.
First, the Science Committee has been looking into the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and instances where the agency has not exhibited good judgment. A priority for me has been stopping the EPA’s regulatory overreach and ensuring the EPA is using sound science as a basis for decisions. In March, I had the opportunity to question Mr. William Yeatman with the Competitive Enterprise Institute about the EPA’s Regional Haze air pollution control plan in Texas. In this instance, not only did the EPA push a plan with unreasonable measures on Texas, but it missed its own deadline for reviewing the plan Texas submitted – by four and a half years!
I also had the opportunity to question EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy about the need for further cost-benefit analysis and transparency in the scientific methods the EPA uses in its rulemaking. Unfortunately, the EPA has proposed and finalized regulations based upon scientific methodologies that are not transparent or reproducible. A blatant example of this is the case of the Bristol Bay Pebble Mine in Alaska. I had the opportunity to question Regional Administrator Dennis McLerran about this issue in April.
In an attempt to reform the EPA’s process on such matters, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1030, the Secret Science Reform Act. Written by our committee, this legislation would require the EPA to make the scientific studies on which regulations are based publicly available in a manner that could be independently analyzed and reproduced. This will assure the soundness and unbiased nature of the science used.
While not all committee hearings make the headlines, they help us learn more about issues from experts and stakeholders, get answers from federal agencies, and determine what, if any, actions Congress should take. I enjoy working on the Science Committee because our jurisdiction allows us to look at the science related to energy, new technologies, and space, and also understand how that science is applied on issues important to Texans and all Americans.
