Reauthorize the Breast Cancer Research Stamp

The groundbreaking Breast Cancer Research Stamp, which has raised more than $55.5 million for breast cancer research since its introduction in 1998, is up for reauthorization this year. Right now, three bills in Congress could reauthorize the stamp - or make it permanent! - but Congress has yet to act on them, which means we could lose this convenient, popular and effective way of raising funds for breast cancer research.

By law, the stamp sells for 55 cents, and the net proceeds go to critical breast cancer research work. More than 773 million Breast Cancer Research Stamps have been sold in the past eight years, making it the top-selling commemorative stamp in U.S. history! 

Clearly - the American public supports the Breast Cancer Research Stamp. Now we need Congress to reauthorize the stamp or make it permanent. Otherwise, it will no longer be offered for sale by the U.S. Postal Service and researchers working on finding the cure to breast cancer will lose a key funding source.

Please urge your Members of Congress to support the Breast Cancer Research Stamp! 

Please sign the petition below to fight breast cancer.


Dear Representative,

As your constituent, I respectfully request that you support legislation to extend the Breast Cancer Research Stamp. As you may know, the Breast Cancer Research Stamp (BCRS), issued in July of 1998, was the first semi-postal stamp in U.S. history and has become the top-selling commemorative stamp in U.S. history, surpassing the Elvis stamp. The stamp sells for 55 cents and the net proceeds are directed to federal breast cancer research.

By law, 70 percent of the net amount raised from the stamp goes to the National Institutes of Health, and 30 percent goes to the Medical Research Program at the Department of Defense for breast cancer research grants. To date, the stamp has raised more than $55.5 million for breast cancer research.

Every two years, the stamp must be reauthorized. The stamp is currently authorized for sale through December 31, 2007, and is up for reauthorization this year. Congressman Joe Baca of California has introduced legislation (H.R. 1064) to reauthorize the stamp this year with his bill, the Breast Cancer Reauthorization Act, and Senator Dianne Feinstein has introduced similar legislation (S. 597) in the Senate.

Additionally, Missouri Congressman William "Lacy" Clay has introduced legislation (H.R. 1236) to permanently authorize the Breast Cancer Research Stamp. It makes sense that such a popular stamp, already backed by the full support of Congress, should be made permanent, eliminating the need for reauthorization every two years. Unlike many programs that are not reauthorized timely but continue to operate, the BCRS must be reauthorized or the U.S. Postal Service will discontinue selling the stamp. In fact, in 2003 Congress did not act to reauthorize the stamp. As a result, the stamp was not available for sale for the first three weeks of 2004, and valuable dollars for life-saving cancer research was not collected during that time.

It is important for you to act! Congressmen Baca and Clay and Senator Feinstein have taken the lead in Congress to consider the future of the Breast Cancer Research Stamp. The bills are important efforts to highlight the importance of breast cancer, and it is imperative that a determination of the future of the Stamp be made before December 31, 2007. If you do not act now, valuable research dollars for breast cancer research could be lost.

Please sign on as a co-sponsor to both H.R. 1064 and H.R. 1236 in the House or S. 597 in the Senate. Permanent authorization of the stamp is ideal, but if the bill for permanency for the stamp cannot be passed before December 31, reauthorization is urgent and critical.

Thank you for your prompt attention to support the Breast Cancer Research Stamp.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
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