Representative Ron Estes

View online at https://estes.house.gov/news/email/.

.Too many Kansans suffer from cancer or have watched a loved one suffer with this terrible disease. However, we know that early detection often leads to an improved prognosis. For example, Congress spent $10.5 billion in today’s dollars to establish coverage for mammography, colorectal cancer and other screenings and a recent study found that this has given Americans 12.5 million additional life years and $6.5 trillion in positive economic impact.

That is why I am a proud cosponsor of the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act, which passed out of the Ways and Means Committee last week. By creating a coverage pathway in Medicare for early detection of certain cancers, this bill will help patients discover their cancer earlier, before it can grow and spread. This allows the cancer to be treated less invasively and at a lower cost. I look forward to voting on this lifesaving bill on the House floor soon. You can watch my remarks in support of the bill below.

.Last week the Ways and Means Committee held a hearing to discuss an issue critical to building up a culture that values all life – ensuring support and protection for vulnerable youth. When a child is no longer able to be in the care of his or her parents, every effort should be made to keep the child within their family, assuming those relatives are well-suited to care for the children. During the hearing, I shared a story about a grandfather in our district who faced unnecessary barriers in the kinship care process due to his age and blindness. Eventually he reached a positive resolution and was granted custody of his grandchildren, but we should be trying to remove obstacles that make this process more difficult.

Two witnesses shared moving personal experiences and the other two expert witnesses shared policy insights on how we can improve Title IV-B, the federal program that provides flexible funding to states for a range of community-based, prevention-oriented programs and services to support family reunification and permanency for children in foster care. Children deserve a safe and loving home and I am proud that the Committee is tackling this issue. You can watch my remarks below.

.Summer is in full swing and many students are taking advantage to visit colleges or work on their college applications. Young people in the 4th District should consider applying to one of the U.S. service academies: U.S. Military Academy; the U.S. Naval Academy; the U.S. Air Force Academy; the U.S. Coast Guard Academy; and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. All but the U.S. Coast Guard Academy requires a Congressional nomination as part of the application process and each member may nominate up to ten individuals for each vacant academy slot allotted to our district.

Attending a U.S. service academy carries a commitment to serve in the military for a minimum of five years upon graduation and commissioning. Young people who receive an appointment can expect a world-class education accompanied by a full-ride scholarship. You can learn more about the nomination process on my website at estes.house.gov/service.