Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Congressional Honors

Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-CA) Receive The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Congressional Honors

John Boswell Selected as California Delegate for Award Presentation at 2009 Congressional Honors Event at US Capital

(April 2009) Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack (R-CA) have been named as the recipients of the 2009 Congressional Honors by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) National Capital Chapter for their support of initiatives for cancer research and patient services. The award, which is given annually, was established in 2001 in memory of revered Congressman Joe Moakley who succumbed to leukemia.

As one of two California delegates, John D. Boswell of the Los Angeles-based getavision project and Metropolitan Community Charities, will present the awards to Rep. Kennedy and Rep. Bono Mack at LLS’s Congressional Honors Event on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 on Capitol Hill. The program also supports funding for LLS’s research programs. Funds generated through the Congressional Honors Program support world-renowned researchers at some of the country’s leading research facilities.

“We are pleased to honor Sen. Kennedy and Rep. Bono Mack for their dedication to finding cures and providing countless hours of time in supporting LLS’s mission on Capitol Hill,” said Jim Davis, co-chair of the Congressional Honors Program and Executive Vice President and General Counsel Human Genome Sciences, Inc.

Senator Edward Kennedy was first elected in 1962 and is currently Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Senator Edward M. Kennedy is also the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts and the second longest-serving current member of the Senate.

Throughout his career, Senator Kennedy has been an advocate for health care, education, civil rights, immigration reform, raising the minimum wage, defending the rights of workers and their families, assisting individuals with disabilities, protecting the environment, and safeguarding and strengthening Social Security and Medicare.

Senator Kennedy’s commitment to improving the health care of Americans has been the centerpiece of his career. From the establishment of a national health center system in 1966 to his leadership on the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act in 1996, the Minority Health and Health Disparities Act in 2000, and Family Opportunity Act in 2006, Senator Kennedy has fought tirelessly for the care of patients and their families. In partnership with Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Senator Kennedy is now renewing the national war on cancer, with the introduction of the 21st Century Cancer ALERT (Access to Life-Saving Early detection, Research & Treatment) Act, promising a dramatic improvement in the future of cancer research and treatment.

“There has been no greater champion of cancer patients and cancer-related issues than Senator Kennedy,” said George Dahlman, senior vice president, LLS’s Office of Public Policy. “Senator Kennedy was at the forefront of the original ‘War on Cancer’ in the 1970s and he is leading a renewed charge with the recent release of the ALERT Act. LLS thanks him for his continued support of all cancer patients.”

Since first elected in 1998, Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack has established herself as a leader on such issues as clean, alternative energy, protecting the environment, improving health care, and protecting consumers.

Serving her district in the House of Representatives, Representative Bono Mack sits on the prestigious Energy and Commerce Committee, which has broad jurisdiction over issues such as energy, telecommunications, health care and the environment.

On behalf of pediatric cancer patients, Representative Bono Mack was a lead co-sponsor of the Pediatric, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancer Survivorship Research and Quality of Life Act as well as legislation to improve the quality, performance and delivery of pediatric care. Representative Bono Mack has also been a strong supporter of legislation to support stem cell research and prohibit genetic discrimination.

Representative Bono Mack sponsored legislation that provides funding for obesity studies and improved nutrition programs nationwide, autism research, and Federal funding under the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Act. She has also been recognized for her leadership and efforts to improve our nation's health care, preserve the environment, strengthen the economy, protect consumers, and expand alternative energy.

“Representative Bono Mack has been a strong supporter of pediatric cancer survivorship,” said Dahlman. “LLS recognizes and thanks Bono Mack for the dedication she has shown in ensuring that pediatric cancer patients have access to the care they need to live a long and healthy life, both during and after treatment.”

The Principal Sponsors of the Congressional Honors Program are The Virginia Sheldon Jerome Foundation and The Laborers’ Charitable Foundation.