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Managing America: U.S. Postal Service

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Week Ending November 2, 2007

H.R.1236 To make permanent the authority of the United States Postal Service to issue a special postage stamp to support breast cancer research.

The bill extends for four years, the US Postal Service authorization to sell breast cancer postage stamps. Such stamps are sold with a premium of at least 15% that goes to the cause on which the stamp raises awareness. The stamp will be sold at 55 cents.

The bill report notes that 175,000 women yearly will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 40,000 will fall died from the disease.

The 1997 authorization has raised $53.4 million that will be transferred to the National Institute for Health and the Defense Department to fund further breast cancer research.

The bill is budget-neutral because it reduces the outlays that NIH and DoD must make for the research. That spending, however, would increase when this authorization expires in 2012 unless the authorization is extended again.

Sponsor:  Rep. William L Clay (D-MO-1^st)

Vote: Passed House by voice vote October 29, 2007

Cost to the taxpayers: CBO calculates that “enacting the bill would result in a net reduction in direct spending of $5 million over the 2008-2012 period; that savings would be offset by increased direct spending in 2013 and 2014, leading to no net impact over the 2008-2017 period.” “CBO estimates that implementing the bill would have discretionary costs of less than $500,000 annually for NIH to prepare reports on its spending of the proceeds from sales of the special stamp.”

Earmark Certification:   Regarding compliance with clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives, H.R. 1236 does not contain any congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in clause 9(d), 9(e), or 9(f) of rule XXI.

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