Rep. Payne Makes Plea After Chadwick Boseman Dies: Get Screened – Bloomfield, NJ Patch

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — There are lots of reasons to mourn for Chadwick Boseman, who died of colon cancer last week. But for U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr., the late actor’s passing had a personal sting.

“Chadwick Boseman’s death was very personal to me because I know what it feels like to lose a loved one suddenly to colon cancer,” Payne said, referring to his late father, Donald Payne Sr., who served as New Jersey’s first African American congressman.

Payne died of the disease in 2012.

Earlier this week, Payne Jr. issued a statement about the dangers of colon cancer, which he said is especially important for Black communities. He wrote:

“Colorectal cancer is a silent killer of more than 50,000 Americans every year. Men are 30 percent more likely to get it than women and Black Americans are 40 percent more likely to die from it. That is why it is so important for everyone to get cancer screenings and get them early if you have a history of this cancer in your family.”

According to Payne Jr., he’s taken the fight against the disease into the House of Representatives with legislation that would raise awareness about and improve treatment of colorectal cancer.

For example, he introduced the Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act (H.R. 1570), which passed the U.S. House of Representatives in 2019 as part of the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R. 3).

The bill would fix a Medicare glitch that could cause Medicare beneficiaries who undergo a colonoscopy to receive a surprise bill if polyps are removed during that screening. It currently has 340 co-sponsors.

“My condolences and prayers are with Chadwick’s family, friends and millions of fans around the world during this terrible loss,” Payne Jr. said. “But I do hope his passing encourages more people, especially Black men, to take this disease seriously and get screened regularly.”

The 10th District includes the following municipalities: Bloomfield (part), East Orange, Glen Ridge, Irvington, Maplewood, Montclair (part), Newark (part), Orange, South Orange, West Orange (part), Bayonne (part), Jersey City (part), Hillside, Linden, Rahway, Roselle, Roselle Park, Union Township (part).

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