21st Century Cures Act Will Provide Critical Funding to Scientific Medical Research
Today the House of Representatives passed H.R. 34, the 21st Century Cures Act, which dedicates more than $6 billion for new investments for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), grants to combat opioid abuse, and improvements to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This bipartisan bill, which passed the House with an overwhelming majority of support from New Dems, will implement key priorities that will help make a difference in the life of every American. Going forward, members of the New Democrat Coalition remain committed to continuing work to ensure additional funding for medical research and spurring innovation help prevent, treat, and cure our most vexing diseases.
“The 21st Century Cures Act safely streamlines the approval process for critical medical devices and pharmaceuticals for vulnerable populations like seniors with cancer and newborn infants that can’t wait for life-saving cures. It provides almost $5 billion more in critical NIH research funding for precision medicine, the Vice President’s Cancer Moonshot initiative, and the BRAIN initiative,” said Congressman Kurt Schrader, Co-Chair of the New Democrat Coalition Health Care Task Force. “By passing this bill today, Congress is also taking action to significantly revamp our mental health delivery system, greatly improving access, treatment, and prevention. In addition, the bill supplies $1 billion to help fight the opioid epidemic, a problem facing communities throughout the country. I’m proud that the Cures Act also includes legislation I’ve authored to strengthen Medicare enrollment opportunities so seniors have the access to health care that they have earned and deserve. This 21st Century Cures Act is a testament to what bipartisanship can accomplish.”
“The 21st Century Cures Act is a big step forward for innovation and makes critical investments in our next generation of scientists. As a doctor, I know that this bill will help develop new treatments, advance personalized medicine, and modernize the clinical trial and drug development process to ensure we get cures to the people who desperately need them. I am also pleased to see the inclusion of $1 billion to address the opioid crisis and overdue mental health reforms. This bill is evidence that it is possible to find common ground and work across the aisle to pass meaningful legislation,” said Congressman Ami Bera, M.D, co-chair of the New Democrat Coalition Health Care Task Force.
“We’ve long known in New Hampshire that the opioid epidemic needs to be treated like the public health emergency that it is, and today the House of Representatives said in a resounding voice that it agrees.” said Congresswoman Kuster, co-chair of the New Democrat Coalition Health Care Task Force. “The Cures bill that we’ve passed will provide critical funding to those on the frontlines of this crisis and help states support recovery, treatment, and prevention efforts, while making important advances in ground breaking medical research. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to follow suit and pass this bill so we can get it to the President’s desk as swiftly as possible.”
“It is long past time that we took action to help the individuals and families across the country who are suffering from a disease we do not have a cure for yet,” said New Democrat Coalition Chairman Ron Kind. “The 21st Century Cures Act will help fund research through the NIH that will lead to cures and treatments for millions of Americans.”
The New Democrat Coalition will continue advocating for the advancement of medical research and innovation of new treatments and cures in the 115th Congress.
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