After three years of negotiations, the final House passage of transformative health care legislation, the 21st Century Cures Act, was widely praised by U.S. Reps. Mike Bishop (R-MI), Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Elise Stefanik (R-NY).
The medical innovation package, which was led by U.S. Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, outlines more than $6 billion in investments over the next decade in public health initiatives, medical research and mental health care. It also reforms how drugs and medical devices are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“I believe this is one of the most important pieces of legislation we will pass in the 114th Congress,” Bishop said. “Diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s, addiction, mental health disorders and so many others are taking a toll on families with little relief in sight, but (Wednesday’s) passage of 21st Century Cures renews our hope.”
Bishop said the 21st Century Cures Act could bring the country closer to finding long-awaited cures and treatments.
“This bill also addresses previous funding concerns, to ensure government spending is responsible and can adjust based on varying needs,” Bishop said.
McCaul also applauded passage of the substantive package, which included two provisions he authored to help combat childhood cancer.
“One incentivizes the development of new treatments for children with rare pediatric diseases through the reauthorization of the Creating Hope Act,” McCaul said. “The other includes key provisions of the Andrea Sloan CURE Act to expand patient access to potentially lifesaving treatments through the Food and Drug Administration’s compassionate use process.”
Stefanik said every single family in her district has faced health challenges directly or indirectly, stemming from the fact that there are many known diseases without cures or treatments.
“This critical legislation invests more in science and research, removes barriers that stand in the way of modern treatments and advances personal medicine to ensure that patients can be treated based on their unique characteristics,” Stefanik said.
“I am also pleased that this legislation includes a measure that Congressman Chris Gibson (R-NY) and I worked on called the Tick-Borne Disease Research Accountability and Transparency Act, in addition to a needed update to our nation’s mental health laws and treatment capabilities.”
The tick-borne disease measure would require the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct or support research into Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases.