Historic Innovation Bill to be Signed Into Law:
House, Senate & White House, Unified, Pass Major Bipartisan Action in Final Days of the 114th Congress & Obama Administration
Bill Secures Future of Vice President’s Cancer Moonshot
Washington, DC – December 7, 2016 – Friends of Cancer Research (Friends) applauds Congress and the White House for passing the 21st Century Cures Act to help further research, science, and innovation for patients and provide vital funding for NIH ($4.8 billion) and FDA ($500 million). The Act passed the House on November 30th by a vote of 392-26 and the Senate today by a vote of 94-5. The bill will be signed into law by President Obama soon.
Friends is honored to have been among a dedicated group who worked closely with the House, Senate, and White House on this bill for more than two years.
The passing of 21st Century Cures is a show of extraordinary bipartisan unity after a divisive election that should be celebrated.
“I would like to thank Reps. Fred Upton (R-MI) and Diana DeGette (D-CO) for their extensive work in the House over many years developing this bill, as well as Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Patty Murray (D-WA) for their tireless dedication to seeing this across the finish line,” said Friends’ Chair & Founder, Ellen Sigal, PhD “They, along with so many of their House and Senate colleagues, exhibited true leadership and put partisan politics aside for the sake of millions of patients across the country.”
21st Century Cures Act also provides crucial support and funding for the White House Cancer Moonshot. In a further show of bipartisanship, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called for the cancer innovation sections of the bill to be named after the Vice President’s late son, Beau Biden.
President Obama’s vision and Vice President Biden’s relentless dedication and heroic ability to turn a personal tragedy into an initiative that aims to save millions of lives, were critical to achieving passage of this legislation.
“By passing the 21st Century Cures Act, Congress has shown its ability to not only work together, but the desire to put patients first,” said Sigal. “This monumental victory for patients could not have been done without the collaborative efforts of so many in the science and advocacy community over the past couple of years, and especially not without Vice President Biden’s fortitude and determination.”
The Act includes many provisions Friends of Cancer Research has been instrumental in developing, including the establishment of the FDA Oncology Center of Excellence. The 21st Century Cures Act also provides significant funding for the President’s Precision Medicine Initiative, programs to advance brain research, and support opioid abuse treatment and prevention activities.
About Friends of Cancer Research
Friends of Cancer Research (Friends) drives collaboration among partners from every healthcare sector to power advances in science, policy and regulation that speed life-saving treatments to patients. For more information, please visit www.focr.org.
