WASHINGTON, DC - The Health Subcommittee today approved the 21st Century Cures Act, marking an important step forward for the 21st Century Cures initiative. The legislation will help modernize the health care innovation infrastructure to help deliver more cures and treatments to patients faster. For more than a year, members have been working with patients, caregivers, advocates, researchers, and innovators to identify problems and inefficiencies in our regulatory system and find solutions. These groups have voiced their continued support for the legislation (again and again). Members from both sides of the dais today joined the chorus of support. The full committee will consider the legislation next week.
Health Subcommittee Chairman Joe Pitts (R-PA):
“There is much in this bill for all of us - Republican and Democrat alike - to be proud of, and enthusiastic about."
Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI):
“Today, we write the prologue to a new chapter in health and hope. We begin to usher in a new era of collaboration and innovation among the researchers and regulators, the patients and physicians, who hold the key to cures. There is no cause more worthy, no challenge more urgent."
Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO):
“This bill does so much more. It invests in advancing research to foster the future of science, it modernizes clinical trials, it encourages improvements in the drug and device approval process, it supports the development of new drugs and devices to address areas of unmet need, and it advances the important concept of precision medicine."
Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Gene Green (D-TX):
“This is a step towards boosting research and delivery hope to patients."
Full Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ):
“Today we take another important step forward. … This draft goes a long way in furthering both public and private efforts to advance health care."
Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Emeritus Joe Barton (R-TX):
“[This] legislation is what the Energy and Commerce Committee is all about. It’s transformational, it’s generational, it’s bipartisan, it shows the committee at its best."
Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY):
“It’s extremely difficult to put together a comprehensive bill on any issue today and you all have done a tremendous job."
Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA)
“It’s a strong example of teamwork."
Rep. Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX):
“It’s a major milestone in ensuring that our laws and regulations are aligned with medical innovation."
Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL):
“This is a great day. 21st Century Cures… is giving us an opportunity to address some of the structural barriers to new cures and treatments. This is about the people who need more efficient and effective treatments more quickly."
Full Committee Vice Chairman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN):
“It’s time for us to do this - to really start to embrace a vision of improving lives and saving money with a cures strategy. We need to rally the nation and the creative minds that exist in this field around an unwavering commitment to finding cures."
Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC):
“This is incredible work."
Stay up to date with the 21st Century Cures effort here and join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter with #Cures2015.
