Last week, the U.S. Senate approved the 21st Century Cures Act, a bill which provides $4.8 billion to the National Institutes of Health with specific funding for cancer, Alzheimer’s, and opioid addiction. Although the bill passed both branches of Congress handily, critics opposed its provisions aimed at loosening the red tape surrounding drug and device approval.
Voting against the bill were Sanders, Warren, Mike Lee (R-Utah), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
On Wednesday, the president praised its final passage. “?We are now one step closer to ending cancer as we know it, unlocking cures for diseases like Alzheimer’s, and helping people seeking treatment for opioid addiction finally get the help they need,” Obama said in a statement. “The bipartisan passage of the 21st Century Cures Act is an example of the progress we can make when people from both parties work together to improve the health of our families, friends and neighbors. .?.?. This bill will make a big difference, and I look forward to signing it as soon as it reaches my desk.”
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