Senator Casey on HR6 & 21st Century Cures

Dear Mr. Austin:

Thank you for taking the time to contact me about medical innovation legislation in Congress. I appreciate hearing from you about this issue.

H.R. 6, the 21st Century Cures Act, was introduced by Representative Fred Upton of Michigan on May 19, 2015. To develop this bill, the Committee on Energy & Commerce in the House of Representatives held numerous hearings and received feedback from key stakeholders on how Congress can help to accelerate the development of new treatments and cures in the United States. The final bill included provisions addressing the full drug and device development process, from basic scientific research to the delivery of new treatments to patients. The 21st Century Cures Act passed the House on July 10, 2015, and has been sent to the Senate. It has been referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), of which I am a member.

Starting in early 2015, the HELP Committee began to develop its own proposal similar to the 21st Century Cures Act. The Committee held several hearings, and a number of bills have been introduced relating to this innovation agenda. The Committee held three executive sessions to consider nineteen of these bills; ultimately, many of these bills may be packaged together into a single proposal for consideration in the full Senate and eventual negotiations with the House to reconcile the differences between the two proposals.

Although the HELP innovation bills have been reported out of the Committee, discussions continue regarding whether they will be packaged together, whether some may advance independently, and what any final package will look like. Please be assured that I will remain involved in this process as it moves forward, and that I will keep your views in mind.

Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.

For more information on this or other issues, I encourage you to visit my website, http://casey.senate.gov. I hope you will find this online office a comprehensive resource to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office or share with me your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you and to Pennsylvania. 

Sincerely,

Bob Casey

United States Senator

21st Century Cures

We are at a critical point for the 21st Century Cures Act. With limited days to pass the bill before year’s end, Congress must hear from you about why these policies are vital to people living with MS. 

Today we are joining thousands of activists who support this bill in a “day of action” to make sure our voices are heard on Capitol Hill. Together we are stronger! With this legislation, Congress can establish a data collection system to track the incidence and prevalence of neurological conditions, provide new funding for the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration and create vital incentives to bring new treatments to patients. Further delaying this legislation will result in delays in the discovery, development and delivery of life-saving treatments. Join us and contact Congress today.