[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 176 (Wednesday, December 7, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1627]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  H.R. 34, THE 21ST CENTURY CURES ACT

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                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 7, 2016

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 34, the 21st 
Century Cures Act, a bill which aims to authorize and promote 
biomedical research, mental health, opioid abuse assistance, and 
advance medical future research, but falls woefully short.
  Unfortunately, this bill is a missed opportunity for Congress to take 
meaningful action to address skyrocketing drug prices. It also falls 
far short of the funding that is needed to support the National 
Institutes of Health (NIH) and to address the growing opioid abuse 
epidemic. I also believe that this bill puts the goals of 
pharmaceutical and medical device companies ahead of the needs of 
individuals.
  As a Member of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education 
Appropriations Subcommittee and as an ardent supporter of biomedical 
research and public health funding, I was disappointed in the 
inadequate funding levels in this bill. Last year, this bill included 
$10 billion in mandatory funding for the NIH. Unfortunately, the 
revised version that passed the House Floor last week included only 
$3.8 billion for the NIH, and it is not mandatory spending.
  And to make matters worse, this bill strips $3.5 billion from the 
Prevention and Public Health Fund, which provides critical investments 
to improve health outcomes through prevention activities like 
screenings and public health workforce training. We should be 
increasing support for public health programs, not robbing Peter to pay 
Paul.
  Additionally, I am concerned that this legislation loosens Food and 
Drug Administration (FDA) standards for approving pharmaceuticals and 
medical devices. While we do need to ensure that new, lifesaving 
treatments are available to consumers, we cannot do so at the expense 
of safety and efficacy. We need to make the FDA's standards stronger--
not weaker.
  Lastly, despite outcry from constituents and despite months of 
hearings and press conferences on the issue of rising prescription drug 
prices, H.R. 34 did not include any provisions to make drugs more 
affordable.
  Mr. Speaker, as Members of Congress, we have a shared obligation to 
ensure that ALL Americans have access to equitable, high-quality and 
affordable healthcare. While this bill does include a few good 
provisions, like positive steps to address mental health reform, it 
ultimately puts industry and profits over patients, and I therefore 
cannot support it.

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