[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 17 (Thursday, January 28, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E76-E77]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     IN SUPPORT OF THE GABRIELLA MILLER KIDS FIRST RESEARCH ACT 2.0

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JENNIFER WEXTON

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 28, 2021

  Ms. WEXTON. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Gabriella 
Miller Kids First Research Act 2.0, which I introduced today. If 
enacted, this bipartisan bill would make great strides to fund the 
fight against childhood cancer, birth defects, and other rare childhood 
diseases.
  Cancer is the number one cause of disease-related death in children 
age 14 and younger. This year alone, it's estimated that more than 
10,000 children in the U.S. under the age of 15 will be diagnosed with 
cancer. In addition, one in 33 babies born in the U.S. are affected by 
a birth defect and birth defects are the leading cause of death among 
infants. Unfortunately, these childhood diseases are still poorly 
understood, and additional funding is greatly needed to augment 
existing research to promote new discoveries for children affected by 
them.
  Congress passed the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act in 2014 
to uncover new insights into the biology of childhood disease. The law 
established a Ten-Year Pediatric Research Initiative Fund within the 
National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Common Fund and authorized $12.6 
million in funds annually for pediatric disease research through the 
Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program, commonly known 
as Kids First. Since the original law was enacted, Kids First has made 
progress towards understanding childhood cancer and disease. It has 
initiated the Gabriella Miller Kids First Data Resource Center--a 
comprehensive data resource for research and patient communities meant 
to advance discoveries.
  The Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act 2.0 builds off the 
important progress made by the 2014 Gabriella Miller Kids First 
Research Act by providing a new source of funding for the Kids First 
Research Fund. Specifically, the bill would redirect civil monetary 
sanctions levied against pharmaceutical, medical device, supplement and 
cosmetic manufacturers by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission 
for violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. By diverting 
penalties going into the General Treasury from these companies that 
break the law, the bill would sustain Kids First's critical childhood 
disease research for generations to come.
  The Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act 2.0 is named to honor 
10-year-old Gabriella Miller who passed away from an inoperable brain 
tumor. She was a fierce advocate for childhood cancer research and her 
efforts to boost awareness of childhood cancer helped raise funds for 
children's cancer charities. January 13, 2021 would've been Gabriella's 
eighteenth birthday. I can't think of a better way to celebrate her 
birthday than introducing this bill to honor her memory. I would like 
to thank Gabriella's mother and my constituent, Ellyn Miller, for her 
tireless advocacy on behalf of children with cancer through Smashing 
Walnuts. I am honored to have worked closely with Ellyn on the 
Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act 2.0.

[[Page E77]]

  Although we are experiencing tough times on Capitol Hill, this 
bipartisan bill demonstrates that we can all come together for this 
great cause. I'm proud to introduce this bill to help find treatments 
and cures so that our nation's children will have a fighting chance to 
survive cancer and other rare disease. The Gabriella Miller Kids First 
Research Act 2.0 will reaffirm our strong commitment to finding cures 
for childhood diseases.

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