[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12582]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         RACE FOR CHILDREN ACT

  Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I feel sorry for the Presiding Officer. 
This is the second time in a week he has had to listen to me talk on 
the floor.
  I thank the Senator from Nebraska for her graciousness in letting me 
go first.
  America, the Senate has passed the bill. We passed the bill. Today, 
the Senate passed the RACE for Children Act as part of the FDA user fee 
bill.
  The RACE Act represents a breakthrough for kids fighting cancer. Each 
year, over 15,000 children will be diagnosed with the disease; 2,000 
will lose their lives.
  Across America, pediatric cancer is the leading cause of death for 
our children. Previously, companies with new treatments for adults 
studied their potential benefits for kids. Companies exploring 
medication for adult diabetes, for example, also researched its 
potential for use in children. This research is vital because it 
provides critical information to doctors for treating sick children. 
Specifically, it helps them ensure that the treatments and dosages they 
prescribe are safe for young bodies. But there was a gap in the law as 
it existed before we passed this law.
  Drug companies with new, precision medicine for adult cancers did not 
have to study possible value for pediatric cancers. That meant our kids 
continued to receive older treatments--some from the 1960s--which often 
had harmful side effects and consequences that can last a lifetime.
  At the same time, breakthrough treatments have become available for 
adults, with better results and fewer harmful effects. While these 
treatments have great promise for kids, we were not doing enough to 
explore that potential.
  Over the last 20 years, the Food and Drug Administration has approved 
190 new cancer treatments for adults but just 3 new treatments for 
children. The FDA saw that gap, and they asked us to close it. That is 
precisely what the RACE for Children Act will do. For the first time in 
the country's history, it would require drug companies to study the 
potential of promising adult cancer treatments for children, closing 
this gap in the law and opening the door to promising new treatments 
for children in need.
  Before this bill, thousands of kids in America lacked access to 
cutting-edge treatments and precision medicine that could have made the 
difference in their struggle against cancer.
  During my time in the Senate, I have seen the anguish of too many 
parents who learned not only that their child has cancer but that they 
have little or no options for treatment. This bill will give them more 
options. It will give them more hope.
  For Delaney from Grand Junction, CO, this bill could have been 
lifesaving. She battled cancer for over 5 years but passed away a year 
ago when she was out of treatment options. I wish to dedicate our work 
on this bill to her and to all kids who are bravely battling cancer day 
in and day out around the world.
  We also should dedicate it to everyone who called and wrote and 
shared their family stories over the past months. This bill would never 
have passed without their voices. For people interested in keeping the 
system the same way, it was the voices of these families--in many 
instances, people who faced horrible tragedies in their lives--who made 
this possible. Because they engaged in this process, we passed a bill 
that will give thousands of kids a better chance to beat cancer and 
reclaim their lives.
  America leads the world when it comes to treating cancer. We pioneer 
the latest and safest treatments. Every American should have access to 
them, especially our kids, whose bright lives have just begun.
  I want to recognize and acknowledge all of the pediatric cancer 
groups that came together to advance this bill, including pediatric 
advocates, cancer advocates, and hospitals in Colorado and around the 
country.
  I also want to acknowledge, as always, the great leadership provided 
by Chairman Alexander, Ranking Member Murray, and their staff for their 
work on this and the FDA user fee bill.
  Finally, I wish to thank my partner in this work, Senator Rubio, from 
Florida, for his leadership and passionate advocacy on behalf of our 
kids.
  This bill is a reminder that, when we drop the political fights, we 
can focus on fights that truly matter, such as the fight against 
cancer, the fight for better healthcare in this country, and the fight 
for our kids and their future.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nebraska.

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