Morgan Griffith on "21st Century Cures"

From Congressman Griffith's E-Newsletter:

"Unanimous – 21st Century Cures Initiative

As you may recall, my colleagues and I on the Energy and Commerce Committee have been working for the last year on the bipartisan 21st Century Cures initiative.  Launched by Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO), this effort is about saving more lives, keeping this country the leader in medical innovation, and accelerating the discovery, development, and delivery cycle of new cures and treatments for diseases.

Since the launch of this initiative in May of 2014, we have invited medical experts and patient advocates to share with us their perspective on how to best accelerate the pace of cures by participating in hearings in Washington or roundtable discussions throughout the nation.  I attended those hearings in Washington, and held a regional 21st Century Cures roundtable discussion in Blacksburg with Congressman Phil Roe, M.D. (R-TN) and a number of medical experts.

These efforts resulted in the 21st Century Cures Act (H.R. 6), which passed the Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously in a vote of 51-0 on Thursday, May 21.  This package is an important step forward in terms of modernizing and personalizing health care, encouraging research and innovation, and streamlining the system, and a significant stride closer to new cures, treatments, and hope for patients."