Work Before the Senate

Floor Speech

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Mr. President, last week the House overwhelmingly passed the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act, the medical innovation bill. Now it is the Senate's turn to move this bill forward and send it to the President's desk for signature.

This legislation has earned wide support from both sides of the aisle, and it is one of the most important bills that will pass this year. It is not hard to see why. It will encourage investment in biomedical research to help deliver treatment and cures to patients. It will cut through redtape and burdensome regulations while also protecting safety, and it will build upon progress to support regenerative medicine and other innovative therapies.

Cures also includes provisions to strengthen mental health programs and to provide much needed resources to help combat the opioid epidemic. It is legislation that could have an impact on each of our States and on each of our constituents.

Later today, Senators will take the next step in advancing 21st Century Cures. With continued cooperation, we can pass this bipartisan bill very soon.

The Cures legislation is just one key area where the Senate has been working to complete its work before the holidays. Negotiations are ongoing on a continuing resolution, which we will consider this week.

This week we will also pass the Defense authorization conference report, and work continues to finalize other outstanding conference reports, including the Water Resources Development Act--the so-called WRDA bill--and the energy policy modernization bill.

As these efforts continue, I thank all of those who have been working around the clock to reach a conclusion on these important issues. We will have a busy week ahead. Let's keep working together to get it done.

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