Advanced Research Projects Agency-Health Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Pallone for yielding, and I thank Congresswoman Eshoo for her leadership on this bill.

I applaud President Biden for having the foresight to propose the creation of an Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, also known as ARPA-H, an agency tasked with driving breakthroughs in cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's, and other difficult diseases.

The new science moonshot agency is modeled on the successes of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, also known as DARPA. For decades DARPA has driven advances in technologies that have changed our lives for the better. Yet, there are so many things that we take for granted, things like the internet and flat-screen displays. I am confident the same will be true for ARPA-H as it seeks to accelerate advancements in health and medicine. Thanks to President Biden's leadership, my colleagues in Congress funded ARPA-H in March for the current fiscal year.

Yet in order to successfully carry out its mission, ARPA-H needs long-term resources and authorities. That is exactly what this bill does. The ARPA-H legislation would authorize the agency for 5 years and create the structure it needs to successfully drive breakthroughs that would otherwise die in the commercial market.

Yet ARPA-H not only needs long-term funding but also a long-term home. ARPA-H's mission is centered around high-risk, high-reward research, which is a charge that Cleveland has historically proven it is prepared to lead. With world-class healthcare systems, top-tier institutions of higher education, advanced biomedical companies, and a highly skilled manufacturing workforce, Cleveland has a long track record of bringing cutting-edge innovations from discovery all the way to production. This includes groundbreaking medical advancements like the first face transplant in America as well as the region's cutting- edge cancer research.

Now, wherever the agency lands, it will have a meaningful impact on the lives of Americans nationwide for generations to come. Creating ARPA-H with 1 year of funding was a good first step, but it is time to put this new breakthrough agency on firm footing and in a firm location so we can truly start to revolutionize how we prevent, treat, and cure a range of diseases.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Pallone again for his leadership, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source