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Floor Speech
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Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, in a moment, I will ask for unanimous consent to pass H.R. 3433, the bipartisan Give Kids a Chance Act. I would like to highlight how important this legislation is for children with cancer all across this country.
The Give Kids a Chance Act finally authorizes the FDA to direct companies who are conducting research for adult cancer drugs to study those drugs in combination with others to see whether they also can work well for kids who have cancer.
The bill continues the work that Senator Rubio and I started in 2017, when we worked together to pass the RACE for Children Act, which required sponsors of certain adult cancer drugs to study the benefits or the effects and their use in children.
Since then, Senator Rubio and I have both learned that combination therapies can be effective treatments and reduce the risk of side effects significantly, both for adults and for kids. That is why this legislation is so important.
This bill can help save the lives of children all over our country who have the most aggressive forms of cancer. It would ensure that pharmaceutical companies are being held accountable to study how their drugs affect children who may have the same kind of cancer as adults but who need more tailored treatment in combination with other drugs.
I know Senator Rubio and I have both heard numerous stories from patients who have asked for themselves and parents who have asked on behalf of their children and who have advocated on behalf of children who have passed away.
This bill also authorizes the FDA to take enforcement action against companies that do not conduct the pediatric trials that are required under the Pediatric Research Equity Act and requires the FDA to report on enforcement of this act.
Additionally, the bill reauthorizes the FDA rare pediatric disease priority review voucher program through fiscal year 2029, which incentivizes drug development for rare pediatric diseases.
This bill has the support of dozens and dozens of organizations that represent kids and parents all across our country. I ask unanimous consent that their names be printed in the Record. In the interest of time this evening, I won't read them on the floor, although I want to say how deeply I appreciate their efforts.
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Mr. BENNET. I would also like to highlight the bipartisan nature of this work--Senator Rubio, as a cosponsor, with Senators Casey and Mullin, who cosponsored provisions of this House bill as well.
This bill has passed unanimously out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. It has passed the House by voice vote.
Now is the time to pass this bill. If we pass it tonight, it will go to the President for his signature.
3433; further, that the bill be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
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Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, I just want to say how deeply I regret the objection of the Senator from Kentucky. That is, of course, his right. I gather that he is objecting because he objects to the lateness of the hour and the time with which this request was made. At least, that is what I was told earlier tonight.
I think after we have been held here in place for hours and hours and hours, the idea that we are not going to be able to pass this legislation is deeply, deeply disappointing to the people who have advocated for this for all of these years. It is a reflection, I think, of how broken this place is in the way that it puts its own interests ahead of the interests of the people who we represent. But we will be back to fight another day.
Mr. President, I wish you and the staff here in the Senate at this late hour, and my colleagues who are here as well, happy holidays and Merry Christmas. We will see you in the new year.
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