The 21st Century Cures Act is a Better Way to Save Lives
Op-ed Written by Congressman Lee Zeldin (NY-01)
One of my highest priorities in Congress has been advancing legislation to improve healthcare in our nation. One of the bills that I have been advocating for passage of since it was first introduced in Congress is the 21st Century Cures Act (H.R. 34), bipartisan legislation that just recently passed the House, which I cosponsor, because it will save lives of Americans.
Paving the way for healthcare innovation, the 21st Century Cures Act accelerates the process for scientific advancement by removing barriers that prevent research collaboration, and encouraging researchers to share essential data from prior research and clinical studies, to create the next generation of cures and deliver hope to those suffering from various diseases. Specifically, this bill provides $4.8 billion in new funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including necessary funding to carry out the President’s Cancer Moonshot Initiative, a program dedicated to accelerating cancer research.
The 21st Century Cures Act also provides $500 million to the Federal Drug Administration, which will be used to help speed up the drug approval process and modernize clinical trials, to bring new and improved medical devices and medications to patients more quickly. The legislation would also provide for individual treatment plans, boosting the field of personalized medicine and tailoring treatment to patients suffering various illnesses, including Tick Borne diseases, which are rampant on Long Island. This funding will also provide critical research and development resources for facilities in the First Congressional District, including Stony Brook University and Brookhaven National Laboratory, as well as other research laboratories on Long Island and across the nation. Not only does this legislation provide critical research funds, it also provides $1 billion in grant funding to be allocated to the states, to help fight the opioid and prescription drug abuse crisis, which has been skyrocketing across all demographics on Long Island and across the country.
In addition to providing funding to ensure our nation remains a leader in the medical industry field, and providing our local community with high-paying research and private sector jobs, the 21st Century Cures Act also makes important reforms to our mental health system. Included in this legislation is the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act (H.R. 2646), bipartisan legislation that I also cosponsor. 10 million Americans are currently stricken with serious mental illnesses, and unfortunately, our outdated mental health system is out of sync with patient’s needs. Mental health initiatives and research have helped more people than ever before, but the effort to treat all Americans affected is still falling short in many areas. The 21st Century Cures Act will elevate the importance of mental health in our healthcare system. By removing federal barriers to care, advancing early intervention programs, adding alternatives to institutionalization and improving the transition from one level of care to another, this bill will help to fix our nation’s broken mental health system, and help bring better care to those suffering.
With House passage of this bill, the 21st Century Cures Act will now be sent to the Senate for a final vote. I will continue advocating for the Senate to pass this legislation, so that we can send this critically important bill to the President to be signed into law before the end of the year. The 21st Century Cures Act is a huge win for Long Island and the rest of the country, but there is still so much more we can do to develop effective treatments and cures to combat devastating diseases and illnesses. I will continue working in Congress to provide the resources necessary to advance research technology, education and medical innovation.
Congressman Lee Zeldin represents the First Congressional District of New York. In Congress, Rep. Zeldin serves on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Foreign Affairs Committee, and Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He is also a member of the House Cancer Caucus and Congressional Diabetes Caucus, which both support increased funding for research and development to cure diseases.