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WASHINGTON – Tonight, the U.S. House of Representatives passed comprehensive, bipartisan, fiscally-responsible legislation to increase funding for medical research and streamline the process of bringing new treatments to patients. The 21^st Century Cures Act, co-sponsored by Congressman Robert Pittenger, also includes crucial mental health reforms and necessary funding to combat the opioid epidemic.

“This legislation will save lives. This legislation will reduce suffering. Long term, this legislation will save money as we find treatments for costly diseases,” said Congressman Pittenger (NC-09). “Today marks the culmination of years of hard work to benefit the American people, and I will always remember the 21^st Century Cures Act as some of the best legislation I ever co-sponsored.”

The 21^st Century Cures Act:

· Provides the NIH $4.8 billion to research and develop cures for diseases like Alzheimer’s and cancer.

· Streamlines and improves the FDA’s review of life-saving drugs to get these cures into the hands of patients in a safe and expedient manner.

· Untangles the federal mental health bureaucracy to help patients and families in need.

· Spending is fully offset, creating no new burdens for hardworking taxpayers.

“This bipartisan legislation will not create a new, federally-funded mandate like Social Security or Medicare,” explained Congressman Pittenger. “Funding is authorized for 10 years as discretionary spending and is fully offset. In fact, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the21^st Century Cures Act will reduce the deficit by $5.9 billion of the next 10 years.”

The 21^st Century Cures Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives this evening by a bipartisan vote of 392-26.