Newswise — AACI applauds the Senate for passing the 21st Century Cures Act by a vote of 94-5. The innovative legislation will provide nearly $4.8 billion in funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) over the next ten years via a NIH Innovation Account. The Fund will be administered by the Appropriations Committees to the NIH Director. The account includes $1.8 billion in supplemental funding over seven years, beginning in Fiscal Year 2017 for cancer research, and specifically for the National Cancer Moonshot Initiative.
Just prior to the cloture vote on Monday evening, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) proposed an amendment co-sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to rename the cancer funding section in the bill the “Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot and NIH Innovation Projects.” Vice President Joe Biden was presiding over the Senate and the amendment passed by unanimous consent.
“AACI commends the Senate for passing this landmark legislation in the 114th Congress. The bipartisan work of Congress, particularly the determination of Representatives Fred Upton (R-MI) and Diana DeGette (D-CO), as well as Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Patty Murray (D-WA), over the last two years, coupled with Vice President Biden’s commitment to helping cancer patients across the country, will help all families coping with disease. The legislation will also support the nation’s academic cancer centers working to prevent, diagnose, treat and care for cancer patients,” said AACI executive director, Barbara Duffy Stewart, MPH.
AACI president, Stan Gerson, MD, also applauded the Senate saying, “the investment in the NIH and NCI is vital. Stable, predictable funds for the NIH and NCI allow the 96 AACI cancer centers to improve the delivery of care for our patients but also allow our institutions to make new discoveries in cancer research. We look forward to President Obama signing this groundbreaking legislation into law but we know our work is far from over. We call on our lawmakers to include funding provided from the 21st Century Cures Act in a FY 2017 Continuing Resolution (CR).”
The president is expected to sign the legislation into law as soon as possible. The current CR expires on Friday, December 9 at midnight. Another CR is expected through April 28, 2017.
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Dr. Gerson is the Asa and Patricia Shiverick- Jane Shiverick (Tripp) Professor of Hematological Oncology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, in Cleveland, OH, founding director of the National Center for Regenerative Medicine, and Distinguished University Professor at Case Western Reserve University. He is also director of University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center in Cleveland and a member of the NCI Board of Scientific Advisors.
The Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) comprises 96 premier academic and freestanding cancer research centers in the U.S. and Canada. AACI is dedicated to reducing the burden of cancer by enhancing the impact of the leading academic cancer centers.
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