21st Century Cures
21st Century Cures is a bold, bipartisan approach to medical innovations. It will save lives by safely speeding up the approval process for drugs and medical devices. And faster cures means more time with loved ones.
Spearheaded by Fred and Congresswoman Diana DeGette, D-Colorado, the 21st Century Cures initiative took a unique approach to legislating: listening first. For more than two years the duo hosted bipartisan roundtables here in Southwest Michigan, at places like the Western Michigan University Medical School, and across the country where they heard from patients, doctors, researchers, job-creators, and stakeholders on what Congress could do to make a real difference in the lives of all Americans.
What they learned was that the current medical innovation infrastructure was too slow, too cumbersome, and too costly – ultimately costing patients and families the most. They also learned that facilitating medical breakthroughs would support job-creation and economic growth right here in Southwest Michigan.
The result of these listening sessions was the introduction of the 21st Century Cures Act. This bipartisan piece of legislation makes it easier to develop new treatments and cures for diseases and helps the United States maintain a competitive edge in medical innovations – and the jobs that come with those innovations.