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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) issued the following statement after the Senate voted 85-13 to advance the 21st Century Cures Act.
This bill represents the promise of an investment we should be making—a down payment in the future for medical research. Its success depends on the support of Republican majorities in the years to come. However, we cannot overlook the fact that this bill is paid for in large part by cuts in the Prevention Fund—money we currently use for reducing the prevalence of diseases such as diabetes and lung cancer. Reducing prevention efforts invites more disease, suffering, and death. This legislative “bargain” is hard to explain or understand, but at least the prevention funds are being dedicated to medical research. This bill also includes legislation I added to expand treatment for mental health and counseling services on college campuses and launch an awareness campaign to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness.
