Michael Bennet: “I feel sorry for the Presiding Officer. This is the second time in a week he has had to listen to me talk on the floor.…”

“I feel sorry for the Presiding Officer. This is the second time in a week he has had to listen to me talk on the floor. I thank the Senator from Nebraska for her graciousness in letting me go first. America, the Senate has passed the bill. We passed the bill. Today, the Senate passed the RACE for Children Act as part of the FDA user fee bill. The RACE Act represents a breakthrough for kids fighting cancer. Each year, over 15,000 children will be diagnosed with the disease; 2,000 will lose their lives. Across America, pediatric cancer is the leading cause of death for our children. Previously, companies with new treatments for adults studied their potential benefits for kids. Companies exploring medication for adult diabetes, for example, also researched its potential for use in children. This research is vital because it provides critical information to doctors for treating sick children. Specifically, it helps them ensure that the treatments and dosages they prescribe are safe for young bodies. But there was a gap in the law as it existed before we passed this law. Drug companies with new, precision medicine for adult cancers did not have to study possible value for pediatric cancers. That meant our kids continued to receive older treatments--some from the 1960s--which often had harmful side effects and consequences that can last a lifetime.…”