Matt Gaetz: “I thank the gentleman for yielding. I thank him for his leadership on this issue on behalf of the terminally ill. I…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. I thank him for his leadership on this issue on behalf of the terminally ill. I would also like to thank Senator Johnson for marshaling together the resources of the Senate to bring this legislation to a head. I ran for public office because I was tired of the government playing too large a role in the decisions people make in their private lives, in their homes, and in their businesses. We live in a world today where the government wants to tell you where you have got to send your kids to school, what kind of healthcare plan you have got to buy, what regulations you have to comply with, and how much money they are going to take out of your paycheck each and every month. I certainly don't think the government ought to play a role in deciding how someone deals with treatment at the end of life. That is why I am a proud cosponsor of the Right to Try Act with Representative Biggs, Representative Fitzpatrick, and so many others. My frustration lies with any regime, regulatory or otherwise, that would impair a patient's decision to use any medication to be able to alleviate their symptoms or improve their quality of life in their final days. It is absolutely ludicrous to me that, in today's world, we don't allow terminally ill people in every corner of this great country to be able to use medical cannabis to alleviate their pain and suffering, particularly at the end of life.…”