Chuck Schumer: “reserving the right to object, and I will object. I just want to make clear that I am sympathetic to the goals my…”

“reserving the right to object, and I will object. I just want to make clear that I am sympathetic to the goals my friends from Wisconsin and Indiana are trying to accomplish. In fact, the Senate has already passed a version of this bill once and dedicated time to work on the outstanding issues to get a good compromise and pass it into law and pass it into law quickly. I believe we all support the goals of safety and increasing access of investigational drugs for terminally ill people, but the key is we need to ensure there are safety mechanisms in place when we do this. A significant part of that is making sure the FDA is part of the process. They already have an expanded access program. We need to ensure that we are not increasing the risk of patient harm or endangering clinical trials so lifesaving drugs can continue to be developed and people have access to them. So I assure my colleagues that we will work together to get something done, and done quickly, because this is an important issue. People who have terminal illnesses deserve every opportunity and chance at survival, and I look forward to working with my colleagues and moving forward on the Senate bill. With that, Mr. President, I object. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard. The Senator from Wisconsin.”