On the recordJuly 10, 2015
Madam Chair, I support the 21st Century Cures Act underlying text, and I thank the chairman. It has been masterful work. And who wouldn't? Who doesn't want to do something in Congress about these horrific, debilitating diseases that plague our families? We all do, but targeting additional NIH funding for cures remains critical. We absolutely all support it, but I don't support how we are paying for it--because we are not. Many of us who preach about the problems associated with mandatory spending have used the same board I use in my townhall meetings. People have seen this, and they know where we are headed. It is the biggest driver of future debt. We are creating more mandatory spending as we speak, and we are placing the burden of paying for it on people that aren't even alive yet. It is incredible. I have championed the need for providing a cure for rare diseases and the things that plague members of our citizenry since I have been here. One thing missing from this bill is the legalization of CBD. This act seems to forget about children with epilepsy and their desperate need for a cure. I ask for support of this amendment simply to shift the money from mandatory to discretionary and force us to make the tough decisions we came here to make.
