Political Quotes

“I rise today to introduce the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Act of 2015. I am glad to have Senators Reed, Burr, and Franken joining me as sponsors of this bipartisan bill that will reauthorize critical, innovative, and life- saving programs. We have been working on this legislation throughout the year and have met with stakeholders in blood cell transplantation to receive their input. We also included members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee who are deeply committed to passing this legislation. In drafting this legislation, we also collaborated with our counterparts in the House of Representatives. I am grateful for the leadership of Congressman Chris Smith and Congresswoman Doris Matsui, who did so much to get this legislation through the House. I commend my colleagues and their staffs for their hard work. I appreciate the opportunity to provide some history and background that will explain why this reauthorization bill is so important. This legislation will reauthorize for another five years both the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program and the National Cord Blood Inventory, which are administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration. These vital programs provide access to life-saving treatments for serious conditions and disease. Bone marrow contains blood-forming stem cells that develop into the three blood cell types that keep the body healthy.…”