{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=399995", "NJ Papers Praise CURES Act, Smith's Work on Bill'EDITORIAL: Learn from Cures Act bipartisanship'", "2016-12-19", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Now if lawmakers could only apply some of that same spirit to ease the bitterness surrounding Obamacare that threatens to undermine much of the good work that could come out of the Cures Act, we\u2019d all be much better off.\r\n\r\n\r\nThe newly signed $6.3 billion legislation includes several initiatives long supported by President Obama and is more popularly known as the \u201cmoonshot\u201d bill \u2014 part of Vice President Joe Biden\u2019s \u201ccancer moonshot\u201d inspired by the death of his son, Beau, to a brain tumor. The measure devotes $4.8 billion to biomedical research, about $1.8 billion of which would go specifically to cancer research under the \u201cBeau Biden Cancer Moonshot.\u201d\r\nA billion dollars will be dedicated to opioid abuse prevention, with another $1.5 billion going toward research on brain disease. The legislation also includes a federal overhaul of mental health treatment policies, among other elements.\r\nDespite all of those positive developments that found receptive audiences across the spectrum, from conservatives and pharmaceutical companies to patient advocates, there remain some skeptics. In particular, some health experts warn that one of the underlying goals of the act is to speed development of cures, perhaps recklessly. While supporters promote the effort to streamline the regulatory process, critics suggest that such supposed streamlining will become, in effect, an easing of restrictions endangering patients on whom experimental drugs can and will be more readily tested.\r\nThere\u2019s reason for concern; an effort to accelerate production of anything, no matter how responsible and efficient that effort may be, can increase the risk of error, and error in this case can cost lives. But there\u2019s also a risk-reward balance to consider \u2014 and the potential reward for quickening the pace a little is saving millions of lives with important new drugs. There\u2019s an argument to be made that it\u2019s a worthy tradeoff, although where all the threshold lines should be drawn will always be a delicate question when dealing with medical research.\r\nThe cancer moonshot represents the 74-year-old Biden\u2019s signature achievement as vice president and perhaps of his entire career. He has set the exceedingly ambitious goal of \u201cending cancer as we know it\u201d and has pledged to champion the cause for the rest of his life. Biden\u2019s hope is to transform cancer research across the board with new incentives, creation of so-called patient partnerships and expanded access to care.\r\nNew Jersey is well positioned to take particular advantage of the new federal investments, given its continued strength in the pharmaceutical industry. As evidence of the diversity of support for the measure, Democrat Rep. Frank Pallone and Republican Rep. Chris Smith within the New Jersey delegation were both outspoken backers of many of the provisions, including the focus on mental health treatment and expanding research efforts for a broad range of diseases.\r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n\r\nMICHAEL REYNOLDS/EPAPresident Barack Obama signs the 21st Century Cures Act on Tuesday. The 21st Century Cures Act provides funding for initiatives such as opioid addiction treatment. US President Barack Obama signs the 21st Century Cures Act, Dec. 13, 2016. The 21st Century Cures Act, which was passed in Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support, provides funding for initiatives such as US Vice President Joe Biden's 'Cancer Moonshot' - an effort aimed at curing cancer. The law will also provide funds for the prevention and treatment of opioid addiction and changes to the delivery of mental health services, among other provisions.(Photo: MICHAEL REYNOLDS, EPA)\r\n \r\nWhile both houses of Congress overwhelmingly approved the act, however, Republicans in those same houses are at the same time planning the dismantling of the Affordable Care Act, a process that would work directly against the intent of the Cures Act by potentially bouncing millions of people off the health insurance rolls. We understand the complexities and challenges of Obamacare extend far beyond the targeted provisions of the Cures Act and the cancer moonshot, but an emphasis on cooperation across the aisle instead of antagonism would go a long way toward generating a better solution for all.\r\nAs always that seems too much to ask. But we saw it work with the Cures Act, which itself went through an earlier version that wasn\u2019t so widely embraced. So it can be done, even in this deeply polarized political climate. Obamacare needs the same healthy treatment.\r\n\r\nThis article originally ran in the Dec. 17 print edition of the Asbury Park Press.I t also ran in the Daily Record, NJ Central Record, Homes News Tribune, MyCentralNJ.com and Sunday Courier News.http://www.app.com/story/opinion/editorials/2016/12/17/st-century-cures-act-obama/95567222/\r\nhttp://www.dailyrecord.com/story/opinion/editorials/2016/12/16/learn-cures-act-bipartisanship/95531386/\r\nhttp://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/opinion/editorials/2016/12/16/learn-cures-act-bipartisanship/95531456/", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=399995"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.718447845429182, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}