releases: https://fortenberry.house.gov/news/in-the-news/lincoln-journal-star-fortenberry-gathers-240-co-sponsors-bill-combat-als
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://fortenberry.house.gov/news/in-the-news/lincoln-journal-star-fortenberry-gathers-240-co-sponsors-bill-combat-als | Lincoln Journal Star: Fortenberry gathers 240 co-sponsors for bill to combat ALS | 2020-12-09 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Republican | Senate | NE | Jeff Fortenberry | F000449 | fortenberry.house.gov | legacy | Rep. Jeff Fortenberry has gathered the signatures of 240 House co-sponsors for a bill to speed and expand access to critical and promising therapies for ALS patients while streamlining the drug review process that sometimes stands in their way. For ALS patients, there is no time to waste. It usually takes 2-5 years for ALS to destroy a body, Fortenberry said during a House floor speech. ALS patients are currently trapped in "an overly deliberative process that is killing hope" by delaying access to critical therapies and investigational treatments, Fortenberry said, and they could be helped by "a more consistent and streamlined drug review process." The legislation is designed to be "more responsive to patients suffering right now," the 1st District Republican congressman said. "We can act quickly if we want to," Fortenberry said. "We can act quickly if we are determined. We can do this." ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which is often referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a fatal nervous system disease. "There is no cure," Fortenberry said, but there are promising therapies. Earlier this year, he said, "my wife's little brother" died as a result of ALS at the age of 37, leaving behind his own wife and four small children. Fortenberry's bill, titled Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act, would establish a Center of Excellence for Neurodegenerative Diseases at the Federal Drug Administration to accelerate development and approval of therapies. "This is a full-court press," the congressman said. "So many people of good heart have helped us build tremendous bipartisan momentum." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |