‘It’s not false hope; It is hope,’ said Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.)
By Sarah Karlin-Smith | Politico
The House of Representatives passed on party lines Wednesday evening a bill designed to let very sick patients request access to experimental medicines without government oversight.
The passage of the bill, known as right-to-try, is a big victory for the small libertarian think tank that crafted the proposal — and for a White House that has vigorously campaigned for the law. And it comes one week after Republicans failed to pass a similar measure through an expedited process that needed two-thirds support from the chamber.
The bill passed by a vote of 267-149 with 35 Democrats in favor and two Republicans against. It now heads to the Senate, which passed a slightly different version of the legislation last summer. With a final law all but assured, health policy advocates who have vigorously opposed the idea are now looking toward the broader anti-regulatory health agenda being pushed by the Goldwater Institute.
