Posted by Michael Wonder on 14 Dec 2016
Obama signs $6.3 billion law for cancer research, drug treatment
14 December 2016 - President Barack Obama has signed into law legislation that makes new investments in cancer research and battling drug abuse.
President Obama signed a $6.3 billion bill to fund drug treatment, a precision medicine initiative and Vice President Biden's signature effort to "end cancer as we know it."
In an emotional bill signing ceremony — likely the last one of this presidency — Obama signed the 21st Century Cures Act in a White House auditorium. The signing brought full circle Obama's State of the Union challenge to Congress to "surprise the cynics" by tackling some of the biggest health priorities facing the country.
"We are bringing to reality the possibility of new breakthroughs to some of the biggest health challenges of our time," Obama said.
"We're tackling cancer, brain disease, substance abuse disorders and more, and none of this would have been possible without bipartisan cooperation from both houses of Congress," he said, thanking a delegation from Capitol Hill. The bill passed the House of Representatives 392 to 26 and the Senate 94 to 5.
