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Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) and Congressman Fred Upton (MI-06) traveled to Southeast Michigan today to meet with patient groups, families, doctors and researchers to discuss the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act (H.R. 6) and the hope it will bring to patients living with devastating diseases. The 21^st Century Cures Act was approved overwhelmingly by the House of Representatives in July 2015 and is awaiting consideration in the Senate.

“It was great to host Chairman Upton in Southeast Michigan to raise the drumbeat about 21^st Century Cures,” said Dingell. “This truly bipartisan legislation transcends political parties and will benefit every family in Michigan and across the country. We heard heartbreaking stories from patients and family members of loved ones who passed away and how 21^st Century Cures gives them hope for the future. These stories bring an even greater urgency to the need to develop the next generation of cures, and I will continue working with Chairman Upton to get this legislation signed into law. Every day that we wait is another day that cures don’t get to the patients who need them.”

“21st Century Cures is all about providing hope for patients and their loved ones here in Michigan, and across the country,” said Upton. “Today’s roundtable was another opportunity to hear directly from those patients we’re fighting for, and to get the word out about our bipartisan efforts to get fast, safe, and innovative treatments out there for everyone. I want to thank Congresswoman Dingell for her hospitality, and her work on this vitally important initiative. As the Senate begins its committee process next week, our quest for Cures continues.”

Dingell and Upton met with patient groups and families at the University of Michigan Dearborn, including Tammi Carr, whose 5-year-old son Chad Carr passed away in November following a courageous battle against Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Giloma (DIPG), a difficult to treat pediatric brain tumor for which there is currently no cure.

Following the roundtable, they traveled to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor for a discussion with leading doctors and researchers to learn how their work will be impacted by 21^st Century Cures. University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel joined the group for the discussion.

Upton and Congresswoman Diana DeGette (CO-01) launched the 21st Century Cures initiative to speed up the discovery, development, and delivery of life-saving drugs and devices for diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s and diabetes. For more information about 21^st Century Cures, please click here.