BioCentury
ARTICLE | Politics & Policy

House passes 21st Century Cures baton to Senate

July 11, 2015 12:25 AM UTC

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 344-77 to pass the 21st Century Cures Act (H.R. 6) on Friday. The focus of the bill's supporters, including the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), and many patient advocacy and medical groups, now shifts to the Senate, where the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee is working on companion legislation.

House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) sought and achieved a large bipartisan majority for H.R. 6, persuading 174 Democrats and 170 Republicans to vote for it. Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), a champion of the biotech industry, was one of seven Democrats to vote against the bill. Her office did not respond to an inquiry about her vote. ...