December 13, 2016

Manchin Applauds Signing of 21st Century CURES Act Into Law

Washington, D.C. – As a lead advocate of opioid abuse prevention and funding, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) today attended the signing ceremony of the 21st Century Cures Act at the White House. This law includes funding to fight the opioid epidemic, improves medical research and modernizes mental health services.

“I’m pleased the President signed this much needed legislation that will address the opioid epidemic, strengthen medical research, and expand access to mental health care,” Senator Manchin said. “I was proud to be there with David Grubb as the President signed into law critical funding that will help millions of Americans like his daughter Jessie. Mr. Grubb first shared his daughter’s battle with addiction with the President when he came to Charleston for a town hall on opioid abuse and his daughter’s story has inspired the President to put more resources toward providing treatment for the people who are suffering from opioid abuse and addiction. The funding will go a long way in fighting the opioid epidemic and I’m glad that this legislation was signed into law.”

Some of the provisions in the 21st Century CURES Act will:  

  • Authorize $1 billion in funding for state grants to address the opioid epidemic over two years.
  • Provide $4.8 billion between FY17-FY20 to National Institutes of Health, including: $1.4 billion for President Obama’s Precision Medicine Initiative to drive research into the genetic, lifestyle and environmental variations of disease; $1.8 billion for Vice President Biden’s "Cancer Moonshot” to speed research; and $1.6 billion for the BRAIN initiative to improve our understanding of diseases like Alzheimer's.
  • Strengthen pediatric and high risk/high reward medical research.
  • Support a “Eureka Prize Competition” to foster research that could realize significant advancements in health outcomes and disease treatments.
  • Modernize and strengthens grants for providing mental health services, promotes evidence-based practices, and strengthens mental health parity provisions to ensure that insurance companies treat mental health problems on par with physical health problems. It also expands Medicaid coverage of mental health services.

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