Congress Chooses To Protect FDA Rules Over Rights Of Terminally Ill Patients

[EasyAce]

By Jim Jamitis
https://www.redstate.com/jimjamitis/2018/03/14/congress-chooses-protect-fda-rules-rights-terminally-ill-patients/

Republicans introduced a bill that would allow terminally ill patients to try unapproved or experimental medications or treatments but the legislation was defeated in a 259 -140 vote . . .

. . . Democrats seldom if ever support anything that would weaken any federal agency, program, or regulation. Washington knows best what is good for you . . .

. . . It’s true that the FDA does allow some patients to receive unapproved or experimental drugs, but why should a terminally ill patient who wants to try an experimental treatment as a last ditch lifesaving effort be forced to get approval from Washington to do so?

. . . Opponents callously referred to the legislation as “false hope" . . . It just seems strange that in a society where support for assisted suicide seems to be growing and where abortion is religiously protected as a fundamental human right, there are left leaning groups opposing a terminal patient’s right to choose to accept risks in their quest to live longer.

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Note: This bill had the support of both the president and the vice president. Appropriately.

[LauraTXNM]

"On Monday, more than 75 patient groups, including the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the American Lung Association and the Cystic Fibrosis Association, had sent a letter to House leaders saying the bill 'would not increase access to promising therapies' because it didn't deal with the main barriers to experimental drugs  — the cost of drugs and company restrictions on making therapies available outside of clinical trials."

I side with the patient disease and care groups here.  I think this bill was more or less window-dressing.