Congresswoman Matsui Applauds Passage of Life-Saving Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Bill
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
CONTACT: JULIE EDDY
(202) 225-7163
Congresswoman Matsui Applauds Passage of Life-Saving Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Bill
The House approves the bill ahead of September 30 deadline, the Senate must now act
On Tuesday, September 8, 2015 the United States House of Representatives unanimously passed H.R. 2820, The Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Act, a bill co-authored by Congresswoman Doris Matsui to reauthorize the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program and the National Cord Blood Inventory (NCBI). The Transplantation Program has been reauthorized in a bipartisan way since its inception in the mid-1980s and NCBI has been reauthorized with it since its addition in 2005.
The bill has support from the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), which runs many of the life-saving transplant-related programs, such as the Be The Match marrow donor registry. "Because of the work of Reps. Smith, Matsui, Jolly, and Fattah, those patients in need of a life-saving adult stem cell transplant will have access to one through the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program and NMDP/Be The Match," said Dr. Jeffrey Chell, Chief Executive Officer of NMDP/Be The Match. "We applaud their efforts to make sure that the authorization for this essential public health program does not expire."
It also has support from the Cord Blood Association, which promotes the banking of cord blood for the purposes of saving lives, improving patient health, and providing new research. " The field of cord blood transplantation and research offers hope for a growing number of pediatric and adult diseases and conditions. Specifically, cord blood transplantation treats and often cures patients with certain life-threatening blood cancers and other hereditary diseases," said Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg, President of the Cord Blood Association.
Congresswoman Matsui's remarks, as prepared for the floor prior to bill passage:
"I strongly support the legislation on the floor, The Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Act of 2015.
This is a bipartisan bill to reauthorize life-saving programs that provide hope to the thousands of Americans, and their families, who suffer from blood cancers or other blood disorders.
Every 4 minutes, someone is diagnosed with blood cancer or another blood disorder. Often, the only cure for these fatal diseases is a bone marrow or cord blood transplant. The program we reauthorize today runs the registry that connects patients with donors, and provides other needed services and research.
I urge my colleagues to vote in support of this legislation, and I urge my Senate colleagues to take the reauthorization up swiftly before the program expires at the end of this month."
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