President Obama signed the 21st Century Cures Act Tuesday, which is a $6.3 billion bill to fund research for diseases like Alzheimer's, cancer and diabetes.
The bill includes $1.8 billion for Vice President Biden's "cancer moonshot" initiative to "end cancer as we know it." Biden's son Beau died from brain cancer in 2015, so today's passage was personal for the vice president.
One of the last times I'll preside over an actual Senate vote count. A lot of lives will be saved by this bill, God willing. #CuresAct pic.twitter.com/q0iEgpDqfh
— VP Biden (Archived) (@VP44) December 6, 2016
Obama signed the bill into law during an emotional ceremony in which the president spoke about his mother dying of cancer in her early 50s.
"It's not always easy to remember, but being able to honor those we've lost in this way and to know that we may be able to prevent other families from feeling that same loss, that makes it a good day," he said.
Read 3 letters that explain why @POTUS signed the #CuresAct today: https://t.co/AqTacjvEE9 pic.twitter.com/d6nBs6JFzZ
— White House Archived (@ObamaWhiteHouse) December 13, 2016
The White House tweeted, saying these letters are the reason Obama signed the bill.
Tuesday's bill also authorized seven years of funding for other health initiatives including $1.5 billion for a brain research initiative and $1 billion of substance abuse treatment, aimed at curbing the number of cases of heroin and opioid addiction.
Today, @POTUS signed the #CuresAct. Here's how this will help address the greatest health challenges of our time: https://t.co/AqTacjvEE9 pic.twitter.com/btXCjA0NTl
— White House Archived (@ObamaWhiteHouse) December 13, 2016
