Sen. Warren voted against the 21st Century Cures Act, thinking that it is more important to make a political statement than it is to pass a bipartisan piece of legislation that will help her state and could save lives.
December 7, 2016
Warren’s Political Aspirations Take Priority; Votes No On Strong Medical Research Bill
It passed the House 392-26. It passed the Senate 94-5.
Every member of the Massachusetts House delegation, all of whom are Democrats, voted for it.
President Obama said voting for the bill was, “an opportunity to save lives and an opportunity we just can’t miss.”
Senator Elizabeth Warren looked at all that and still voted against the 21st Century Cures Act, thinking that it is more important to make a political statement and curry favor with the 2020 Democratic primary electorate than it is to pass a bipartisan piece of legislation that will help her state and could save lives.
The bill contains $1 billion over two years to combat the national opioid epidemic that has ravaged Massachusetts and The New York Times reports that its total $6.3 billion budget will be spent, “to increase funding for research into cancer and other diseases, address problems in the nation’s mental health systems and enact potentially far-reaching regulatory changes for drugs and medical devices.” Seems like a common-sense measure to support.
But with Elizabeth Warren, the only thing that’s common-sense for her is advancing her political agenda and attacking those that stand in her way. She has no interest in compromise or finding solutions that help the American people, and if she did, she would have voted for this bill.
Fortunately, there are enough bipartisan Senators with the courage to overcome Warren’s politically-motivated rhetoric and ensure that this important piece of legislation goes to the President’s desk. But Warren has made it clear that she is not changing and it won’t be long before one of her partisan-laced tirades ends up scuttling legislation that American families are counting on.