Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, sees 2016 as holding life-changing milestones for many people -- most recently, the Chicago Cubs baseball team.
Upton has been optimistic about the Cubs for a long time; and, after more than a century, his team finally won. This passion and optimism extend to Upton's feelings toward 21st Century Cures legislation.
“As they say at Wrigley, it’s going to happen,” he said. “This is the year.”
While Cubs fans “fly the W,” Upton believes that people will also celebrate successful cures for diseases that impact the lives of many Americans.
“2016 is ‘the year’ in so many ways, and lives are changing for the better,” he said. “Patients and advocates have been going to bat for this nonpartisan effort for years, and there’s no stopping us now. This is truly a once-in-a-generation opportunity to change the way we view and treat disease. For every family touched by illness, we will get this done. It’s going to happen.”
Health leaders are determined to sing “#CuresNow” just as loudly as fans are singing “Go, Cubs, Go” after the World Series win.
Congress will soon return, and Upton looks forward to the positive changes he and other leaders will enact for residents of the U.S.
