Contact: Timothy Svoboda, (202) 225-2476

(Washington, D.C.) – Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-Glenbeulah) continued his strong support of “Right to Try” legislation by voting in favor of Senator Ron Johnson’s bill that gives terminally ill patients expanded access to treatment. S. 204, which passed the house 250 – 169 with bipartisan support, is on its way to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

S. 204, the Trickett Wendler, Frank Mongiello, Jordan McLinn and Matthew Bellina Right to Try Act, will allow terminally ill patients who have exhausted all other treatment options the opportunity to try medications that have passed basic Food and Drug Administration (FDA) safety protocols, but have not received final approval for public use. The law will not require any individual to participate in the program, but instead give those with no other options one last chance.

“Right to Try” laws have been passed in 38 states with overwhelming bipartisan support. In fact, in these state’s legislative bodies, “Right to Try” has received a yes vote 97.8 percent of the time, that includes both Republicans and Democrats.

“Now is the time for this critical ‘Right to Try’ legislation– something I’ve been trying to bring to the floor for quite some time. After several conversations with my friends, Congressman Greg Walden [Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee], Senator Johnson [introduced the bill] and President Trump [endorsed Right to Try in his 2018 State of the Union address], this legislation that will give hope to so many is finally on the brink of being realized”

“Under current law, terminally ill patients are prohibited from utilizing potentially life-saving treatments. Sometimes this is a patient’s last chance for survival.”

“To me, voting for this bill was easy. It was important to stand up to the pharmaceutical industry that opposed this bill and make sure that those with terminal illnesses have the access to these treatments.”

“Treatments that could save lives are just sitting on the shelves right now. Passing ‘Right to Try’ will make sure patients exhaust every option for recovery and could potentially reveal cures to major diseases. That’s why I’m excited that 22 Democrats joined the vast majority of Republicans in a bipartisan effort to pass this bill, but disappointed that 169 Democrats chose to sit on the sidelines.”

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