«This is very personal for me.»
President Donald Trump signed the “ right-to-try ” bill into law on Wednesday, which will enable individuals who are terminally ill to try experimental treatments, bypassing the United States Food and Drug Administration.
The bill passed the House last week and the Senate back in August and was sponsored by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), who was in attendance for the law’s signing on Wednesday along with Vice President Mike Pence, FDA’s Deputy Commissioner Anna Abram, and a number of Americans who fought for the bill.
«This is very personal for me. As I proudly sign this bill, thousands of terminally ill Americans will have the help, the hope, and the fighting chance — and I think it’s going to be better than chance — that they will be cured, that they will be helped, that they will be able to be with their families for a long time, or maybe just for a longer time,” Trump said ahead of the signing.
“But we’re able to give them the absolute best we have at this current moment, at this current second. We’re going to help a lot of people. It’s an honor to be signing this,» the president added.
The president said by signing the so-called Right to Try Act of 2017 he was “proud to keep another promise to the American people.”
“I called on Congress to pass Right to Try — such a great name — some bills they don’t have a great name — this one […] And a lot of that trying is going to be successful. I really believe that. We did it,” he added.
While detractors say the bill could leave patients vulnerable by undermining the FDA’s authority, Trump said Wednesday that he’s doing it for the American people and “not the pharmaceutical companies, not the insurance companies.”
“I don’t care about them. I really couldn’t care less,” Trump added. “We’re going to help a lot of people. It’s an honor to be signing this.”
In cute moment, a young boy attempts several times to nab Pres. Trump’s attention during signing of the “Right to Try Act”—and finally succeeds in getting a hug from the president. https://t.co/90TML32PHY pic.twitter.com/pObXjm7jiC
— ABC News (@ABC) May 30,2018
In a heartwarming moment near the end of the event, the president handed over a pen used for the signing to a young boy named Jordan McLinn, who reportedly has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The boy then tried to grab Trump’s attention multiple times before ultimately receiving a hug from the president.
William is a Senior Congressional and Breaking News Reporter for IJR. Prior to that, he covered politics and breaking news at AOL.com, leading the sit… more
