First elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994, Richard served five terms in the House and is currently serving North Carolina in his third term in the U.S. Senate. During his time in the House, he led legislation modernizing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and began his work to improve our nation’s biodefense and pandemic preparedness capabilities.
In the Senate, Richard serves as Ranking Member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. Promoting innovation in America’s healthcare system has been a priority for him throughout his time in Congress. Richard has led on a number of significant legislative priorities, including the creation of today’s pandemic response framework through the passage and reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA), improving FDA’s ability to regulate cutting-edge treatments for patients, and consistently championing funding for medical innovation and research.
Since first coming to Congress, I have understood that our country needs health care reform. Unfortunately, the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, has resulted in skyrocketing insurance premiums and fewer choices for Americans. That’s why I have put forward the Patient CARE Act as an alternative plan that would expand access to quality, affordable health care without the federal government’s command and control. PCARE puts Americans -- not Washington bureaucrats -- in control of their own health care decisions for themselves and their families.
Similarly, our citizens are proud of the medical innovation that has made America the envy of the world when it comes to life-saving treatments and cures. We must preserve America’s global leadership in biomedical research and innovation, and I believe we must continue to foster and facilitate this critical work so that America’s patients benefit from the most-cutting edge treatments.