WASHINGTON--Today, the U.S. Senate passed the Henrietta Lacks Enhancing Cancer Research Act, H.R. 1966.
The bill, which aims to confront healthcare disparities by making cancer clinical trials more racially diverse, passed in the House just over one week ago. Congressman Kweisi Mfume, who represents Maryland's 7th District, is the lead sponsor on the bill.
"As we've seen with the COVID-19 clinical trials, today's medical research fails to represent the diversity of this country. Whether we're talking about COVID-19 vaccines or cancer therapeutics we must ensure diverse participation, otherwise, it is impossible to gather accurate data on how individuals of different races respond to certain treatments," Congressman Mfume stated. "It's an honor to help elevate this issue and work with my Maryland colleagues to get it through the House. Today we took another step towards advancing the work of our dear friend, the late Congressman Elijah Cummings, and paying respect to the legacy of Henrietta Lacks. I commend our Senate colleagues for passing this legislation and look forward to sending it to the president to be signed into law."
For more background on the bill or Henrietta Lacks, please visit here.