u.s. senate vote overwhelmingly wednesday support sweep legislation reshape way food drug administration approve new medicine also provide fund cancer alzheimer research help fight opioid epidemic expand access mental health treatment advance research precision medicine two years make 21st century cure act pass last week house representatives go president barack obama sign law supporters say speed access new drug devices part allow clinical trials design few patients cheap easier-to-achieve goals second consecutive year senate send president another christmas miracle signature senator lamar alexander republican tennessee say statement last year every student succeed act time 21st century cure act bill help virtually every american family critics legislation say give massive handouts pharmaceutical industry low standards drug medical device approvals gift 1,300 lobbyists mostly pharmaceutical company help sell come expense patient safety undermine requirements ensure safe effective medications medical devices consumer watchdog public citizen say statement democratic senator elizabeth warren among handful senators vote bill independent senator former democratic presidential candidate bernie sanders decry describe big handouts pharma industry even bill pass 94-5. house pass vote 392-26 6.3 billion act sponsor republican representative fred upton authorize 4.8 billion national institute health 500 million food drug administration also call billion two years battle opioid epidemic tuesday drug enforcement administration issue report show 2014 129 people die every day result drug poison 61 percent opioid heroin relate opioids heroin fentanyl divert prescription pain pills kill people country horrify rate act administrator chuck rosenberg say face public health crisis historic proportion bill also call 1.8 billion fund vice president joseph biden cancer moonshot initiative design bolster cancer research reduce bureaucracy promote research collaboration critics note money describe bill must appropriate separate fund bill money may ultimately never materialize yet change clinical trial process something long seek drug industry set stone regardless whether money research project forthcoming among change great prominence give real world evidence gather outside framework randomize control clinical trial gold standard determine whether drug safe effective evidence could much easy drug company collect pass 21st century cure act show extraordinary bipartisan unity divisive election celebrate say ellen sigal chair patient advocacy group friends cancer research act patient input formally incorporate fda drug review process fund act offset reductions medicaid payments sale oil strategic petroleum reserve white house support bill say early concern drain petroleum reserve continue bad precedent sell long term energy security assets satisfy near term budget score need senate join house pass sweep new health bill