This week in Congress, the House took a big step and passed a life-saving bill that has one core goal in mind – to get cures and treatments to patients faster.

The bill, the 21^st Century Cures Act, is full of real changes to help Americans across the country. This bill provides research dollars to the National Institutes of Health,  provides grants to states to continue the fight to combat opioid abuse, and includes funds to the Food and Drug Administration to approve drugs and medical devices more quickly. In addition, included in this bill is the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Reform Act which helps individuals and their families in mental health crisis and addresses needs of Americans with a substance abuse disorder.

I look forward to hearing about progress and updates from medical professionals throughout the next several months and years about what they have been able to accomplish as a result of this legislation being signed into law.

For more information on bills like the 21^st Century Cures Act or anything else that is going on in Congress, I wanted to let you know of an upcoming Tele-Town Hall I am hosting to provide you the opportunity to ask any questions. As many of you know, I host Tele-Town Halls throughout the year which are outlets for you to ask questions yourself or hear friends and neighbors from your communities speak about what is on their minds. If you are not currently signed up to receive emails about when the next one is, please visit my website or call any of my offices to do so. In addition, I encourage you to leave your email address so you never have to worry about receiving the latest information about what is happening in the 3^rd District. There will be a Tele-Town Hall in December and I want to make sure 3^rd District residents have advanced notice so you can plan accordingly. A staff member will send out an email a few days in advance of the evening of the call. The 60 minute call is your time to ask me questions about what is on your mind and I look forward to hearing from you.

In addition, the end of the year is nearing and I wanted to ensure 3^rd District residents have another opportunity to meet my staff to go over any questions you may have. With an incoming Administration, we can expect changes at various agencies and with an extensive priority list for the new year, there will be a lot going on in Washington. Please know that I will keep you updated with all of the latest news so you are not left in the dark and you have correct information. Constituent Service Days have proved to be informative and helpful for 3^rd District residents so please be sure to stay on the look out for more dates and locations in 2017.

As you may know, right now is open enrollment in Medicare and my staff can assist you in navigating that process. They can also help with any help you may need at the VA, IRS, or answer questions that are on your mind. If you would like additional information for this round of Constituent Service Days, or anything else you are looking for assistance with, please feel free to call any of my offices for details.