The Senate renamed part of a medical innovation bill expected to pass the upper chamber this week in honor of Vice President Joe Biden’s late son.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced ahead of Monday evening’s procedural vote on the 21st Century Cures Act that they would name the bill’s cancer provisions after Beau Biden, who died from cancer last year.
{mosads}”I think it’s fitting to dedicate this bill’s critical cancer initiatives in honor of someone who would be proud of the presiding officer today and that’s his son Beau,” the Kentucky Republican said. “And in just a moment that’s exactly what the Senate will do. Renaming the NIH’s cancer initiatives in this bill after Beau Biden.”
The move came as Biden made a rare Senate appearance to preside over Monday’s vote to end debate on the Cures act, which sailed through the House last week.
An emotional Biden told reporters after the vote that he didn’t know McConnell was going to rename part of the bill after his son, but that it “validates what we do here.”
Biden says maneuver by McConnell to rename part of 21st Century Cures bill after son Beau “matters” & “validates what we do here.”
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) December 5, 2016
Senators broke out in applause from the Senate floor after they agreed to rename the bill’s cancer provisions. Biden served in the Senate for decades and is well liked by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
McConnell added that the Senate wanted to acknowledge Biden’s efforts on cancer research.
“He’s known the cruel toll that this disease can take, but he hasn’t let it defeat him. He’s chosen to fight back,” he said.
The medical cures legislation, which includes $1.8 billion for Biden’s cancer “moonshot,” is expected to pass the Senate early this week.