Republicans Who Voted Against Project to Cure Parkinson's Disease

The House of Representatives passed a National Plan to End Parkinson's Act on Wednesday, but several Republicans voted against the resolution.

The bill calls for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to "carry out a project to prevent and cure Parkinson's disease (a progressive brain disorder that causes unintended or uncontrollable movements) and related conditions," by implementing a national plan that coordinates and guides efforts to prevent, slow the progression of and cure the disease.

The bill establishes a council consisting of federal and nonfederal stakeholders to advise the HHS on recommendations regarding the prevention and treatment of Parkinson's.

The disease affects roughly 1 million Americans, and thousands of new diagnoses occur each year. There is currently no cure for Parkinson's, but treatments are available to help manage symptoms. Those symptoms include tremors, such as trembling in the hands, arms, legs, jaw and face; stiffness; slow movement; poor balance; and speech difficulty.

Representatives passed the bill easily on Wednesday, 407-9. All Democrats voted for the legislation, save for six representatives who abstained from voting, while 200 Republicans voted in favor and nine voted against. Twelve Republicans abstained from voting.

The nine Republicans who voted against the bill were Andy Biggs, Josh Brecheen, Ken Buck, Eric Burlison, Andrew Clyde, Warren Davidson, Andy Harris, Matthew Rosendale and Chip Roy.

Newsweek reached out for comment to the press offices of Brecheen and Burlison by phone, Rosendale's office through a media request website, and the offices of Biggs, Buck, Clyde, Davidson, Harris and Roy by email.

Many representatives celebrated the bill's passing, including Jennifer Wexton, a Democrat representing Virginia.

Wexton was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease earlier this year, but doctors revised the diagnosis in September after realizing she actually suffered from progressive supranuclear palsy. PSP symptoms are similar to those of Parkinson's, such as speech and balance difficulties.

"The past year has been a difficult road and an emotional journey as I've battled PSP. But right now, what I feel most is hope," Wexton posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.

In a separate post, Wexton called the bill's passage a "transformative step to fight [Parkinson's disease] & atypical PD diseases like mine."

"We're going to save lives and give families hope," she wrote.

Other representatives praised the bipartisan work in passing the bill. Republican Steve Scalise, who represents Louisiana, lauded the bill as "critical bipartisan legislation in the fight against PD."

"It's long past time we found a cure for this devastating disease that strikes over 200,000 Americans annually," Representative Scott Franklin, a Republican from Florida, posted on X.