Right To Try Legislation Stalled, But Fight Not Over

The U.S. House of Representatives voted Tuesday evening to pass HR 5427, also known as the Trickett Wendler, Frank Mongiello, Jordan McLinn, and Matthew Bellina Right to Try Act of 2018, but came up about 30 votes short of the super majority needed to pass the legislation to the Senate.

“It was heartbreaking,” said Jim Worthington, owner of the Newtown Athletic Club and a supporter of the legislation.

Worthington was in Washington leading up to the vote with his friend, who the bill is partially named for, Matthew Bellina, Caitlin Bellina and their kids.

The bill needed a two-thirds majority to make it to the Senate.

“It was sad because there was a number of terminally ill patients there, and their hopes were just shattered,” Worthington said.

Bellina viewed news of the vote as a death sentence, Worthington relayed.

With the legislation, experimental treatment could come to the states. Now, Bellina would have to go to Israel for several months to receive the treatment for ALS.

According to Worthington, who witnessed testimony at the Capitol, each rebuttal to the bill referenced not wanting to give patients false hope.

“To get that close and know that it will not happen is heartbreaking,” Worthington said.

“Tonight, a minority of the House of Representatives blocked the two-thirds vote necessary to pass Right to Try via suspension. Those facing a terminal diagnosis and fighting for their Right to Try won’t give up, and neither can we. This fight resumes first thing tomorrow morning as we send this matter to the Rules Committee and will work to bring Right to Try back to the floor immediately for a simple majority vote, which as was indicated tonight, has the bipartisan majority of votes to pass,” Fitzpatrick said in a statement Tuesday.

“It was just one of those unbelievably painful moments, but the good news is that we are not giving up,” Worthington said.

Worthington explained that he got involved in politics to fight for the Right to Try legislation and indicated system that he sees as broken on both sides of the aisle.

Bellina, a Navy veteran and Northampton resident, has worked with Worthington to get the legislation considered by politicians. Last year, Bellina and Worthington worked to make Trump and Vice President Mike Pence aware of the legislation. In January, Bellina sat in on President Donald Trump’s State of the Union as the guest of Fitzpatrick.