Senator Bernie Sanders blocked unanimous consent for the Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act, halting a bill aimed at improving treatments for children with cancer. The legislation, which passed the House unanimously, was inspired by the efforts of 16-year-old Mikaela Naylon, who lobbied Congress before her death from osteosarcoma. Sanders supported the bill's purpose but objected due to attached provisions and demands for broader health reforms.
The Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act sought to empower the Food and Drug Administration to encourage drug companies to study combination therapies for pediatric cancer patients. For years, advocates in the pediatric cancer community pushed for the bill amid numerous setbacks. It gained momentum following the advocacy of Mikaela Naylon, a 16-year-old from Colorado suffering from osteosarcoma. Naylon, who underwent a below-knee amputation, multiple lung surgeries, radiation, and radioactive treatments, learned in her final weeks that she had only weeks to live. Instead of resting, she lobbied Congress, including virtual meetings after returning home. On October 29, she spoke with Senator John Hickenlooper before passing away three hours later.
After her death, the House of Representatives passed the renamed bill unanimously. In the Senate, it appeared poised for similar approval, with advocates, reporters, grieving siblings, and a cancer survivor present in the gallery on the night it reached the floor. However, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) objected to unanimous consent, preventing the bill from bypassing committee processes and debate rules. A unanimous vote would have expedited its path to President Trump's desk for signature, as noted by the New York Post.
Sanders, who supports the bill in principle, raised concerns over unrelated provisions attached to it. He argued that savings from the bill should fund community health centers and that other bipartisan health provisions, previously killed months earlier, should be revived alongside it. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), a supporter of the act, criticized the objection, stating, "He is literally killing kids in front of us because of his political movement. It is ridiculous."
As the Senate adjourned for the holidays, the bill's progress stalled, leaving families awaiting potential relief without immediate action. Sanders' stance prioritized broader health-care goals over incremental progress on this specific measure.
