“Right to Try” Legislation for Terminal Patients Drives Wedge: Armstrong vs. Trump, Republicans, and Common Sense Democrats

Kelly Armstrong voted against legislation that would have allowed terminal patients access to potentially life-saving experimental drugs. Now that President Trump has signed that bill into law, does Kelly want a do-over?

(BISMARCK, ND) — Yesterday, President Trump signed “Right to Try” legislation that would allow terminally ill patients the freedom to use experimental treatments that have not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

President Trump enthusiastically signed the bill. It passed the U.S. Senate unanimously, and Kevin Cramer voted for the House of Representatives version. But there is someone who doesn’t think this potentially life-saving bipartisan bill is a good idea for terminally ill North Dakotans: Kelly Armstrong.

In fact, when similar legislation was introduced in 2015, Armstrong was one of only 5 lawmakers in the North Dakota legislature who voted to deprive the most desperate patients this lifeline. And he did it three times.

“It’s sad to see Kelly Armstrong would vote to deny patients access to cutting-edge treatments when they are at their most vulnerable and desperate,” said Scott McNeil, Executive Director of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL. “His anti-‘Right To Try’ stance has put him at odds with the president, the vast majority of his colleagues in the North Dakota legislature, and Kevin Cramer, the lawmaker he’s running to replace. That vote shows that Kelly Armstrong is more interested in scoring partisan points than working across the aisle for patients.”