What we know, and what we don't

With blood-shot eyes and way too much caffeine, here is what we know and what we don’t know about the state of the elections as we roll out of bed this morning… 

What we know:

• The vote count in many critical states was closer than expected and it’s still too early to determine who won the presidential race, as well as many House races and four Senate races. 
• Democrats are still in control of the House, but with a slightly smaller majority. Incumbents who have lost thus far include:
• Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-FL-26)
• Donna Shalala (D-FL-27)
• Collin Peterson (D-MN-07)
• Kendra Horn (D-OK-05)
• Xochitl Torres Small (D-NM-02)
• Joe Cunningham (D-SC-01)
• It looks highly likely that Republicans will maintain control of the Senate. A few races are unclear, and Senate Republicans will likely have a tighter majority, but that’s how it is shaping up. Senate losses that are official include:
• Doug Jones (D-AL)
• Martha McSally (R-AZ)
• Cory Gardner (R-CO)
• Despite Trump declaring victory this morning, the presidential election is still undetermined. We should expect an extremely tense next few days.
• The outstanding states: PA, MI, NV, GA, WI.  
• The most likely outcome at this point is that by later this week, Joe Biden has 270 or more with recounts and litigation clouding the outcome for weeks. Some very tired election workers will wake up on Wednesday and start counting again. 
• One Governor’s mansion switched control: Montana, with Republican Greg Gianforte winning the race.
• “Conventional wisdom” needs to stop being so conventional…
• Traditional polling is something this country has long relied on, but there are now serious questions around the accuracy and reliability, so it is likely we see significant changes over the next few years.
• The outcome of a Biden presidency with a Republican Senate and a smaller House Dem majority makes for a very different landscape than many projected.    

What don’t we know:

• The next POTUS.
• The fate of millions of ballots still to be counted, mostly in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Ohio. And with them, who is President. Once again, the path to the White House goes through the Rust Belt. 
• If we will have the first tied presidential race since 1800…or the closest since 1876 (with a difference of ONE electoral vote). 
• The winner of Senate Races in Maine, Michigan, and the Georgia runoff in January. 
• Control of the Senate. Right now, Democrats are a net +1. They need to net two more seats if Biden wins, three more if Trump wins. It’s unlikely that will happen. 
• The outcome of dozens of House races, many of which could lead to Republicans narrowing the House Democrats’ majority—a surprising result. 

Because of the Bayh-Dole Act, says Betsy de Parry, a non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivor and patient advocate. 

The Bayh-Dole Act “allows universities, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations to own the early stage inventions they make in the course of their research using federal grants,” explains de Parry in Fortune.

“These institutions can then license their intellectual property to private firms, which have the resources and experience to turn promising ideas into widely available medicines,” she continues.

The law was authored by Sen. Birch Bayh (D-IN) and Sen. Bob Dole (R-KS) in 1980, during what she calls “a divided moment, when Ronald Reagan had just won election but Jimmy Carter was still in office.” 

And it’s led to 200+ medical innovations—including the radioimmunotherapy that saved her life.

“Patients owe a debt of gratitude to Senators Bayh and Dole, who recognized that empowering private drug companies to turn government-sponsored research into usable medicines and treatments is not a partisan issue,” she concludes. 

As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Bayh-Dole, it’s more important than ever to protect it. Visit www.bayhdole40.org to learn more.

Watch: Betsy de Parry explained more about how Bayh-Dole saved her life during last week’s Patient and Health Advocacy Digital Summit.

More Health Care News:

NBC News (Opinion): 2020 election results may influence Trump's treatment of Dr. Fauci. That matters.
“With the onset of winter, America heads into what will likely be some of the worst months of the pandemic thus far. We urgently need clarity about how to navigate rising numbers of hospitalizations and deaths, with a potential vaccine a number of months from widespread public distribution.”

President Trump’s Wednesday: Nothing on the official schedule. In case you were sleeping, Axios has videos of Trump’s premature “victory” speech, and Biden’s call for every ballot to be counted. What’s behind the divide in the United States? According to AP VoteCast, the pandemic was the most important issue driving Biden voters, while the economy was most important to Trump voters.

What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: As mentioned, Democrats will retain the House, and Republicans are likely to keep control of the Senate. In the meantime, STAT News looks at results of other races with an impact on science and health.