SENATE FY2007 L/HHS APPROPRIATIONS - SUBCOMMITTEE AND FULL COMMITTEE MARKUPS

L/HHS Appropriations Bill (NIH) – Subcommittee and Full Committee Mark-ups:
On July 18, 2006, the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services and Education (L/HHS) Appropriations Subcommittee marked-up its FY2007 bill. The bill would provide NIH with $28.459 billion in FY2007, an increase of $220 million, which is less than a one-percent increase [.78%], over its FY2006 appropriation. You may remember that both the Administration’s budget and House L/HHS Appropriations bill would essentially flat-fund NIH in FY2007.

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HOUSE FY2007 L/HHS APPROPRIATIONS

Status of L/HHS Appropriations Bill (NIH) :
It is looking increasingly likely that the House Leadership will accede to the demands from Democrats and moderate Republicans to allow a vote on increasing the minimum wage. 

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INSIDE (The Beltway) SCOOP
- Jon Retzlaff, Legislative Director

We’ll need to constantly continue to deliver the message, but there are signs that Congress is beginning to understand the consequences associated with flat-funding the pre-eminent biomedical research institution in the world.  

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NIH REAUTHORIZATION

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX) is pleased that negotiations with FASEB and the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) are progressing, and thus has decided to hold off marking-up the NIH reauthorization bill until early September. However, he still plans to introduce the bill before the House adjourns for its summer recess on July 28, 2006. We expect to receive a discussion draft of the legislation sometime today.

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STEM CELL LEGISLATION

Stem Cell Legislation Moves Forward, Halted By Presidential Veto
It was a week of rapid progress, tremendous victory and frustrating obstacles for legislation on embryonic stem cells. As promised by Senate Majority Leader Frist, the
Senate began debate on three stem cell bills on July 17th. In anticipation of the debate, FASEB sent letters to every member of the Senate, urging them to vote for H.R. 810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, in an effort to expand the current federal funding restrictions on human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research. “There is a general consensus in the scientific community that in order for the full therapeutic potential of human embryonic stem cells to be realized, more lines must be readily available to researchers,” wrote FASEB President Leo Furcht, M.D. “To millions of Americans suffering from currently untreatable injuries or conditions, whether spinal cord injuries or neurodegenerative disorders, embryonic stem cell research offers hope.” FASEB also activated members of our e-Action list, encouraging them to write to their Senators. In addition, FASEB contacted President George W. Bush as the Senate began the debate on the floor, imploring him to withhold his promised veto of the legislation.

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OTHER LEGISLATION

FASEB Thanks Senator Burr for Leadership in Biodefense
FASEB sent a letter to Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) supporting his efforts to improve the nation’s biodefense through introduction of S. 2564, the Biodefense and Pandemic Vaccine and Drug Development Act. This bill replaces a previous version, S. 1873, many of the provisions of which caused concern for FASEB and others in the scientific community. Following several meetings with FASEB staff and leadership, as well as discussion with biodefense stakeholders, Senator Burr withdrew the legislation and put forth the updated version, which alleviated many of the concerns.

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CONGRESSIONAL MEETINGS

FASEB Meets with House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH)
On July 19, 2006, The Campaign for Medical Research organized a visit with the House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) to thank him for promising that an additional $7 billion would be provided for important health and education programs during the House budget debate. Moreover, the group highlighted the important health and economic benefits resulting from supporting funding for medical research. The following individuals attended, representing a broad spectrum of scientists, industry and voluntary health organizations: The Honorable Bob Michel – Hogan & Hartson; The Honorable John Porter – Research!America; The Honorable Paul Rogers – Campaign for Medical Research; Nancy Granese – Campaign for Medical Research; Jon Retzlaff – FASEB; Wendy Selig – American Cancer Society; Sue Nelson – American Heart Association; Claudia Louis – American Heart Association; Joseph F. Clark, Ph.D. – University of Cincinnati; Pete Farnham – American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Joe Carey – Society for Neuroscience; Janet Lambert – Invitrogen.

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FASEB NEWS

FASEB Receives Award from ORI, Welcomes New President, President-Elect
FASEB has received a grant of more than $112,000 from the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) to proactively address the issue of conflict-of-interest management in biomedical research. The grant, funded through a collaborative program between ORI and the Association of American Medical Colleges, is a continuation of the work detailed in a recently released report by FASEB, Shared Responsibility, Individual Integrity: Scientists Addressing Conflicts of Interest in Biomedical Research. “There is a clear need for voluntary standards for the conduct of academia-industry interactions from the scientists’ perspective,” according to Laura Brockway, Ph.D., senior science policy analyst for FASEB and principal on the award.

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CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE

The House and Senate are in session. The House adjourns for its summer recess on July 28, 2006. The Senate adjourns for its summer recess on August 4, 2006.

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