|
INSIDE (The Beltway) SCOOP- Jon
Retzlaff
Today, I am more optimistic about the funding
environment for NIH than at any other time
during my 2.5 years as FASEB’s Director of
Legislative Relations. The momentum that was
gained from Congress’ decision to identify NIH
as a priority program in FY2007 and provide the
agency with a $620 million increase in its
current fiscal year is carrying over to the
FY2008 appropriations process. Specifically,
Senator Specter and Harkin’s amendment to the
Senate budget resolution to provide an
additional $2.2 billion for NIH, CDC and health
professions training programs in FY2008 was
accepted by unanimous consent, and as of today,
131 House Members are on record requesting that
NIH receive a 6.7 percent increase ($1.9
billion) in order to begin the process of
getting NIH “back on track” (and begin the
process of recouping the losses caused by
biomedical research inflation).
In addition, throughout the past month, there
appears to be an increased understanding and
realization that funding for military matters is
not the only area of pressing need, and that
Federal support for research is vital to the
health of our citizens as well as our country’s
economic outlook. During the recent debates on
the House and Senate budget resolutions, both
Houses of Congress significantly increased the
pool of money available
for domestic discretionary programs. Democratic
leaders also informed the President that his
proposal to level-fund key domestic priorities
was not going to happen.
During a meeting (arranged by the Campaign for
Medical Research) with the House Appropriations
Chairman David Obey, I thanked the Chairman on
behalf of FASEB’s twenty-one societies and their
80,000 members for his commitment to medical
research and for providing the $620 million
increase in FY2007. I informed Chairman Obey
that our community was bracing (in FY2007) for
another year of flat funding, but that his
efforts have energized the entire research
community and given scientists hope that funding
for research has become a priority once again.
And, it’s clear that the medical research
community is anxious to show what it can do with
such support..
TOP OF PAGE
UPCOMING HEARINGS
April 17
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee to Hold
Hearing on Autism
The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor,
HHS, and Education (Senator Tom Harkin [D-IA],
Chairman) will hold a hearing on autism. Dr. Tom
Insel, Director, NIMH, has been invited to
testify.
April 20
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee to Hold
Theme Hearing on FY 2008 Budget
The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor,
HHS, and Education (Senator Tom Harkin [D-IA],
Chairman) will hold its second NIH theme hearing
on the Burden of Chronic Disease. Drs. Richard
Hodes, Director, NIA; Stephen Katz, Director,
NIAMS; Elizabeth Nabel, Director, NHLBI; and
Griffin Rodgers, Acting Director, NIDDK, will
testify.
April 30
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee to Hold
Theme Hearing the Frontiers of Science
The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor,
HHS, and Education (Senator Tom Harkin [D-IA],
Chairman) will hold its third NIH theme hearing
on the Frontiers of Science. Drs. Francis
Collins, Director, NHGRI; Jeremy Berg, Director,
NIGMS; Roderic Pettigrew, Director, NIBIB;
Donald Lindberg, Director, NLM; and Roger Glass,
Director, FIC, will testify.
TOP OF PAGE
CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE
The House and Senate are on the Easter/Passover
recess. The House will be in recess until April
13, and the Senate is scheduled to recess
through April 9.
TOP OF PAGE
PAGE 1 |
PAGE 2
GO BACK TO MARCH 30
WASHINGTON UPDATE |
