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Advocacy Efforts Needed in Senate to Increase FY 2008 NIH Funding
The U.S. House of Representatives approved fiscal year (FY) 2008 appropriations legislation for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) agencies on While the House bill goes above the President’s requested level of $28.6 billion in funding for NIH for FY 2008 (a $310 million, or 0.8%, decrease in funding from FY 2007), such a small increase is effectively a cut in funding since this level would not keep up with the expected 3.7% increase in biomedical inflation projected for 2008. ASH continues to support an increase in funding of 6.7% for NIH in FY 2008. The Senate must still consider its version of the bill, though no schedule for Senate consideration has yet been set. The Senate Appropriations Committee has recommended $29.9 billion for NIH in FY 2008, an increase of $1 billion (3.5 percent) over the FY 2007 level. However, the Senate bill takes the same approach as the House subcommittee in transferring funds from NIH to the Global HIV/AIDS fund; as a result, the net increase proposed by the Senate for the NIH budget in its draft bill is $799 million (2.8 percent) over FY 2007. With the debate still pending in the Senate, now is the time to contact your Senators to strengthen their support for FY 2008 NIH funding. It is a very tight year for the entire federal budget. Grassroots support for NIH funding from across the nation is critical to gain any traction in the appropriations process. The e-mail that you send to your Senators will make a difference. If you have any questions, or need additional information, please contact
Dear [ Decision Maker ] , As a hematologist interested in research on blood disorders, I write to urge your support of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to advance groundbreaking basic, clinical, and translational research and ask for your support in seeking increased funding for NIH in FY 2008. I am seriously concerned that the FY 2008 budget levels being discussed for NIH provide an insufficient funding level for the Institutes and its research programs that are critical to furthering science and America's health. In FY 2008, the NIH budget must grow by 3.7 percent just to keep pace with inflation. The funding levels currently under consideration may force NIH to choose between ongoing basic research efforts or new clinical research activities, resulting in an overall slowdown in medical discoveries. For hematology, sub-inflationary funding increases at NIH will effectively freeze research resources into cures and treatments for millions of Americans with blood cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma; bleeding disorders such as hemophilia; clotting problems such as thrombosis; and, genetic disorders such as sickle cell disease, and Cooley's anemia, among others. While I appreciate the need for fiscal restraint, inadequate funding for NIH hinders the Institutes' ability to sustain the momentum of discovery. Unless NIH is adequately funded, it will be extremely difficult for hematologists and other health professionals to train promising researchers, create research advances, and improve the health of all Americans. Please support the highest possible funding level for NIH in FY 2008. Thank you for your interest in this issue and I appreciate your support. Please contact me if I can provide additional information to you.
Sincerely, |
Campaign Launched: |
| Background Information |
The release of the President's FY 2008 Budget Proposal in January initiated the annual appropriations process for the year. Overall, this year's federal budget was trimmed down, with the President committed to reducing the federal budget deficit. Most of the FY 2008 budget increases in his proposal were dedicated to the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security. As a result, other agencies, such as NIH, are facing a difficult time in securing additional funding.
On June 7, the House Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee began drafting its version of the FY 2008 Labor-HHS spending bill. The House version of the bill provides $29.65 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an increase of $750 million (2.6 percent) above the FY 2007 funding level and $1.029 billion (3.6 percent) above the President's FY 2008 request. Taking into account the proposed transfer of $300 million from NIH in FY 2008 to the Global HIV/AIDS Fund, the net increase proposed by the House for the NIH budget in its draft bill is $549 million (1.9 percent) over FY 2007. The full House Appropriations Committee is tentatively scheduled to consider the FY 2008 Labor-HHS funding bill the week of July 9.
Similarly, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved its version of the FY 2008 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill on June 21. The Senate version of the bill includes $29.9 billion for NIH, an increase of $1 billion (3.5 percent) over the FY 2007 level. However, the Senate bill takes the same approach as the House subcommittee in transferring funds from NIH to the Global HIV/AIDS fund; as a result, the net increase proposed by the Senate for the NIH budget in its draft bill is $799 million (2.8 percent) over FY 2007.
It is important to note that both the Senate and the House proposed funding levels for NIH in FY 2008 essentially represent a cut in NIH funding since the small increases provided do not keep pace with the projected 3.7 percent increase in biomedical inflation for 2008.
This year's NIH budget situation is exacerbated by the after-effects of the five-year effort that doubled the NIH budget between FY 1998 and FY 2003. When the doubling project was completed in FY 2003, policymakers anticipated that the Bush Administration would curb its commitment to significant biomedical research funding increases. Moreover, many other officials in Washington, DC, feel that NIH received more than its share of a limited amount of discretionary dollars between FY 1998 and FY 2003, and other programs are due to receive increases in lieu of more funding for NIH.
However, the reach of NIH funding provides biomedical research advocates like ASH with a unique opportunity. With NIH grant recipients located in most states and many congressional districts, the chance to build nationwide grassroots support for increased NIH funding is achievable. The first step for ASH is to have its membership explain to their Members of Congress how vital NIH funding is to the medical research enterprise as well as how valuable NIH-sponsored research is to the health and well being of their constituents.
ASH and the biomedical research community have joined forces to advocate an increase of 6.7 percent for NIH in FY 2008. This requested level represents the expected 3.7 percent rate of biomedical inflation for 2008 plus a percent "catch-up" to make up for the NIH budget not keeping pace with biomedical inflation since the completion of the doubling of the NIH budget in 2003. Though recent funding trends have not kept keep pace with biomedical inflation, this recommended funding level represents an important step in maintaining NIH's commitment to medical research funding so that the progress made during the doubling years is not eroded.
More information about the President's proposed FY 2008 budget , a summary of the proposed FY 2008 NIH budget, and information from the House and Senate Appropriations Committees is available online.
