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Urge Congress to Support Funding for NIH in Economic Recovery Package
ASH has been urging President Obama and Congress to include funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in an economic recovery package that is currently being considering. This important funding would support additional competitively awarded research grants and help contribute to the economic strength of the nation by creating skilled jobs in communities nationwide. On January 15, House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-WI) unveiled the details of the House version of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill of 2009, which includes $1.5 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to fund research grants to expand "good jobs in biomedical research to study diseases." The bill also includes an additional $1.5 billion for NIH to fund projects to "renovate university research facilities and help them compete for biomedical research grants." The Senate version of the bill contains $2.7 billion for NIH to fund reserach grants. Advocacy can make a difference in securing this important funding for NIH. It is crucial that you to contact your Senators and Representatives and urge their support for funding for NIH in the economic recovery package.
Dear [ Decision Maker ] , As a hematologist interested in research on blood disorders, I write to urge your support for research conducted at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by supporting important funding for NIH included in the economic recovery package that Congress is considering. NIH-sponsored research leads to cures, saves lives and fuels our economy. The medical schools, teaching hospitals, universities, and research institutes where this research takes place are among the largest employers in their respective communities. However, in the five years through 2008, a series of nominal increases and cuts has amounted to flat funding for NIH, and NIH has lost more than 14% in purchasing power due to inflation. 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. 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. The additional funding for NIH contained in the economic recovery package is crucial to advancing groundbreaking basic, clinical, and translational research, as well as contributing to the economic health of our nation by creating jobs and increasing the output of goods and services. 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, |
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| Background Information |
Because of a shortened congressional schedule due to the elections, Congress was not able to complete work on the fiscal year (FY) 2009 spending bills before the end of the 2008 fiscal year on September 30. Consequently, Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) that allows the federal government to continue operating at their FY 2008 spending levels through March 6, 2009. Prior to March, it will be up to the new Congress and administration to resolve funding issues and develop a funding measure for the rest of the 2009 fiscal year, in addition to beginning work on funding bills for FY 2010.
The research community is seeking to add funding for NIH in the economic recovery package that Congress will soon consider. This important funding would build upon the $150 million in additional fiscal year FY 2008 funding for NIH that congressional supporters were able to secure in 2008 and would represent an important step towards reversing NIH's current downward funding trend and setting it on a new course by providing enough funding for additional research grants.
