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Contact Congress to Increase FY 2009 NIH Funding

President George W. Bush released his FY 2009 budget proposal, which includes funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), on February 4. The proposed budget would cut billions of dollars from federal health programs and eliminate scores of programs supported by the Democratic-controlled Congress in order to make his first-term tax cuts permanent. For FY 2009, President Bush has proposed $29.3 billion in funding for NIH, only a minimal increase for NIH over the final FY 2008 level.

If enacted, the minimal proposed funding increase for NIH, combined with projected Biomedical Research and Development Price Index (BRDPI) increases of over 3 percent, would be extremely detrimental to NIH and hematologic research. ASH and the biomedical research community are advocating for a $1.9 billion increase for NIH over FY 2008 levels.

Now is the time to contact your Senators and Representative to generate interest in increasing NIH funding. Early and continued grassroots advocacy is crucial to ensuring adequate funding for NIH in FY 2009.

If you have questions, please contact ASH Research Advocacy Manager Tracy Roades at 202-776-0544 or troades@hematology.org.

Tell me more

Subject:

Dear [ Decision Maker ]:

(Edit Letter Below)

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.

I am seriously concerned that President Bush's federal budget provides inadequate funding for NIH and its research programs that are critical to furthering science and America's health.  The Administration's proposal would provide $29.3 billion for NIH in FY 2009, which represents the sixth consecutive year that the NIH budget has failed to keep pace with biomedical inflation.  In the five years through 2008, a series of nominal increases and cuts has amounted to flat funding for NIH, and NIH has lost approximately 11% in purchasing power due to inflation.

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.

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.

Please support the recommendation of the biomedical research community of $31.1 billion for NIH, an increase of $1.9 billion over the FY 2008 funding level.

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,
[Your name]
[Your address]

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