National Institutes of Health Continuing Appropriations Resolutions, 2014

Floor Speech

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Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I take umbrage at this whole process.

In September of 1954, I came down with polio, which affects me to this day. The vaccine which was helped developed by the National Institutes of Health didn't become available until about 6 months later. I've asked Mr. Kingston, I've asked people in this House for 6 months, I've spoken on this floor, I've written editorials to fund the National Institutes of Health to find cures for cancer and heart disease and stroke and diabetes and Parkinson's. They can do it, but it's cut by the sequester by $1.6 billion and not once have the Republicans said, We'll fund it and we'll find cures to disease. We'll use this, our ``Department of Defense'' for human beings, and fund it at the level it should be so that other people like me won't get a disease 6 months earlier than the cure was available.

They haven't come forth once. These are crocodile tears. This is politics. It's not trying to cure people. It's not trying to stop illness and create cures. And I really object to this being used politically.

I spoke 6 months ago to put the money back and find cures, and I got nowhere.

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