OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Letter to the Hon. Harold Rogers - Prioritize Funding for National Institutes of Health

Letter

By: Chris Van Hollen, Jr., Dina Titus, Bob Brady, Jim McGovern, Lois Frankel, Rick Larsen, Karen Bass, Jan Schakowsky, Chellie Pingree, Michelle Lujan Grisham, Scott Peters, Louise Slaughter, John Conyers, Jr., Mike Capuano, Bradley Byrne, Cheri Bustos, Debbie Dingell, Joyce Beatty, Gregory Meeks, Suzanne Bonamici, Pat Meehan, Yvette Clarke, Charlie Rangel, Frank Guinta, Carolyn Maloney, Nydia Velázquez, Joaquin Castro, Brendan Boyle, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Eliot Engel, Jim Cooper, Mark Pocan, Andy Barr, Tim Walz, Ami Bera, Jerry Nadler, Rubén Hinojosa, Sr., Chris Collins, Jared Huffman, Kurt Schrader, Mike Thompson, Donna Edwards, Tony Cárdenas, Peter DeFazio, John Delaney, Jackie Speier, Kathleen Rice, Jared Polis, Ron Kind, John Sarbanes, GT Thompson, Jr., David Cicilline, Albio Sires, Bill Keating, Sean Maloney, Niki Tsongas, Emanuel Cleaver II, Rodney Davis, Cedric Richmond, Stephen Lynch, Norma Torres, Sam Graves, Doris Matsui, David Price, Brian Higgins, Beto O'Rourke, Dave Loebsack, Barbara Lee, Bob Dold, Michael McCaul, John Larson, Steve Chabot, Zoe Lofgren, Sandy Levin, Mark DeSaulnier, Grace Napolitano, Donald Young, Eric Swalwell, Grace Meng, Mike Quigley, Frank LoBiondo, Donald Norcross, Mark Takano, Katherine Clark, Gerry Connolly, Raul Grijalva, Annie Kuster, Keith Ellison, Luis Gutiérrez, Chris Gibson, Richard Neal, Patrick Murphy, Kathy Castor, Ed Perlmutter, Rick Nolan, Adam Schiff, Julia Brownley, Elijah Cummings, Steve Cohen, Brad Ashford, Jim McDermott, Anna Eshoo, Judy Chu, Michael Coffman, Dan Donovan, Jr., Ted Deutch, Frederica Wilson, Adrian Smith, Ben Luján, Jr., Terri Sewell, Juan Vargas, Denny Heck, Seth Moulton, Marcia Fudge, John Katko, Al Green, John Garamendi, G. K. Butterfield, Jr., Sheila Jackson Lee, Bill Pascrell, Jr., David McKinley, Alan Lowenthal, Mike Doyle, Jr., Pete King, Kyrsten Sinema, Lacy Clay, Jr., André Carson, Joe Kennedy III, Joe Courtney, John Lewis, Tulsi Gabbard, Raul Ruiz, Don Beyer, Jr., Elizabeth Esty, Eleanor Norton, Carlos Curbelo, Tammy Duckworth, Dana Rohrabacher, Hank Johnson, Jr., Elise Stefanik, Jim Langevin, Linda Sánchez, David Scott, Earl Blumenauer, Gwen Moore, Chris Smith, Sanford Bishop, Jr., Bonnie Watson Coleman, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Matt Salmon, Mike Fitzpatrick, Mike Honda, Don Payne, Jr., Ted Lieu, Maxine Waters, Suzan DelBene, Alma Adams, Brenda Lawrence, Peter Welch, Hakeem Jeffries, Dan Lipinski, Bill Foster, John Yarmuth, Eddie Johnson
Date: Nov. 10, 2016
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Science Health and Health Care Legislative Branch

Dear Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Lowey:

As the House works to craft appropriations legislation before the current continuing resolution expires on December 9, 2016, we write to express our strong support for increasing funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In any forthcoming appropriations legislation for FY 2017, we urge you to work with your Senate colleagues to ensure NIH receives a funding level of no less than $34 billion, equal to the level approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee, in order to maintain America's role as a global leader in biomedical research and groundbreaking medical discoveries.

On a bipartisan basis, members of the 114th Congress have repeatedly demonstrated our clear and unambiguous support for strengthening investments in NIH. We know this funding helps us push the boundaries of scientific knowledge, advance promising research and offer hope to millions of Americans suffering from heartbreaking diseases. Federal funding for this life-saving research is also a key economic driver for our nation, supporting more than 400,000 jobs and generating over $60 billion in new economic activity. It delivers a significant return on our investment today and for generations to come.

While the increase included in last year's omnibus appropriations bill was an important step, we remain concerned that federal investments in biomedical research have failed to keep pace with inflation over the last 13 years. By failing to hold NIH funding constant with other rising costs, Congress has allowed the agency's purchasing power to diminish by nearly 20 percent since 2003. As other countries' investments in research continue to grow at a far faster pace than those made by the U.S., it is more critical than ever that we act to reverse this trend.

Insufficient funding for NIH has a serious, wide-ranging impact on our nation's health and our capacity for medical innovation in the 21st century. If we are serious about breaking new ground in our understanding of complex and life-threatening conditions, then it is absolutely essential we increase funding for NIH. Simply put, we cannot hope to accelerate the development of new cures, therapies and vaccines without additional resources for research. Particularly given the significant investments in NIH approved earlier this year by the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, we feel strongly that now is the time to recommit to America's long-term health and prosperity.

While we understand the difficult fiscal challenges you face, we urge you to prioritize the important role NIH plays in medical innovation and economic growth by funding the agency at an annual level of no less than $34 billion. Thank you for your consideration of this request, which will make a meaningful difference in the lives of millions of Americans.


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