Opposing Amendment 109 to H.R. 5894
Floor Speech
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Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to Amendment 109 which imposes a cap of 30 percent of the total grant on all facilities and administrative, or F&A, costs for research awards made by the National Institutes of Health.
F&A costs help keep the lights on at research facilities across the country. These costs are essential reimbursements for operational expenses incurred by universities and other research institutions for conducting research on behalf of the government. This amendment would greatly affect the ability of research institutions to operate cutting- edge laboratories and maintain utilities such as heating or hazardous waste disposal.
This amendment would reduce critical scientific research that directly contributes to our ability to save lives and reducing suffering for the communities we serve. Most medical breakthroughs were federally supported and took place at medical schools, teaching hospitals, and other research institutions across the country. Without the federal government's reimbursement of F&A costs, institutions would be forced to scale back research that may help develop the next vaccine or cure for cancer, Alzheimer's, and other health threats, or the next technological innovation that will create new businesses or medical devices.
As a result of these cuts, Americans will have to wait longer for cures and our country will cede scientific breakthroughs to foreign competitors such as China, which is heavily investing in this space. This would undermine our nation's economic competitiveness and erode the United States' longstanding commitment to medical research that has yielded countless benefits to society and our well-being.
In summary, cutting essential F&A costs for scientific research would result in slower scientific progress, longer waits for cures, fewer jobs, and a threat to our nation's economic competitiveness. I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing this amendment.
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