Senators Feinstein, Collins, and 55 Senate Colleagues Urge Funding Increase for National Institutes of Health
October 16, 2003

Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Susan Collins (R-ME) and 55 of their Senate colleagues have called for an increase in the level of funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

NIH is the global leader in developing medical breakthroughs and is poised to make further major contributions to the health and security of the nation and the world. Past investments in the NIH have yielded significant discoveries in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of many diseases.

In a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee, Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Tom Harkin (D-IA), the Senators wrote: "We are writing to ask that when the Labor-HHS-Education Conference Committee meets, you do whatever possible to raise the level of funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for Fiscal Year 2004.

As you may recall, when NIH leadership testified before the Senate Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee last year, they noted that an increase in funding of 8-10 percent would be necessary to maintain the current pace of discovery.

When the full Senate considered the Fiscal Year 2004 Budget Resolution, it approved an amendment to provide an 8.5 percent increase for NIH by a vote of 96-1.

Additionally, during consideration of the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill earlier this month, 52 Senators supported a 9.2 percent increase for NIH. Due to budget rules, however, the amendment needed 60 votes to pass, and it was not accepted. Now, however, there are 69 Senators on record in support of increasing the funding for NIH.

"Without increased funding, ongoing research will be stalled and pathways of discovery will not be explored. At a time when the nation is confronted with serious health challenges ranging from chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and Alzheimer's, to West Nile virus, SARS and the ever-present threat of bioterrorism, we must not diminish our commitment to medical research.

We deeply appreciate the leadership and support you have shown for NIH in the past and respectfully ask that you do everything you can to increase the level of NIH funding above the amount in the Senate Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill."

The letter was cosigned by Democrats Senators Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jon Corzine (D-NJ), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Paul Sarbanes (D-MD), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Harry Reid (D-NV), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), John Breaux (D-LA), Ben Nelson (D-NE), Daniel Akaka (D-HI), Russell Feingold (D-WI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Zell Miller (D-GA), Herb Kohl (D-WI), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Jeff Bingaman (NM), Mark Pryor (D-AR), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), John Kerry (D-MA), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Mark Dayton (D-MN), Carl Levin (D-MI), Bob Graham (D-FL), Jack Reed (D-RI), John (D-NC), Christopher Dodd (D-CT),, Tom Daschle (D-SD), Evan Bayh (D-IN), Ernest Hollings (D-SC), Max Baucus (D-MT)

The letter was also cosigned by Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Mike DeWine (R-OH), Jim Talent (R-MO), Sam Brownback (R-KS), Lisa Mukowski (R-AK), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Thad (R-MS), Rick Santorum (R-PA), Gordon Smith (R-OR), Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Norm Coleman (R-MN) and Jim Jeffords (I-VT).

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