Nimhd Research Endowment Revitalization Act of 2020

Floor Speech

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Ms. BARRAGAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4499, the NIMHD Research Endowment Revitalization Act, a bill I introduced with my friend and colleague from Georgia, Congressman Carter.

This legislation moves us closer to ending the disparities in public health between minority communities and other Americans. We need to understand why people in minority communities are more likely to get certain illnesses and how we can prevent that. H.R. 4499 will fund the research that will help us find solutions.

If signed into law, this bill will once again allow for current and former NIMHD or HRSA Centers of Excellence to receive research endowment funding, money that is critical in the fight to reduce minority health disparities.

The Research Endowment Program at the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities provides funding to the endowments of academic institutions across the country, such as Charles Drew University in my district.

The goals of the program include:

Promoting minority health and health disparities research capacity and infrastructure;

Increasing the diversity and strength of the scientific workforce; and

Enhancing the recruitment and retention of individuals from health disparity populations that are underrepresented in the scientific workforce.

Charles Drew University has stated that this legislation and the funding are critical to their mission and that they support this legislation because:

``Restoring eligibility would allow the University to continue its historic focus on research to close the gap between the burden of illness and premature mortality experienced more commonly by communities of color, as well as other medically underserved populations, as compared to the nation as a whole. It would also help to grow and enhance the University's capacity and infrastructure for health disparities research within the Urban Health Institute.''

During the COVID health emergency, where communities of color are once again disproportionately affected, research into health disparities is more crucial than ever.

I want to once again thank my colleague Congressman Carter for co- leading this bill with me, as well as the other bipartisan cosponsors: Congresswoman Kelly, Congressman Rogers, and the late John Lewis. I also want to thank Chairman Pallone for working with me to help move this important bill through the Committee.

I urge all my colleagues to vote yes on the NIMHD Research Endowment Revitalization Act so that these schools can continue this important research on minority health disparities. Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science Statement on H.R. 4499

Charles R. Drew University of Medicine in Science (CDU) is in strong support of H.R. 4499 which amend the Public Health Service Act to provide that the authority of the Director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities to make certain research endowments applies with respect to both current and former centers of excellence, and for other purposes.

If enacted H.R. 4499 would reinstate the University's eligibility for NIMHD endowment grants that were withdrawn because the University had received endowment grants for 10 years despite being underfunded for its critical health disparities research. Restoring eligibility would allow the University to continue its historic focus on research to close the gap between the burden of illness and premature mortality experienced more commonly by communities of color, as well as other medically underserved populations, as compared to the nation as a whole. It would also help to grow and enhance the University's capacity and infrastructure for health disparities research within the Urban Health Institute. Respectfully Submitted, David M. Carlisle, MD, PhD, President and CEO, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science.

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