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NIH Budget Fails to Maintain Commitment to Fund Research that Saves Lives, Says DeLauro

Date: April 6, 2006
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Health and Health Care Government Budget and Spending


NIH Budget Fails to Maintain Commitment to Fund Research that Saves Lives, Says DeLauro

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- The Bush administration's budget for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) fails to keep the commitment to fund research that saves lives, Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn.-3) today said during a hearing of the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations subcommittee. Last year, the president's budget cut NIH funding for the first time in 36 years. This year's proposal freezes funding at last year's levels, which will result in budget cuts to 18 of the 19 institutes at NIH. By 2011, the President proposes only $27.9 billion for NIH, a cut in real terms of 15 percent.

"Every family in America has been touched by at least one of the diseases NIH is currently working to cure," said DeLauro. "As a cancer survivor, I know firsthand the importance of this life-saving research for detection, prevention, and treatment of deadly diseases. We made a historic commitment to fund this research and prioritize the work of the NIH. But by effectively cutting its funding for the second year in a row, the president's budget retreats from that commitment."

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http://www.house.gov/delauro/press/2006/April/NIH_budget_4_06_06.html

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