Investing in Biomedical Research

Floor Speech

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Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of our Nation's investments in biomedical research through the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute.

The research that is conducted through NIH and NCI improves health outcomes, creates jobs, and furthers our global leadership in biomedical research and innovation.

I am proud to have been a consistent supporter of funding for these institutions, having visited both institutions in Bethesda and around this country.

NIH is the largest public funding source of biomedical research worldwide, with a current budget of $47.7 billion. Similarly, NCI is the largest public funder of cancer research in the world, with a current budget of $7.22 billion.

NCI was created by a Republican President, Richard Nixon, as his war on cancer, which has been phenomenally successful.

NIH funding attracts top talent from across the country and, indeed, the globe to help make our biomedical research industry the best by far in the world, an accomplishment Americans should be incredibly proud of.

As a survivor of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, stage IV, the work that goes on at the National Cancer Institute is of personal importance to me and approximately 20 million American cancer survivors. We are alive today because of innovations in medicine funded by taxpayers and the private sector in a wonderful public-private partnership.

Research funded through NCI has undoubtedly helped improve health outcomes. A study published by the American Cancer Society notes that the cancer mortality rate has declined 33 percent since 1991. Those are all Americans who are living today, like myself.

When I was diagnosed, my oncologist said: You are lucky. Ten years ago, with the same diagnosis, I would have had to say all we could do was tell you to enjoy whatever time you have left.

Now, because of these investments, I am able to live a full life expectancy, like many of the other survivors.

From developing the first chemotherapy drug to treat metastatic cancer in 1956 to promising new research on immunotherapy, NCI-funded research has developed numerous new drugs and therapies for cancer.

While these investments and research are good for health outcomes, they are also tremendously good for our economy. In fiscal year 2023, NIH funding generated approximately $92.9 billion in economic activity. That is a great return on investment, Mr. Speaker.

NIH awards over 80 percent of its annual budget in the form of research grants to 2,500 research institutions across the country, in red States and blue. These grants support the jobs of more than 300,000 researchers at institutions in all 50 States and provide immeasurable benefits to our local communities, especially local community economies.

I am proud that the area that I represent, the San Francisco Bay Area in northern California, is home to 2 of the top 10 recipients of NIH grants, the University of California San Francisco and Stanford University. UCSF is the top public university recipient of NIH grants, making the region a leader in biomedical research, which benefits the economy and individuals like myself.

The economic benefits are further compounded by private investment. In 2020, private industry as a whole invested $161.8 billion in biomedical research in the U.S. This was allowed because of the basic research done at NIH and NCI.

Despite these numerous benefits, the current administration and many of my Republican colleagues are proposing to cut the NIH's budget by 40 percent and NCI's budget by 37 percent. That would be a grave mistake for individual Americans who will die and their families and for our economy.

While some claim that private industry alone can replace Federal investment in biomedical research, this just isn't the case. It has been proven over decades. The private sector needs this public-sector investment for them to do many of the drugs and treatments that we currently have. This has been the case for decades. While some claim that this is easily done, there is no way.

Mr. Speaker, the Chinese are investing billions of dollars to catch up to us in this field. We should not lose American leadership.

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