Bethesda, MD – The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) applauds the Senate Appropriations Committee for approving a fiscal year (FY) 2014 Labor, Health and Human Services (LHHS)Appropriations bill that provides $30.95 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). "The Senate funding level for NIH replaces the funding lost due to sequestration and is a critical step in the right direction," said FASEB President Margaret K. Offermann, MD, PhD. "We especially appreciate the leadership of Chairman Tom Harkin and Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski for their leadership in making NIH a priority in the LHHS bill," added the FASEB President.
Last week FASEB issued an e-action alert urging advocates to email their members of Congress in support of increased funding for NIH. As a result of FASEB's call to action, nearly 20,000 email messages were sent to Capitol Hill imploring lawmakers to prevent further erosion in the nation's capacity for biomedical research. "A decade of flat budgets, in addition to the sequestration cuts, are slowing progress and creating great uncertainty for the next generation of researchers. The Senate should be commended for listening to the voices of the research community," Dr. Offermann added.
Although the Appropriations Committee's action this week is good news for scientists and the millions of Americans who benefit from progress in medical research, the proposed increase for NIH will not become a reality unless both the House and Senate approve the LHHS bill. FASEB is encouraged that the Senate is moving forward with a funding level that will help ensure the stability of the research enterprise and urges the congressional leadership to schedule a vote on the NIH funding bill as soon as possible. It is also essential that members of Congress resume bipartisan efforts to replace the next round of sequestration cuts with a deficit reduction plan that addresses the true drivers of our nation's debt.
FASEB is composed of 27 societies with more than 110,000 members, making it the largest coalition of biomedical research associations in the United States. Our mission is to advance health and welfare by promoting progress and education in biological and biomedical sciences through service to our member societies and collaborative advocacy.