August 23, 2018
The following statement can be attributed to UMR President Alex Currie
“United for Medical Research applauds the Senate’s passage of this appropriations bill and its continuation of recent efforts to rebuild the National Institutes of Health’s budget and put NIH on a sustainable annual growth path. The Senate also deserves great credit for passing the Labor-HHS bill as part of the regular order of the appropriations process.
“The Senate’s inclusion of a $2 billion increase for NIH recognizes the critical importance of NIH research to the health and wellbeing of our nation, as well as the fact that the NIH is a significant economic driver. NIH research funding in 2017 supported more than 400,000 jobs and contributed almost $70 billion in new economic activity across the United States.
“We are tremendously grateful for the leadership of Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby, subcommittee Chairman Roy Blunt, and Ranking Members Patrick Leahy and Patty Murray, as well as for the strong support of the full committee. Because of this committee’s commitment to medical research, along with that of their House counterparts, the NIH budget is beginning to rebound from years of under-funding. The ultimate beneficiaries of the improving outlook for NIH will be the countless patients and families waiting for new treatments and cures.”
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United for Medical Research is a coalition of leading scientific research institutions and industries, and patient and health advocates that have joined together to seek steady increases in funding for the National Institutes of Health. Learn more at www.unitedformedicalresearch.com. For examples of the amazing things that NIH research is making possible, visit www.amazingthingspodcast.com.