March 22, 2013
The following is a reaction statement of United for Medical Research:
WASHINGTON – “United for Medical Research (UMR) applauds the introduction of a bipartisan amendment by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) to increase funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) within the FY 2014 Budget Resolution, and we strongly urge the Senate to accept the amendment. We are grateful to have long-standing champions that recognize not only the extraordinary medical advancements made possible by NIH, but also the opportunities for groundbreaking discoveries and NIH’s role as an economic engine, creating jobs and supporting economic activity across the nation.
“In the past decade, NIH’s budget has already suffered a 20 percent decline in purchasing power, and the devastating impact of the March 1st sequester, which could lead to the loss of more than 20,000 jobs and $3 billion in economic activity, has already begun to be felt. Morale among the best and brightest scientific talent is already alarmingly low, even as they stand on the brink of unprecedented scientific opportunity, and we are in real danger of losing an entire generation of medical innovators. It is critical that we restore hope to millions of patients and restore our place as the world leader in cutting edge biomedical research by restoring the nearly $1.5 billion cut from NIH’s budget.
“As the Senate considers amendments to the FY2014 Budget Resolution, it is our hope that they will continue to make NIH a national priority. Moreover, UMR urges the Senate to ensure that the competitive strength of the U.S. life science industry in the global marketplace, as well as the foundation for the next generation of treatments and cures, remains intact by continuing this bipartisan effort to provide NIH with a robust and sustainable level of funding throughout the FY2014 budget and appropriations process.”