NIH Director Elias A. Zerhouni, MD, testified before the House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee on Thursday, April 6.  Dr. Zerhouni stressed NIH’s contribution to the nation’s health and economy by highlighting the return on investment of NIH research and describing the health benefits that have come from NIH as a result of the investment in the agency.  He pointed out that life expectancy has increased by six years over the past 30 years.  Moreover, he discussed how NIH estimated the total cumulative investment at the National Cancer Institute per American over the past 30 years at about $258, or about $9 per American per year for the entire period. 

Before adjourning for a two-week recess, House Republican leaders decided not to move forward with a plan to bring the House’s version of a fiscal year (FY) 2007 Budget Resolution to the floor for a vote.  House Republicans could not put together a budget plan that satisfied the moderates of their party that wanted to increase FY 2007 spending for health, education, and training programs and conservatives that were intent on cutting spending and controlling the federal deficit.  House leaders signaled that they will bring their budget plan to the floor for a vote when they return from recess, but reaching an agreement in the House may well continue to prove difficult.     

On March 16, the Senate approved an amendment to its Budget Resolution sponsored by Senators Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Tom Harkin (D-IA)—the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education (Labor-HHS-Education) Appropriations Subcommittee, respectively—by a 73-27 vote.  This amendment restores the cuts offered in President George W. Bush’s proposed FY 2007 Budget by providing an additional $7 billion over the President's budget request, allowing Congress to fund the FY 2007 Labor-HHS-Education bill at the level enacted in FY 2005.  The additional $7 billion in the Senate Budget Resolution would be used to support funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as well as other critical health and education programs. 

 Representative Mike Castle (R-DE) and several other moderate Republicans have been pushing for an amendment to the House Budget Resolution that is similar to the Specter-Harkin Amendment.  This amendment has generated a significant amount of support among House Republicans, and is one of the issues that has caused the most friction between House moderates and conservatives.  The medical research advocacy community has also been very supportive of Representative Castle’s efforts.  With members of Congress on recess and back in their home districts, advocates have the opportunity to continue to push for more support for opposing the House Budget Resolution unless $7 billion is added for health, education, and training programs. 

 Although the House and Senate are not required to approve a budget resolution each year, it does establish the parameters for Congress going into the annual appropriations process and makes it easier for the House and Senate to resolve differences over spending and tax bills in advance of the new fiscal year, which begins on October 1. 

  If you have questions, or need more information, please contact FOCR Director of Government Affairs Jeff Coughlin at (202) 944-6643 or jcoughlin@focr.org.