Letter to the House LHHS Appropriations subcommittee requesting at least $32 billion in funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Dear Chairmen Rogers and Rehberg and Ranking Members Dicks and DeLauro:

As Members of Congress who know and value the important role of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in job creation, economic growth, and bettering the lives of millions of Americans, we respectfully request a funding level of at least $32 billion for FY 2013. We feel this level is absolutely vital in order for NIH to continue improving health through medical science breakthroughs and to maintain international leadership in science and biomedical research.

With federal funding of at least $32 billion, NIH can continue to serve as the world’s preeminent medical research institution and our nation’s best hope for finding cures, improving treatments, and gaining a better understanding of the complex causes of diseases that affect millions of Americans.

NIH must be fully funded if we want to discover the next medical breakthroughs in America and not import them from China or India. Our international leadership in science and technology is not inevitable. A report by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) found that in the past 10 years, Asia’s share of research and development increased from 24 to 32 percent while in the United States research expenditures decreased from 38 to 31 percent. Robust investment in NIH is vital if we want to discover the next medical breakthrough in America and not import it from China or India.

NIH is also a key pillar of our economic recovery, generating high-paying jobs in the cutting-edge biomedical research industry and keeping America competitive in biomedical science. More than 80 percent of NIH’s budget supports over 350,000 scientist and research personnel, as well as the acquisition of goods and services from every state. An increase in funding would lead to greater job growth.

Today, only one in six grant applications can be funded at NIH. While some of us, as well as many patient advocates and biomedical researchers, feel that $35 billion is what is truly needed to sustain NIH’s research and public health missions, we understand the unprecedented budgetary constraints faced by the Appropriations Committee. In light of the difficult decisions ahead, we want to stress the importance of NIH as a job creator, a driver of economic growth, and a vital tool in curbing our nation’s soaring healthcare costs. We appreciate your consideration of our request of at least $32 billion for NIH’s FY 2013 budget.