During a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, Education and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) briefing regarding the Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Budget, Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) (Chairman) called for Subcommittee Members to reject the cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) proposed by President George W. Bush.
After hearing testimony from the Directors of five different Institutes, including Dr. John Niederhuber from the National Cancer Institute, (NCI) Sen. Harkin said:
“In all areas, NIH continues to do really good work even though they’ve got tight budgets, but I think what I take from this is the fact that if we were to give them the increases we should be giving them, that we’re really on the cusp of some really important breakthroughs.”
Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pennsylvania), the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, agreed with what Chairman Harkin had to say.
Joe Arite, C3: Colorectal Cancer Coalition’s Policy and Grassroots Manager, attended the Subcommittee Hearing and commented:
“It is great to see Senators Harkin and Specter speak out against these proposed cuts. Now it is up to the rest of the Subcommittee to see this through. People’s lives are at stake.”
NIH funding has been level for the last number years which, due to inflation, translates to cuts. These FY08 cuts proposed by the President will affect the progress the NCI has made.
Clinical trials are already being cut which means promising research will be either delayed or not even started. According to Dr. Niederhuber’s testimony before the Subcommittee 5% of clinical trials will be eliminated in FY08 if these cuts are enacted.
The bottom line is less research means fewer treatment options for those living with colon and rectal cancer.
A thank you to Senators Harkin and Specter for their continued support. I urge everyone to contact these two Senators and thank them as well as calling the other Subcommittee Members to ask them to join in the fight for adequate cancer research funding.
Timing is of the essence so MAKE YOUR PHONE CALLS TODAY!!
Names and telephone numbers of the Members of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor-HHS:
- Tom Harkin (Chairman) (D-Iowa) – (202) 224-3254
- Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) – (202) 224-3934
- Herb Kohl (D-Wisconsin) – (202) 224-5653
- Patty Murray (D-Washington) – (202) 224-2621
- Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana) – (202) 224-5824
- Richard Durbin (D-Illinois) – (202) 224-2152
- Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island) – (202) 224-4642
- Frank Lautenberg (D-New Jersey) – (202) 224-3224
- Arlen Specter (Ranking Member) (R-Pennsylvania) – (202) 224-4254
- Thad Cochran (R-Mississippi) – (202) 224-5054
- Judd Gregg (R-New Hampshire) – (202) 224-3324
- Larry Craig (R-Idaho) – (202) 224-2752
- Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) – (202) 224-5922
- Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) – (202) 224-3004
- Richard Shelby (R-Alabama) – (202) 224-5744
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