White House Again Neglects Medical and Scientific Research
WASHINGTON—Feb. 5, 2007—Research!America's board chair, The Honorable John Edward Porter, former Illinois Congressman, urges the President to make research a higher priority:
"In his 2008 budget proposal, the President missed the chance to show leadership by calling for renewed emphasis on science and research as the future of our economy. America's economic destiny is, without question, tied to our investment in scientific research. Research offers the promise of better health and of better-paying jobs for a better future. I hope the President will take other opportunities to outline a vision to speed the pace of science and better prepare our children for careers in a knowledge-based economy.
"In a recent Research!America poll, a majority of Americans said more funding for medical and health research now is essential to our future health and economic prosperity. This is a time of unprecedented opportunity for science when the U.S., with our talent pool and research capabilities, could be leading the world in medical and scientific advances. We must boost spending for all science and research, not just certain areas. At stake is our standing in the world and our children's standard of living."
Research!America President Mary Woolley warns that the President's failure to place a high priority on medical and health research in his 2008 budget is harmful on many fronts:
"We applaud the President's call for more physical science funding, such as the research funded by the National Science Foundation. However, advances in physical and life sciences go hand in hand: how would we have outpatient laser treatment for glaucoma without research that developed safe lasers and research that helped us understand the workings of the eye?
"Research!America is extremely disappointed that the President's 2008 budget for research for health fails to match inflation-and in many instances cuts support for research. The investments of the past are now bearing fruit, for instance, in the decrease in cancer mortality, and the American people expect that success to continue-not slow down. When federally funded health research stalls, we lose family members prematurely, our economy loses productivity when workers become sick, and America begins to lose its position as a global leader in science.
"A strong increase for health-related research in the President's 2008 budget would have reflected a renewed White House commitment to medical and scientific research and the health of the American people. Sadly this did not take place. Advocates for health throughout the nation will see this as an urgent call-to-action."
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Research!America is the nation's largest not-for-profit public education and advocacy alliance working to make research to improve health a higher national priority.