Increased Investment in Research Needed
WASHINGTON—Feb. 4, 2008—Research!America's president, Mary Woolley, expressed disappointment in the President's budget proposal for FY09:
"Research!America is deeply disappointed by the President's failure to recommend increased federal funding for medical and health research in his 2009 budget. By ignoring the importance of research to our nation's health and economic well-being, this proposal exacerbates the troubling pattern we have seen for the past five years.
"Early in his first term, the President recommended budgets that showed a commitment to medical research. Sadly, the White House no longer seems to view such spending as a priority. Today, the National Institutes of Health is only able to fund two in 10 qualified medical research projects. The President's 2009 budget recommendation could slow this rate even further-proposing no increase for the NIH and budget cuts for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health agencies.
"Secure, consistent funding for health and scientific research must be part of the nation's long-term strategies for sustained economic growth. Investment in cutting-edge research ensures that the U.S. will continue to lead the world in scientific breakthroughs and fuels our economic growth and productivity.
"This disappointing budget undermines the President's own efforts to make our nation more competitive in the global marketplace. It also ignores the expressed views of the American public. A majority of Americans want increased funding for our federal health research agencies, according to national polls commissioned by Research!America.
"When federal support for health research stalls, we compromise length and quality of life. Without the concerted assault needed to offset the impact of disease and disability, health care costs will continue to skyrocket. Research!America looks forward to working with Congress, when Congres takes up the FY 2009 budget, to be sure it understands that the only way to avoid these outcomes is to expand federal funding for research. The nation deserves no less."
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. Founded in 1989, Research!America is supported by more than 500 member organizations that represent the voices of 125 million Americans.