Funding Will Protect and Create Jobs Nationwide
WASHINGTON—Feb. 12, 2009—Research!America praised the substantial investment in medical and health research in the current version of the economic recovery bill, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, on which Congress is expected to vote tomorrow:"Research!America applauds Congress-particularly the leadership of Senators Specter, Harkin and Durbin-for assuring strong funding for medical and health research in the recovery bill, and we urge Congress to pass this important legislation," said John Edward Porter, former Congressman from Illinois and chair of Research!America, and Mary Woolley, Research!America president and CEO. "We give our strongest commendation to Senators Specter, Collins and Snowe. Without their courageous leadership and independence, an agreement would not have been reached. They acted in the best interests of the nation, not the narrow interests of party."
Porter added, "The $10 billion in funding for the National Institutes of Health will create 70,000 jobs in the near-term and boost the economy of every state, since most NIH funding is distributed to colleges, universities and research institutions across the country. Each dollar invested in research produces more than double that amount in economic output and will help the U.S. economy remain competitive by creating new jobs and new industries for the 21st century.
"This step is a dramatic reversal of the discouraging funding our federal health research agencies saw in the past six years and will do much to make up for spending power lost during that time. In recent years, the NIH has been able to fund just one in 10 research projects deemed worthy of funding. These qualified projects will be ready to go quickly, to put scientists back to work," Porter concluded.
Woolley said, "We commend the vision of former NIH director Elias Zerhouni in setting the stage for the new NIH challenge grants, whose funding is made possible through this bill, to address real scientific challenges."
Woolley continued, "The new Wellness and Prevention Fund in this legislation will provide much-needed support for disease prevention programs. Funding for comparative effectiveness research will help scientists find ways to make health care more effective for more patients and thus help control rising costs.
"The allocation for the National Science Foundation will fund critical basic research that spurs discovery and innovation. And the funds for health information technology will help modernize our health care system and reduce errors.
"We know from polls we have commissioned that the public expects great things from medical research, that research will help their families live longer, healthier, more productive lives.
"This bill aligns with President Obama's previous statements, and we have every indication that he fully supports this increased national commitment to health research," Woolley said. "Research!America looks forward to working with the Congress and the new Administration to restore research to its rightful place as a top national priority. The American people expect 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. Visit www.researchamerica.org.
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