WASHINGTON—June 2, 2010—Research!America commends Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) in asking other Senators to sign onto a letter supporting $35 billion in medical and health research funding for the National Institutes of Health in 2011:
"Senator Casey is taking a leadership role in calling on his colleagues to support $35 billion in 2011 funding for NIH," said former Illinois Congressman John Edward Porter, Research!America chair. "Medical and scientific research are absolutely essential to America's future-for our health and our economy. Only with a strong, sustained investment in science will our children and grandchildren live in times of strong job growth in knowledge-based industries that will bring us all better health and better quality of life."
"Our latest poll shows that 85% of Americans think the U.S. is losing its global competitive edge in science, technology and innovation; it is past time for the Congress to take action on an issue that the public values. There is no question that reinvesting now in research makes sense to the public: 98% think research is important to the U.S. economy, 89% think it is important to job creation and economic recovery, and 66% think it is part of the solution to rising health care costs," said Mary Woolley, Research!America president and CEO. "I applaud Senator Casey for asking his colleagues in the Senate to support investing $35 billion in research and scientific innovation at NIH. We must sustain our research investment made through the stimulus funding, to speed the delivery of better, smarter care to all Americans."
In Pennsylvania alone, the economic impact of research is substantial. Studies indicate NIH funding in that state generated $3.3 billion in business activity and created 21,262 new jobs in 2007. For more, visit http://www.researchamerica.org/econ_pennsylvania.
Research!America is the nation's largest non-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 member organizations representing 125 million Americans. Visit www.researchamerica.org.
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