WASHINGTON—May 19, 2010—Research!America's chair, former Illinois Congressman John Edward Porter, and president/CEO, Mary Woolley, responded to the defeat of Sen. Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania's Democratic primary:
"Senator Arlen Specter's defeat in yesterday's Pennsylvania primary means the loss of a great friend and champion. Research!America lauds Senator Specter for his superb, career-long commitment to research to improve human health. He has been an outspoken, constant and exceptionally strong leader, and we have rarely seen champions in Congress as bold or effective on our issues.
"His commitment to science as the key to better health for all Americans is an inspiration to us all. His determination to fight for this cause is unequaled and has brought about such accomplishments as $10 billion in Recovery Act funding for research, the creation of the Cures Acceleration Network at the National Institutes of Health through the health reform legislation, and ongoing funding increases that have helped all of our federal health research agencies better fulfill their very important missions.
"Senator Specter is greatly admired by the full community of stakeholders in medical and health research and is the only person Research!America has honored with two Advocacy Awards. Further, he has demonstrated his own ability to overcome serious medical diagnoses and has inspired others that they can do the same and that research is the key to such hope. We look forward to continue working with him now and in the future to further advance medical, health and scientific research."
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 member organizations representing 125 million Americans. Visit www.researchamerica.org.
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