The Washington Insider Report

The House of Representatives Labor-Health and Human Services-Education Appropriations Subcommittee (LHHS) approved a $1 billion increase for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) providing NIH with $32 billion for FY11— an amount equal to President Obama's request for FY11.
In a written statement, the chairman of the House panel, Rep. David R. Obey (D-WI), said that “continued support for biomedical research was one of the bill's priorities.” He went on, “within limited resources, this year's bill puts the emphasis on translating basic research results into practical and available cures and treatments.”

He also said that the bill sets aside up to $50 million of the $1b NIH increase for the Cures Acceleration Network (CAN). That is significantly less than the amount included in the original Senate language ($500 million) and less than Sen. Specter, the main proponent of CAN, has been talking about ($1 -$2 billion). 

The Senate LHHS Appropriations Subcommittee is expected to write its own bill in the next couple of weeks.

To ask your Senator to support an increase of $35 for the NIH for FY11, please take a moment and enter your zip code in the box to your right. You will be taken directly to the CLS advocacy site, with a prepared letter available for your use.  Simply sign your name and the letter will be emailed to your elected officials.