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Congressional Biomedical Research Caucus (CBRC)

The Congressional Biomedical Research Caucus (CBRC) was established in 1989 to broaden the support and knowledge of basic and clinical biomedical research issues throughout the Congress in a bipartisan manner. The CBRC is a bipartisan, bicameral Caucus and takes no dues from its Members. Eighty-three Members of the House of Representatives and nine Members of the Senate comprise the Caucus Membership with Brian Bilbray (R-CA), Lois Capps (D-CA), Michael Castle (R-DE), and Rush Holt (D-NJ) serving as co-chairs.

The Caucus seeks to support the excellent efforts of the congressional committees and Members of Congress with jurisdiction over the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), science research, and health issues.The Caucus also serves to inform and educate Congress about potential and actual advances in health care made by our investment in biomedical research, while exploring future advances that could be achieved with increased support, thus maintaining our economic advantage in world markets in biomedical research and resulting biotechnology enterprises. Additionally, the CBRC provides an educational forum for discussion and exchange of ideas on issues involving biomedical research.

The CBRC has enjoyed remarkable successes through its broad membership, education and outreach efforts among Members of Congress and the preeminence of the scientists who serve as partners with CBRC leadership through the Coalition for the Life Sciences (CLS). The CLS serves as the Advisory Committee to the CBRC providing scientific advice and guidance. The current scientific advisor to the Caucus is University of California, San Francisco Chancellor J. Michael Bishop, Nobel Laureate and CLS Member since its inception. He succeeds fellow Laureate Harold Varmus, who served as scientific advisory from 1989 until he became Director of the National Institutes of Health in 1992.