By Roy Silverstein, MD
2008-03-01
Dr. Silverstein is Chairman of the Department of Cell Biology
and Vice-Chair for Translational Research at the Lerner Research
Institute. He is also Chair of the ASH Committee on Government Affairs.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is by far the most important
source of funding for clinical and basic hematology research in the
United States. After an unprecedented period in which the NIH budget
doubled over a five-year period and many significant discoveries and
advances were made, recent budget increases have slowed to a crawl, not
even keeping up with biomedical inflation.
Unfortunately, this devastating trend held true again in fiscal year
(FY) 2008. The budget appropriations process began last winter with the
President requesting a funding level 0.8 percent below the previous
year's funding. Intense advocacy efforts by ASH and others in the
biomedical research community ultimately led to House and Senate
negotiators reaching an agreement in early November on legislation
containing a net increase in FY 2008 funding for NIH of 3.1 percent
over the FY 2007 level.
Although the 3.1 percent increase provided by Congress was a major
victory for ASH and NIH supporters, the victory was short-lived.
President Bush vetoed the bill on November 13, 2007, because total
domestic discretionary spending exceeded his requested level. The final
budget that was passed in December 2007 and signed by President Bush
included a mere 0.46 percent increase for NIH over FY 2007 levels.
These numbers are particularly disturbing in light of the fact that the
rate of biomedical inflation for the coming year is expected to be 3.7
percent.
As this issue of The Hematologist was going to print,
President Bush was readying the release of his proposed FY 2009 budget,
which initiates the annual appropriations process. Unfortunately, with
the continued war in Iraq consuming enormous resources and a gloomy
national economic forecast, there will again be reluctance to increase
discretionary funding for important domestic programs such as NIH.
Securing adequate funding for NIH in FY 2009 will likely prove to be an
uphill battle. At times like these, a loud and consistent voice is
needed. The ASH Government Affairs Committee will continue to promote
the ASH legislative agenda, and we encourage all ASH members to
participate in the Grassroots Network and ASH advocacy campaigns to
ensure that Congress listens and responds to our concerns. ASH will
launch grassroots campaigns to increase NIH funding appropriately and
will keep the membership apprised of all developments through future
issues of The Hematologist, the ASH Web site, and the electronic newsletter Advocacy Update.
For more information about the Grassroots Network, visit the ASH Advocacy Center.
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