By Roy Silverstein, MD
2008-05-01
Dr. Silverstein is Chair of ASH's Government Affairs Committee.
The Society's Government Affairs Committee recently completed
another successful Capitol Hill Day where members brought issues
important to hematologists to the attention of more than 30
Representatives and Senators and their staff. Committee members came to
Washington from around the nation to focus congressional attention on
increasing funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and
halting the scheduled 2008 cut in Medicare reimbursement rates to
physicians.
This year's Capitol Hill Day coincided with one of the busiest times
of the year for Congress — consideration of the annual budget
resolution that establishes the annual spending blueprint for every
federal department, agency, and program, including NIH. Given the tight
budget situation and the President's drastic proposal to provide no
funding increase to the NIH, Committee members met mainly with
Representatives and Senators who serve on the Appropriations Committees
and advocated for increased funding for biomedical research. Committee
members also shared ASH recommendations for language that accompanies
the funding bill to include support for hematology research at the
NHLBI, the NCI, the NIDDK, the NIA, and the CDC.
Committee members described advances made possible through federally
funded hematology research and shared concerns that another year of
flat funding for the NIH will have a serious negative impact on
research and training in hematology. Through the course of several
years' worth of Capitol Hill Days, many Committee members have
established relationships with their Senators and Representatives, and
their staffs. Many congressional offices look forward to these meetings
each year and recognize ASH and its members as an authoritative voice
on the need for increased support for biomedical research.
The highlight of this year's Capitol Hill Day was meeting with
Representatives Edward Markey (D-MA) and Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL), to
present them with the 2007 ASH Award for Public Service.
Representatives Markey and Jackson were the only two members of the
House to vote against legislation to reauthorize and restructure the
NIH when the bill was overwhelmingly approved in September 2006 by a
vote of 414 to 2. This legislation as originally drafted contained a
number of flaws that could have been detrimental to future research at
the NIH, most notably a proposed 5 percent ceiling in future annual
increases for the NIH. Like Representatives Markey and Jackson, ASH was
one of only a small number of research organizations that opposed this
legislation. Ultimately, as a result of ASH's significant advocacy
efforts and the leadership of Representatives Markey and Jackson, the
final legislation that was signed into law contained significant
improvements to the original version.
Representatives Markey and Jackson met with the entire Government
Affairs Committee. They voiced their strong support for the Society's
advocacy efforts and their sincere appreciation for being selected as
the 2007 award co-recipients, and they vowed to continue their efforts
in support of the NIH. Representative Markey, in particular, thanked
the Committee for their efforts during Capitol Hill Day to gain
congressional support for the effort he was leading in the House to
increase fiscal year 2009 funding for the NIH.
Every ASH member can play an important role in the Society's
advocacy efforts. By participating in the ASH Grassroots Network and
visiting the ASH Advocacy Center, you can also have your voice heard in
the halls of Congress. For more information about ASH advocacy efforts
and the ASH Grassroots Network, contact the ASH Policy & Practice Department at 202-776-0544.
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