2008-11-01

FY 2009 Funding for NIH Held at FY 2008 Level

As this issue of The Hematologist went to press, congressional leaders had just finalized a stopgap spending bill to keep federal programs and agencies funded and in operation through the first part of fiscal year (FY) 2009. With FY 2009 having begun on October 1 and the annual appropriations bills to fund federal agencies still not close to being approved and finalized, Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) to continue funding the federal government and various federal programs, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), at FY 2008 levels through March 6, 2009 — nearly halfway through the 2009 fiscal year. President Bush signed the CR into law on September 30.

House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees approved spending bills earlier this summer with slight increases for NIH above the current year's funding level and President Bush's FY 2009 budget. However, because of a shortened congressional schedule due to the national elections, Congress was not able to complete work on these bills before the end of the 2008 fiscal year on September 30.

Continuing with the FY 2008 funding levels in FY 2009 provides significant budget restrictions at NIH and will be detrimental to federally funded biomedical research. Individual Institutes have announced expected decreases in paylines.

ASH worked with the biomedical research community to support the inclusion of additional funds for NIH in the CR and will continue to work on increasing funding with the new administration and Congress. ASH encourages all members to visit the ASH Advocacy Center to help influence the budget process and find the most up-to-date information about NIH funding.

Surgeon General Issues Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Deep-Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism

Acting U.S. Surgeon General Steven K. Galson released a Call to Action on Deep-Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and Pulmonary Embolism (PE) on September 15. The Call to Action seeks to raise public awareness of this blood condition; increase research on the causes, prevention, and treatment of DVT and PE; and share evidence-based practices. ASH applauded the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General for releasing the announcement and increasing public attention regarding research, prevention, and treatment in this area.

ASH participated in an initial Surgeon General workshop that instigated the government's decision to launch a Call to Action. The Society also continues to lead efforts to understand the impact of this condition and has conducted two Society-sponsored workshops on thrombosis. The first, held in 2006, focused on thrombosis in the elderly, and the more recent June 2008 workshop focused on thrombosis surveillance.

ASH is also encouraging Congress to support the development of a national thrombosis surveillance system at the CDC and continues to support funding at NIH, CDC, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and other federal agencies to enable research into prevention, treatment, and cures of DVT and PE.

NIH Director Elias Zerhouni Resigns

On September 24, NIH Director Elias Zerhouni, MD, announced that he would be leaving his position at the end of October. Dr. Zerhouni's departure will allow the newly elected president to appoint his nominee for this position after he assumes office in January 2009. Because the transition process can often take many months, NIH's current Deputy Director Raynard Kington is expected to serve as Interim Director until the new president's nominee can be confirmed.

Following the November elections, it is customary for federal agency heads to submit their resignations as the new president-elect will be working with a transition team to identify new leadership and political appointees.

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