Congress Finalizes FY 2008 Funding Increase for NIH; FY 2009 Funding Process Stalls

June 30, 2008 – Prior to adjourning for the July 4 recess, Congress gave final approval to legislation (H.R. 2642) that provides funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Although chiefly a vehicle for war funding, the final fiscal year (FY) 2008 supplemental appropriations bill also includes $150 million in additional FY 2008 funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

As one of its last acts before adjourning for a week-long recess, the Senate passed the supplemental funding bill by a vote of 92 to 6, clearing the way for President Bush’s signature on the measure. The House approved the bill on June 19 and the Bush Administration has indicated it will support the compromise package.

The $150 million for NIH included in the bill was the result of intense negotiations between House and Senate leaders, including Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), who had successfully sought the inclusion of the additional funding for NIH in the Senate-passed version of the bill. Senator Harkin has indicated that the $150 million for NIH is "sufficient to fund approximately 246 additional research grants" in FY 2008.

Additionally, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees had each been scheduled to consider their respective versions of FY 2009 appropriations legislation for the NIH and other Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) agencies.

The Senate Appropriations Committee approved its draft FY 2009 Labor-HHS spending bill on June 26. The Committee-approved bill includes a $1.025 billion increase for NIH above the current year’s funding level and the President’s FY 2009 budget request of $29.3 billion. The bill had been approved by the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies earlier this week. Precise proposed funding levels for individual Institutes and Centers are expected to be available within the next few days.

Meanwhile, the House Appropriations Committee began its scheduled consideration of the FY 2009 Labor-HHS appropriations bill on Thursday, but the markup was ended abruptly amid a partisan dispute over an unrelated bill.

Republican Committee members had sought to amend the Interior appropriations bill to allow expanded oil and gas drilling to address the rising fuel price situation, but that bill had been pulled from full Committee consideration last week. Efforts by Committee Republicans to force consideration of the Interior bill during consideration of the Labor-HHS appropriations bill led House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-WI) to adjourn the Committee meeting. Chairman Obey has since indicated that, as a result of the partisan divide, there may not be any additional House action on FY 2009 spending bills (including the House Labor-HHS bill).

The version of the bill being considered by the House Committee includes $30.380 billion for NIH, an increase of $1.150 billion (approximately 3.9 percent) over FY 2008 and the President's budget, and $125 million more than the Senate bill. The bill was approved by the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies on June 19.

It is widely expected, however, that most of the 12 appropriations bills – including Labor-HHS – will not get completed this year and will be postponed until the next Congress. In the interim, Congress would be forced to enact a continuing resolution (CR) to fund NIH and other federal programs at current FY 2008 levels until after Congress reconvenes in early 2009, when congressional leaders would attempt to negotiate final FY 2009 spending levels with the new presidential administration.

ASH is continuing its advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill throughout the FY 2009 appropriations debate and encourages all members to take action to support increased funding for NIH and to visit the ASH Web site for the latest information on NIH appropriations. Advocacy by the research community is making a difference in securing funding for NIH, and ASH thanks everyone who has participated in the Society’s advocacy efforts.