Congress Passes CR that Funds the Federal Government at FY 2005 Levels Through November 18

September 30, 2005—The House and Senate agreed on a continuing resolution (CR) that funds the federal government’s operations at fiscal year (FY) 2005 levels through November 18, 2005. With only two of the regular FY 2006 appropriations bills signed into law and the new fiscal year beginning Saturday, October 1, a CR was needed to keep the federal government functioning. President George W. Bush is expected to sign the CR later today.

The debate on FY 2006 appropriations for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is still pending in the full Senate. On July 14, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved FY 2006 appropriations legislation for NIH and other Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) agencies that provides NIH with $29.42 billion in FY 2006, a $1.05 billion or 3.7 percent increase over FY 2005.

On June 24, the House of Representatives approved FY 2006 appropriations legislation that provides NIH with $28.5 billion, a $142.3 million or 0.5 percent increase over last year. With the cost of medical inflation expected to be at 3.5 percent in FY 2006, the 3.7 percent approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee proposes only a slight increase for NIH next year, while the funding level approved in the House is effectively a funding cut since it does not keep up with inflation.

Next week, House and Senate Appropriators will resume work on the FY 2006 spending bills. Normally with so many bills left to approve at this point in the year, the appropriators would be developing an “Omnibus” spending package that would include all of the remaining appropriations bills not already enacted as stand-alone bills. However, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jerry Lewis (R-CA) said that his committee “ does not support an omnibus or ‘minibus’ in any form and will do everything in its power to assure that does not happen.”

A constrained fiscal environment will make it that much more difficult for Congress to provide a funding increase for NIH in FY 2006. In a very tight year for the entire federal budget, grassroots support for NIH funding from across the nation is critical to gain any traction in the appropriations process. Now is a great opportunity to take advantage of the easy online advocacy system ASH has put in place to influence legislation. Please visit ASH’s Advocacy Center to learn more and send an e-mail to your Members of Congress about NIH funding.

If you have questions, or need more information, please contact Jeff Coughlin, ASH Government Affairs Manager, at (202) 776-0544 or jcoughlin@hematology.org.