Expectations Low for NIH Funding

The House and Senate are expected to follow the lead of the Bush Administration and propose no meaningful increases in funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in their fiscal year (FY) 2006 federal budget proposals. In addition, Congress intends to begin work this year on legislation to reauthorize NIH. With concerns about its budget and questions regarding its internal management as well as several policies at the Institutes, 2005 could turn out to be a difficult time at NIH.

Over the coming months, the Administration, Senate, and House of Representatives are each expected to support NIH funding increases in the 1-3 percent range for FY 2006. Such a small increase is effectively a cut in funding since this level would not keep up with the cost of medical inflation. The President and Congress have identified federal deficit reduction and funding for the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security as their focal points, leaving other federal agencies in the annual appropriations process with much cause for concern.

At the same time that Congress undertakes the FY 2006 Budget/Appropriations process, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX) plans to begin work on legislation to reauthorize NIH. Over the past two years, many questions have been raised about how effectively NIH is managing its $28 billion portfolio. In addition, numerous instances of perceived conflicts of interest on the part of NIH scientists have been raised in the press, and much of the good work of the Institutes has been overshadowed by these claims.

Although NIH's conflict of interest policy will likely be a major issue in the debate, NIH's reauthorization is also expected to trigger discussion on the following: consolidating several of NIH's Institutes and Centers, enhanced public access to NIH research information, human subject research protections, genetic information non-discrimination, and outsourcing of NIH administrative functions with non-governmental personnel. Reauthorizing an agency the size of NIH is a major undertaking and such a process could affect future funding levels for the Institutes.

ASH will continue to advocate on Capitol Hill and in the Bush Administration for the NIH enterprise and the ASH Grassroots Network will play a key role in relaying the Society's position to Capitol Hill. Hematology researchers and scientists will need to appeal to Congress about the benefits of funding biomedical research and help revive the momentum created by NIH's five-year doubling effort. The ASH Advocacy Center can be visited at http://ga4.org/ashgrassroots/home.html. At this center, interested hematologists can contact their Members of Congress about FY 2006 NIH funding using the currently-posted advocacy campaign. For questions or information about NIH-related issues, contact Jeff Coughlin, ASH Government Affairs Manager, at 202-776-0544 or jcoughlin@hematology.org.

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