Friends,
Please read the following about the progress of funding for NIH.
September 2, 1998
Washing Fax Special Edition
SENATE L/HHS APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE RECOMMENDS A 14.7 PERCENT
INCREASE FOR NIH
A Senate Panel has approved a $2 billion increase for the National
Institutes of Health (NIH) for FY 99, significantly more than both the
$1.24 billion boost approved by the House Appropriations Committee and
the extra $1.14 billion sought by the White House.
The Senate Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations subcommittee
voted unanimously Monday to give the NIH $15.6 billion in FY 99, a 14.7
percent increase. The House bill would provide NIH with a budget of
$14.9 billion, which President Clinton requested $14.8 billion. The
agency's comparable FY 98 appropriation was $13.6 billion.
Equally important were reports that the Senate bill, unlike its House
counterpart, contains sufficient funding for summer jobs and home
heating assistance to attract Democratic support. In addition, Senate
Republicans and Democrats have said they will try to add more money to
the bill before it reaches the Senate floor.
The measure was supported in the subcommittee by Sen. Tom Harkin, D-IA,
the panel's senior Democrat and a harsh critic of cuts in the House
legislation. Those cuts prompted a veto threat from the White House and
had thus far stalled action in the House.
The full Senate Appropriations Committee is scheduled to consider the
subcommittee bill on Thursday.
END
NOW IT IS TIME TO STRIKE AGAIN
Please email the following members of the Senate Appropriations
committee and ask them to vote to double the budget for NIH in five
years. Your note need note be long, and it just takes a few minutes to
cut and paste the email addresses into you letter.
Here is my letter:
Dear Senator __________
The sick, injured, and disabled potentially constitute the largest
political voting block in the American and polls show that 70% of
Americans favor increase medical research spending. Thanks to the
Internet, millions of people interested in health care have just learned
a senate subcommittee has voted a 14.7% increase for the National
Institute of Health, and are watching as discussions for these important
appropriations take place.
I urge that the full appropriation committee keep the 14.7 increase in
tack. Don't play politics with the health of the American people.
Money devoted to research pays big dividends, particularly in the area
of health. Peter Lynch has testified before congressional committee
that American spends only about one half of one percent of its budget on
research and he would short the stock (if America were a company) based
on its investment in research. Now is your opportunity to help increase
research funding for health, alleviate human suffering and do something
which will pay dividends in fiscal terms, also.
Thank you for doing the right thing.
Sincerely yours,
Bill Johnson
14407 400 Ave
Stratford, SD 57474
I mailed this to the following appropriation committee members. I
couldn't find all of their addresses.
Republicans
Ted Stevens, Alaska, Chairman senator_stevens(AT)stevens.senate.gov
Thad Cochran, Mississippi senator(AT)cochran.senate.gov
Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania senator_specter(AT)specter.senate.gov
Pete V. Domenici, New Mexico Senator_Domenici(AT)domenici.senate.gov
Christopher S. Bond, Missouri kit_bond(AT)bond.senate.gov
Slade Gorton, Washington
Mitch McConnell, Kentucky senator(AT)mcconnell.senate.gov
Conrad Burns, Montana conrad_burns(AT)burns.senate.gov
Richard C. Shelby, Alabama Senator(AT)shelby.senate.gov
Judd Gregg, New Hampshire mailbox(AT)gregg.senate.gov
Robert F. Bennett, Utah senator(AT)bennett.senate.gov
Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Colorado
Larry Craig, Idaho
Lauch Faircloth, North Carolina senator(AT)faircloth.senate.gov
Kay Bailey Hutchison, Texas senator(AT)hutchison.senate.gov
Democrats
Robert C. Byrd, West Virginia Senator_Byrd(AT)Byrd.Senate.gov
Daniel K. Inouye, Hawaii
Ernest F. Hollings, South Carolina
Patrick J. Leahy, Vermont
Dale Bumpers, Arkansas senator(AT)bumpers.senate.gov
Frank R. Lautenberg, New Jersey frank_lautenberg(AT)lautenberg.senate.gov
Tom Harkin, Iowa tom_harkin(AT)harkin.senate.gov
Barbara A. Mikulski, Maryland senator(AT)mikulski.senate.gov
Harry Reid, Nevada
Herb Kohl, Wisconsin senator_kohl(AT)kohl.senate.gov
Patty Murray, Washington comments(AT)murray.senate.gov,
Byron Dorgan, North Dakota senator(AT)dorgan.senate.gov
Barbara Boxer, California Senator(AT)Boxer.senate.gov