Dear friends,
Yesterday, I learned from my friend and Parkinson's disease research
activist Joan Samuelson (Parkinson's Action Network) that the House
Appropriation Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Services just passed
its recommendations to the full House Appropriation Committee for approval.
According to Joan, "The Subcommittee recommended a NIH 1996 budget of
$11.9 billion (a 5.7% increase, $642 million) over the 1995 allocation of
$11.29 billion. The increase is higher than the one recommended by the
White House. The fact that NIH received an increase is a reflection of the
very strong support for the NIH by the subcommittee's chairman, John Porter
of Chicago. The Labor/HHS budget overall was cut by $9 billion, and almost
every other program in the budget -- training, education, health and human
services programs of all sorts -- were eliminated altogether or cut
heavily."
She continues: "That does not mean that this vote represented absolute
triumph for health research spending. With biomedical inflation running at
about 4%, this is a very small net increase. Moreover, the institutes
doing Parkinson's research continue to receive a low priority. The
increases for the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
(NINDS) and Aging (NIA) were 4.49% and 4.44% respectively, the lowest
percentage increases given any institute. The NIEHS (Environmental Health
Sciences) proposed increase is 5.92%."
Because of the huge cuts in other parts of the budget, there will be strong
pressure from many sides to trim this increase to make up for cuts
elsewhere. Members of the House Appropriations Committee may oppose
increases for NIH when their favored programs are being cut by 10% or more.
Clinton has indicated that he might veto this bill because he finds some
of the cuts unacceptable. The following actions must take place before the
recommendation becomes law:
July 20 - Vote by the House Appropriations Committee on the recommendation
July 25 - Full House vote
Early September - Senate Subcommittee on Labor/HHS submits its
recommendation
Early September - Full Senate Appropriations Committee votes
Middle September - Full Senate votes
September/October - House/Senate Conference Committee to reconcile budget
differences
October - President for signing or veto
On June 23, a Harris poll was completed of 1004 adult Americans. The poll
indicated:
1. 65% of Americans oppose cuts of medical research dollars;
2. 73% would pay higher taxes (an additional dollar per week) to support
more medical research;
3. 61% urge Congress to provide tax incentives for private industry to
conduct medical research;
4. 60% are willing to designate tax refund dollars for medical research;
5. >90% endorse maintaining the U.S. position as the leader of medical
research
6. 61% would like more information on medical research in the print and
broadcast media.
These results strongly confirm a 1993 poll that indicated that 74% of
Americans would be willing to pay an extra dollar per week of taxes to
support more medical research. An additional dollar a week would more than
double the current NIH budget. If the Subcommittee recommendations pass
the gauntlet, it will maintain current NIH funding rate of neuroscience
applications at 15-20%.
If you care about this issue, please call, fax, or write your
representatives and senators. Ask your colleagues to do the same. In
particular, target members of the House Appropriation Committee to urge the
largest possible increase in NIH funding before the July 25 vote. Attached
are addresses, telephone numbers, fax numbers, and email addresses (if
available) of the members of the House Appropriations Committee. Write to
President Clinton to tell him that research is important to the health of
the nation. And, write to Representation John Edward Porter (1026
Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-1310; tel:
202/225-4835) to thank him for championing NIH.
Wise Young, Ph.D., M.D.
Department of Neurosurgery
NYU Medical Center, 550 First Avenue
New York, NY 10016
tel: 212-263-6316, fax: 212-689-0334, email: wisey at pipeline.com
-----Members of the House Appropriation Committee 1995-----
BEVILL, Tom Representative Democratic Alabama, 4th District 2302 Rayburn
House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-0104 202/225-4876
BONILLA, Henry Representative Republican Texas, 23rd District 1529
Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-4323 202/225-4511
BUNNING, Jim Representative Republican Kentucky, 4th District 2437 Rayburn
House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-1704 202/225-0003; email
BUNNING4 at HR.HOUSE.GOV
CALLAHAN, Sonny Representative Republican Alabama, 1st District 2418
Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-0101 202/225-4931
CHAPMAN, Jim Representative Democratic Texas, 1st District 2417 Rayburn
House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-4301 202/225-3035
COLEMAN, Ronald D. Representative Democratic Texas, 16th District 440
Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-4316 202/225-4831
De_LAY, Tom Representative Republican Texas, 22nd District 407 Cannon House
Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-4322 202/225-5951
DICKEY, Jay Representative Republican Arkansas, 4th District 1338 Longworth
House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-0404 202/225-3772
JDICKEY at HR.HOUSE.GOV
DICKS, Norman D. Representative Democratic Washington, 6th District 2467
Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-4706 202/225-5916
DIXON, Julian C. Representative Democratic California, 32nd District 2400
Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-0532 202/225-7084
DURBIN, Richard J. Representative Democratic Illinois, 20th District 2463
Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-1320 202/225-5271
DURBIN at HR.HOUSE.GOV
FAZIO, Vic Representative Democratic California, 3rd District 2113 Rayburn
House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-0503 202/225-5716
FOGLIETTA, Thomas M. Representative Democratic Pennnsylvania, 1st District
341 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-3801 202/225-4731
HEFNER, W. G. Representative Democratic North Carolina, 8th District 2470
Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-3308 202/225-3715
HOBSON, David L. Representative Republican Ohio, 7th District 1507
Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-3507 202/225-4324
HOYER, Steny H. Representative Democratic Maryland, 5th District 1705
Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-2005 202/225-4131
ISTOOK, Ernest Jim Representative Republican Oklahoma, 5th District 1116
Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-3605 202/225-2132
ISTOOK at HR.HOUSE.GOV
KAPTUR, Marcy Representative Democratic Ohio, 9th District 2104 Rayburn
House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-3509 202/225-4146
KINGSTON, Jack Representative Republican Georgia, 1st District 1229
Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-1001 202/225-5831
KNOLLENBERG, Joe Representative Republican Michigan, 11th District 1218
Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-2211 202/225-5802
KOLBE, Jim Representative Republican Arizona, 5th District 405 Cannon House
Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-0305 202/225-2542
LEWIS, Jerry Representative Republican California, 40th District 2312
Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-0540 202/225-5861
LIGHTFOOT, Jim Representative Republican Iowa, 3rd District 2444 Rayburn
House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-1503 202/225-3806
LIVINGSTON, Bob Representative Republican louisiana, 1st District 2368
Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-1801 202/225-3015
LOWEY, Nita M. Representative Democratic New York, 18th District 1424
Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-3218 202/225-6506
Mc_DADE, Joseph M. Representative Republican Pennsylvania, 10th District
2370 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-3810 202/225-3731
MILLER, Jack Dan Representative Republican Florida, 13th District 510
Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-0913 202/225-5015
MOLLOHAN, Alan B. Representative Democratic West Virginia, 1st District
2242 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-4801 202/225-4172
MURTHA, John K.P. Representative Democratic Pennsylvania, 12th District
2423 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-3812 202/225-2065
MURTHA at HR.HOUSE.GOV
MYERS, John T. Representative Republican Indiana, 7th District 2372 Rayburn
House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-1407 202/225-5805
OBEY, David Representative Democratic Wisconsin, 7th District 2462 Rayburn
House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-4907 202/225-3365
PACKARD, Ron Representative Republican California, 48th District 2162
Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-0548 202-225-3906
RPACKARD at HR.HOUSE.GOV
PELOSI, Nancy Representative Democratic California, 8th District 240 Cannon
House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-0508 202/225-4965
SFNANCY at HR.HOUSE.GOV
PORTER, John Edward Representative Republican Illinois, 10th District 1026
Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-1310 202/225-4835
REGULA, Ralph Representative Republican Ohio, 16th District 2309 Rayburn
House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-3516 202/225-3876
ROGERS, Harold Representative Republican Kentucky, 5th District 2468
Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-1705 202/225-4601
SABO, Martin Olav Representative DFL Minnesota, 5th District 2336 Rayburn
House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-2305 202/225-4755
SKAGGS, David E. Representative Democratic Colorado, 2nd District 1124
Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-0602 202/225-2161
SKAGGS at HR.HOUSE.GOV
SKEEN, Joe Representative Republican New Mexico, 2nd District 2367 Rayburn
House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-3102 202/225-2365
STOKES, Louis Representative Democratic Ohio, 11th District 2365 Rayburn
House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-3511 202/225-7032
TAYLOR, Charles H. Representative Republican North Carolina, 11th District
516 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-3311 202/225-6401
CHTAYLOR at HR.HOUSE.GOV
THORNTON, Ray Representative Democratic Arkansas, 2nd District 1214
Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-0402 202/225-2506
TORRES, Esteban Edward Representative Democratic California, 34th District
1740 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-0534
202/225-5256
VISCLOSKY, Peter J. Representative Democratic Indiana, 1st District 2464
Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-1401 202/225-2461
VUCANOVICH, Barbara Representative Republican Nevada, 2nd District 2202
Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-2802 202/225-6155
WALSH, James T. Representative Republican New York, 25th District 1330
Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-3225 202/225-3701
WILSON, Charles Representative Democratic Texas, 2nd District 2256 Rayburn
House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-4302 202/225-2401
WOLF, Frank R. Representative Republican Virginia, 10th District 104 Cannon
House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-4610 202/225-5136
YATES, Sidney R. Representative Democratic Illinois, 9th District 2109
Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-1309 202/225-2111
YOUNG, C. W. Representative Republican Florida, 10th District 2407 Rayburn
House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-0910 202/225-5961
FORBES, Michael Representative Republican New York, 1st District 502
Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 202/225-3826
FRELINGHUYSEN, Rodney Representative Republican New Jersey 11th District
2447 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 202/225-5034
NETHERCUTT, George Representative Republican Washington, 5th District 1527
Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 202/225-2006
NEUMANN, Mark Representative Republican Wisconsin, 1st District 1725
Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 202/225-3031
RIGGS, Frank Representative Republican California, 1st District 1714
Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 202/225-3311
WICKER, Roger Representative Republican Mississippi, 1st District 206
Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 202/225-4306