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NIH funding plans decried as paltry; 575 medical organizations ask for more

Health groups voice concern that Congress' budget will undermine progress in medical research.

By Joel B. Finkelstein, amednews staff. Sept. 22/29, 2003.

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Washington -- Bills that call for relatively scrawny fiscal year 2004 increases in National Institutes of Health funding have spurred medical groups to push Congress for more. They say the added money is needed to ensure progress in medical research and discovery.

In a letter to the Senate, 575 groups asked lawmakers to support an amendment to the appropriations bill for the Depts. of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education that would boost the NIH budget $1.5 billion above the nearly $28 billion already included in the Senate package. The House bill would increase funding by 2.5%, to $27.7 billion, which matches the Bush administration's budget request.

At press time, the Senate was still debating the appropriations package, and proponents of the amendment were seeking more co-sponsors.

The amendment, which was proposed by Sens. Arlen Specter (R, Pa.), Tom Harkin (D, Iowa) and Dianne Feinstein (D, Calif.), would increase NIH's budget by 9.2% over this year's level. Specter, who is on the Appropriations Committee, also introduced the original Labor/HHS appropriations bill.

Regardless of whether the amendment passes, the House and Senate will have to agree on a final number. Proponents hope that passage of a higher funding level in the Senate would boost the chances of a more generous final appropriation.

On the House side, a group of lawmakers is attempting to secure an agreement to raise NIH funding by 10% during negotiation that eventually will take place between the House and Senate.