Cancer research advocates hope Congress will nix cuts

All eyes are on the House after the Senate rejects President Bush's proposed reduction to NCI's 2007 budget.

By Elaine Monaghan, AMNews staff. May 1, 2006.

Washington -- Not since the younger sister of Ellen Sigal, PhD, died of cancer 20 years ago has funding for research into the disease that also killed her parents been in such jeopardy.

"We're extremely upset. I don't know how else to phrase it," said Dr. Sigal, co-founder and chair of Friends of Cancer Research, referring to President Bush's proposal to cut $40 million from the National Cancer Institute budget for fiscal year 2007.

If the proposed drop from $4.79 billion to $4.75 billion survives, it will be the first time the NCI witnessed a decline in its budget since the early 1980s. But Congress, in an election year, might upset the president's plans, which are part of a larger $4.2 billion reduction in spending on labor, health and human services, and education compared with this year.

The Senate already has approved two amendments that address the issue. Sens. Arlen Specter (R, Pa.) and Tom Harkin (D, Iowa) pushed through an increase of $7 billion for the entire Labor-HHS appropriations bill.

Sens. Barbara Mikulski (D, Md.) and Dianne Feinstein (D, Calif.) saw their amendment approved to increase funding for cancer research and prevention by $390 million, including $245 million for the National Institutes of Health, home to the National Cancer Institute.

The picture in the House is harder to read. At press time, research advocates were hoping that the chamber would vote on the matter the week of April 24. The House leadership is under pressure from two dozen moderate Republicans, including Rep. Mike Castle (R, Del.), who oppose the $4.2 billion in cuts.