[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1144 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1144

  To provide for an increase in the Federal investment in research on 
 cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and asthma by $2,000,000,000 for fiscal 
  year 2002, and to express the sense of the House of Representatives 
    that the Federal investment in such research should further be 
       increased for each of the fiscal years 2003 through 2006.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 21, 2001

  Mr. Engel introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To provide for an increase in the Federal investment in research on 
 cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and asthma by $2,000,000,000 for fiscal 
  year 2002, and to express the sense of the House of Representatives 
    that the Federal investment in such research should further be 
       increased for each of the fiscal years 2003 through 2006.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Disease Research Revitalization Act 
of 2001''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds as follows:
            (1) Past investments in cancer and Alzheimer's disease 
        research have resulted in better health, an improved quality of 
        life for all Americans, and a reduction in national health care 
        expenditures.
            (2) The Nation's commitment to cancer and Alzheimer's 
        disease research has expanded the base of scientific knowledge 
        about health and disease and revolutionized the practice of 
        medicine.
            (3) The Federal Government is the single largest 
        contributor to medical research conducted in the United States.
            (4) Research continues to play a vital role in the growth 
        of this Nation's biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.
            (5) The origin of many of the new drugs and procedures 
        currently in use is based on cancer and Alzheimer's disease 
        research supported by the National Institutes of Health.
            (6) Unless we make a new commitment to cancer and 
        Alzheimer's disease research, one out of two American alive 
        today will fall victim to one or both of these diseases.
            (7) Neurodegenerative diseases of the elderly, such as 
        Alzheimer's disease, threaten to destroy the lives of millions 
        of Americans, overwhelm the Nation's health care system, and 
        bankrupt the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
            (8) Cancer is the second leading cause of death, and 
        552,000,000 Americans will die from the disease this year. This 
        year, doctors will tell 1,200,000 Americans they have cancer.
            (9) Women have traditionally been underrepresented in 
        medical research protocols, yet are severely affected by 
        diseases including breast cancer, which will kill over 43,900 
        women this year. Ovarian cancer will claim another 14,500 
        lives.
            (10) Approximately one out of every six American men will 
        develop prostate cancer, and over 49,200 men will die from the 
        disease each year.
            (11) Four million Americans currently suffer from 
        Alzheimer's disease and another 360,000 will be diagnosed with 
        the disease this year. Alzheimer's disease is the fourth 
        leading cause of death in adults.
            (12) As the population of this Nation grows older, the 
        number of Americans diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease could 
        double.
            (13) The mapping and sequencing of the entire human genome 
        will lead to a new era of molecular medicine that will provide 
        unprecedented opportunities for the prevention, diagnosis, 
        treatment, and cure of diseases that currently plague society.
            (14) The fundamental way science is conducted is changing 
        at a revolutionary pace, demanding a far greater investment in 
        emerging new technologies and research training programs, and 
        in developing new skills among scientific investigators.
            (15) Research about prevention and early diagnosis of 
        cancer and Alzheimer's disease may result in significantly 
        reducing the incidence of these two diseases.
            (16) Most Americans show overwhelming support for an 
        increased Federal investment in cancer and Alzheimer's disease 
        research and researchers now have unprecedented opportunities 
        to conquer these two diseases.
            (17) About 14,600,000 Americans are suffering with asthma, 
        resulting in over $6,000,000,000 in health care costs each 
        year.
            (18) Almost 5,000,000 children are afflicted with asthma 
        today and the number continues to rise, making it the leading 
        child disease in America.

SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2002 
              REGARDING FEDERAL INVESTMENT IN CANCER, ALZHEIMER'S 
              DISEASE, AND ASTHMA RESEARCH.

    (a) In General.--In addition to other authorizations of 
appropriations that are available for fiscal year 2002 for the purpose 
of conducting and supporting research on cancer, Alzheimer's disease, 
and asthma through the National Institutes of Health, there is 
authorized to be appropriated $2,000,000,000 for such purpose for 
fiscal year 2002.
    (b) Sense of House Regarding Budget Resolution.--It is the sense of 
the House of Representatives that the concurrent resolution on the 
budget for fiscal year 2002 should appropriately reflect the 
authorization of appropriations established in subsection (a).

SEC. 4. SENSE OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES REGARDING AUTHORIZATIONS OF 
              APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2003 THROUGH 2006.

    It is the sense of the House of Representatives that funding for 
the National Institutes of Health to conduct and support research on 
cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and asthma should be increased--
            (1) for fiscal year 2003, by $2,000,000,000 over the amount 
        appropriated for fiscal year 2002; and
            (2) for each of the fiscal years 2004 through 2006, by 
        $1,000,000,000 over the amount appropriated for the preceding 
        fiscal year.
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