[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 531 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 531

     Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the National Center for 
                        Toxicological Research.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 13, 2021

  Mr. Westerman (for himself, Mr. Hill, Mr. Womack, and Mr. Crawford) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                         on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
     Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the National Center for 
                        Toxicological Research.

Whereas, in 1971, President Richard Nixon established the National Center for 
        Toxicological Research (NCTR) in Jefferson, Arkansas, as a part of the 
        United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to provide scientific 
        proof that United States consumers are protected from toxic chemicals, 
        drugs, and other agents and otherwise determine safe levels of 
        substances when appropriate;
Whereas the FDA is responsible for regulating the Nation's domestically produced 
        and imported food, cosmetics, drugs, vaccines, blood, biologics, medical 
        devices, radiation-emitting products, animal and veterinary products, 
        and tobacco products, as well as overseeing the safety of every American 
        life and more than $1 trillion worth of consumer goods, which are 
        estimated to include $466 billion in food sales, $275 billion in drugs, 
        $60 billion in cosmetics, and $18 billion in vitamin supplements;
Whereas the NCTR is a research institution with more than one million square 
        feet of facilities, with 123 laboratories across 30 buildings in 
        Jefferson, Arkansas, with 680 employees who reside in 17 counties across 
        Arkansas, and contributes approximately $70 million to the local, State, 
        and national economies, including investments of approximately $10 
        million annually via construction, maintenance, and renovation projects 
        that stimulate the local economy;
Whereas, in 2011, the FDA and the State of Arkansas composed a framework for a 
        formal working relationship to foster stronger partnerships, leverage 
        vital resources, and operate collaboratively to promote efficiency that 
        has been continually renewed and supported by both parties;
Whereas the NCTR has a long history of providing scientific advice and training 
        to researchers in government, academia, and industry at local, State, 
        national, and international levels, exemplified by training Ph.D. 
        candidates and other researchers from Arkansas universities, 
        collaborating with Arkansas university researchers, and providing 
        millions of dollars in funding for Arkansas university research;
Whereas the mutual benefits between the NCTR and the State of Arkansas can only 
        continue if the NCTR remains robustly supported by the Federal 
        Government;
Whereas the benefits of the NCTR were heightened during the COVID-19 emergency 
        when the Director of the NCTR, Dr. William Slikker, worked with the 
        State to rapidly provide critical COVID-19 testing equipment to the 
        Arkansas Department of Health; and
Whereas the NCTR will hold a 50th anniversary celebration on August 11, 2021, in 
        Jefferson, Arkansas: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives commemorates the 50th 
anniversary of the National Center for Toxicological Research and 
recognizes the significance of its contributions and its relationship 
with the State of Arkansas.
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