- DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2010

[Senate Hearing 111-850]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

S. Hrg. 111-850

Senate Hearings

Before the Committee on Appropriations

_______________________________________________________________________

Departments of Labor,

Health and Human Services,

and Education, and Related

Agencies Appropriations

Fiscal Year 2010

111th Congress, First Session

H.R. 3293

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
NONDEPARTMENTAL WITNESSES

S. Hrg. 111-850

DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND
RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2010

=======================================================================

HEARINGS

before a

SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS UNITED STATES SENATE

ONE HUNDRED ELEVENTH CONGRESS

FIRST SESSION

H.R. 3293

AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES FOR THE FISCAL YEAR
ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2010, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

__________

Department of Education
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Labor
Nondepartmental Witnesses

__________

Printed for the use of the Committee on Appropriations

Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys

__________

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
48-305 PDF WASHINGTON : 2011
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing
Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512-1800; DC
area (202) 512-1800 Fax: (202) 512-2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC
20402-0001

COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii, Chairman
ROBERT C. BYRD, West Virginia THAD COCHRAN, Mississippi
PATRICK J. LEAHY, Vermont CHRISTOPHER S. BOND, Missouri
TOM HARKIN, Iowa MITCH McCONNELL, Kentucky
BARBARA A. MIKULSKI, Maryland RICHARD C. SHELBY, Alabama
HERB KOHL, Wisconsin JUDD GREGG, New Hampshire
PATTY MURRAY, Washington ROBERT F. BENNETT, Utah
BYRON L. DORGAN, North Dakota KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas
DIANNE FEINSTEIN, California SAM BROWNBACK, Kansas
RICHARD J. DURBIN, Illinois LAMAR ALEXANDER, Tennessee
TIM JOHNSON, South Dakota SUSAN COLLINS, Maine
MARY L. LANDRIEU, Louisiana GEORGE V. VOINOVICH, Ohio
JACK REED, Rhode Island LISA MURKOWSKI, Alaska
FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey
BEN NELSON, Nebraska
MARK PRYOR, Arkansas
JON TESTER, Montana
ARLEN SPECTER, Pennsylvania
Charles J. Houy, Staff Director
Bruce Evans, Minority Staff Director
------

Subcommittee on Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and
Education, and Related Agencies

TOM HARKIN, Iowa, Chairman
DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii THAD COCHRAN, Mississippi
HERB KOHL, Wisconsin JUDD GREGG, New Hampshire
PATTY MURRAY, Washington KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas
MARY L. LANDRIEU, Louisiana RICHARD C. SHELBY, Alabama
RICHARD J. DURBIN, Illinois LAMAR ALEXANDER, Tennessee
JACK REED, Rhode Island
MARK PRYOR, Arkansas
ARLEN SPECTER, Pennsylvania

Professional Staff

Ellen Murray
Erik Fatemi
Mark Laisch
Adrienne Hallett
Lisa Bernhardt
Bettilou Taylor (Minority)
Sudip Shrikant Parikh (Minority)
Dale Cabaniss (Minority)

Administrative Support

Teri Curtin
Jeff Kratz (Minority)

C O N T E N T S

----------

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Page

Department of Labor: Office of the Secretary..................... 1

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Department of Health and Human Services: National Institutes of
Health......................................................... 63

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Department of Education: Office of the Secretary................. 163

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Department of Health and Human Services: Office of the Secretary. 237
Nondepartmental Witnesses........................................ 279

DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND
RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2010

----------

WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 2009

U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met at 9:47 a.m., in room SD-138, Dirksen
Senate Office Building, Hon. Tom Harkin (chairman) presiding.
Present: Senators Harkin, Murray, Pryor, and Cochran.

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary

STATEMENT OF HON. HILDA L. SOLIS, SECRETARY

opening statement of senator tom harkin

Senator Harkin. Good morning. The Subcommittee on Labor,
Health, Human Services, Education and related agencies will
come to order. I'm very pleased to welcome Secretary Solis in
her first appearance before this subcommittee. Welcome Madam
Secretary, and again, congratulations on your appointment to
this very important position.
It's been less than 4 months since President Obama took the
oath of office, and inherited our current economic crisis, the
likes of which we haven't seen since the Great Depression. In
January, our Nation was shedding more than 600,000 jobs a
month, millions more working part time because they could not
find full-time work. Businesses were slowing down. It was in
this context that Secretary Solis began her tenure as our
Nation's 25th Secretary of Labor.
Madam Secretary, as you're well aware, the Department of
Labor (DOL) carries out a critical mission that is particularly
important in these challenging times. The Department must
ensure that the Nation's public workforce development system is
providing employers with access to a skilled workforce. We need
to enforce our Nation's laws on establishing safe workplaces
and work for economic security, but also in this time, worker
retraining, job retraining for so many workers that have been
displaced.
I think we've paid too little attention to some of these
priorities. Previous budget requests have routinely cut funding
for job training and under-invested in Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA) and the Mine Safety and Health
Administration (MSHA) and the Employment Standards
Administration (ESA). I am pleased to say that the fiscal year
2010 budget request before this subcommittee is a very welcome
change and appears to be consistent with my view of the
important work supported by the Department of Labor.
For the first time in 9 years, the budget request does not
include a devastating cut in funding for the International
Labor Affairs Bureau (ILAB). I want to thank you, Secretary
Solis, for proposing a $91 million budget for ILAB, an increase
of $5 million over the 2009 funding level.
As I mentioned during your confirmation hearing, ILAB is a
very important priority for me. I think it sends an important
message around the world, the United States will help lead the
fight against the worst forms of child labor.
And this funding is particularly critical, as economic
challenges around the world push back against the progress
that's been made in recent years, in getting children out of
dangerous workplaces and back into the classroom. As you know,
this is the 10th anniversary of the adoption of ILO Convention
182, and I'm hopeful that the Department of Labor, under your
leadership, will commemorate this historic occasion. In fact, I
was in Seattle with President Clinton when he--when we became a
signatory to that, and then later traveled with President
Clinton to Geneva when it was adopted by the ILO, in Geneva.
That was 10 years ago. So I hope we at least do something to
commemorate this 10th anniversary. For myself, I will be in
Geneva on that day, so I won't be here to celebrate, but I hope
that we have some commemoration of it here.
I also want to thank you for your support of worker
protection agencies, where the budget proposes to bring
staffing levels back to those supported at the end of the
Clinton administration. Enforcement staff levels are down by
one-third at the Wage and Hour Division, and below the fiscal
year 2001 level at OSHA.
Many years have passed without issuing a single ergonomic
citation, even though musculoskeletal disorders constitute one-
third of all workplace injuries. It developed an enhanced
enforcement program that was ``enhanced'' in name only, and
record low workplace injury rates were highlighted, despite the
first comprehensive analysis revealing an apparent under
accounting of workplace injuries.
Madam Secretary, I look forward to working with you to
change the direction of the Department of Labor's worker
protection agencies, to ensure they have sufficient resources
and the right strategy for carrying out their important work.
And again, I'd like to work with you to improve employment
opportunities for individuals with disabilities. We've talked
about that issue--another longstanding priority of mine. I
appreciate your proposed $37 million budget for the Office of
Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). That's an increase of $10
million over the 2009 level.
Data now being released by the Department's Bureau of Labor
Statistics reveal that roughly 80 percent of individuals with
disabilities are not in the labor force. This is really
unacceptable, 19 years after the passage of the Americans With
Disabilities Act. So we must improve this situation.
And I look forward to working with you to ensure that ODEP
can carry out its mission, and work effectively with other
agencies in the Government to ensure that the policies of our
government foster improved employment opportunities for
individuals with disabilities.
Madam Secretary, enacting the 2010 Labor appropriations
bill will not be an easy task. There are many worthy health,
education, and labor programs competing for a limited
discretionary allocation. Some will suggest that the deficit is
too big, so Congress should simply cut spending. Others will
express concern about programs not increased enough or proposed
for elimination, especially during tough times when we need to
support our workers and our workforce.
Again, I do have some questions I will ask about the
proposal to eliminate funding for the Work Incentives Grant
Program and tight funding request for Job Corps. However, I
believe the budget proposal before us establishes the right
priorities for our Nation and will move us towards safer
workplaces and a better skilled workforce.
Madam Secretary, again, welcome to the subcommittee. I look
forward to your testimony on the budget request.
And I would yield now to our distinguished ranking member,
Senator Cochran.

statement of senator thad cochran

Senator Cochran. Mr. Chairman, thank you very much.
Welcome, Madam Secretary, to this first hearing of our
committee, and with your serving as Secretary, we congratulate
you on your assumption of these important responsibilities and
we look forward to working with you to help make sure that we
do approve the funding levels and the programs under the
jurisdiction of the Department of Labor that are important to
our Nation's workforce and to our Nation-at-large. It's a big
undertaking--it's a big building over there, too, isn't it?
Anyway, I remember when Elizabeth Dole, I think, was there.
No, she was at HHS. Elizabeth Dole was there. Her husband, of
course, tended to be quick-witted and sometimes he said things
that he wished he had taken back. And he made some comment
about how large the building was and how many people work here.
And somebody said, ``About half of them.''
He said, ``About half of them.'' Anyway, I shouldn't be
trying to tell Bob joke--Bob Dole jokes. They don't work for
me.
But, we know that you've indicated that there will be $135
million in this budget for a new Career Pathways program which,
as I understand it, will take the place of the community-based
job training activities of the Department. It will be
interesting to hear what your thoughts are about how that would
be a step forward.
Also, there's some increases, as you point out, in
programs--or as the chairman pointed out in his comments, and
we'll--we'll look carefully at those too, but we appreciate
your cooperation with our subcommittee and coming here to help
us understand the budget request.
Senator Harkin. Thank you very much, Senator Cochran.
Secretary Solis, again, welcome. Your statement will be
made a part of the record, in its entirety. We were advised we
may have a vote around 10:30 a.m., but I don't know if that's
still true or not, but we'll try to see if we can move ahead.
So, please proceed as you so desire, Madam Secretary.

summary statement of hon. hilda l. solis

Secretary Solis. Thank you very much, Chairman Harkin and
Senator Cochran. It's good to be here before you. And also
Senator Murray and the other subcommittee members, who I
understand may be coming in and out today.
I'm happy to be here today, before your subcommittee. I
want to thank you for the invitation to testify and present you
with the President's fiscal year 2010 budget, the request for
the Department of Labor.
And I'd like to just summarize my remarks and ask that my
testimony also be entered into the record formally.
And, just to begin with, I want to outline what our fiscal
year 2010 overall three major priorities are.
And they are, as you said, Senator Harkin, to begin with,
worker protection. We're beginning to restore the capacity of
the programs that protect workers' health, safety, pay, and
benefits.
Second, a green recovery. What do I mean? I mean
implementing new and innovative ways to promote economic
recovery by working toward energy independence, and increasing
competitiveness of our Nation's workforce.
And third, accountability and transparency. We will ensure
that all of our programs are carried out in way that is
accountable, transparent to our stakeholders and to the public.
And in all these efforts, I'm committed to fostering
diversity, to ensuring that our programs are accessible to
previously underserved populations, including those in rural
communities. And I'm particularly proud that the fiscal year
2010 budget begins to restore programs protections for workers.
The fiscal year 2010 budget, the Department of Labor is
requesting $1.7 billion for worker protection programs.
As you said earlier, Senator Harkin, it's about a 10
percent increase for worker protection, which is above the
fiscal year 2009 level. We're adding 878 enforcement positions.
The budget will return our worker protection efforts to a level
not seen since 2001. And we're increasing our capacity--so
dramatically in a single year--which I know is unprecedented.
But we're ready with an aggressive comprehensive hiring plan
that will be implemented as soon as the fiscal year 2010
funding is available.
I want to highlight three agencies where the increases are
most substantial due to the erosion in enforcement capacity
over the last 8 years.
The additional resources provided for the Wage and Hour
Division will allow the Agency to do the following: improve
compliance in low-wage industries that employ vulnerable
workers; increase its focus on reducing repeat violations; and
strategically conduct compliant investigations.
Second, the increase for OSHA will allow us to add 213 new
staff, such as enforcement personnel, standard writers, and
bilingual staff to address the changing demographics in the
workplace, as well as increase funding for our State program
grants.
Third, to promote equal opportunity in Federal contracting,
through expansion of the Office of Contract Compliance
Programs. The number compliance officers there will go to 213
FTE.
The increases in our enforcement programs will require,
also, legal services and support for the Office of the
Solicitor, where we also request an increase.
And I'm hopeful that the Congress will meet our worker
protection program request, to allow the Department to meet its
responsibility to all American workers.
And as you are aware, DOL is currently using Recovery Act
funds for a range of activities that provide transitional
benefits, job training, and placement assistance to unemployed
workers. Our fiscal year 2010 request supplements Recovery Act
funding through targeted investments in employment and training
programs.
For dislocated workers, a $71 million increase will go to
the National Reserve Account, which will help to fund National
Emergency Grants, allowing for targeted response to large-scale
worker dislocations, as we're experiencing now.
Through a new Career Pathways Innovation Fund, we will fund
grants to community colleges and other educational institutions
to help individuals advance up career ladders in growth sectors
like healthcare and IT.
For green jobs, the budget requests $50 million for
enhanced apprenticeship and competitive grants. We'll also
pursue strategies to equip all our training programs to provide
training in the new green economy. And we've included funding,
also, for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), to produce
valuable information to help us define green jobs.
Within our request for pilots and demonstrations, the
budget also includes an investment of $50 million for
transitional jobs, to help young and noncustodial parents gain
employment experience and sustainable employment. The budget
also includes $114 million to expand the capacity of the Youth
Build Program, to train low-income at-risk youth.
And the request for the Veterans Employment and Training
Services contains strategic investments that will allow the
Agency to reach out to homeless veterans, including those who
are women; make employment workshops available to families of
veterans and transitioning servicemembers; and to restructure
our existing training grants to focus on green jobs.
These innovative strategies will supplement our core
workforce security programs that are extremely sensitive to
economic conditions, including an increase of $860 million for
the newly expanded Trade Adjustment Assistance Program, and
$3.2 billion for State grants to fund the Administration of
Unemployment Insurance, to support the increased demand on our
State programs.
In addition to providing States with the resources to cover
increased workloads, our approach includes increased funding
for reemployment and eligibility assessment, to help claimants
return to work as soon as possible.
I know that you share the belief that I do, that spending
tax dollars wisely is very important to our mission and our
core goals of putting American workers back to work. A number
of our budget proposals support the goals of accountability and
I'd like to name them.
A new $15 million Workforce Data Quality initiative, which
will help us develop data to understand the effect of education
and training on worker advancement. A $5 million increase in
job training program evaluations, which will help us understand
which approaches are effective and will help inform the
direction of future programs. And an additional $5 million
program evaluation initiative, that will help the Department
examine all of our programs, not just in employment and
training.
And I'd like to say just a few words about some other
programs that I know you're interested in. First, the budget
provides an increase of $10 million for the Office of
Disability Employment Policy. The increase will allow us to
build on the lessons we learned through the Work Incentive
Grant demonstration, and it will allow us to promote
opportunities for individuals with disabilities, particularly
young people in employment apprenticeship program, pre-
apprenticeship programs and community service activities.
And second, the budget request, as you stated, Mr.
Chairman, will provide an increase of $5.3 million for the
Bureau of Labor International Affairs, ILAB. With these funds,
ILAB will be able to step up monitoring and oversight of labor
rights, through closer monitoring and reporting on labor
conditions worldwide, particularly with our trading partners,
while also maintaining ILAB's Child Labor and Worker Rights
grant activities.

prepared statement

In conclusion, I'm committed to ensuring that these new
efforts, along with all the programs supported by the
Department's fiscal year 2010 budget, will demonstrate that we
are putting our workers first, not just our workers, but their
families. I ask for your support on this request and would be
happy to respond to any of your questions.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Hilda L. Solis
Chairman Harkin, Ranking Member Cochran, and members of the
subcommittee, thank you for the invitation to testify today. I
appreciate the opportunity to discuss the President's fiscal year 2010
budget request for the Department of Labor (DOL).
The total request for the Department in fiscal year 2010 is $104.5
billion and 17,477 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) employees, of which $15.9
billion is before the subcommittee. Of that amount, $13.3 billion is
requested for discretionary budget authority. Our budget request will
build on the $4.8 billion in discretionary and $33.5 billion in
mandatory resources included for the Department in the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act).
It is no secret that the economy is struggling. Investing in our
Nation's workforce and creating a positive environment for new jobs is
a critical component of the President's efforts to restart our economy.
For its part, the Department of Labor is deploying its Recovery Act
resources to help ease the burden of unemployment and put people back
to work by:
--Providing more training and employment opportunities for seniors,
unemployed adults, and dislocated workers;
--Providing Summer Jobs and full-year opportunities for youth;
--Spurring new Green Jobs training investments, to prepare workers to
succeed in the new green economy;
--Enhancing and expanding the Unemployment Compensation and Trade
Adjustment Assistance programs;
--Launching a new program that informs workers and their families of
their rights under the Recovery Act to COBRA premium
assistance; and
--Initiating additional worker protections to ensure that economic
activity spurred by the Recovery Act occurs in workplaces that
are safe, healthful, and respect workers' rights.
The resources requested in our fiscal year 2010 budget will build
on and leverage the efforts begun this year with the Recovery Act. The
Department's fiscal year 2010 budget will promote continued economic
recovery and strengthen the health, safety, and competitiveness of our
Nation's diverse workforce.
fiscal year 2010 priorities
While building on the efforts begun under the Recovery Act, the
Department's fiscal year 2010 budget features three overall priorities:
beginning to restore the capacity of our programs that protect workers'
safety and health, pay, and benefits; launching new and innovative ways
to promote economic recovery and the competitiveness of our Nation's
workers; and ensuring that our programs are carried out in a way that
is accountable and transparent to the public and our stakeholders.
restoring worker protection programs
The 2010 budget includes $1.7 billion in discretionary funds and
10,182 FTE for DOL's worker protection activities. This funding level
is $150 million (10 percent) and 878 FTE above the fiscal year 2009
enacted level, and returns the worker protection programs to their
fiscal year 2001 staffing levels. The request will restore capacity in
our worker protection programs, which have languished for years. The
Department has developed an aggressive, comprehensive hiring plan for
its worker protection agencies, which it will deploy as soon as the
fiscal year 2010 appropriation is available. Our plan places a special
emphasis on hiring multilingual inspectors and investigators to allow
the worker protection personnel to match the languages used in the
workplace.
Employment Standards Administration
The Department's Employment Standards Administration (ESA)
administers and enforces laws that protect the rights and welfare of
American workers. The fiscal year 2010 budget request for
administrative expenses for ESA is $503 million and 4,538 FTE. This
represents an increase of $63 million (14 percent) and 493 FTE above
the fiscal year 2009 enacted level.
Wage and Hour Division
The Wage and Hour Division is responsible for the administration
and enforcement of a wide range of worker protection laws, including
the Fair Labor Standards Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, Migrant and
Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, worker protections
provided in several temporary nonimmigrant visa programs, and
prevailing wage requirements of the Davis-Bacon Act and the Service
Contract Act. The Wage and Hour Division protects more than 135 million
workers in more than 7.3 million establishments.
The fiscal year 2010 budget requests $227.7 million and 1,571 FTE
for the Wage and Hour Division, an increase of $35 million and 288 FTE
from the fiscal year 2009 enacted level. It includes resources to help
revive its customer service focus by supporting improved complaint
intake and more in-depth complaint investigation processes. In fiscal
year 2010, the Wage and Hour Division will hire additional
investigators to:
--Strengthen enforcement resources on behalf of vulnerable workers;
--Verify future compliance of prior violators; and
--Conduct high-quality, responsive complaint investigations
strategically, to increase protections for the greatest number
of workers.
The fiscal year 2010 budget request for the Wage and Hour Division
excludes $45 million in estimated fee revenue from DOL's portion of the
H-1B and L visa fraud prevention fee authorized by the 2004 H-1B Visa
Reform Act. Because of the statutory limits on the use of these funds,
DOL has been unable to spend all of the fees, and each year carries
unspent balances. The fiscal year 2010 budget proposes to cancel $30
million of these balances as an offset to new discretionary spending.
The administration is also proposing legislation, through the
Department of Homeland Security, to amend the Immigration and
Nationality Act to expand the permissible uses for the Department of
Labor to use the H-1B and L fraud fees to carry out expanded
enforcement activities under the H1B and L, as well as provide a stable
source of funding for enforcement of the H-2B program.
Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
The fiscal year 2010 budget request for the Office of Federal
Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) totals $109.5 million and 798 FTE,
an increase of $27 million (33 percent) and 213 FTE from the fiscal
year 2009 level. OFCCP is responsible for ensuring equal employment
opportunity and nondiscrimination in employment for businesses
contracting with the Federal Government. In fiscal year 2010, OFCCP
will carry out this mandate by conducting compliance evaluations to
identify instances of systemic discrimination in the workplace, with a
special focus on construction reviews and on-site evaluations related
to veterans and individuals with disabilities. The fiscal year 2010
request includes $2 million for a new case management system to replace
the agency's existing case management system (the OFCCP Information
System), which was developed over 20 years ago and is inadequate to
meet today's enforcement needs. The new system will improve the
monitoring of noncompliant contractors and improve the effectiveness of
OFCCP's enforcement activities.
Office of Workers' Compensation Programs
The fiscal year 2010 discretionary budget request for
administration of the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP)
totals $108.5 million and 890 FTE to support the Federal Employees'
Compensation Act (FECA) ($95.3 million) and the Longshore and Harbor
Workers' Compensation program ($13.2 million).
The OWCP budget also includes mandatory funding totaling $51.2
million and 305 FTE to administer Part B of the Energy Employees
Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA), and $60
million and 293 FTE for Part E of the Act. EEOICPA provides
compensation and medical benefits to employees or survivors of
employees of the Department of Energy (DOE) and certain of its
contractors and subcontractors, who suffer from a radiation-related
cancer, beryllium-related disease, chronic silicosis, or other covered
illness as a result of work at covered DOE or DOE contractor
facilities.
Lastly, OWCP's fiscal year 2010 budget includes $37.5 million in
mandatory funding and 195 FTE for its administration of Parts B and C
of the Black Lung Benefits Act, and $58.1 million and 127 FTE in FECA
Fair Share administrative funding. The request for FECA Fair Share
includes an increase of $4.95 million to upgrade technology, improve
customer service, and increase productivity.
Office of Labor-Management Standards
The fiscal year 2010 budget request for the Office of Labor-
Management Standards (OLMS) totals $40.6 million and 266 FTE. This is a
net reduction of $4.38 million and 31 FTE from the fiscal year 2009
level. OLMS administers the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure
Act (LMRDA), which establishes safeguards for union democracy and union
financial integrity and requires public disclosure reporting by unions,
union officers, employees of unions, labor relations consultants,
employers, and surety companies. OLMS also administers the Department's
responsibilities under Federal transit law by ensuring that fair and
equitable arrangements protecting mass transit employees are in place
before the release of Federal transit grant funds.
The resources requested in fiscal year 2010 will allow OLMS to
continue to accomplish its core mission. The reduction in FTE will
occur through the transfer of staff to other ESA programs and
attrition. The budget would shift those resources to other worker
protection agencies that have faced increased workload in the face of
diminished resources.
Employee Benefits Security Administration
The Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) protects the
integrity of pensions, health plans, and other employee benefits for
more than 150 million workers. The fiscal year 2010 budget request for
EBSA is $156.1 million and 910 FTE, an increase of $13 million (9
percent) and 75 FTE compared to the fiscal year 2009 level. The
requested resources will help rebuild the foundation of EBSA's
enforcement efforts, allowing an additional 600 civil and criminal
investigations and increasing indictments by an estimated 6 percent.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
The fiscal year 2010 budget request for the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA) is $563.6 million and 2,360 FTE. The
budget requests an additional $50.6 million and 213 FTE, and proposes
program increases to restore OSHA's capacity to enforce statutory
protections, provide technical support, promulgate safety and health
standards, and strengthen safety and health statistics. The fiscal year
2010 request supports an additional:
--130 safety and health inspectors (a 10 percent increase from fiscal
year 2009);
--25 whistleblower investigators (a 33 percent increase);
--$13.84 million for State Program grants (a 15 percent increase);
--13 FTE to strengthen OSHA's capacity to quickly respond to the
sudden emergence of safety and health hazards, such as a
pandemic influenza; and
--20 FTE to restore OSHA's rulemaking capabilities, allowing the
Agency to simultaneously address multiple complex longstanding
and emerging regulatory issues.
These additional resources will restore OSHA's enforcement presence
in the Nation's workplace, support National and Local Emphasis
Programs, and allow the agency to hire multilingual investigators to
address language barriers in enforcement.
Mine Safety and Health Administration
The fiscal year 2010 budget request for the Mine Safety and Health
Administration (MSHA) is $353.7 million and 2,376 FTE. The request will
allow MSHA to continue implementing the historic Mine Improvement and
New Emergency Response (MINER) Act, the most sweeping mine safety
legislation in 30 years.
The fiscal year 2010 budget includes an increase of $1.3 million
specifically targeted for 15 additional Metal and Nonmetal FTE to
address the projected 12 percent increase in workload in the aggregates
mining sector. The budget will ensure a 100 percent completion rate for
all mandatory safety and health inspections; support MSHA's enhanced
enforcement initiatives, which target patterns of violation, flagrant
violators, and scofflaws; and continue infrastructure improvements at
the National Mine Health and Safety Academy. The request also allows
MSHA to continue its work to enhance mine rescue and emergency
operations.
Office of the Solicitor
The fiscal year 2010 budget includes $125.2 million and 679 FTE for
the Office of the Solicitor (SOL). This amount includes $117.4 million
in discretionary resources and $7.8 million in mandatory funding. The
Solicitor's Office provides the legal services that support the
Department, particularly the Department's enforcement programs. The
fiscal year 2010 budget includes an increase of $14.8 million that will
support an additional 82 FTE to provide expanded legal support for DOL
client agencies, and provide $5.3 million for information technology
and legal support infrastructure. The additional staff will better
enable SOL to provide increased enforcement litigation, more timely
legal opinions, and legal support for rulemaking. The $5.3 million
request for infrastructure will increase SOL's litigation efficiency
and improve its case management and reporting system.
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
For administrative expenses of the Pension Benefit Guaranty
Corporation (PBGC), the fiscal year 2010 budget requests $464.1 million
and 931 FTE, an increase of $19.3 million over the fiscal year 2009
level. In fiscal year 2010, PBGC will strive to prevent unnecessary and
avoidable terminations of underfunded pension plans, to mitigate the
risk of losses to the insurance program, and to enhance recoveries in
bankruptcy for the benefit of plan participants and the insurance
funds. The request includes an additional $15 million to help PBGC
respond to the threat posed by the struggling economy to defined
benefit pension plans. These funds will support actuarial and financial
advisory services to better understand the exposure and risk faced by
the pension insurance program. In addition, $500,000 and three FTE are
requested to increase the capacity of the Office of Inspector General
to investigate PBGC's benefit payment, asset management, and
contracting operations.
The budget also includes a change to the appropriations language
that ``triggers'' the availability of additional administrative funds
if there are unanticipated pension plan termination-related expenses.
Because of concerns that a large plan failure late in the fiscal year
would trigger additional funds that could not be fully obligated within
the fiscal year, the budget proposes to make these triggered funds
available for 2 years.
innovative workforce training strategies
The fiscal year 2010 budget request for the Department's Employment
and Training Administration (ETA) is $8.7 billion in discretionary
funds and 812 FTE, not including the 131 FTE associated with the
foreign labor certification application fees.
We are grateful to the Congress for providing funding for the
employment and training programs in the Recovery Act. This funding
provides the basis of an aggressive plan to put Americans back to work.
Our fiscal year 2010 budget request will supplement Recovery Act
funding with the targeted investments highlighted in this section. I am
particularly excited about the use of innovative strategies and
programs designed to increase the skills and competitiveness of the
American workforce, including segments of the population that have been
underserved in the past.
Dislocated Workers
The budget requests an increase of $71.1 million in the Dislocated
Worker National Reserve to fund National Emergency Grants. This will
enable ETA to provide additional, targeted resources to aid in the re-
employment of dislocated workers, as current projections indicate that
there will continue to be high levels of unemployment into fiscal year
2010.
The economy, along with a major expansion of eligibility and
benefits enacted as part of the Recovery Act, is also the primary
factor in the request for an increase of $860 million for the Trade
Adjustment Assistance program, which will support training and income
support for trade-impacted workers. States that assist workers who lose
jobs will also receive $3.2 billion for the administration of
unemployment insurance based on estimates of claims workload for the
fiscal year.
Career Pathways Innovation Fund
The fiscal year 2010 budget requests $135 million for the Career
Pathways Innovation Fund, which is a $10 million increase over the
amount awarded in fiscal year 2009 through Community-Based Job Training
Grants. Competitive grants provided by the new fund will continue the
support for community colleges provided by Community-Based Job Training
Grants, but will focus on career pathway programs at community
colleges. These programs help individuals of varying skill levels enter
and pursue rewarding careers in high-demand and emerging industries.
Career pathway programs are clear sequences of coursework and
credentials, each leading to a better job in a particular field, such
as healthcare, law enforcement, and clean energy. These programs have
multiple entry and exit points and often include links to services,
such as basic adult education and English-as-a-Second Language classes,
which make them accessible to individuals who are not yet prepared to
enroll in college courses. Career pathways are a relatively new
strategy for community colleges, but several existing programs have
shown promising outcomes.
The Department will work with the Department of Education as it
develops and implements this new initiative, especially to gain insight
into curriculum development, the importance of credit transferability,
and linkages between community colleges and K-12 education.
Green Jobs
The budget requests $50 million for a Green Jobs Innovation Fund,
which will complement the competitive grant awards made through the
$500 million appropriation included for high growth and emerging
industry sectors under the Recovery Act. The Department is considering
several targeted strategies for these funds, including: (1) enhanced
apprenticeship opportunities in green industry sectors and occupations;
(2) competitive grants for green career pathways, focusing on
developing educational opportunities in green industries; and (3)
incentives for innovative partnerships that connect community-based
organizations in underserved communities with the workforce investment
system to promote career advancement in green industry sectors.
YouthBuild
The fiscal year 2010 budget includes $114 million, an increase of
$44 million, or 64 percent, over the fiscal year 2009 enacted level for
YouthBuild to provide competitive grants to local organizations for the
education and training of approximately 7,100 disadvantaged youth ages
16-24. Under these grants, youth will participate in classroom training
and learn construction skills by helping to build affordable housing.
In fiscal year 2010, the Department will continue the ``green''
transition of YouthBuild by encouraging connections with other Federal
agencies involved in creating green jobs, such as the Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Energy in
order to leverage resources and new ``green'' opportunities for
YouthBuild participants.
Transitional Jobs
The fiscal year 2010 budget proposes $50 million to demonstrate and
evaluate transitional job program models, which combine short-term
subsidized or supported employment with case management services to
help individuals with significant employment barriers obtain the skills
needed to secure unsubsidized jobs. The initiative will target
noncustodial parents to strengthen their workforce skills and
experience, and help the children who rely on them for support. The
Department will carry out this demonstration collaboratively with other
Federal agencies, such as the Departments of Health and Human Services
and Justice. We will work with partner agencies to develop and
implement a rigorous evaluation strategy for this demonstration.
Reintegration of Ex-offenders
The fiscal year 2010 budget requests $115 million, an increase of
$6.5 million over the fiscal year 2009 enacted level, for a program
that brings together projects for adult and youth offenders. A portion
of the funding will be used to support ex-offender programs under the
Second Chance Act, and provide job training, mentoring, and
transitional services to ex-offenders. The funding will also support
grants to target juvenile and young adult offenders, and youth highly
at risk of involvement in crime and violence.
Strengthening Unemployment Insurance Integrity and Promoting Re-
employment
The economic downturn has placed great stress on the Unemployment
Insurance (UI) system, which finances the unemployment compensation
program. In addition to financing the administration of State
workloads, the administration is committed to protecting the financial
integrity of the UI system, and to helping unemployed workers return to
work as promptly as possible. Our approach includes:
--A total of $50 million in discretionary funding, an increase of $10
million over the fiscal year 2009 enacted level, to expand
Reemployment and Eligibility Assessments, which include in-
person interviews at One-Stop Career Centers with UI
beneficiaries to discuss their need for re-employment services
and their continuing eligibility for benefits. This initiative
has helped UI beneficiaries find jobs faster and reduced
payments to ineligible individuals.
--A package of legislative changes that would prevent, identify, and
collect UI overpayments and delinquent employer taxes. We
estimate that these legislative proposals would reduce
overpayments by $3.9 billion and employer tax evasion by $300
million over 10 years.
In addition, the administration will seek reform of the UI
program's permanent Extended Benefit (EB) feature to improve its
efficiency as an automatic economic stabilizer and streamline
administration. We urge the Congress to act on these important
proposals to strengthen the financial integrity of the UI system and
help unemployed workers return to work.
Senior Community Service Employment Program
The fiscal year 2010 budget proposes $575 million for the Senior
Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), which will enroll some
90,000 low-income seniors in part-time, minimum wage community service
jobs. The request includes an additional $3.5 million over the fiscal
year 2009 enacted level to finance the increase in the Federal minimum
wage that will occur on July 24, 2009. ETA will focus its technical
assistance efforts on transitioning seniors in programs funded by the
Recovery Act into the regular 2010 program with minimal disruption.
Job Corps
The budget includes $1.7 billion to operate a nationwide network of
124 Job Corps centers in fiscal year 2010. Job Corps provides training
to address the individual needs of at-risk youth and ultimately equip
them to become qualified candidates for the world of work. Job Corps
received $250 million from the Recovery Act, which it is using to fund
shovel-ready construction projects that stimulate job growth in center
communities. In addition, the Recovery Act funds are promoting
environmental stewardship in Job Corps by supporting development of
green-collar job training, technology enhancements, and fleet
efficiency.
Veterans' Employment and Training Service
When it comes to training and employment, we will never forget our
commitment to our veterans. For the Department's Veterans' Employment
and Training Service (VETS), the fiscal year 2010 budget request is
$255 million and 234 FTE. The fiscal year 2010 budget includes $35
million for the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP), an
increase of $9 million (34 percent) above fiscal year 2009. The request
will allow the program to provide employment and training assistance to
an additional 7,200 homeless veterans, with an increased emphasis on
aiding homeless women veterans. The budget also includes a $2 million
increase for Veterans Workforce Investment Programs to provide services
to veterans that will result in new skills and employment in Green
Jobs. In addition, the budget requests an increase of $3.5 million to
expand access to the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) for spouses
and family members (including those with limited English proficiency).
TAP Workshops play a key role in reducing jobless spells and helping
servicemembers transition successfully to civilian employment.
I place a strong priority on ensuring that the innovative programs
I have described above are available to persons in all communities
across our Nation, including those living in rural communities. I am
eager to partner with my colleagues in the Cabinet and you to ensure
this happens.
ensuring accountability and transparency
Spending tax dollars wisely helps the Department achieve our
mission on behalf of America's workers, and builds trust among our
stakeholders. We are committed to ensuring a sense of responsibility,
accountability, and transparency at the Department of Labor. Our fiscal
year 2010 budget supports those goals.
Workforce Data Quality Initiative
The fiscal year 2010 budget requests $15 million for a Workforce
Data Quality Initiative of competitive grants to support the
development of longitudinal data systems that integrate education and
workforce data. Longitudinal data systems track individuals as they
progress through the education system and into the workforce. Some
States have developed comprehensive systems that link individuals'
demographic information, high school transcripts, college transcripts,
and quarterly wage data. These data systems can provide valuable
information to consumers, practitioners, policymakers, and researchers
about the performance of education and workforce development programs.
The Department will work to develop this grant program with input
from the Department of Education. Grants will help States to
incorporate workforce information into their longitudinal data systems,
as well as undertake activities to improve the quality and
accessibility of performance data reported by training providers.
Improving information available from training providers is crucial to
helping consumers make informed decisions when choosing among training
programs.
A Renewed Commitment to Program Evaluation
In recent years, the Department's evaluation capacity has eroded,
and it has funded too few high-quality evaluations of its programs. The
administration and the Department recognize the need to conduct a
rigorous evaluation agenda to determine which programs and
interventions work and inform its policy, management, and resource
allocation decisions. The fiscal year 2010 budget provides $5 million
for a new Department-wide initiative to support rigorous evaluations
across the Department of Labor. The new initiative will allow expansion
of evaluation activities to other programs, with a priority on large,
lightly examined, and/or high-priority programs. In addition, the
budget requests an increase of $5 million for ETA's evaluation budget
for job training and employment programs. As part of this initiative,
the Department of Labor would look to build partnerships with the
academic community and other outside parties to leverage private-sector
research activities; make public its research and evaluation agenda,
and develop the agenda based on feedback from the public, Congress, and
its stakeholders.
other programs
Bureau of Labor Statistics
In order to maintain the development of timely and accurate
statistics on major labor market indicators, the fiscal year 2010
budget provides the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) with $611.6
million and 2,416 FTE. This funding level provides BLS with the
necessary resources to continue producing sensitive and critical
economic data, including the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the monthly
Employment Situation report. In addition, the fiscal year 2010 budget
includes an increase of $8 million and 10 FTE to produce new data on
employment and wages for businesses whose primary activities can be
defined as ``green,'' and produce information on the occupations
involved in green economic activities.
Office of Disability Employment Policy
The fiscal year 2010 budget provides the Office of Disability
Employment Policy (ODEP) with a total of $37 million and 49 FTE, an
increase of $10 million (39 percent) over fiscal year 2009. With the
increase, ODEP will support a new initiative that builds upon the
lessons learned through the Work Incentive Grant demonstration
Disability Navigators, and focuses on working with employers, the One-
Stop system, and other stakeholders to vigorously promote the hiring,
job placement, and retention of individuals with disabilities,
particularly youth, in integrated employment, apprenticeship, and pre-
apprenticeship programs, and community service activities. The fiscal
year 2010 budget also proposes ``Add Us In!''--a new grant program for
minority youth with disabilities who are transitioning from school
(secondary or postsecondary) to employment and are interested in
entrepreneurship. Financed within ODEP's base budget, the initiative
would feature collaboration with minority chambers of commerce.
Bureau of International Labor Affairs
The fiscal year 2010 request for the Bureau of International Labor
Affairs (ILAB) is $91.4 million and 95 FTE. The request provides an
increase of $5.3 million and 12 FTE to allow ILAB to step up its
monitoring and oversight of workers rights. This will involve closer
monitoring and reporting on labor conditions worldwide, with a goal of
reducing violations of worker rights and incidents of child labor,
forced labor, and human trafficking. The fiscal year 2010 budget will
maintain ILAB's child labor and worker rights activities at the fiscal
year 2009 level
Women's Bureau
The fiscal year 2010 budget includes $10.6 million and 52 FTE for
the Women's Bureau. This budget will allow the Women's Bureau to
continue its mission of designing innovative projects addressing issues
of importance to working women and providing information about programs
and polices that help women attain high paying, career ladder jobs in
nontraditional fields, including opportunities in green industry
sectors and occupations.
conclusion
With the resources we have requested for fiscal year 2010, the
Department will step up its enforcement of worker protection laws;
provide innovative training and employment programs that promote green
investments while ensuring diversity and inclusion; increase employment
opportunities for our Nation's veterans and their families; and ensure
our programs are accountable and understandable to the public and our
stakeholders.
Mr. Chairman, this is an overview of the programs proposed at the
Department of Labor for fiscal year 2010. I am happy to respond to any
questions that you may have.
Thank you.

Senator Harkin. Thank you very much, Madam Secretary.
Again, I really appreciate the focus you've made getting back
in the game on OSHA and worker protections. And what you're
doing on dislocated workers, especially during this period of
time, and on the green jobs. I just, again, commend you and
President Obama for focusing on this area.
And as I understand it, you're looking at the green jobs in
different areas and different programs that you have under your
jurisdiction. One of those is the Career Pathways Innovation
Fund for community colleges. It's been my experience that a lot
of these community colleges are the ones that are really in the
forefront of developing curricula and teaching our kids these
new green jobs technologies.
And so I hope that the Pathways Fund will be used for
getting more program information to community colleges for them
to use for developing these new careers in renewable energy and
wind energy and transportation. There are a lot of different
things that they're teaching in the community colleges.
Thank you very much for your increase in ODEP. This is
something that we just can't fall back on and we've got to
continue our efforts to get more people with disabilities
employed. And of course the ILAB on keeping our position, as a
leader in the world, and on getting rid of the worst forms of
child labor.
I remember--I was driving to work one day and I was
listening to--what do I listen to in the morning, 81.5, WAMU--
and it was talking about, this was a couple months ago--and
about the impact that President Obama has had on young people.
And there was--this inner city school teacher talking about how
kids in her classroom were now, paying more attention and
taking pride in their schoolwork.
And she had this one kid, she said, who'd been noted as a
trouble maker. And this kid said something like, ``They say I'm
a trouble maker and my teacher says I'm impossible. Well, I
want to be possible.'' And, I think that's the kind of spirit
that has come from President Obama, that kids want to be
possible.
So, we've got to focus a lot on our minority youth in this
country, and their training and their skills, and their
education, and making sure that they can become possible, like
this one young man said.
So, that's your job. I mean, that's the job that I see at
the Department of Labor, what you can do is you can really
carry this out and focus on the areas of getting our young
people trained for the careers of tomorrow.

EMPLOYMENT OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

The only questions I have is on the employment of persons
with disabilities. You requested $10 million over last year, I
thank you for that. But, then again, we look at a $17 million
Disability Navigators Program that was funded through the Work
Incentives Grants.
Now those Disability Navigator Grants were often used to
increase physical and program accessibility at your one-stop
centers. Well, that's going away and now we have a $10 million
increase. So, am I really looking at a $7 million decrease in
funding?
I'm just concerned about the wide-ranging problems with
accessibility and participation of job seekers with
disabilities in the one-stop system. Can you assure me that
this issue, which was previously the focus of the Disability
Navigators--that was funded under the Work Incentives Grant
program--will continue to be a priority of this Department?
Secretary Solis. Mr. Chairman, Senator Harkin, yes. I would
say that one of the things that--and please keep in mind that I
have only been in office, not even 3 months yet, and I did come
in at a time when the budget was somewhat already being
prepared.
Senator Harkin. Right.
Secretary Solis. So, it was very interesting to be in those
discussions. But I continue to remain very supportive of the
notion that we have to really fully integrate services for our
disabled population, at every point in our agency, where we
can. So, not just at the one-stops, but also in our efforts--
and I think I may have mentioned this at our confirmation
hearing--we're going to see an unusually large number of
returning veterans, that are going to have severe brain injury
and traumatic stress.
We also need to expand what we do with the disabled
community, in addition to those that are currently here and
have not found employment. And I would hope that our State
agencies will work with us now, because these demonstration
programs that you note, the Navigator Program, have been in
existence--and they were supposed to be demonstration
projects--the funding has now been fully exercised there. My
hope is to get, and our directives are, that the State agencies
will pick up that responsibility, as well.
So, I'm going to do whatever I can to make sure that
happens, and then hopefully work with this subcommittee to see
that we can increase our efforts to collaborate, not just
within DOL, but also with DOE, and with other agencies, the
Veterans Administration as well, to see how we can expand the
services and work intersegmentally with these other agencies,
and also have pools of money, where we can do a little bit
better targeting.
I think this is going to be a great opportunity for us. I'm
very excited. Once I have my leadership in place in ODEP, that
we're going to have, I think, some very innovative strategies
to bring back to you in this subcommittee.
Senator Harkin. I appreciate that. Well, I look forward to
working with you in that area.
I have another question, but I will do it in another round
if we have time. At this point, I just yield to Senator
Cochran.

GULFPORT JOBS CORPS CENTER

Senator Cochran. Mr. Chairman, thank you very much.
Madam Secretary, we appreciate the call you made the other
day to advise us of the release of--of funds under the National
Emergency Grants (NEG)--there are more acronyms in this budget
than in any budget--it's the National Emergency Grant, and it
was an extension of a grant that had been made and approved to
the State of Mississippi by the Department of Labor. And they
had requested additional funding, and your call indicated that
that had been approved. And I just wanted to thank you for
that, and encourage the Department to continue to monitor the
needs that exist on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, as a result of
Hurricane Katrina.
One example, is a Job Corps center that was destroyed in
the hurricane, and it has not been rebuilt. We were hopeful
that funds would be made available for the Gulfport Jobs Corps
Center. And it was scheduled to be opened, reopened in August
of this year. There's an interim modular building, I think,
being used right now for about 150 students, but we hope that
that can be accelerated and we can move toward a completion of
that center at an early date.
Do you have anything in your notes about that?
Secretary Solis. Yes, I do, Senator Cochran. And, I realize
that I also inherited this--this challenge, and we will work
diligently to try to really streamline the process so that we
can get this up and moving in, hopefully, a shorter timeframe;
2011, I believe is what we're looking at, to fully operate the
Job Corps Center. And meanwhile, as you said, we do have other
transitional modulars that are out there to help with the
different Job Corps students that need assistance.
I do want to mention that during Katrina and the recovery
effort, that the Youth Build Program was very, very involved in
helping to provide assistance, construction, other types of
exercises that they were fully involved in. So our programs are
working, and I just wanted to report that to you, that we're
watching and monitoring and want to continue to work with you
and to see that this Job Corps Program is fully implemented and
that it's up to speed and ready to go, in a shorter period of
time.
Senator Cochran. Well, we appreciate your personal interest
in that goal, and thank you for your attention to that. We had
in our committee report that that Youth Build Program, which
specifically was actively engaged in the construction of new
homes and helping rebuild neighborhoods and communities all
along the Gulf of Mexico. So, we appreciate that.

DISLOCATED WORKER PROGRAM

There was a decrease in funding, that we were advised
about, for the State of Mississippi of 50.4 percent, a
reduction which amounts to $13.8 million below the amount the
State received in WIA funds in fiscal year 2008. I'm advised
that funds are distributed to States based on the State's
unemployment rate and the rise in its unemployment rate
compared--as compared with other States.
I think what has happened is, that in other States,
unemployment rates have increased over the previous years, at a
higher level than they did in Mississippi, and so our State
ended up getting a decrease in funding, as compared with--with
the funds received from other States. Is there any--is there
any plan to address that or to make a request for supplemental
funding, so that a State can be held harmless? The unemployment
rate is still high, there are probably more people unemployed
than there were last year, but because other States have much
higher unemployment rates, Mississippi loses money and it gets
transferred to other States. That's the way I read that.
Secretary Solis. Yes.
Senator Cochran. Is that the way that program works?
Secretary Solis. Unfortunately, you hit it right on the
nose, Senator. The program you're talking about is Dislocated
Worker Funding, and it's a formula-based funding. So, those
formulas are set by--by you, the Senate and the Congress. And
unfortunately, I understand this is an issue that we may want
to address as we go through WIA reauthorization. I know some
members are very concerned about this. And I also agree that
something has to be done.
In my request, before you, I'm asking for an additional $71
million in the NEG, so we can address this issue as soon as we
can. That isn't the cure-all though; the long-term problem is
we have to fix the formula so that when crises like this occur.
We are hoping to be able to not penalize States and hold them
harmless when they're--when you see continuing unemployment
rate that just is not going down over a period of 2 years.
The program wasn't intended to fund as many States in this
manner, is what I believe, and so, yes, this is a crisis and we
have to take measures to modify that. So I will work--I would
love to work with you, Senator, and with this subcommittee, and
other members who have already expressed concern about this
issue.
Senator Cochran. Thank you very much.
Senator Harkin. Thank you, Senator Cochran.
Senator Murray.
Senator Murray. Thank you very much.
And, Secretary Solis, welcome to this subcommittee. Thank
you for your conversation yesterday and for all the work that
you are doing. I really appreciate you having this hearing
today.
Following up on Senator Cochran, I had a question on the
same thing, because this does have to do with the distribution
of the WIA funds for the Dislocated Worker Program. When we
originally set up the formula for this, it was meant to be
dynamic so that it could react to the ebb and flow of a
turbulent economy, but the formula has actually now impacted
some States in a negative way. And we are going to have to
figure out how to do that in the future, so that we don't end
up in a situation--my State is estimated to lose about $200
million under the current challenge that we've got.
You mentioned using some of the NEG to fill in the gaps. Do
you need an additional appropriation from the Senate bill to do
that or are you going to use what you currently have until we
can meet those obligations?
Secretary Solis. Senator Murray, thank you for your
question. We're going to try to exhaust the $1.2 billion
that's--that has been provided in the Recovery Act, and I'm
assuming that that may go more quickly than we assume. So, we
are requesting the $71 million to help--to help that.
Senator Murray. Okay, could you let us know where you are
with that formula--or with the NEG grants and where the
shortfalls are, and when you expect to hit them, because a
number of States have been impacted?
Secretary Solis. Absolutely.
Senator Murray. Okay, thank you.

PELL GRANTS FOR UNEMPLOYED WORKERS

I wanted to ask you--on Friday, the President announced an
initiative to ensure that those who are unemployed will be
eligible for Pell Grants. Has your budget team and the budget
team of the Department of Education (DOE) come up with an
estimate of the amount of funds that will be necessary to carry
out that extension?
Secretary Solis. Senator Murray, as I spoke with you
regarding this issue, we are--we are now looking at how this
program will be implemented. I don't have that figure in front
of me at this moment, because our staff is working on that now.
But I know this is something that--I know you have a great deal
of concern and I expressed to you that I--through your
leadership, we want to work with you to make sure that we do
the best, in terms of implementing this, and try to do the
best, in terms of delivery and efficiency.
I think it's an exciting program. I'm not sure quite how
DOE and ourselves will have all the mechanics, but I know our
staff is working on it. It's an exciting topic, but I have
similar concerns that you might have.
Senator Murray. I agree that it's much needed and, you
know, in the right direction. I just want to know what our--our
cost is going to be and how that's going to be appropriated or
if it will come from other funds. So if you can work with the
Department of Education and come back and let us know what the
costs of that are going to be.
Are you considering expanding that to immediate family
members or does the proposal include immediate family members,
children of unemployed workers, or is it just the worker
themselves?
Secretary Solis. I don't have all the specific details
because this has just been rolled out Friday, but my
understanding, it's for unemployed workers--we haven't really
discussed what other family members would be impacted.
So, certainly I will get back to you as soon as I can, and
possibly later today.
Senator Murray. Okay, I appreciate that very much.

FUNDS FOR JOB CORPS

Also, I wanted to ask you about the funds for Job Corps,
which is the largest program in the Federal Government to help
our at-risk youth. It targets some of our hardest-to-serve 16
to 24-year-olds, many of them with criminal records, most of
them with poor reading and math skills, and probably with very
limited attachment to any kind of school or labor market.
I have been told that this is a time when our young adults
are facing the worst job market since World War II, so I am
following the Job Corps very closely; I think it's a very
important part of our dealing with that challenge. It's a
public/private partnership with 94 of the 122 Job Corps Centers
that are run today by corporations and private, not-for-profit
organizations, and it is a competitively awarded contract. I
think it's a really good program.
I was concerned it was flat-funded in your budget request.
Do you think this is a program that needs to have some
increased cost, particularly at this economic time when a lot
of our kids are facing some real challenges?
Secretary Solis. I think that what we're looking at right
now is still the $37 million that was provided through the
Recovery Act. That was a substantial increase, overall. So,
that also does set somewhat of a precedent.
What I'm looking at now is trying to make sure that we can,
also as Senator Harkin was saying earlier, the chairman, about
trying to make sure that these programs really have career
ladders, that we also look at opportunities to go to a
community college, or a tech or vocational school and get a
certificate, but also green these programs. So, that's also
going to take additional focus and funds.
Job Corps programs, I think, are wonderful. I've seen them
in effect even here in the District, in D.C., and they're not
all green jobs--obviously you have people that are going into
healthcare, and I think that there's--it's worthwhile to have a
discussion, to see how there can be some innovation provided in
Job Corps.
I think their goal, the focused population that they have,
is well-meaning. But I do think there can be more that we can
provide, in terms of assistance.
Yesterday, when I spoke before the Appropriations Committee
in the House, there were concerns, also, about funding that may
not be as exuberant at this time----
Senator Murray. I appreciate that the Economic Recovery
package has money for this, but if we don't have long-term,
sustained requests for beyond the timeframe of the Economic
Recovery package, we're going to be in a very bad place.
So, this is something I care a lot about, Mr. Chairman, and
I hope we can work it out.
Secretary Solis. Senator Murray, if I can just explain,
also, one of the things I would like to do as Secretary of
Labor, is to put Job Corps back with the other programs in the
Employment and Training Administration.
Senator Murray. I saw that proposal, actually.
Secretary Solis. And really try to make more meaningful,
what we're doing with all of our youth. So there is more
coordination, there's no overlap, and that we really focus in,
in a more meaningful way. And this will be a good opportunity,
and that's a prerogative that I have as Secretary of Labor.

PREPARED STATEMENT

Senator Murray. Okay, very good. I appreciate that.
Thank you.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Senator Patty Murray
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding this hearing to examine the
President's fiscal year 2010 budget proposal for the Department of
Labor.
I would also like to extend my appreciation to Secretary Solis for
coming before this subcommittee to discuss the administration's
proposal.
America's working families are facing some of the toughest economic
challenges in a generation. As of last month, more than 13 million
people were unemployed in this country. And, we've lost 5.7 million
jobs since the recession began.
Too many parents are forced to choose between going to work and
taking care of a sick child. Families are struggling to pay tuition, or
keep food on the table--and many depend on weekly unemployment
insurance benefits because the pool of jobs has dried up in their
communities.
America's working families are looking for hope, and they are
looking for a champion. Hope that they'll be able to stand on their own
once again, and a champion to stand up for them when they aren't able
to stand up for themselves.
And I believe that a restored and focused Labor Department can do
just that--it can help the millions of unemployed job seekers find
training for careers in new, growing industries. It can help them
access the benefits they need to get by until they can stand on their
own again. It can help keep them safe and healthy in the workplace, and
guard against unfair labor practices. And, it can be their advocate at
the highest levels of the administration during this economic recovery.
I believe that this administration is committed to making working
families a priority once again in this country.
And, for the most part, the President's budget proposal for the
Department of Labor reflects that commitment.
As the chair of the Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace
Safety, I was particularly encouraged to see the significant
investments in labor protections and workplace safety and health across
the Department. I was pleased to see a proposal to strengthen State
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) programs, like the
one in my home State of Washington, that extend the work of national
OSHA, but, for too long, have not had sufficient resources.
And, I'm glad to see a renewed investment in quality data,
evaluation, and reports so that Congress and the public can clearly see
which efforts work and which don't.
I was also pleased to see an effort to move Job Corp back to the
Employment and Training Administration where it belongs.
And as the author of the Promoting Innovations to the 21st Century
Act, a bill focused on career pathways for young people, I was very
pleased to see a focus on pathways under the Workforce Investment Act
programs.
While I'm very pleased with most of the budget, I do have some
concerns about the priorities reflected in the Workforce Investment Act
proposed levels.
I appreciate the fact that the Department did not cut these funds,
but I had hoped for a significant investment in job training programs--
particularly as our Nation works to recover from this recession.
I fought for the Recovery Act to include a $4.2 billion investment
in jobs training, a much needed shot in the arm for a system that's
been neglected during the last administration and had its capacity to
serve large numbers of job seekers severely diminished.
And while this was a strong step in the right direction, I believe
that we need to do more to rebuild the system's capacity and adequately
serve our workers.
For example, those areas that are rebuilding their summer youth
programs with the investment we made in the Recovery Act, may not be
able to sustain them at the recommended 2010 levels.
I hope that as we move forward and learn more about the impacts of
the Recovery Act funds, that you will work with me and this
subcommittee to strengthen and focus our investments in education and
training for America's workers.
As we've discussed several times, I'm committed to reauthorizing
the Workforce Investment Act. And I want to ensure we're investing in
our workers to help them get the training they need to fill the high-
skill, high-wage jobs of the future, and help get our economy back on
track.
I'm also concerned that the proposal for Job Corps funding levels
sends the wrong message. It's a valuable program that serves as a
second chance for many youth in our country, and in these tough
economic times I think it should be a priority.
And, while the funding levels for the Senior Community Service
Employment Program received a bump, it only covers the minimum wage
increase. And, it still serves less than 1 percent of the eligible
population, low-income older workers who struggle to find jobs. I hope
that you will work with Congress to find a solution that strengthens
this program moving forward.
I look forward to hearing from you today, Secretary Solis, and to
our continued partnership.

Senator Harkin. Thank you, Senator Murray.
Senator Pryor.
Senator Pryor. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

COBRA PREMIUM ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

Madam Secretary, let me start with a question that is more
immediate, and that is on the COBRA Premium Assistance program,
I think you mentioned it in your opening statement.
We've had--and I'm sure that the other Senators have had--
lots of calls and concerns and confusion about--from unemployed
workers--about the COBRA provision in the Recovery Package. Can
you just give the subcommittee, here, a little update on the
initiative you're working on, and how the effort is going to be
set up?
Secretary Solis. There is--thank you, Senator--there is a
lot of interest in the program. In fact, reports we're getting
back from our regional offices is that there's an overwhelming
number of individuals, participants, who want to know how to
get involved in the program. And it is----
Senator Pryor. We get a lot of those calls, too.
Secretary Solis. There's a lot of calls. In fact, I'm not
quite sure that our systems are really prepared to receive all
of those incoming calls.
I know that there will be--that we are anticipating that
there will probably be a process that may prolong itself in
terms of appeals that might be made, because there also has to
be substantiation of where the individual was working. So, that
will require some backup, or it will happen as a consequence of
all of these calls.
So, I am concerned about that, and our staff is doing
everything we can. I don't have my full leadership in place,
yet, so that's also been a hindrance, because I have to rely on
the current staff that are there.
So, it's a challenge, but it's one that I know we are very,
very focused on, and we'd like to get back to you with more
details.

UNEMPLOYMENT OVERPAYMENTS

Senator Pryor. Okay, let me ask, if I can, about
unemployment insurance. There's a--in the budget the
administration puts forward an idea to reduce unemployment
overpayments by about $3.9 billion. What is going on in this
system where, you know, it sounds like $3.9 billion, you've got
a lot of people who are overpaying every year. Can we fix that
system? Do you feel like the Department of Labor is on top of
that?
Secretary Solis. That is going to be a priority for this
Department. This also came up yesterday in our hearings before
the House appropriators, and it is something that we know we
will need resources to do a better job to focus here, to go
after those fraudulent claims and collect that money.
So, it will be a priority for this new administration.

EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS

Senator Pryor. One of the things that your Department does,
it may be kind of mundane, but that's important to a lot of
people that statistics are tracked by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics. I know, last year we had someone calling our
office, they were trying to get a handle on--I think it may
have been on an economic development issue, I don't recall
right now, but they were trying to get a handle on some real
specific statistics for Arkansas. And basically, I think what
they wanted was local employment statistics, and the Bureau of
Labor Statistics told us that they're no longer collecting or
disseminating the specific statistic my constituent wanted.
And I notice in the budget there's an $8 million increase
for the BLS, Bureau of Labor Statistics--do you know if you are
going to restore some of the things that you used to do? Do you
know anything about that?
Secretary Solis. Senator, I don't know specifically about
the response with respect to your State, but certainly the
monies that we are requesting will go into also helping to look
at jobs in the green industry, but also looking at where we are
not doing a good job in terms of gathering data on
disabilities, on different populations.
And certainly, one of my concerns, as a former member of
the House, was always wanting to have a quick response in terms
of what our cities, our locales, what those figures were. And I
can tell you in all honesty, that I would always look up in my
local paper, what the local States have, because they typically
have the best information. I know that our Bureau coordinates,
but we need to have a better approach to having that more
immediately.
So, I know I will be working very closely, I think this is
something very important, and we do have to reconfigure what, I
believe, some of the priorities are in the BLS. And of course,
this is going to be a challenge, and we'll need to work closely
on this.
Senator Pryor. Great, thank you.

VETERANS' EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING SERVICE

And the last question I had was about, something that's a
follow-up to one of your earlier questions and your opening
statement, the Veterans' Employment and Training Service--you
have the request of $225 million. Do you feel like that's
sufficient, given the fact that we have so many folks coming
back from Iraq and Afghanistan and given the tempo that the
military's been at, recently. Do you feel like that $255
million is sufficient?
Secretary Solis. Senator, I want to be as honest as I can.
I still have yet to be able to place my leadership team
together in that particular unit, so I'm awaiting that. But my
personal commitment is that we need to do everything we can to
coordinate with other Federal agencies. We certainly have a key
component in helping to help folks that are coming back to get
back into their job, and we're finding that a lot of veterans
are not being re-employed. That is going to, obviously, take a
lot of effort, and hours to do that.
But we also want to expand how we work with veterans and
with their families and their spouses. That's an initiative
that the President's wife, Michelle Obama, is also taking on,
which I take very seriously.
So, I want to try to integrate as many things as I can with
the current resources and the other agencies that can help us
do that. Because it's going to--it's going to require what I
would say are more wrap-around services, to really help address
the issues of these returning soldiers.
So I agree with you, this has to be a priority, and we'd
like to work with you to see how we can really formalize a good
program, because this is going to be ongoing.

PREPARED STATEMENT

Senator Pryor. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Senator Mark Pryor
Thank you Chairman Harkin and Senator Cochran for holding this
subcommittee hearing concerning the budget request for the United
States Department of Labor.
I appreciate Secretary Hilda Solis appearing before this
subcommittee today.
The Department of Labor is responsible for protecting wages and
working conditions for 135 million workers in more than 7.3 million
workplaces.
As the country faces its most profound economic downturn since the
Great Depression, it is critical that we meet our responsibilities to
unemployed workers and that we take the steps necessary to ensure that
workers are trained or retrained in the skills that are needed to keep
our country competitive.
I look forward to hearing Secretary Solis' testimony and having the
opportunity to ask questions.

Senator Harkin. Thank you, Senator Pryor.

FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT

Madam Secretary, in March I held a hearing on the
Department's oversight of what we call the 14-C Program under
the Fair Labor Standards Act. And this arose out of a terrible
situation that was uncovered in my State of Iowa.
The 14-C Program, as you know, is a program that allows
employers to pay subminimum wages--subminimum wages--to
individuals with disabilities, especially individuals with
intellectual disabilities--because they maybe can't produce as
much. They have a program that allows them to pay subminimum
wages; it's been in the law for a long time.
Now, here's what happened, though. In this situation which
came to light, and it's been going on for many years, like 30-
some years--individuals with intellectual disabilities, what we
might call mentally retarded in the past, were hired by a
company in Texas--Henry's Turkey Service. They were put on a
bus and shipped to Iowa, to work at a Turkey plant in southeast
Iowa. These were all men. They were then put up in a kind of a
rooming house, which was an old abandoned schoolhouse, and they
got up at 3 or 4 in the morning, got on a bus, went to work
there at this plant. Many of them worked right alongside of the
other workers, doing the same work that the workers were doing.
They were housed in this schoolhouse--I think the monthly
rental on that whole school is, like, $600 a month, for the
whole building. And yet each of these--how many were there?
Twenty-some individuals, were charged $1,200 a month for their
rent. And that was taken out of their pay--that was taken out
of their pay.
And so this situation was uncovered, but that--the thing
that was startling was not--was how bad this was, but the fact
that it had gone on for years, and no one knew about it.
And then the more I dug into it, the more I found out. This
company--their 14-C application had expired, and you have to
get it renewed every couple of years. And it expired, and yet
nothing was done--it just expired.
And so the hearing I held was on this issue of, how could
this happen? And how many people is the country are we talking
about? Is this just some isolated little incident that we don't
need to change anything for?
Well, a GAO report I found out about indicated in 2001,
(GAO-01-886) there were approximately 424,000 workers in
America, paid subminimum wages. These are people with
intellectual disabilities, mental retardation, most of them.
Well, it's also come to my attention that the Department of
Labor--this Department of Labor--really has a minimal number of
people working on this, and it's all done by paper. They send
the paper out, the employer fills it out, sends it back in and
says, ``Yes, I'm under the 14-C Program,'' and that's it, then
they file it, and that's it.
Federal inspectors had been at this plant once, some years
ago, and nothing was done. It wasn't until a local worker, a
State worker had uncovered this that it all came to light what
was going on. People--some of these men had been working there
for, like, 20 years, and had nothing to show for it--they had
no retirement, they had no benefits, they had nothing. Some of
them work in there every day, 8 hours a day, 40 hours a week,
sometimes overtime, and some of them had, like $6 a month
leftover. I mean, this was a scandal. And it just--you think,
how could that happen in America?
Well, I tell you this story because it's something I want
to work with you on, and we've got to get a better handle on
this 14-C Program. And I'm developing some legislation. But I
think there's a lot that can be done administratively on this,
to tighten down and make sure that people who are applying for
14-C exemptions actually are doing what they say they're doing.
That the people qualify, and that they really are doing work at
a reduced rate, you know what I'm saying, they're not as
productive.
I'm not against the 14-C Program, don't get me wrong. It
can be a good thing for a lot of people with severe
disabilities to actually have some employment. But, obviously,
if they can't produce much, then you pay them a little bit
less--I understand that.
But, I wanted to make sure that they're actually--are they
actually, really, so disabled that they can not make at least
the minimum wage, or more, if you get my point.
Secretary Solis. Yes.
Senator Harkin. Somebody has to make those determinations.
It's all done by paper, now, we have no inspectors, going out
there and checking up on this and finding out what's going on,
so how widespread this is? I don't know. I just know from my
2001 report that there's approximately 424,000 workers at GAO.
So we need monitoring, and bring this up to ask you, and
your Department to get people paying attention to this. I would
like to come back with you on this to find out what it is,
administratively, that you can do, and what it is that we need
to do legislatively to fix this.
So I hope we can have cooperation on this, and also your
attention to this one factor. These are the most vulnerable
people in our society, and the fact that they can be treated
like this is just unconscionable.
So, I hope we can work with you on that.
Secretary Solis. Senator, thank you for your comments, and
I too was horrified when I read the article, and articles
surrounding this issue.
And I know that in the last 8 years, we have not had
sufficient investigators in the Wage and Hour Division, and
hopefully our budget request will help us begin to address
that, so we could put real bodies, real investigators out in
the field, to look at these kinds of industries that take
advantage of these most vulnerable populations.
And I want to thank you for your leadership in drawing to
our attention the fact that we need to do more collaboration on
the 14-C applications, along with trying to collaborate better
with the Social Security Administration also, so that we can
identify who these individuals are, and also who is drawing
down the 14-C applications so that we do get rid of the bad
actors, and that we send a strong message that this is not
going to be tolerated.
So, I want to work with you on it, I'll be excited to hear
what ideas you have surrounding the program.
Senator Harkin. Okay, thank you very much, Madam Secretary.
Senator Pryor, do you have any more questions?

SENATE CONFIRMATIONS

Well, Madam Secretary, we have no more questions here, if
we have other questions, we'll submit them in writing, but
again, do you have anything that you want to draw our attention
to, here, regarding your budget, that you think that we didn't
cover that you would like to bring up?
Secretary Solis. Well, there is one concern that I have,
and that is just that I know that we're a new administration,
and it's hard right now to process the number of people that
we'd like to bring in to help with our leadership in our
Department.
Yesterday, I was asked this question by Chairman Obey--he
asked me, facetiously--how many people we have actually gotten
through the process and confirmed by the Senate, and I could
only tell him two, and one of them is sitting behind me here.
So, you know that we have a tremendous effort ahead of us,
and we want to be able to show that we're working effectively,
transparently, but also accountable to you. I would just ask,
and urge, the members of the Senate, if you can pass that
along, that would be appreciated.
Senator Harkin. Well, do you have some pending up here,
right now?
Secretary Solis. We do.
Senator Harkin. How many?
Secretary Solis. Two, we have two.
Senator Harkin. Two that are pending, right now?
Secretary Solis. Yes.
Senator Harkin. Are they before our subcommittee? Not, I
mean, not this subcommittee--the other committee I'm on.
Secretary Solis. Before the HELP Committee.
Senator Harkin. The other committee I'm on, the HELP
Committee, right?
Secretary Solis. Some of you have, yes, yes.
Senator Harkin. They're pending before that?
Secretary Solis. Yes, before the HELP Committee. Yes.
Senator Harkin. Two pending before the HELP Committee.
Secretary Solis. Any effort and energy would be much
appreciated.
Senator Harkin. Okay, we'll look at that.
Secretary Solis. Thank you.
Senator Harkin. We'll see if we can get that done as soon
as possible.
Secretary Solis. Thank you for your indulgence.
[Clerk's Note.--Senator Inouye has submitted information
about economic dislocation now taking place in American Samoa
which will be inserted into the record.]

Mr. Chairman and Madam Secretary: I would like to draw your
attention to the economic dislocation now taking place in a remote part
of the Nation--American Samoa--which is often treated as an after-
thought. As you are aware, the Congress, under Public Law 110-28 (May
25, 2007), increased the Federal minimum wage. At that time,
investigation into unlawful lobbying activities learned of employment
abuses by American garment manufacturing interests in the western
Pacific. This led the Congress to include in Public Law 110-28 an
immediate $0.50 cent increase of the hourly minimum wage in the
Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas as of July 24, 2007 with an
additional $0.50 cent increase every May 25 thereafter until the hourly
rate matches the Federal rate of $7.25.
In the rush to legislate, the Congress applied the same mandate to
American Samoa without much consideration at all. In so doing, the
Congress ended the biennial administrative minimum wage increases for
American Samoa and imposed on this territory the fixed increases set
for the Marianas. Unlike the Marianas, American Samoa was subject to
the minimum wage requirement in the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act of
1938. Recognizing the territory's developing economy, Congress had
directed that the minimum wage in American Samoa should reach parity
with the States ``as rapidly as is economically feasible without
curtailing employment.'' The Fair Labor Standards Act thus applied to
American Samoa the same statutory process that had gradually raised the
minimum wage in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico to match the regular
Federal rate. Under this procedure, your Department had adjusted the
minimum wage rate in American Samoa every 2 years based on economic
development in different sectors.
Public Law 110-28, however, scrapped this procedure and mandated
annual increases without regard to economic sustainability in American
Samoa. In a subsequent report to Congress your Department noted the
fragile condition of economic development in the American Samoa. In
view of the territory's level of development, the Department observed
that the mandated wage increase for American Samoa is equivalent to
imposing a $16.50 Federal minimum wage requirements on the States. Your
Department diplomatically added: ``General experience in the U.S. and
elsewhere has shown that potential adverse employment effects of
minimum wage increases can be . . . offset to some degree by an
expanding economy that is generating net employment growth. In a
declining economy, any adverse effects on employment will not be
offset.''
Although the Congress has ignored this report, the Department's
assessment has proven all too accurate. The adverse employment effects
are seen in the fish canning industry which directly and indirectly
provides one-half to two-thirds of employment in American Samoa. This
is particularly the case, since low-cost foreign competitors provide
the same product at far lower prices. One canner in American Samoa has
instituted severe employment cutbacks and the other canner will soon
move its operations to a foreign country with lower costs.
I would like to submit into the record, a letter I recently
received from Congressman Eni Faleomavaega, requesting emergency
assistance for American Samoa. Under the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009, Congress appropriated funds and authorized
your Department to deal with economic dislocations just as in this
case. I, therefore, urge you and your Department to consider the
economic adjustment American Samoa faces and to extend the necessary
assistance authorized under the Recovery Act.

ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE QUESTIONS

Senator Harkin. The subcommittee will be submitting any
additional questions for your response.
[The following questions were not asked at the hearing, but
were submitted to the Department for response subsequent to the
hearing:]
Questions Submitted by Senator Tom Harkin
wia dislocated worker formula
Question. When comparing regular 2009 program year allocations with
2008 program year allocations, several States, including Iowa, will
experience reductions under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA)
Dislocated Worker formula. Iowa's unemployment rate is not as high as
other States and began seeing job loss and increasing unemployment
claims at the end of calendar year 2008 which has continued into 2009.
However, under the 2009 program year allocations Iowa will receive a
cut of 15 percent comparing the regular 2008 allocation with the
regular 2009 allocation.
What is the Department's view of the current dislocated worker
formula and whether it effectively targets resources to the communities
and States most impacted by recent economic dislocations? What changes
could be taken during WIA reauthorization to ensure that States have
more certainty about the level of funding they will have from year-to-
year, while more effectively targeting formula funds to States and
local communities that are experiencing recent significant
dislocations?
Answer. The WIA funding formula for dislocated workers was adopted
from the one established under Job Training Partnership Act in 1982 and
has not been revised since WIA's enactment in 1998. Although the
formula focuses on targeting the funds to those States hardest hit by
worker dislocations, wide fluctuations in funding amounts--such as
those experienced with the program year 2009 allocations--are not good
for the workforce system or the workers served by it. Features such as
``hold harmless'' or ``stop gain'' amounts could be built into the
formula to moderate large fluctuations in funding on a year-to-year
basis. A recent Government Accountability Office review provided
Congress with several recommendations regarding WIA funding formulas.
We look forward to working with the Congress through WIA
reauthorization to examine these recommendations and other options for
updating and improving the dislocated worker funding formula.
contracting authority under wia
Question. The Recovery Act provided local workforce boards with the
authority to contract with institutions of higher education or other
eligible training providers if it would facilitate the training of
multiple individuals in high-demand occupations and not limit customer
choice.
While it is still early in implementation of the Recovery Act, what
has been the Department of Labor's (DOL) observation on the use of this
authority? Does it provide an effective and efficient mechanism for
providing support for training at the local level?
Answer. This provision was very well received by the workforce
system. However, it is too early to determine the effectiveness of this
provision since we do not yet have information on its use. We will be
reviewing the effectiveness of this authority and its use as part of
our overall evaluation of the implementation of workforce provisions
under the Recovery Act.
workforce data quality initiative
Question. The budget includes a request for $15 million for a
workforce data quality initiative. Since 2003, the subcommittee has
supported funding at the Department of Education for Statewide
Longitudinal Data systems. The 2009 appropriations act and Recovery Act
included the authority for the Department of Education to make awards
under this program for systems that included postsecondary and
workforce information and provided more than $300 million for this
purpose. How is the Department of Labor working with the Department of
Education to ensure that the grant application for awards under the
Recovery Act incorporate a request for proposals that would integrate
useful workforce information into these systems? Haven't States
received grants for this purpose under the recent Department of
Education competition? The budget request also mentions that the $15
million request would be available to undertake ``activities to improve
the quality and accessibility of performance data reported by training
providers''. What specific activities would be supported under such a
grant solicitation and how much of the $15 million request would DOL
reserve for such activities?
Answer. The Department of Labor has an active partnership with the
Department of Education (ED) to assure that our respective initiatives
are not duplicative and represent value-added investments in building
longitudinal data systems that link education and workforce databases
at the State level.
The Department of Labor (DOL) has already provided ED with
information about the various workforce data systems that currently
exist, as well as information about initiatives such as the Employment
and Training Administration-supported Administrative Data Research and
Evaluation project that uses longitudinal administrative data for
employment and training research and analysis. DOL has also aided ED in
shaping its ARRA-funded solicitation as it pertains to effectively
linking workforce and education databases. DOL will engage in a similar
consultation with ED as the solicitation for the Workforce Data Quality
(WDQ) initiative is developed.
I am requesting $15 million for the WDQ in the fiscal year 2010
budget. The WDQ would focus on improving the quality of State workforce
information and databases, so that workforce data are ready to be
linked to educational data with funding provided by ED. Thus, the WDQ
initiative would enhance, rather than duplicate, the Department of
Education's investments. Specific activities that would be supported
under the grant solicitation include the following:
--The WDQ would provide resources to help States promote improvements
in the quality and accessibility of performance data reported
by training providers. Consistent and accurate data from
providers about the services they offer and how these services
impact their customers when they enter the labor market are
crucial to informing researchers and consumers. Activities
funded by the grants might include technical assistance to
training providers or the development of a user-friendly
interface to help training providers more easily report
information on employment outcomes.
--Grant funds may be used to enhance State workforce longitudinal
administrative data systems by improving interoperability with
education data or expanding the types of workforce data they
contain. For example, Unemployment Insurance (UI) wage records,
which are the primary source of workforce data, do not contain
information on many Government or military employees, so some
States have linked UI wage records to additional workforce
data.
Other focus areas of the WDQ would be developed in consultation
with the ED to avoid counterproductive duplication of content and to
assure that the WDQ investment adds to the robustness of State
longitudinal data systems.
dol review of ex-offender programs
Question. The congressional budget justification indicates that the
Department is conducting a thorough review of current grants for ex-
offender programs and will develop, in cooperation with the Department
of Justice, a detailed plan for fiscal year 2010 funding.
What were the findings from the DOL review of ex-offender programs?
Specifically, what is the Department's proposal for allocating the
requested funding for ex-offender activities? Please indicate which
activities are new and what requested resources pay for continuation
costs of current activities.
Answer. The Department has not yet completed its review of current
ex-offender projects, but plans to complete its review in the next few
months. Following its completion, we will coordinate with the
Department of Justice to develop a detailed plan for fiscal year 2010
funding. As indicated in our congressional justification, we plan to
continue funding both adult offender projects and youthful offender
projects in fiscal year 2010. The Department is also considering a new
grant competition to fund programs for juvenile offenders based on the
civic justice corps model, which would offer youth paid opportunities
for community service work along with intensive case management, life
skills development, and job training.
transitional jobs programs
Question. The budget proposes $50 million to demonstrate and
evaluate transitional job program models and requests the authority to
transfer some or all of these funds to the Departments of Health and
Human Services and Justice. Transitional jobs programs have been
supported in part by Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, Food
Stamp, Employment and Training, Child Support Enforcement, WIA, youth
programs, prisoner re-entry funds, and a variety of other city and
State funds.
Given that existing funding streams have supported and do support
transitional jobs programs, what is gained by creating a new program to
support transitional jobs? If there are limitations to the support for
transitional jobs under existing programs, what changes in statute or
regulation would need to be made to allow current funding streams/
systems to more effectively support transitional jobs? What specific
activities and corresponding dollar amounts would be involved in the
requested transfer authority, if Congress were to appropriate funds as
proposed in the budget request?
Answer. The Department of Labor recognizes that other agencies have
supported transitional jobs programs and that evaluations have shown
this to be a promising intervention. In the program year 2010 budget,
the Department is proposing to model how services and resources
available through the workforce system can be utilized to increase
workforce participation, primarily for noncustodial parents including
young parents. The Department plans to work collaboratively with other
agencies, particularly the Department of Health and Human Services, to
implement a rigorous demonstration and evaluation to determine which
program model or models have the greatest impact on participants'
employment outcomes. A designated funding stream for transitional jobs
is important so that the demonstration can be structured to provide
evidence of program impacts that will be helpful to policymakers.
The Department proposes using $50 million for this initiative from
the Pilots, Demonstrations, and Research line item, as authorized by
the WIA. The Department will use the majority of these funds for
competitive grants to demonstrate new models and a smaller but
significant portion to fund the evaluation.
monitoring one-stop access by individuals with disabilities
Question. Under work incentive grants which are proposed for
elimination, the congressional budget justification states that ``ETA
is monitoring One-Stop Career Centers to assess access by and services
provided to individuals with disabilities''.
How many monitoring visits or contacts have been conducted to date,
and how many are planned for program years 2009 and 2010? What has this
monitoring found on the issues of access and services for individuals
with disabilities, including specifically physical and programmatic
barriers?
Answer. Part of the Employment and Training Administration's
(ETA's) routine monitoring of grants, which includes Workforce
Investment Act (WIA) and Employment Service funds, includes determining
if grantees' locations and facilities are physically accessible and
usable by disabled individuals. This monitoring is conducted throughout
the country by staff in ETA's six regional offices. Monitoring is done
using the ETA Core Monitoring Guide and ETA Grant Management Desk
Reference as reference documents, and the monitoring is done both in
the office (desk audits, review of submitted reports, and provision of
technical assistance), and on-site, periodically. Any findings related
to accessibility are resolved through ETA's usual process of follow-ups
and technical assistance. Historically, this approach has been
successful but in a case where access continues to be problematic ETA
would consult with the Department's Civil Rights Center to identify a
resolution.
On-site monitoring visits are scheduled each fiscal year in a
regional work plan, and the frequency of State visits is based, in
part, on the availability of resources. Each State receives an in-
person comprehensive review of all ETA programs every 3 years.
Technical assistance is provided in response to requests, or in
response to any identified deficiency in complying with Federal law or
other program reporting or outcomes.
In program year 2009, ETA monitored 25 States and plans to monitor
23 States in program year 2010. A sample of local areas (at least two
to three per State) are also reviewed in this process and visits to
One-Stop Centers are made. ETA reviews 50-75 One-Stop Centers per year
as part of this comprehensive review process. Accessibility is
specifically evaluated on-site and any compliance problems would be
documented in the review report prepared and submitted to the State.
The regional office keeps all issues open until they are successfully
resolved in accordance with Federal law and requirements.
Additionally, Regional Offices also monitor discretionary grants
such as the Disability Program Navigator (DPN). Ten DPN grants were
monitored in program year 2009 and 16 DPN grants are slated to be
reviewed in program year 2010. Any issues detected with accessibility
through these reviews at the One-Stop Centers would also be identified.
In program year 2010, ETA expects increased monitoring activity
related to the Recovery Act. In preparation and as part of its
technical assistance efforts related to implementation of the Recovery
Act, ETA performed readiness assessments and consultations. Part of
theses activities involved asking the States and territories if their
One-Stops and all other service options were accessible to persons with
disabilities. In response to this question, 51 of the 53 States/
territories that responded stated that their One-Stops are accessible.
Beyond the Federal monitoring activities discussed above, WIA
nondiscrimination regulations require State and local area recipients
of WIA funds to designate Equal Opportunity (EO) Officers. These WIA
recipients and EO officers have an independent obligation to process
complaints, monitor compliance with nondiscrimination laws, and ensure
violations are remedied. The Department of Labor's Civil Rights Center
provides training to these State and local EOs during annual
development conferences held in the Washington, DC area and various
States.
Question. What actions has ETA taken or does it plan to take to
address the documented fragmentation of services that has been found in
a Government Accountability Office report?
Answer. I believe the report you are referencing is the Government
Accountability Office (GAO) report on Federal Disability Programs (GAO
08-635) released in May 2008. This report found that individuals with
disabilities often experience a fragmented Federal disability system.
Although the report contained no specific recommendations for the
Department of Labor, I agree that increased Federal coordination to
better serve individuals with disabilities is extremely important and
beneficial.
The Disability Navigator Program has successfully served as the
Department's model for addressing such fragmentation of services by
helping One-Stop staff identify the full spectrum of available Federal,
State, and local resources and services for persons with disabilities
and the employers who hire them. Seven years of dedicated funding for
this pilot program have successfully demonstrated this approach to
support more integrated service provision for persons with
disabilities, and ETA is now taking steps to ensure that States and
localities continue this approach as part of their regular One-Stop
Career Center activities.
For fiscal year 2010, I have requested an increase of $10 million
over fiscal year 2009 for the Office of Disability Employment Policy
(ODEP). This increase will support a new initiative that builds upon
the lessons learned by the Disability Navigators, and focuses on
working with employers, the One-Stop system, labor-management
organizations, and other stakeholders to vigorously promote the hiring,
job placement and retention of individuals with disabilities,
particularly youth, in integrated employment, apprenticeship, and pre-
apprenticeship programs, and community service activities that help
build skills for employment.
In their report, GAO also recommended that all Federal stakeholders
and Congress work together to construct a process for developing a
cost-effective Federal strategy that would integrate services and
support to individuals with disabilities. I look forward to future
opportunities to work with Congress and other Federal agencies to
consider steps to better coordinate and align services to individuals
with disabilities.
Question. The congressional budget justification also states that
``ETA expects to continue to see a significant increase in workforce
service levels to job seekers with disabilities in the One-Stop Career
Center system, even with termination of program funding.''
Specifically, what actions does ETA intend to take to make this
statement a reality?
Answer. While the Department has recommended phasing out direct
funding for this demonstration, it is actively working with States to
utilize other Federal and State resources available to support the
Navigator model, including Wagner-Peyser Act (Employment Service)
funding, funding available for One Stop Career Centers to become
Employment Networks under the Ticket to Work Program, and other
sources. This administration remains strongly commitment to ensuring
that individuals with disabilities receive the training and other
support services that they need to obtain employment and succeed in the
workplace. The Department recognizes that in an economic downturn and a
tight labor market, individuals with more barriers to employment could
be left behind. The Department is working to ensure all disadvantaged
populations continue to have access to the resources of the public
workforce system and benefit from the new infusion of resources
provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Some specific
strategies include requiring States to specify how they will ensure
disadvantaged populations continue to be a point of focus in
modifications to their WIA and Wagner-Peyser Act State Plan that
describe their Recovery Act strategies. In addition, we will provide
ongoing technical assistance to the workforce system through webinars
and other means and, in fact, have already produced a webinar with a
focus on how to ensure individuals with disabilities are served with
these new resources.
re-employment eligibility assessments
Question. The 2010 budget request includes $50 million to continue
support for Reemployment and Eligibility Assessments, an increase of
$10 million over the fiscal year 2009 level. What is the current
condition of State UI technology systems and how will these funds (and
requested national activities funds) help improve improper payment
prevention, detection and collection efforts?
Answer. States' UI technology systems vary widely. However, we know
that many State systems are 30 or more years old, use outdated
technology, and have been difficult to modify to accommodate the
Emergency Unemployment Compensation program, the Federal Additional
Compensation program, and payment of Extended Benefits in States where
that program has not triggered on since the early 1980s. These older
systems have also had difficulty in quickly expanding capacity to the
extent needed to process current workloads.
The Department will use a portion of the requested funds to provide
States the opportunity to implement technology-based systems that can
help expand their capabilities to prevent, detect, and recover improper
payments. Data matching systems, in particular, are a cost-effective
method of preventing and detecting improper payments. These funds will
allow States to enhance their current infrastructure and develop and
implement new data matching systems to expand current capabilities.
A few examples of such integrity-related systems include: (1) data
matching systems, e.g., the National Directory of New Hires, among both
Federal and State agencies, which help States to detect unreported
earnings while an individual is filing for UI (the largest cause of
improper UI payments) and help to detect other issues that may impact
UI eligibility; and (2) internal data matching such as matching/
analyzing transaction data for patterns that may indicate improper
action by agency personnel. These new systems and system enhancements
can make the States' integrity-related activities more accurate, cost
effective, and expeditious.
National Activities funds help States prevent, detect, and collect
improper payments, primarily by supporting various activities, such as
(1) the telecommunications network that links States with each other
for data matching purposes as well interstate and combined wage claim
processing; and (2) the use of new technology, such as the development
and implementation of a State information data exchange system to
support the electronic reporting of information from employers about
why individuals no longer work for them, which is expected to improve
the quality and timeliness of initial eligibility determinations based
on the reason for an individual's job separation (incorrect initial
eligibility determinations are the second largest cause of improper
payments in the program).
administration of work opportunity tax credit
Question. The 2010 budget request includes $18.52 million for
administration of the work opportunity tax credit. The congressional
budget justification notes that backlogs exist in a number of States.
Is the requested amount sufficient to keep pace with the recent
expansions of the program that have been enacted by Congress and
eliminate current backlogs?
Answer. The funding level has increased slightly, as shown in the
table below. The Department will be monitoring the impact of the
addition of two new target populations on workload.

[In thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal year Funding
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2005.................................................... 17,856
2006.................................................... 17,677
2007.................................................... 17,677
2008.................................................... 17,368
2009.................................................... 18,520
------------------------------------------------------------------------

While the WOTC did not receive dedicated Recovery Act funds to
assist with the new workload, States can choose to use Wagner-Peyser
Recovery Act funds for this purpose, in addition to helping individuals
find jobs and developing and delivering quality labor market and career
guidance information.
In the meantime, we are working with States with the highest
backlogs to determine their key challenges and tailor technical
assistance to those States to address their backlogs, including peer-
to-peer technical assistance on automation strategies for States that
have not automated their processes and help in addressing any
challenges they face in getting necessary verification information from
partner programs who have the necessary data.
Question. What administrative actions and technical assistance will
be provided to increase the timeliness of the certification process?
Answer. As a result of backlogs in many States that resulted from a
variety of administrative challenges, including lengthy hiatuses in the
program, and as a result of the two newly added targeted populations,
the Employment and Training Administration is currently undertaking a
comprehensive program review, including assessments of the current
costs to run the program; whether the funding formula utilized is the
appropriate one; and whether the reporting and data collection
processes ensure that we have the best information for monitoring the
program.
To support State implementation of the new Recovery Act provisions,
in the immediate future we will conduct webinars on the new target
groups authorized by the Recovery Act and the revised reporting forms
for the program.
Question. Could ETA establish systems that would allow employers to
file the pre-screening IRS Form 8850 electronically?
Answer. A number of States have improved electronic systems that
allow for more automated, streamlined processing. Many of these States
have indicated that processing times have been significantly reduced by
eliminating data entry and other time-intensive manual processes.
However, other States have indicated that more updated automation
processes are needed. ETA will review this and determine whether
Federal assistance in electronic filing is warranted.
wage and hour division
Question. The budget request includes $240.960 million for
enforcement of wage and hour standards, which is an increase of $30.862
million and 288 Full Time Equivalents (FTE) over the 2009 level. What
is the Department's plan (timeline and associated activities) for
hiring these additional staff? How will the Department identify the
geographic areas and industries in which to deploy these additional
staff? How are community resources and community-based organizations
engaged by the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) to ensure that workers are
paid wages due them? What actions is WHD taking or planning this year
and in 2010 to strengthen enforcement of the 14(c) provision of the
Fair Labor Standards Act? What is the amount of resources dedicated to
14(c) enforcement in the current year and planned for 2010?
Answer. The WHD enacted fiscal year 2009 budget represents a
$17,434,000 increase over the fiscal year 2008 enacted level and
increases the agency's FTE ceiling from 1,208 in fiscal year 2008 to
1,283 in fiscal year 2009. In order to reach the 1,283 FTE ceiling for
fiscal year 2009, WHD is hiring 170 new staff which includes 162 new
investigators. These new hires should be on-board before the end of
fiscal year 2009.
A number of key factors were used to determine how to allocate
these additional staff among WHD's five regions. Those criteria
included:
--The rate of attrition over the last 8 years;
--The percent of directed investigations in low-wage industries;
--The percent of total incoming complaints;
--The percent of low-wage minimum wage violations;
--The percent of low-wage overtime wage violations; and
--The strength of State laws and State law enforcement.
In addition, WHD is now hiring an additional 116 staff, 100 of
which will be investigators, to ensure that contractors performing work
on American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) projects are in
compliance with the applicable prevailing wage laws. WHD will use
trained and experienced investigators for ARRA-related enforcement and
compliance assistance and will charge their related costs to the ARRA
funding. This, in turn, will allow WHD to finance the 100 new
investigator positions. These new investigators are allocated to WHD
offices by State in proportion to the number of estimated jobs created
and/or saved by ARRA funding. We expect these new hires to be on-board
no later than mid-September 2009.
The President's fiscal year 2010 request includes an increase of
$30,862,000 and 288 FTE, the large majority of which will be
investigators. The requested FTE ceiling is 1,571. Given the ongoing
fiscal year 2009 and ARRA hiring, WHD will be close to the fiscal year
2010 ceiling early in the fiscal year. If the fiscal year 2010
requested FTE ceiling is not enacted, WHD will slow attrition hiring to
ensure that it stays within fiscal year 2010 FTE ceiling. The fiscal
year 2010 requested increase in FTEs will bring WHD back to pre-fiscal
year 2001 investigator staffing levels. WHD will use the same criteria
in fiscal year 2010 as it uses in fiscal year 2009 to allocate
additional staff in the five WHD regions.
The President's request also includes resources to help WHD
continue the revival of customer service by supporting improved
complaint intake and more in-depth complaint investigation processes
and resources to strengthen enforcement on behalf of vulnerable
workers. If enacted, the budget will allow WHD to increase its
coordination with stakeholders such as community organizations and
employ other strategies that will improve its customer service.
WHD has spent investigative, administrative, training, and
educational resources over the last several years in an effort to
increase employer compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
section 14(c) program. Section 14(c) certified employers represent less
than 0.07 percent of the approximately 7 million FLSA covered
workplaces in the United States.; however, they represent 0.56 percent
of WHD investigations of employers conducted each year and 2.17 percent
of all directed or noncomplaint based investigations conducted each
year. Over the last several years, WHD's regional and district offices
have developed enforcement and education initiatives to promote
compliance with this program within their respective geographic areas.
On average over the last 5 years, WHD has conducted more than 180
section 14(c) investigations. Those efforts will continue in fiscal
year 2010 as WHD plans to repeat the investigation-based compliance
survey of section 14(c)-certified employers to determine if compliance
among section 14(c)-certified employers has improved over the 2002
levels.
national emphasis program on recordkeeping
Question. The 2009 appropriations act included additional funds for
OSHA to explore and address an apparent lack of completeness of the
OSHA Log of Work-related Injuries and Illnesses. The congressional
budget justification indicates that a National Enforcement Program
(NEP) on Recordkeeping is currently under development. When will this
NEP be issued and implemented, and how will these additional funds be
utilized? How much funding is included in the 2010 budget request to
continue this work or initiate additional activities? What activities
will this funding support?
Answer. The NEP is currently under National Council of Field Labor
Locals (NCFLL) review, generally the final step in the review of NEPs
before implementation, and is expected to be in place by August 1,
2009. The NEP is designed to identify underrecorded and misrecorded
injuries and illnesses in selected establishments, and to enforce the
agency's recordkeeping requirements. The Bureau of Labor Statistics,
which is producing its own report on the potential underreporting of
injuries and illnesses, was consulted during the drafting of the NEP.
In fiscal year 2009, OSHA will dedicate the $1,000,000 provided in
the agency's appropriation to improve recordkeeping enforcement.
Beginning in fiscal year 2009, OSHA plans to conduct at least 350
programmed inspections over the course of the NEP--a significant
increase over historical inspection totals--to investigate the accuracy
of the information employers are required to record on the OSHA 300
log. The agency will issue citations and penalties, as appropriate, for
recordkeeping violations found as a result of the inspections conducted
under this NEP in fiscal year 2009 and future years. The NEP will
target establishments that operate in historically high injury and
illness rate industries, as identified by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, but have reported low rates of injuries and illnesses. The
program will also include establishments in the construction and
poultry processing industries, due to the inherently high-hazard nature
of the work in those industries, and due to questions that have been
raised regarding recordkeeping practices in those industries.
Assessments of the accuracy of establishment-specific recordkeeping
data will include interviews with employers, employees, company
recordkeepers, first-aid providers, and healthcare providers; the
assessment will also include a review of relevant records and
documentation, such as medical records, workers' compensation records
and first-aid records.
As part of this initiative, OSHA will also provide more intensive
training to its Compliance Safety and Health Officers (CSHOs) on
identifying potential problems in recordkeeping data and systems
through a mandatory course on recordkeeping. The agency's Training
Institute staff are beginning to revise the core curriculum for CSHOs
to include a week-long rigorous training course. The agency will direct
necessary resources for inspections and to fully train its compliance
staff in fiscal year 2010.
OSHA will also evaluate the NEP to determine what steps or measures
and additional resources, if any, are needed to improve recordkeeping.
hiring at osha
Question. The budget request includes $19.569 million for safety
and health standards, which is an increase of $2.365 million and 20 FTE
over the 2009 level. What is the Department's plan (timeline and
associated activities) for hiring these additional staff?
Answer. The agency will build on its aggressive hiring efforts in
fiscal year 2009 to jumpstart the hiring of positions in fiscal year
2010, and is ready to move on the first day that fiscal year 2010
appropriated funds are available to begin filling all additional
standards positions. The agency has historically realized significant
interest from highly qualified applicants for employment opportunities
for these positions, which has also been evident in the current fiscal
year. In terms of recruitment and hiring, the agency is prepared to
fill vacant positions with the aid of announcements that are published
in various trade journals and other professional publications, as
appropriate, and is working with the Department's Civil Rights Center
to identify other venues where potential applicants may be present.
Announcements are also strategically shared with the various colleges,
universities, and professional associations whose students and members
have the desired skills and abilities for the specific positions. OSHA
will also make use of various human resource authorities and
strategies, such as recruitment bonuses and student loan repayment, as
appropriate, to meet hiring needs.
Question. The budget request includes $227.149 million for Federal
enforcement, which is an increase of $29.203 million and 160 FTE over
the 2009 level. What is the Department's plan (timeline and associated
activities) for hiring these additional staff?
Answer. OSHA plans to build on fiscal year 2009 and Recovery Act
hiring to jump-start the hiring of fiscal year 2010 enforcement
personnel. The agency is ready to move on the first day that fiscal
year 2010 appropriated funds are available to begin filling all
additional enforcement positions. The majority of these FTE are
compliance safety and health officer positions distributed across
OSHA's 10 regional offices through assessing need by the injury and
illness rates of industry sectors and number of covered establishments
in those sectors. The agency will make full use of various human
resource tools, including Federal Career Intern appointments,
recruitment bonuses and student loan repayment, as appropriate, and
work with professional organizations, colleges and universities to
reach interested and qualified candidates. In addition, the agency
plans to seek qualified candidates for enforcement positions that will
address the increasing need for bilingual language skills by
participating in job fairs and utilizing OSHA information booths to
promote job opportunities in the agency.
severe violators enforcement program
Question. In March of this year, the Office of Inspector General
(IG) issued an audit that raised several issues with the Enhanced
Enforcement Program (EEP). Is the Severe Violators Inspection Program a
replacement for the EEP? If so, how will this new program incorporate
the best of the EEP as well as the IG findings into account in
designing this new program? How will this request enable OSHA to move
forward on ergonomics-related enforcement activities?
Answer. OSHA's EEP will be replaced with a new program that is now
tentatively called the Severe Violators Enforcement Program (SVEP). The
agency has created a task force composed of regional administrators,
two deputy regional administrators, Department of Labor attorneys, and
OSHA's Directorate of Enforcement Programs staff, among others. The
task force met in May 2009 to begin designing a new program to address
certain employers and known, often-found hazards. The task force will
continue to work on creating the SVEP and determining how to implement
the program. OSHA expects to issue a field directive for the new
program by the end of this summer.
The SVEP will not be especially linked to ergonomics-related
enforcement activities, except in instances in which employers with
ergonomic hazards at their worksites are identified through the Task
Force's criteria.
survey of occupational injuries and illnesses
Question. The 2009 appropriations act included additional funds for
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to explore and address a potential
undercount of injury and illness data.
How much funding is included in the 2010 budget request for BLS to
continue this work or initiate additional activities? What activities
will this funding support?
Answer. The 2010 request includes $1.3 million for the continuation
of activities regarding a potential Survey of Occupational Injuries and
Illnesses (SOII) undercount in three areas: matching research, employer
interviews, and a multiple data source pilot. Results for all three of
these activities, begun in 2009, will be ready by 2012 with interim
results available on some topics earlier.
--Matching Research.--This work includes matching SOII data with
workers' compensation data to understand what types of workers'
compensation cases do not appear in BLS data. Most of the
matching will take place in 2010 and early 2011, with BLS and
the States conducting further research into the types of
injuries and illnesses that are in the workers' compensation
records, but not in the SOII, beginning in 2010.
--Employer Interviews.--Sampled employers will be interviewed about
factors that affect recording cases on OSHA logs and the filing
of workers' compensation claims. The interviews will focus on
certain areas where recordkeeping might be difficult or
unclear. Establishments will be selected for interview (partly
based on the results of the matching research described above)
in 2010 and 2011.
--Multiple Data-source Pilot.--BLS plans to work with a small number
of State partners to pilot the use of multiple data sources to
enumerate two types of injuries: workplace amputations and
carpal tunnel syndrome cases that, unlike amputations, are less
clearly linked to the workplace. The data gathering and
analysis will begin in 2010 and extend through 2011.
For additional information on these topics, please see the recently
submitted letter report.
program direction and support
Question. The budget increase includes $34.125 million for program
direction and support (PDS), an increase of $11.294 million over the
2009 level. This increase includes $2.35 million for the Office of the
Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers. How much is being spent for
the Office in 2009 and from what funding source? Please identify the
PDS offices that will be supported with the balance of increased funds
in 2010 and explain why such a large increase is needed.
Answer. The Office of the Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers
budget for fiscal year 2009 is budgeted at $710,000 and eight staff.
Because of the severe constraints facing the PDS activity in fiscal
year 2009, this fiscal year, we are sending an addendum to the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act Operating Plan to use funds appropriated
to Departmental Management (DM) under Public Law 111-8. This program
will be entirely funded from Recovery Act dollars in fiscal year 2009.
In fiscal year 2010, $2.35 million is requested to annualize
operations begun in fiscal year 2009 as well as expand the program to
meet anticipated needs of this industry and associated community
impacts. The balance of the increase is associated with restoring the
PDS activity back to the basic level of funding needed for each office
that is funded through this activity (i.e., the immediate Office of the
Secretary, Office of the Deputy Secretary, Office of Congressional and
Intergovernmental Affairs, Office of Public Affairs, Office of the
Assistant Secretary for Policy, Office of Public Liaison, Office of
Faith-Based Programs, and Office of Small Business Programs).
In fiscal year 2008, Congress enacted a $5.3 million (18.7 percent)
reduction to the PDS budget activity, compared to the fiscal year 2007
funding level. To partially restore funding and provide for adequate
policy direction, the Department reprogrammed $3.506 million from other
DM budget activities. In fiscal year 2009, Congress enacted a budget
for PDS equal to the fiscal year 2008 level. The fiscal year 2009
enacted funding level for DM PDS represents the lowest level of funding
for this activity since 1999. Adjusted for inflation, the enacted level
is the lowest level ever for PDS going back to fiscal year 2003. To
address this problem in fiscal year 2009, the Department is executing a
reprogramming within the DM account to shift $3 million to the PDS
activity.
Historically, PDS funding supports 130-150 FTE. While this level
has varied from year-to-year since fiscal year 1993, the fiscal year
2010 President's budget request supports this historical trend by
including 152 FTE for this budget activity.
office of the solicitor
Question. Please provide a breakdown of legal services workloads by
office, as well as the 2009 and 2010 request Office of the Solicitor
(SOL) staffing levels by office. At the 2010 request level for the SOL,
matters pending under both the litigation and opinion/advice workload
increase over the 2009 level. Why, and what is the impact of these
pending levels?
Answer. Legal Services Workloads by SOL Office.--Submitted with
this response is the breakdown of the entire legal services workload
for all clients by each SOL division, region, and subregional office
for the period from fiscal year 2005 through May 31, 2009, as reflected
in the hours recorded by attorneys and paralegals. These figures do not
include senior managers and administrative support staff, who do not
record work hours in the SOL time distribution system. Also, included
is a tabulation of the number of Mine Safety and Health Administration
(MSHA) cases received by SOL's various regions and divisions and hours
recorded by attorneys and paralegals on MSHA matters during fiscal year
2008 and the first two quarters of fiscal year 2009.

LITIGATION MATTERS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Received Concluded Pending
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Office Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal
year year year year year year year year year year year year year year year
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 \1\ 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 \1\ 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 \1\
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ARLINGTON................................. 971 1,687 1,151 1,764 822 1,131 1,012 1,314 1,060 659 1,134 1,920 1,675 2,387 2,668
ATLANTA................................... 1,013 986 818 1,330 649 1,101 1,080 1,000 913 545 781 766 680 1,124 1,232
BLLLS..................................... 1,018 931 1,316 873 623 1,167 1,000 1,178 1,206 643 867 800 1,061 722 770
BOSTON.................................... 604 548 709 677 351 858 564 523 720 400 670 679 891 833 800
CHICAGO................................... 1,066 1,110 900 1,102 545 1,077 1,105 808 902 663 746 569 694 813 772
CLEVELAND................................. 766 642 526 523 352 853 728 507 607 316 400 357 407 317 352
CRLM...................................... 193 150 117 142 107 308 254 147 144 95 236 134 130 120 127
DALLAS.................................... 1,236 1,034 1,062 1,181 730 1,248 1,068 1,014 1,025 865 725 736 741 786 719
DENVER.................................... 493 506 457 887 310 421 500 355 759 342 368 376 510 619 613
ETLS...................................... 367 202 272 444 446 301 410 742 345 346 902 622 210 270 359
FEEWC..................................... 277 301 306 222 159 246 313 337 225 137 510 491 344 269 280
FLS....................................... 88 94 56 47 22 41 92 40 47 12 254 185 217 205 189
HONORS.................................... 72 43 52 41 54 18 ........ 200 ........ ........ 236 269 126 162 216
KANSAS CITY............................... 692 621 540 887 419 636 716 549 535 475 420 275 310 712 601
LOS ANGELES............................... 462 411 328 422 149 420 431 375 271 161 233 2,895 197 319 301
MALS...................................... 68 200 107 37 37 97 187 150 105 20 200 170 129 108 77
MSH....................................... 370 285 240 319 163 190 214 476 395 205 524 593 363 190 224
NASHVILLE................................. 1,375 1,514 1,412 2,020 1,008 2,855 1,853 1,787 1,583 966 1,943 2,069 2,111 2,533 2,764
NEW YORK.................................. 1,090 1,170 894 1,061 743 1,097 1,172 1,096 1,023 790 631 674 572 592 595
OLC....................................... 6 ........ ........ ........ ........ 27 ........ 100 ........ ........ 102 102 1 1 1
OSH....................................... 105 167 191 167 62 115 77 178 171 17 80 181 186 131 172
PBSD...................................... 322 413 270 119 123 348 506 104 317 161 480 375 449 221 170
PHILADELPHIA.............................. 1,168 1,129 1,074 1,567 821 1,055 1,035 1,145 1,138 815 725 803 731 1,117 1,057
SAN FRANCISCO............................. 643 722 643 755 338 591 754 539 698 334 384 328 488 530 553
SEATTLE................................... 419 355 312 472 210 440 424 289 318 242 221 180 253 357 351
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL............................... 14,884 15,221 13,753 17,059 9,243 16,641 15,495 14,953 14,507 9,209 13,772 16,549 13,476 15,438 15,963
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Fiscal year 2009 actuals through 5/31/09.

Note: Litigation.--The process of resolving legal controversies through a court of law or adjudicative administrative board.
Matter.--Something for which the receiving office has demonstrated responsibility (i.e., is authorized to take action) for providing legal services and which is referred from any source
for possible action.

OPINION/ADVICE MATTERS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Received Concluded Pending
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Office Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal
year year year year year year year year year year year year year year year
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 \1\ 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 \1\ 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 \1\
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ARLINGTON................................. 19 24 11 7 20 15 24 16 6 13 7 9 6 6 14
ATLANTA................................... 354 337 238 150 66 310 359 271 184 57 135 113 99 54 54
BLLLS..................................... 35 5 19 43 43 11 14 16 29 23 113 53 22 37 51
BOSTON.................................... 80 70 49 68 33 84 96 40 85 41 74 49 65 47 43
CHICAGO................................... 195 259 137 163 137 171 259 208 159 125 110 91 29 22 37
CLEVELAND................................. 34 31 38 29 9 37 45 31 35 11 14 3 18 11 5
CRLM...................................... 751 486 483 479 330 695 668 502 470 286 301 103 118 157 132
DALLAS.................................... 245 125 92 154 100 232 123 92 161 103 73 69 64 32 30
DENVER.................................... 34 10 114 118 77 39 14 91 116 72 18 16 53 66 51
ETLS...................................... 808 658 542 656 526 545 861 859 688 374 708 548 295 259 346
FEEWC..................................... 468 393 643 590 328 419 393 670 576 214 190 134 181 132 206
FLS....................................... 914 793 654 668 310 633 785 693 570 189 1,036 565 638 732 723
HONORS.................................... 96 14 16 14 28 15 ........ 578 ........ ........ 641 605 44 57 87
KANSAS CITY............................... 194 282 211 188 133 128 301 193 147 83 124 65 95 184 182
LOS ANGELES............................... 4 5 5 5 4 5 4 6 5 2 1 120 3 ........ 2
MALS...................................... 782 802 1,250 1,378 880 355 837 2,284 1,374 367 2,124 2,068 1,079 1,566 1533
MSH....................................... 278 258 351 388 343 245 60 1,245 483 208 1,146 1,344 438 357 454
NASHVILLE................................. 92 121 91 103 64 68 86 117 82 53 44 74 62 63 78
NEW YORK.................................. 91 150 99 135 85 56 132 104 94 92 62 66 52 121 72
OLC....................................... 610 644 683 764 272 85 4 9,541 192 102 9,011 9,653 814 1,376 1531
OSH....................................... 1,484 1,228 1,088 1,168 739 1,295 950 1,120 1,321 509 436 674 445 219 432
PBSD...................................... 515 473 543 549 385 502 502 612 658 311 112 59 105 103 186
PHILADELPHIA.............................. 77 78 85 63 53 75 86 86 63 56 22 12 23 25 11
SAN FRANCISCO............................. 110 163 103 84 64 119 138 99 70 59 34 41 43 56 65
SEATTLE................................... 14 46 29 16 10 15 41 29 11 16 2 6 5 9 5
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL............................... 8,284 7,455 7,574 7,980 5,039 6,154 6,782 19,503 7,579 3,366 16,538 16,540 4,796 5,691 6,330
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Fiscal year 2009 actuals through 5/31/09.

Note: Opinion.--The interpretations of law and regulations that SOL attorneys are requested to provide.
Advice.--A request (oral or written) for information from the general public or client agency relating to a specific matter of law.
Matter.--Something for which the receiving office has demonstrated responsibility (i.e., is authorized to take action) for providing legal services and which is referred from any source
for possible action.

REGULATION MATTERS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Received Concluded Pending
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Office Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal Fiscal
year year year year year year year year year year year year year year year
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 \1\ 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 \1\ 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 \1\
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ARLINGTON................................. ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........
ATLANTA................................... ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........
BLLLS..................................... 3 1 ........ 1 1 1 3 ........ 1 ........ 5 2 1 1 2
BOSTON.................................... ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........
CHICAGO................................... ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........
CLEVELAND................................. ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........
CRLM...................................... 10 11 9 5 ........ 14 15 7 8 1 8 5 6 3 1
DALLAS.................................... ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........
DENVER.................................... ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........
ETLS...................................... 10 7 9 8 12 1 16 16 12 9 34 25 17 14 17
FEEWC..................................... 2 2 ........ 3 ........ 3 2 1 ........ ........ 1 1 4 2 3
FLS....................................... 4 6 2 6 5 4 3 8 1 2 16 14 11 12 16
HONORS.................................... 9 9 2 5 2 2 ........ 18 ........ ........ 18 27 11 16 18
KANSAS CITY............................... ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........
LOS ANGELES............................... ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........
MALS...................................... 4 ........ ........ 1 ........ 1 ........ 20 3 ........ 23 23 2 3 ........
MSH....................................... 15 10 13 12 7 6 ........ 41 17 21 55 65 39 36 16
NASHVILLE................................. ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........
NEW YORK.................................. ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........
OLC....................................... 1 ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ 6 ........ ........ 6 6 ........ ........ ........
OSH....................................... 30 16 13 46 33 44 21 21 46 13 52 42 30 30 51
PBSD...................................... 43 41 44 39 5 40 35 51 33 6 24 27 27 26 22
PHILADELPHIA.............................. ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........
SAN FRANCISCO............................. ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........
SEATTLE................................... ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........ ........
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL............................... 131 103 92 126 65 116 95 189 121 52 242 237 148 143 146
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Fiscal year 2009 actuals through 5/31/09.

Note: Regulation.--All workload matters that are related to the development and promulgation of regulations and standards.
Matter.--Something for which the receiving office has demonstrated responsibility (i.e., is authorized to take action) for providing legal services and which is referred from any source
for possible action.

CLIENT MSHA CASES RECEIVED
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal year 2008 Fiscal year 2009
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Office Fiscal
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Fiscal Q1 Q2 year to
year total date
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ARLINGTON............................................... 275 275 375 364 1,289 244 142 386
ATLANTA................................................. 67 201 145 138 551 67 56 123
BOSTON.................................................. 12 27 49 22 110 8 .......... 8
CHICAGO................................................. 63 102 149 104 418 85 59 144
CLEVELAND............................................... .......... 7 25 20 52 11 10 21
DALLAS.................................................. 52 75 85 93 305 44 30 74
DENVER.................................................. 172 262 196 206 836 122 56 178
FEEWC................................................... 4 2 1 1 8 2 .......... 2
HONORS.................................................. .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... 22 22
KANSAS CITY............................................. 11 93 166 39 309 38 13 51
LOS ANGELES............................................. 15 116 23 23 177 14 12 26
MALS.................................................... 12 22 25 13 72 17 8 25
MSH..................................................... 153 162 196 213 724 222 173 395
NASHVILLE............................................... 323 376 352 363 1414 325 268 593
NEW YORK................................................ 16 20 21 18 75 7 4 11
OSH..................................................... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... 1 .......... 1
PHILADELPHIA............................................ 127 161 321 229 838 200 77 277
SAN FRANCISCO........................................... 57 61 84 65 267 39 17 56
SEATTLE................................................. 64 40 50 73 227 18 23 41
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GRAND TOTAL....................................... 1,423 2,002 2,263 1,984 7,672 1,464 970 2,434
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CLIENT MSHA HOURS CHARGED
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal year 2008 Fiscal year 2009
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Office Fiscal year to
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total Q1 Q2 date
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ARLINGTON....................................................... 2,476.75 2,878.00 2,937.00 3,272.50 11,564.25 2,708.50 2,804.25 5,512.75
ATLANTA......................................................... 835.50 847.50 880.75 1,111.00 3,674.75 1,004.50 797.75 1,802.25
BLLLS........................................................... .............. .............. .50 .............. .50 .............. .............. ..............
BOSTON.......................................................... 432.00 385.50 418.00 702.75 1,938.25 485.25 510.50 995.75
CHICAGO......................................................... 1,343.25 1,692.00 1,894.50 2,438.50 7,368.25 1,674.50 1,674.50 3,349.00
CLEVELAND....................................................... .............. 79.00 220.50 297.50 597.00 286.25 290.25 576.50
CRLM............................................................ .............. 1.00 .............. .............. 1.00 .............. .............. ..............
DALLAS.......................................................... 978.00 819.75 1,257.50 1,171.50 4,226.75 857.75 1,041.50 1,899.25
DENVER.......................................................... 1,498.75 1,947.25 1,728.00 2,108.75 7,282.75 1,886.50 1,814.25 3,700.75
ETLS............................................................ .............. .............. .............. 6.75 6.75 .............. .............. ..............
FEEWC........................................................... 80.75 97.50 202.75 47.25 428.25 237.50 263.75 501.25
FO.............................................................. .50 .............. 3.50 4.75 8.75 42.00 .............. 42.00
HONORS.......................................................... .50 .............. .............. .............. .50 63.75 468.50 532.25
KANSAS CITY..................................................... 332.75 438.25 797.50 817.50 2,386.00 688.25 847.75 1,536.00
LOS ANGELES..................................................... 174.00 234.50 407.50 387.25 1,203.25 290.75 309.25 600.00
MALS............................................................ 160.25 195.75 251.25 153.25 760.50 570.75 755.25 1,326.00
MSH............................................................. 7,752.50 8,627.75 9,189.25 9,457.25 35,026.75 8,265.75 8,256.25 16,522.00
NASHVILLE....................................................... 2,816.25 3,742.00 3,146.25 3,286.25 12,990.75 3,513.75 2,985.50 6,499.25
NEW YORK........................................................ 220.50 237.00 265.25 345.25 1,068.00 217.25 84.75 302.00
OSH............................................................. .00 .00 1.00 .00 1.00 .25 .00 .25
PBS............................................................. 40.00 .............. .............. .............. 40.00 .............. .............. ..............
PHILADELPHIA.................................................... 2,602.50 3,575.50 4,286.25 4,081.00 14,545.25 3,603.00 4,526.25 8,129.25
SAN FRANCISCO................................................... 1,170.25 1,035.25 1,117.25 1,132.00 4,454.75 1,005.75 925.50 1,931.25
SEATTLE......................................................... 400.25 426.50 792.50 616.00 2,235.25 415.25 303.75 719.00
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GRAND TOTAL............................................... 23,315.25 27,260.00 29,797.00 31,437.00 111,809.25 27,817.25 28,659.50 56,476.755
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fiscal Year 2009 and Fiscal Year 2010 Staffing Levels by SOL
Office.--SOL is increasing its appropriated FTE level to a projected
maximum of approximately 646 FTE by the end of fiscal year 2009, and
further increasing to approximately 679 FTE during fiscal year 2010.
These additional FTE are almost entirely attorneys and legal support
staff dedicated to supporting the enforcement and other legal services
required by the Department. SOL's fiscal year 2009 appropriation has
enabled the agency to continue to pay for 22 additional FTE that were
added in fiscal year 2007 and fiscal year 2008 in response to the
dramatic increase in MSHA-related matters being received by SOL. As the
result of an memorandum of understanding signed in October 2008 between
MSHA and SOL, the level of SOL's MSHA caseload is stabilizing. This
stabilization is enabling SOL's regions to provide more attention to
MSHA's most important cases and needed legal enforcement support and
other services to OSHA, EBSA, WHD, OFCCP, and other DOL agencies.
The current intention is that SOL's FTE complement will be
assigned, as follows. The fiscal year 2010 assignments are tentative,
and subject to further review.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal year Fiscal year Fiscal year
SOL offices 2008 2009 2010
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Immediate office................................................ .............. 10 8
Office of Legal Counsel..................................... .............. 13 13
Honors program.............................................. .............. 7 15
National office divisions:
Management and Administrative Legal Services................ .............. 57 60
Black Lung Longshore Legal Services......................... .............. 29 30
Civil Rights and Labor-Management........................... .............. 33 34
Employment Training Legal Services.......................... .............. 25 26
Fair Labor Standards........................................ 21 25 26
Federal Employees' and Energy Workers' Compensation......... .............. 13 14
Mine Safety and Health...................................... 31 31 31
Occupational Safety and Health.............................. 33 36 37
Plan benefits security...................................... 35 40 42
Regions:
Region 1--Boston............................................ .............. 28 29
Region 2--New York.......................................... .............. 37 39
Region 3--Philadelphia...................................... .............. 53 56
Region 4--Atlanta........................................... .............. 53 57
Region 5--Chicago........................................... .............. 47 48
Region 6--Dallas............................................ 33 36
Region 7--Kansas City....................................... .............. 38 39
Region 8--San Francisco..................................... .............. 38 39
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note. Most of the enforcement and other litigation that supports ESA and OSHA takes place in the SOL regional
offices.

Matters Pending.--The short answer to the query regarding the
reason for, and impact of the continuing increases in ``matters
pending'' projected for the end of fiscal year 2009 and of fiscal year
2010 is that although SOL expects to be able to conclude more matters
during the same periods as the result of additional FTE, the number of
``matters pending'' is projected to increase at an even greater rate.
The impact is that SOL will continue to have to take action in
those matters that more directly impact the strategies and goals of the
Secretary and client agencies, and not attend to all pending matters. A
more detailed explanation follows:
The category of ``matters pending'' represents the actual or
projected number of legal matters that are pending in SOL at the end of
a fiscal year. SOL calculates this workload statistic in each of the
three primary categories of work that the agency performs: litigation,
opinion/advice, and regulatory work. During the past several fiscal
years (fiscal year 2007 and fiscal year 2008), SOL has experienced an
actual increase in the number of pending matters in all three
categories, as follows:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal year Fiscal year Fiscal year Fiscal year
Matters pending 2007 2008 2009 2010
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Litigation...................................... 12,826 17,200 19,949 22,468
Opinions/advice................................. 3,948 4,737 5,175 5,518
Regulations..................................... 128 150 157 144
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The ``matters pending'' category for any given fiscal year results
from adding the total number of ``matters pending'' at the end of the
prior fiscal year, plus the total ``matters received'' during the
fiscal year, and then subtracting from that number the total ``matters
concluded'' by SOL during the fiscal year.
Because SOL has experienced a growth in overall workload over the
past several years, and because of increases in enforcement-related FTE
in SOL's client agencies, as well as worker protection law enforcement
activity, SOL initially projects continuing increases in this workload
statistic for fiscal year 2009 and fiscal year 2010. The magnitude of
the projected increases in this statistic have, however, been
significantly influenced by another factor: the increase in SOL FTE
during fiscal year 2009 from a current level of about 610 to
approximately 646 by the end of this fiscal year; and an additional
increase to approximately 679 FTE by the end of fiscal year 2010.
Because of these projected FTE increases, using fiscal year 2008
actual ``matters concluded'' as a base, SOL also projects that it will
be able to conclude an additional 906 matters in fiscal year 2009, and
an additional 3,299 matters in fiscal year 2010. While an inflexible
correlation between output and numbers of FTE is not possible, due to
the wide variation in the size and complexity of legal matters and the
varying arrival dates of new FTE, this overall 12 percent increase in
output between fiscal year 2008 and fiscal year 2010 corresponds with
the 11 percent increase in FTE from the current level of about 610 to
the projected level of 679 in fiscal year 2010. This increase in SOL's
capacity to conclude matters has lowered the projected increase in
``matters pending'' at the end of fiscal year 2009 and fiscal year
2010.
However, because our projections regarding increased capacity
resulting from increased FTE are not as large as the projected
increases in workload, the agency still projects a net increase in the
``matters pending'' at the end of the current fiscal year, and fiscal
year 2010.
The impact of this continuing increase in the projected work load
for SOL will require the agency to work intensively with the Secretary
and client agencies to ensure that SOL's resources are focused on the
matters that are most significant in advancing the goals of the
Department and its agencies. Put simply, SOL will continue to be
required to ``triage'' matters so as to take action regarding those
that are more critical to the successful achievement of the Secretary's
goals and DOL agency strategies.

UPDATED WORKLOAD SUMMARY
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal year Fiscal year Fiscal year
2008 actual 2009 target 2010 target
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Legal services:
Litigation:
Matters received........................................ 17,059 17,997 18,987
Matters concluded....................................... 14,507 14,870 16,506
Matters pending......................................... 15,438 18,565 21,046
Regulation:
Matters received........................................ 126 139 139
Matters concluded....................................... 121 133 140
Matters pending......................................... 143 149 148
Opinion/advice:
Matters received........................................ 7,980 8,419 8,882
Matters concluded....................................... 7,579 8,110 8,860
Matters pending......................................... 5,691 6,000 6,022
Budget activity total........................................... 94,900 108,364 125,226
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

flex-options project at the women's bureau
Question. In the congressional budget justification, the Department
states that it intends to continue and improve the Flex-Options project
at the Women's Bureau. How much is currently spent on this project and
how much is included in the 2010 budget request? What has been the
experience with this project and associated outcomes? What changes are
being considered for the project?
Answer. Launched in 2004, the Women's Bureau Flex-Options project
encourages business owners of all sizes and types to establish or
expand workplace flexibility policies and programs such as
telecommuting, part-time work, job-sharing, and compressed workweeks.
For fiscal year 2009, the Women's Bureau will spend approximately
$2 million on the Flex-Options project and plans to spend a similar
amount in fiscal year 2010. Flex-Options has the equivalent of over 12
FTEs, spanning national and regional office activities, dedicated to
the project, as well as national and regional contractors who also
support Flex-Options. The contracts, which total $200,000-$300,000
annually, help manage the website, create and distribute newsletters
and a Flex-Options toolkit, as well as work with companies to set up
flexible workplace options.
While the Department has not conducted an impact evaluation to
determine the outcomes of the project (e.g., whether it increases the
number of programs or employees that have access to new flexible
policies/programs), the number of employers participating in the Flex-
Options project has increased each year. Over the life of the project,
Flex-Options has assisted over 800 employers in creating or expanding
more than 1,800 workplace flexibility policies, affecting 1 million
employees.
In addition to reaching out to more employers, the Bureau is also
expanding outreach and educational efforts to State/local governments
and university consortiums of employers to promote workplace
flexibility as a way to achieve environmental goals (e.g., improved air
quality) or meet economic challenges. In 2008, Flex-Options had
successful partnerships with the cities of Houston and Atlanta to
encourage city governments in supporting flexible workplace options.
The Women's Bureau is continuing to work with local governments in
2009, as well as expanding to university consortiums in 2010.
Workplace flexibility is a powerful response to the needs of
millions of women and men who face the challenge of trying to balance
the demands of their jobs and the needs of their families. It is also a
vital tool that progressive companies are using to get work done, and
it is a tool that can be used as a strategic component of any workplace
contingency plan.
ilab funding
Question. The Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) is
requesting an increase of more than $5 million and 12 FTEs in the
fiscal year 2010 budget request. To which ILAB office or offices and
for what activities would ILAB allocate these additional staffing
resources requested under the budget request? ILAB has approximately
140 projects in more 80 countries around the world. Does the requested
increase provide additional funds/FTEs to oversee this significant
investment of taxpayer resources?
Answer. ILAB's budget has been constrained in recent years, while
its mandates have expanded significantly. This budget increase allows
ILAB to more fully and effectively meet its responsibilities. One of
the primary purposes of the increased funding and FTEs is to increase
ILAB's capacity to address the implementation of the labor commitments
in U.S. FTAs--an area that has not been adequately supported in the
past. ILAB will also strengthen its oversight, monitoring, and
evaluation functions and reinforce its research activities to ensure
that ILAB reporting is more analytical and strategically useful to
Congress and the public.
Roughly $1.56 million of the additional $5 million requested in
fiscal year 2010 will be used to fund 12 new FTEs. The Bureau will hire
comparative labor law experts, development and labor economists and
international relations officers. The Bureau also plans to hire a
career Associate Deputy Undersecretary to assist with the overall
management and operation of the Bureau. ILAB will use about $2 million
for monitoring, enforcement, and cooperative activities and $1.44
million for research and reporting.
The fiscal year 2010 funding increase ensures effective oversight
of our extensive technical assistance programs to combat child labor
and improve working conditions overseas, improved reporting on child
labor, forced labor, human trafficking, and other core labor standards,
and improvements in the labor diplomacy portfolio of the Bureau.
ilab's project portfolio
Question. In the 2009 appropriations act, Congress stated its
intention for ILAB to have sufficient funding to effectively oversee,
monitor, audit, and evaluate ILAB's project portfolio. How would the
fiscal year 2010 budget request allocate funding to ensure that this
priority is addressed, particularly in the child labor project
portfolio which is the most significant part of ILAB's project
portfolio?
Answer. The 2010 budget request includes additional funding and
FTEs to ensure that ILAB has the resources needed to properly oversee,
monitor, audit, and evaluate its ongoing technical cooperation
programs, including those to combat exploitive child labor. ILAB's
experience has demonstrated the importance of funding for such
oversight in order for ILAB to assess project performance, take
corrective actions where necessary, and as a result, to maximize the
impact of the funding ILAB allocates for these projects. Funds
requested in the fiscal year 2010 budget reflect ILAB's understanding
of the actual costs associated with such oversight activities, and ILAB
believes the requested level of resources will allow ILAB to fulfill
its responsibilities related to program oversight.
ilab funding
Question. The congressional budget justification notes that ILAB
plans to significantly improve its ability to monitor labor issues in
Free Trade Agreement (FTA) countries, provide a strengthened mechanism
for enforcement of trade agreements, develop cooperative activities
with FTA partners, and research facts relating to specific labor
situations and submissions. Please indicate what specific actions ILAB
intends to take and how it will work with other Federal agencies to
carry-out these activities? Does the President's budget include funding
for other Federal agencies that will be transferred to ILAB in support
of this effort? If so, how much funding is included in the budget
request and for what activities?
Answer. The requested increase of $5,000,000 would enable ILAB to
develop systematic monitoring and analysis of labor issues in FTA
countries. It includes additional staff that has the expertise to
collect, analyze, and engage with partner countries to address
deficiencies in labor law and practice. It also includes resources to
provide cooperative assistance to trade partners to address labor
deficiencies, such as providing expert assistance from DOL or other
recognized sources. Importantly, when engagement and cooperation are
not sufficient, the additional resources would enable ILAB to pursue
enforcement of the labor obligations of the FTAs, including use of
dispute settlement provisions. The labor obligations of our FTAs should
be enforced just as our commercial obligations have been.
In order to carry out these activities, ILAB will have the primary
responsibility for conducting the proposed monitoring and analysis of
labor issues. However, ILAB will work closely with labor officers in
U.S. missions, and relevant staff at USTR, State, and other agencies.
For example, the Department of Labor will take the lead in developing
annual labor-related strategic plans of engagement for each FTA
partner, which will be coordinated with USTR, State, and other relevant
agencies to address labor issues in trade partner countries. On
enforcement issues involving FTA obligations, ILAB will work closely
with USTR on developing and pursuing dispute settlement cases. While
these activities would represent a shift in focus to more active U.S.
Government engagement on labor issues, the burden of the activity would
rest with ILAB. ILAB would not be assuming functions that are already
being carried out by other Federal agencies.
departmental program evaluations
Question. The 2010 budget request includes $5 million to, among
other things, fund high-quality evaluations of its programs, including
those outside of job training and employment. Specifically, what
activities are under consideration for evaluation, if the requested
funds are provided? How would the $5 million request be allocated among
this initiative's activities, including new evaluations, high standards
in evaluations funded by the Department, building evaluation capacity
in the Department and making sure evaluations/research findings inform
policymakers and program managers?
Answer. The $5 million for Departmental Program Evaluations is to
conduct high-quality evaluations of DOL programs beyond job-training
and employment services, which are currently evaluated using resources
appropriated to the Employment and Training Administration. At this
point, an evaluation agenda has not been finalized, but priority will
be given to large, lightly examined, and/or high-priority programs.
This effort could be focused on any of the worker protection agencies.
There will also be an effort to ensure the rigor of evaluations
Department-wide.
performance targets for odep
Question. Under the budget proposal, the performance targets for
the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) go down from the
results achieved in fiscal year 2008. In the case of the number of
policy-related documents, there is a reduction from 44 in fiscal year
2008 to 32 in fiscal year 2010; for formal agreements, the reduction is
26 in fiscal year 2008 to 22 in fiscal year 2010 and for effective
practices the reduction is 37 in fiscal year 2008 to 23 in fiscal year
2010. What has been the impact of ODEP's policy documents, formal
agreements, and effective practices? Do these document and agreements
impact disability employment policies across the Federal Government?
Will the Department explain why a reduction in performance is estimated
for ODEP?
Answer. ODEP's annual performance output measures are designed to
capture the annual results of the agency as it works to develop policy
for implementation across the Federal Government that will reduce
barriers to employment for people with disabilities. ODEP has been
tracking effective practices since fiscal year 2004 and policy
documents and formal agreements since fiscal year 2006. ODEP created
output measures that recognize that policy development often occurs
across fiscal years. ODEP's annual targets are based on an average of 3
prior years of results, plus 10 percent. The targets are set with this
formula to account for fluctuations in resources or other anomalies
that could impact ODEP's performance. As it does every year, at the end
of fiscal year 2009, ODEP will assess its performance and revise its
annual performance output targets as necessary. Under its new
leadership, ODEP also plans to revisit its performance measures.
Since its creation in fiscal year 2001, ODEP has developed policy
documents, established a wide range of formal agreements, and
identified, validated, and assisted with the replication of effective
practices. These activities have helped to reduce barriers to
employment that exist in workforce systems, workplaces, and in
employment-related supports programs and services (e.g.,
transportation, healthcare, technology). ODEP's results have influenced
policy and practice within the Department of Labor and across the
Federal Government, State and local governments, nongovernmental
organizations, and large and small businesses. A few examples of ODEP's
work with regard to disability employment policies across the Federal
Government over ODEP's history are included below.
ODEP's work with adult-focused workforce systems is exemplified by
the development and implementation of the WIA section 188 Memorandum
and Checklist. This formal agreement signed by the Department's Office
of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management, ODEP, and
ETA provided One-Stop Career Centers with measurable ways to comply
with section 188 of the WIA and documented strategies for One-Stop
Career Center staff and other workforce system personnel to more
effectively respond to the needs of people with disabilities.
ODEP's work with youth-focused workforce systems is demonstrated by
the Transition Programs and Services: High School/High Tech and
Vocational Rehabilitation Information Memorandum (RSA-IM-07-08). This
policy document was developed under ODEP's leadership in collaboration
with the Departments of Health and Human Services and Education (OSERS/
RSA). It provides information to State Vocational Rehabilitation
agencies about ODEP's High School/High Tech program as a comprehensive
transition program model with a number of promising practices that is
based upon the Guideposts to Success, also developed by ODEP.
ODEP has worked to influence employer policy through the Office of
Federal Contractor Compliance Programs (OFCCP) Directive, Transmittal
Number: 281, OFCCP ORDER NO.: ADM Notice/Other--Federal Contractor's
Online Application Selection System. This policy document, developed by
ODEP's leadership in collaboration with OFCCP, provides guidance on
enforcing section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Vietnam
Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRAA). It requires
that all compliance evaluations include a review of the contractor's
online application systems to ensure that the contractor is providing
equal opportunity to qualified individuals with disabilities and
disabled veterans.
Finally, a result of ODEP's effort and collaboration with the
Bureau of Labor Statistics is the recent and historical publication of
the unemployment rate for people with disabilities as part of the
Current Population Survey. ODEP's leadership in collaboration with the
BLS and the Census resulted in this significant accomplishment. This
data will be used by agencies in the Department, other Federal
agencies, and other stakeholders critical to addressing disability and
employment issues.
disability navigators initiative
Question. The fiscal year 2010 congressional budget justification
indicates that a comprehensive evaluation of the Disability Navigators
initiative is in the works and scheduled to be completed sometime
around the end of 2010. Yet the budget proposes to establish a new $10
million Competitive One-Stop Grant program based on the lessons learned
from the Disability Navigator program. Specifically, what lessons
learned would the Department of Labor apply in this new program? Using
what evaluation were these lessons learned?
Answer. Although the comprehensive evaluation of the Disability
Navigators initiative will not be completed until late fiscal year
2010, the Department has identified numerous sources of interim data
and other feedback to support moving to the next step for this critical
effort. These sources include the ETA Forum on Disability Program
Navigator (DPN) Initiative--Role and Impact (June 2009), and
evaluations of ODEP's Customized Employment demonstration projects
housed in One-Stop Career Centers that coordinated with Disability
Program Navigators to ensure meaningful and effective service to
customers with disabilities (Evaluation of Disability Employment Policy
Demonstration Programs: A Synthesis of Key Findings, Issues, and
Lessons Learned--Customized Employment Program Priority Area, WESTAT,
October 2007; Employers and Workers: Creating a Competitive Edge,
Summary Report on Customized Employment Grants and Workforce Action
Grants, National Center on Workforce and Disability/Adult, July 2007).
The DPN initiative has two purposes for ensuring that job seekers
with disabilities receive meaningful service at One-Stop Career
Centers. These include (1) the responsibility to ensure the appropriate
provision of service to individuals, and (2) the responsibility to
reach out to and coordinate with other systems and agencies identified
under the WIA, as well as reach out to and coordinate with additional
systems that provide specific service to people with disabilities. The
overall goal is more effective coordination and integration of
resources and customer support across multiple systems--an essential
charge of the WIA and a critical need for people with disabilities.
In particular, based on available information the DPN initiative
identified effective practices for serving people with disabilities
that touch on all aspects of One-Stop operations: marketing and
outreach; orientation; assessment; service coordination; service
delivery; and business services. Central to these practices was the
concept of the One-Stop as the hub of activity and support for
workforce entry, securing needed supports and leveraging funding across
multiple systems, and ensuring effective job placement. In their work,
the navigators found that people with disabilities benefited from their
expertise in navigating multiple social service systems. If a job
seeker required assistance with transportation or housing, or
assistance accessing needed Social Security or Medicaid benefits, the
navigator often became the ``go-to'' person. Based on this preliminary
evidence, there is a continued need to equip One-Stop Career Center
staff to help individuals with disabilities navigate across service
systems.
The case examples and informal feedback from the field have
underscored the value of integrating the navigator function into One-
Stop operations and the need for ETA to take the lessons learned to a
national scale. ODEP is analyzing data and feedback on the DPN
initiative and the agency's own external evaluations of projects housed
in One-Stop Career Centers, to determine specific next steps in
building a system responsive to the needs of job seekers with
disabilities. A partnership between ETA and ODEP in this regard offers
unique opportunities for the provision of national technical assistance
and rapid dissemination of information to the field, as well as
additional feedback based on the continued experiences of One-Stops as
they develop effective and fully accessible services and facilities for
all job seekers.
improving the employment process for individuals with disabilities
Question. The 2010 congressional budget justification also
indicates that ``ODEP will partner with the Department of Education's
Rehabilitative Services Administration and others to develop policy and
effective practices to improve One-Stop employment outcomes for
individuals with Disabilities.'' What specific actions would the 2010
budget request support? To date, what specific policies or practices
has ODEP developed in support of this effort?
Answer. In 2010, ODEP will partner with the U.S. Department of
Education's Rehabilitative Services Administration (RSA) and others to
undertake a new $10,000,000 competitive grant program that will focus
on One-Stops, and work with employers, labor-management partnerships,
labor unions, and other stakeholders to improve the employment process
for individuals with disabilities utilizing pre-apprenticeship and
apprenticeship programs, and career-related community service
opportunities. In developing this program, ODEP will build upon the
lessons learned from the Disability Navigator Program, and other ODEP
projects as they relate to effectively coordinating training and the
delivery of other needed services to people with disabilities within
the One-Stop system. In addition, ODEP will work with ETA to identify
policies and practices that have proven effective in the development of
meaningful partnerships with community-level partners that provide
employment-related services to youth and adults with disabilities.
With regard to what specific policies or practices ODEP has
developed in support of this effort, the following are noteworthy. ODEP
collaborated with ETA in drafting and issuing a Self-Employment
Training for Workforce Investment Act Clients--Technical Employment
Guidance Letter (TEGL) 16-04 2005 describing the authorities provided
by the WIA for One-Stops to provide entrepreneurship training and to
identify resources that can support the efforts of people with
disabilities to start businesses.
ODEP collaborated with DOL's ETA and its Civil Rights Center to
jointly develop and issue the WIA section 188 Memorandum and Checklist.
The checklist provides a uniform procedure for measuring compliance
with those provisions of section 188 of the Workforce Investment Act of
1998 and the implementing regulations (29 CFR Part 37) that pertain to
persons with disabilities for physical, programmatic, and communication
accessibility. Any technical assistance provided by ODEP to the One-
Stops will use this checklist as a resource.
ODEP has worked with ETA's Office of Apprenticeship in 2009 to
research, test, and evaluate innovative systems models for providing
inclusive integrated apprentice training in a high-growth industry to
youth and young adults with disabilities, aged 16 to 27, including
those with the most significant disabilities, that utilize the
increased flexibilities detailed in DOL's newly released apprenticeship
regulations regarding the provision of training and interim
credentialing. ODEP implemented a 6-year demonstration to advance
customized employment in One-Stop Career Centers. Lessons learned from
this initiative will be used to design the next step in creating a
universally accessible workforce development system.
In the summer of 2009, ODEP and ETA's Office of Apprenticeship will
issue a joint Training and Employment Notice. This notice will
disseminate a white paper and toolkit developed through ODEP's research
and technical assistance activities which focus on expanding
apprenticeship opportunities for youth and young adults with
disabilities. The white paper entitled Improving Transition Outcomes of
Youth with Disabilities by Increasing Access to Apprenticeship
Opportunities, which is geared to policymakers, provides an overview of
the Registered Apprenticeship system in the United States, explores
current trends in apprenticeship, and examines opportunities for youth,
including those with disabilities. In addition, it identifies obstacles
to expanding participation of youth with disabilities in apprenticeship
programs and provides strategies for addressing these obstacles. The
toolkit, entitled Youth with Disabilities Entering the Workforce
Through Apprenticeship, is intended to provide service providers with
useful information about apprenticeship as an employment strategy for
youth and young adults with disabilities.
As the result of a 3-year ODEP-initiated effort with DOL's Office
of Apprenticeship, and the Employment Standards Administration's WHD,
the Office of Apprenticeship added language to their new regulations to
allow apprenticeship programs to be customized to provide intermediate
levels of certification for apprentices to demonstrate their level of
proficiency in apprenticeable occupations.
In planned future activities, ODEP will build on its prior policy
efforts to support entrepreneurs with disabilities through technical
assistance and grants. ODEP will fund a workforce-systems focused
cooperative agreement to support mentoring opportunities for young
people with disabilities from minority communities who are
transitioning from school (secondary or postsecondary) and interested
in entrepreneurship. In developing this initiative, ODEP will partner
with stakeholders in the public and private sectors, including minority
Chambers of Commerce, and leverage existing resources on mentoring and
entrepreneurship developed by ODEP. ODEP will also work with ETA to
evaluate the physical and programmatic accessibility of the One-Stop
Center system, and partner with ETA and Labor's Civil Rights Center as
appropriate to address any identified deficiencies through the
expansion and adoption of universal strategies, the provision of
targeted technical assistance, and other corrective measures deemed
necessary.
job corps operations
Question. The budget indicates that $8 million of the $16.923
million increase for Job Corps will be for the opening of the Milwaukee
Job Corps center, with the remaining $8.923 million for the remaining
123 Job Corps centers. is this amount sufficient to offset the rising
costs of operating Job Corps centers?
Answer. The fiscal year 2010 request for Job Corps Operations is
$1,557,199,000, an increase of $16,923,000 over the 2009 enacted level.
This request will allow Job Corps to serve more youth than in 2009,
support anticipated increases in fixed costs at centers, and fund cost-
of-living increases for Federal staff at 28 Agency-operated centers.
Only Federal employees at the Agency-operated centers are eligible to
receive the federally mandated cost-of-living increases.
The fiscal year 2010 request supports 44,950 student slots-an
increase of 495 over the 2009 targeted level. The request includes
funding for additional slots at the new Milwaukee Job Corps Center,
scheduled to open in program year 2010. The fiscal year 2010 request
also provides increases for some critical activities including funding
for workload increases for Outreach/Admissions and Career Transition
contracts. It also supports the anticipated increases in fixed costs at
centers, such as utilities and GSA vehicle rental, and includes
sufficient funds for mandated cost-of-living increases for the Federal
staff at the 28 Agency-operated centers. Job Corps remains committed to
improving program efficiency without compromising the basic services,
such as academic and career technical training, provided to our
enrollees.
Additionally, Job Corps will use $36 million in Recovery Act funds
to support critical IT infrastructure and operations needs. The
Recovery Act funds designated for green jobs training will allow us to
realize operational savings in the areas of Career Technical Skills
Training supplies and materials for hands-on training projects. It will
allow the program to increase the provision of green jobs training so
that at-risk youth who participate in Job Corps will be well situated
to benefit from the new green economy.
Question. How will centers achieve the vision of building a
standards-based education and training system under the budget request?
Answer. It will be a challenge, but the Department remains
committed to improving program efficiency without compromising basic
services, such as academic and career technical training, provided to
our enrollees. While Job Corps' legislative mission remains the same--
to educate and train promising youth to be productive workers and
citizens--how Job Corps performs this mission is being significantly
transformed. At the heart of Job Corps' new direction is the
implementation of a Standards-based Education and Training System
leading to industry-recognized credentials and certifications for
students, staff, and programs, and the system-wide structural and
organizational changes concerning professional development, policy,
technology and related areas essential to achieving the transformation.
Job Corps' transformation is occurring incrementally and over time in
four phases. Job Corps has recently completed phase two, the
development of 38 national Career Technical Training programs which
have been revised and aligned with industry standards and
certifications. In phase three, Job Corps will extend the
implementation of these programs to all centers system-wide. By program
year 2010, the Department of Labor expects Job Corps to begin phase
four, the full-scale, nationwide implementation of a fully-tested,
evidence-based National Model of standards-based education and
training.
Question. Are there specific cost-savings or efficiencies that the
Department believes can be implemented? If so, please explain what they
are and how much can be save through these initiatives.
Answer. Job Corps intends to achieve cost savings and efficiencies
through the use of energy efficient construction methods, fleet
reduction and the increased use of alternative fuel vehicles. As a
result, we estimate a savings of up to $5 million annually.
The recently awarded Iowa Job Corps Center construction project
will utilize energy efficiencies such as a ground source heat pump,
upgraded wall and roof insulation, lighting controls, high-efficiency
lighting, Energy Star equipment, and low flow plumbing fixtures. By
building to these specifications Job Corps estimates that annual energy
costs at this center will be reduced by $82,000 annually compared to
construction that does not incorporate these efficiencies.
Job Corps will gain vehicle efficiencies by simultaneously reducing
the overall size of its fleet while increasing the number of
alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs). Recovery Act funds are being used to
purchase electric vehicles for use at each Job Corps center. These
American-made electric vehicles will supplant petroleum-based vehicles
currently in use on centers in such areas as maintenance, security,
administration, and program operations. The net result for centers and
for Job Corps is greater fleet efficiency and lower carbon emissions
for the same vehicle miles driven.
slot reallocations at job corps centers
Question. The congressional justification also indicates that in
fiscal year 2009 that ``slots will be re-allocated from centers with
continuing low on-board strength to high-performing centers that have
been successful in the recruitment and retention of students.'' What
standards will be adopted for such reallocations for both low on-board
strength and high-performing centers?
Answer. Job Corps longstanding position is that it is not prudent
to allow some centers to maintain empty training slots year after year
when there are centers with waiting lists. To ensure that there are
opportunities for all students wanting to enroll in the program,
reallocating slots from centers that underutilize slots promotes an
effective use of funds. Job Corps will conduct a detailed analysis of
the low on-board strength (OBS) centers to determine the appropriate
number of slots that should be moved from one center operator's
contract and added to another. The analysis examines on-board-strength
data and the performance data for all centers to determine those
centers with continuing low OBS and their performance levels.
Implementation of slot reallocation will coincide with the start of a
new contract year for the center to ensure that there are minimal
disruptions in service. The most recent analysis of low on-board
strength was done in early 2007 and at that time, there were nearly
4,000 empty training slots across the program. Centers with low OBS had
slots reallocated to other centers, including New Orleans, Little Rock,
and Cleveland.
Question. How much would be reallocated in 2009 under this
reallocation strategy?
Answer. No determination has been made for program year 2009 yet.
The Office of Job Corps will present options to the Office of the
Secretary for program year 2009.
Question. Would this same strategy be needed in fiscal year 2010 at
the requested funding level?
Answer. There may be a need to utilize the same strategy in 2010 if
it is determined that there are still centers that are unable to fill
their allocated training slots and there are still waiting lists.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Daniel K. Inouye
responding to worker displacement in american samoa
Question. As a result of Public Law 110-28, the minimum wage was
increased in American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands (CNMI) by $0.50 per hour on July 24 and July 25, 2007,
respectively. While opposed by the Congressional Delegates and
Governors representing both territories, Public Law 110-28 also
mandated automatic increases of $0.50 per hour every year thereafter
until 2014 for American Samoa, and 2015 for the CNMI.
After conducting an 8-month study of both economies, as mandated by
Public Law 110-28, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) concluded that
automatic increases would be harmful to both economies, although each
economy was able to sustain the first increase. Given Chicken of the
Sea's recent announcement to close its operations in American Samoa
which will lead to the displacement of more than 2,100 workers, will
the DOL support congressional action to place a hold on future
increases until such time as the Government Accountability Office (GAO)
can conduct a new study, due in April 2010, regarding the impact of
past, present, and future increases on both economies?
Answer. The Department must correct a misunderstanding of its
report on the impact of the minimum wage increases on the economies of
American Samoa and the CNMI. The DOL report produced during the prior
administration was undertaken shortly after the first increases in the
minimum wage, which limited the Department's ability to measure the
impact. The report did not explicitly recommend a roll back. My staff
has reviewed the report and based on the lack of detailed data they
have concluded that it is very difficult to separate possible effects
of the minimum wage increases from the effects of other economic
forces. As noted in the report, the ability of the Department to fully
assess and project the impacts of increases in the minimum wages
applicable to American Samoa and the CNMI was constrained by the short
timeframe available for observation of emerging effects and by the lack
of timely labor market data for both territories. The fact that the
increases are scheduled to be implemented gradually over an extended
period of years is reason to expect that adverse impacts, if any, will
be minimized, and the increase in earnings and spending power of island
households as a result of the minimum wage increase will benefit the
local economies.
The closing of Chicken of the Sea's operations in American Samoa
cannot be directly attributed to the expected minimum wage increase
because the company moved its operations to the State of Georgia, where
the higher Federal minimum wage applies. (The Federal minimum wage is
currently scheduled to increase to $7.25 on July 24 of this year, while
the American Samoan minimum wage for the fish canning and processing
industry will remain at $4.76).
Currently, the GAO is conducting a study of the impact of the
minimum wage increase on American Samoa and the CNMI. The Department
will certainly consider any legislation proposed by the Congress.
Question. According to Congressman Faleomavaega, until passage of
Public Law 110-28 and due to the territory's unique and fragile
economy, DOL Special Industry Committees historically determined
minimum wage rates in American Samoa. Would the administration support
the Congressman's position of reinstating a modified version of Special
Industry Committees for American Samoa and the CNMI in lieu of
automatic increases as now mandated by Public Law 110-28?
Answer. The Department will consider any legislation proposed by
the Congress.
Question. I am advised by Congressman Faleomavaega that more than
2,100 workers in American Samoa will be displaced in September of this
year when Chicken of the Sea relocates to Lyons, Georgia. Would the DOL
support efforts to redirect a portion of the stimulus funds, held by
DOL for American Samoa, to unemployed workers for purposes of job
training and unemployment compensation, in view of the fact that the
American Samoa government does not participate in the Unemployment
Insurance program?
Answer. The Department is aware of the worker displacement
occurring in American Samoa, but does not have the authority to allow
Recovery Act funds to be used as a substitute for unemployment
insurance benefits. However, the Department recommends that the
American Samoa government consider submitting a National Emergency
Grant proposal that could provide job training, needs related payments,
and other employment services to assist workers affected by the Chicken
of the Sea relocation. Our office of Congressional and
Intergovernmental Affairs and the Employment and Training
Administration have had several discussions with Government officials
about the process for applying for such a grant.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Patty Murray
further collaboration with the department of education
Question. I am concerned about those in our workforce that are not
prepared for a turbulent, knowledge-based, technology-driven economy
because they do not have the basic skills required by business to
succeed in tomorrow's workplace. While 25 percent of today's jobs
require a postsecondary credential or degree, an estimated 45 percent
of all new jobs over the next decade will require such postsecondary
credentials. More than 12 million adults without high school
credentials are in the labor force today, and over 1 million young
adults drop out of high school each year. We are the only highly
developed democracy where young adults are less likely to have
completed high school than the previous generation. I believe that
adult education and literacy is a very important component of the
workforce system.
Have you and Secretary Duncan discussed how both departments can
better meet the needs of the ever growing list of those seeking and
needing adult education services--including basic education, English
language training, and high school diploma preparation, to succeed in
careers?
Answer. The Departments of Labor and Education have a long history
of collaboration and have developed venues that will allow both
Departments to continue to work together to find better and more
effective ways to meet the needs of adults seeking education services.
We have begun working with the Department of Education to develop
proposed principles for re-authorizing WIA in order to ensure that
education and training activities are delivered in a manner that
provides the best results of these joint investments. In addition, both
Departments are active members of the Adult Learning Strategies
Workgroup. This workgroup serves to identify and integrate Federal
programs and services to develop new service models and promote adult
education and literacy.
Recently, Labor issued Training and Employment Guidance Letter 14-
08 directing that Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funds included in the
Recovery Act may be used for adult education, including basic or
English language education, as delivered through community colleges and
other high-quality public programs and community organizations that
provide such services. Secretary Duncan and I are working to ensure
that other substantial investments made possible by the Recovery Act,
such as the $500 million made available for grants in the renewable
energy and energy efficiency industries, will include provisions
promoting services with a focus on degree or certificate attainment for
low-income and displaced workers, and for high school dropouts. To
support these efforts the Departments of Education, Energy, and Labor
have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) intended to
strengthen communication and the partnerships among the three
Departments. Some of the activities that will result from the MOU
include: (1) each Department notifying the other two Departments of
relevant awards made with Recovery Act or appropriated funds; (2) each
Department disseminating information about relevant programs and
activities carried out by the other two Departments; and (3) the
Departments working together to develop mutually supportive and
reinforcing projects with aligned goals to ensure the development of
career ladders, lattices, and pathways for jobs in energy efficiency
and renewable energy fields.
Another example of our collaboration concerns the next round of
Community-Based Job Training grants, funded by our fiscal year 2009
appropriations. The grants have historically focused on expanding the
capacity of community colleges to deliver training for high-growth
industries. As we shape the next competition, we will work to ensure
that connections to basic education services are available through
these grants so that individuals who need to obtain a high school
diploma or equivalent before progressing to postsecondary level
education can do so. This approach will align with the fiscal year 2010
budget's proposal for a ``Career Pathways Innovation Fund'' where we
would emphasize basic education, English as a Second Language and other
remediation that prepares individuals to take clear sequences of
coursework to obtain credentials that lead to better jobs. As part of
this initiative, we will work with the Department of Education to help
develop program requirements.
Finally, I believe that two of the key components of WIA
reauthorization will be creating a system where adults can move easily
between the labor market and further education and training in order to
advance in their careers and the close alignment of every level of
education and training with economic realities. In the months ahead, I
look forward to working with Secretary Duncan and Congress to take
advantage of the opportunities created by WIA reauthorization to
identify strategies that will better promote and provide adult
education services to those who need them.
wia youth activities
Question. I commend you for your Department's timely Recovery Act
guidance to the workforce community regarding the use of Workforce
Investment Act (WIA) formula funds. Your guidance accurately reflects
our statutory mandate. We want to ensure these workforce funds are
spent well and utilized during this time of economic crisis.
Unfortunately, the state of our economy has worsened dramatically
since that time, and employment prospects for youth look particularly
bleak this summer, which is why Congress dedicated $1.2 billion in the
Recovery Act for the Department of Labor to help at risk youth--with a
particular focus on providing jobs this summer. I know that your staff
has been working with State and local areas, encouraging them to run
robust summer jobs programs this year.
What can you tell us about your expectations this summer?
Answer. During the summer of 2009, the Employment and Training
Administration (ETA) expects to serve between 200,000 to 250,000 youth
in summer employment, funded by Recovery Act WIA youth funds. Based on
State and local readiness reviews, local areas are ready to implement
robust summer employment opportunities this summer, despite the short
implementation time. ETA expects most local areas to spend roughly 70
percent of their WIA Youth Recovery Act funds on summer employment
during the summer of 2009. Some local areas report plans to spend their
entire allocation of WIA Youth Recovery Act funds on summer employment
this summer. ETA also expects many local areas to implement some form
of ``green'' work experiences this summer, although developing
``green'' opportunities will take time and may not be widespread during
the summer of 2009.
Question. Should States and local areas rebuild and offer robust
summer jobs programs in 2009 with funds from the Recovery Act, I'm
concerned that they may not be able to sustain them at the recommended
2010 level. As we move forward and learn about the impact of the
Recovery Act funds, will you work with me and my colleagues to support
a robust summer jobs program in 2010?
Answer. States and local workforce areas are energized with the
renewed focus on summer employment opportunities. Local areas should be
able to use a combination of remaining Recovery Act funds, remaining
regular WIA youth funds from program year 2009, and program year 2010
WIA youth funds to continue operating summer employment opportunities
during the summer of 2010.
high-growth job training initiatives
Question. As you know, the Recovery Act included $250 million for
competitive grants to better help meet the need for health care
workers. I know that the Department is working hard to announce a grant
solicitation in late spring or early summer for projects that train
workers in the high demand sectors for the healthcare field such as
nursing and allied health, where skilled worker shortages are expected
to reach crisis proportions with the retirement of the baby boomers.
How is the Department of Labor coordinating this effort with the
$500 million that was allocated to the Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) for health jobs in the Recovery Act?
Answer. Across the board, the Department is working with our
Federal partners to connect our workforce development dollars with
other agencies' research, infrastructure and workforce development
dollars. We already have a collaborative working relationship with HHS,
including the Health Resources and Services Administration, and are
reaching out to others to coordinate our Recovery Act investments. For
example, we anticipate linking to the newly created Office of the
National Coordinator for Health Information Technology to better
understand the job creation and skill needs that will occur as a result
of those investments. Our goal is not only to link the $250 million for
training in high growth industries, but to also link the Recovery Act
WIA formula funding to opportunities that are represented by the
resources available through HHS for healthcare jobs.
Question. How can we maximize and better coordinate the health
workforce initiatives being undertaken by both Departments in the
fiscal year 2010 budget?
Answer. The best way to maximize and coordinate both Recovery Act
and funding through the normal appropriations process is through
partnership activities. There are many opportunities to share
information across systems, promote leveraging of resources at the
local level, and collaborate on workforce solutions for the healthcare
industry broadly. One approach that the Department of Labor has pursued
in partnership with HHS and other Federal agencies is supporting
States' efforts to convene and develop partnerships among providers
from different programs and funding sources--either around a specific
sector (such as nursing education capacity) or a specific population
(such as disadvantaged youth). This effort has fostered a collaborative
approach to problem-solving at the State and local level, which is
where an integrated approach can have significant impact.
transitioning veterans into civilian employment
Question. Veterans and returning servicemembers have a difficult
time transitioning to civilian employment for a number of reasons. And,
I believe that it's our shared responsibility to ensure that those who
have sacrificed for us on the battle field are fully supported as they
re-enter civilian life and seek a new career or return to their former
job. Part of helping ease that transition is creating seamless service
provision for these members across the Federal Government.
I was glad to see that this budget request includes additional
funds for the Veterans' Employment and Training Services Administration
and other veterans' employment programs at the Department of Labor. But
I'm concerned that the agencies that serve our veterans need to do more
to align their services and ease the burden on servicemembers seeking
their rightfully earned benefits.
How will you work with the Department of Veterans Affairs, the
Department of Defense, and other agencies to help ensure veterans
transition successfully into civilian employment?
Answer. The Department of Labor along with the Departments of
Defense (to include the Military Services), Veterans Affairs, and
Homeland Security has an active Transition Assistance Steering
Committee that oversees the Transition Services provided by these
Departments to transitioning servicemembers. This Committee is
responsible for recent improvements to Transition Services, which
includes a standardized Transition Assistance Employment Workshop and
the requirements for attendees to develop a resume. Based on the
recommendations of the Committee the Department of Labor will conduct a
TAP Review to assess the current curriculum and assess its relevancy
and recommend changes and improvements.
Question. How will you work with ODEP and other agencies within the
Department to address the needs of veterans and servicemembers who
suffer a disabling injury during their service and their families who
care for them during this time who may fear putting their jobs at risk?
I am particularly interested in your thoughts on how we can better help
veterans with TBI successfully transition into the civilian world of
work.
Answer. VETS works closely with the Office of Disability and
Employment Policy (ODEP). In consultation with VETS, ODEP established
the Department's America's Heroes at Work program. This program
addresses the employment challenges of returning servicemembers living
with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and/or Traumatic Brain
Injury (TBI). The americasheroesatwork.gov web site for employers and
the workforce development system, helps returning servicemembers
affected by TBI and/or PTSD succeed in the workplace--particularly
servicemembers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The VETS National
Office is located adjacent to that of ODEP, which facilitates
collaboration on projects serving the employment needs of disabled
veterans. In recent years VETS and ODEP have been among the sponsors of
the annual U.S. Business Leaders Network (USBLN) conference.
A key employment initiative for which VETS has employed expertise
and assistance from the ODEP is the Recovery and Employment Assistance
Lifelines Program (REALifelines). REALifelines is a program sponsored
by the U.S. Department of Labor, military medical transition centers,
and career workforce agencies located in hometowns across the country.
The program supports the economic recovery and reemployment of
transitioning wounded and injured servicemembers and their families by
identifying barriers to employment or re-employment and addressing
those needs at the earliest point possible during transition from
military service. ODEP has provided expertise to VETS regarding
supporting and assistive services for this population of veterans. A
venue for discussing associated issues is an ODEP America's Heroes at
Work Committee on which VETS is a permanent member. The REALifelines
program links servicemembers with local professionals in their hometown
communities to support their economic recovery and re-employment
through a range of services. As part of the program, wounded and
injured servicemembers, and their spouses, are eligible for services
offered at more than 3,000 One-Stop career centers of the Employment
and Training Administration's Workforce Investment System.
community service employment for older americans
Question. The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP)
is the only program at the Department of Labor that provides intensive
services for low-income older workers. Its dual mission of both
community service and employment is unique and highly effective,
especially during these tough economic times. However, I am concerned
that despite the worst unemployment levels for older workers since
World War II, the Department's budget recommended a less than 1 percent
increase for this program in 2010. Congress did provide $120 million in
additional funds for SCSEP in the Recovery Act, but the program is
still only able to serve less than 1 percent of the eligible
population. And our low-income seniors are hurting.
What plans do you have to strengthen and enhance the SCSEP program?
Answer. The Recovery Act provided SCSEP with an additional $120
million through the end of program year 2009. The regular program
increase for program year 2010 will maintain the program at its current
level. The program year 2009 funding and program year 2010 requested
funding are each sufficient to fund 59,316 participant slots in the
regular program per year, or approximately 91,000 individual persons
each year, depending on the program turnover rate and the ability of
participants to find unsubsidized employment.
The Recovery Act funding will support approximately 13,000
additional participants in program year 2009 and cover increased
participant wages due to the July 24, 2009 increase in the Federal
minimum wage. The total number of individuals served with Recovery Act
funds is also dependent on the turnover rate and ability of
participants to transition to unsubsidized employment.
The Department intends to continue its effort begun last year to
focus technical assistance on the lower performing grantees, helping
them to appropriately evaluate and diagnose their performance issues to
lead to more effective improvement strategies. The Department has begun
utilizing more online training opportunities for grantees through
Webinars and other electronic tools, thus enabling grantees to receive
needed technical assistance at any time. Technical assistance is also
focused on ensuring grantees effectively coordinate the delivery of
services including encouraging better services for older workers at
One-Stop Career Centers.
In an effort to serve participants more effectively, the Department
required in the 2006 competition for national grantees that national
grantee service areas be more contiguous and less duplicative of other
service providers. As a follow-up to this effort, the Department
intends to work with the State and territorial grantees to consider
more efficient assignment of their service areas which will encourage
management efficiencies. This will need to be accomplished on a State-
by-State basis before the next national grantee competition in 2011.
Question. What plans do you have to better serve older workers
through the One Stop Career Center network?
Answer. The Department will soon launch an initiative to increase
the public workforce system's capacity to effectively serve an aging
worker population, as well as to train workers age 55 and older for
jobs in high growth, high-demand industries that are critical to
regional economies. The Department plans to award $10 million in grant
funds to 10 organizations that connect older Americans to career
opportunities through the ``Aging Worker Initiative: Strategies for
Regional Talent Development.''
The Department has developed a protocol on serving older workers
aimed at the workforce system to articulate the various roles and
responsibilities of all the stakeholders, including the One Stop Career
Centers, the State and local Workforce Boards, mature worker
intermediaries and service providers, business and industry employers,
and the Department itself. This protocol was shared through Training
and Employment Notice 16-04, Protocol for Serving Older Workers, and
subsequently posted on our website for ongoing access. In the coming
year, the Department plans to reinforce the activities articulated in
the protocol.
The Department has also encouraged enhanced services to older
workers through the One Stop Career Center network through technical
assistance that combined workshops and through online assistance on
www.workforce3one.org, ETA's knowledge sharing and learning platform.
Nearly 50,000 stakeholders from the workforce system use this Web site
to participate in online learning events (Webinars); to learn about
promising practices or new research on workforce topics; and to engage
in networking opportunities with workforce system peers. In the past 3
years, ETA has hosted numerous Webinars on effective strategies for
serving older workers and current issues impacting older workers, such
as displacement.
Question. Will you be willing to work with Congress to do so?
Answer. The Department will be happy year to work with Congress to
ensure our programs are strengthened and enhanced to effectively serve
older workers.
career pathways innovation fund
Question. I am very interested in your Career Pathways Innovation
Fund proposal in your 2010 budget request. As you know, developing
career pathways is an important focus for me, and I look forward to
working with you on this important initiative. I believe that we need
to create strong career ladders that can help our students and current
workers, regardless of their skill levels, move up the economic ladder.
How do you envision the workforce system, community colleges, and
our education systems coordinating with employers and labor
organizations in high demand or emerging industry sectors to accomplish
the goals of this program?
Answer. We appreciate your interest in creating strong career
ladders and helping workers advance in their careers. You are correct
that partnerships will be key to implementing this new initiative. This
initiative is the outgrowth of an industry sector approach to workforce
solutions. Business, industry, and labor define competencies and skills
and work collaboratively with education partners to map corresponding
education and career pathways with supporting curriculum to achieve
industry recognized credentials. The community college is the focus of
this initiative, but there is an expectation that the development of
successful career pathways program will require engagement with
business and industry, the full spectrum of education partners, labor
organizations, the workforce system, and others. There will also be a
need to ensure that not only traditional students, but also dislocated
workers and transitioning adults have access to the pathways. The
workforce system is a key partner for this purpose. The Department
intends to structure the competitive grant process to require these
strategic partnerships.
work incentive grant program
Question. We have heard much in a recent series of Workforce
Investment Act listening sessions about the challenges many job seekers
with disabilities have in accessing one stop services and through the
centers and through their programs. Together with some of my
colleagues, we sponsored these sessions where stakeholders in the
system could provide feedback about what has worked and should be
refined and retained to help workers, job seekers and industry; what
key challenges need to be addressed; and what innovative policy ideas
should be considered to modernize the WIA as we move forward with re-
authorization.
One of the key ways to improve accessibility for one stop services
was the disability navigator system supported through the Work
Incentive Grant program. While I understand the rationale for
eliminating this program after a 7-year ``pilot,'' I'm concerned about
the continuation of services provided by disability navigators or other
promising practices to help individuals with disabilities through the
One Stop system. And your budget states your expectation that there
will be an increase in workforce service levels to job seekers with
disabilities through the One Stop Career Center system in 2010.
What are your plans to ensure that the State and local area One
Stop service delivery networks meet this expectation, and how will you
know whether it is met?
Answer. While the Department has recommended phasing out direct
funding for this program, it is actively working with States to utilize
other available Federal and State resources to support the Disability
Program Navigator model, such as Wagner-Peyser funding, and funding for
participation as a Ticket to Work Employment Network. The
administration and the Department continue to have a strong commitment
to ensure that individuals with disabilities receive the services they
need to be successful in the workplace.
Furthermore, the Department recognizes that in an economic downturn
and a tight labor market, individuals with more barriers to employment
have the potential to be left behind. The Department is working to
ensure all disadvantaged populations continue to have access to the
resources of the public workforce system and benefit from the new
infusion of resources provided by the Recovery Act. Specifically, the
Department is requiring States specify how they will ensure a continued
focus on disadvantaged populations (which include individuals with
disabilities) in modifications to their WIA and Wagner-Peyser State
Plans, which outline their Recovery Act strategies. In addition, we
provide continuous technical assistance to the workforce system through
Webinars and other means and have already produced a webinars focusing
on how to ensure individuals with disabilities are served with these
new resources.
I have also requested an increase of $10 million over fiscal year
2009 for the Office of Disability Employment Policy. This increase will
support a new initiative that builds upon the lessons learned through
the Disability Navigator Program, and focuses on working with
employers, the One-Stop system, and other stakeholders to vigorously
promote the hiring, job placement and retention of individuals with
disabilities, particularly youth, in integrated employment,
apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, and community service
activities.
Question. Will you keep us informed of the system's progress in
serving job seekers with disabilities?
Answer. The Department will be happy year to continue to
communicate with Congress on its service delivery strategies and
initiatives for serving job seekers with disabilities.
noncompetitive grants
Question. Over the past 3 years there have been reports by the
General Accountability Office, Congressional Research Service, and the
Department of Labor Inspector General about the excessive awarding of
noncompetitive grants during the previous administration. This was the
subject of my subcommittee hearing last September and at several
previous Appropriations subcommittee hearings. Congress followed-up by
writing language into the Labor HHS appropriations bill to require
competitive grant making.
What will be the Department's approach to noncompetitive grants
under your leadership?
Answer. The Department of Labor embraces the value of the
competitive grant making process as the best vehicle through which to
select those entities most qualified to carry out its discretionary
grant programs effectively. We plan to carefully review each request
for renewal of noncompetitive awards provided under the last
administration through the Department's published guidance regarding
competitive exceptions, with an eye to increasing the use of
competitive grants.
The Department will comply with the Federal Grant and Cooperative
Agreement Act, but also recognizes the occasional need to apply legal
exceptions to its general competitive award policy to achieve specific
program benefits. In such instances, the Department has established and
implemented a management process to review proposed exceptions to
competitive procedures for grants and contracts to ensure that they are
fully justified. Specifically, a Procurement Review Board, consisting
of senior staff from four agencies, reviews the proposed noncompetitive
actions and makes a recommendation to the Chief Acquisition Officer for
final disposition.
The Department of Labor is also committed to the principles
identified in the President's March 4, 2009 memorandum to agencies
regarding the use of contracts, and will seek to improve the
effectiveness of acquisition practices and the results achieved from
contracts by maximizing the use of competition where appropriate.
wia dislocated workers formula
Question. As we discussed at the hearing, I share the concern of
other members about the 2009 WIA Dislocated Worker funding distribution
that, because of the formula factors, meant that some States that are
hurting the most saw a reduction in their funds. While Congress
considers how to remedy this issue in reauthorization, these States
will need relief. One of the purposes of the National Emergency Grants
(NEG) under WIA is to address situations like this.
I appreciate your support on this issue, and I want to be clear on
your intent to use some of the NEG funds you received through ARRA and
fiscal year 2009 appropriations for this purpose.
Do you plan to use NEG funds to help States who have a high rate of
unemployment, particularly those greater than the national average, and
who have received less WIA dislocated worker formula funds in the
fiscal year 2009 distribution compared to the fiscal year 2008
distribution through no fault of their own? If so, what are your plans
for doing so, and how soon could States expect to see those funds?
Answer. While the Department does not plan to provide on a routine
basis NEGs to States that received less program year 2009 WIA formula
funds than they did in program year 2008, the Department is prepared to
provide NEGs when significant worker dislocation events create a need
that cannot reasonably be expected to be accommodated within the
ongoing operations of the WIA Dislocated Worker formula program,
including the discretionary resources available to the States. Once the
affected States demonstrate significant usage of both their program
year 2008 WIA Dislocated Worker formula funds and their Recovery Act
formula allocations, the Department will consider NEG applications to
temporarily expand service capacity at the State and local levels by
providing funding assistance in response to significant economic
events.
In addition, a new type of NEG was created after the passage of the
Recovery Act, to address the dynamics associated with this particular
economic downturn. Based on the extraordinary effect that the economic
downturn has had on the labor market and available re-employment
resources, requests can be made for NEG funds to replenish WIA
Dislocated Worker formula funds where the applicant has spent 95
percent of both their current program year and Recovery Act Dislocated
Worker formula funds. In the event that a State or local area is nearly
out of WIA Dislocated Worker formula funds, this type of NEG can be
used to provide the same services available under a State or local
area's WIA Dislocated Worker formula program until additional WIA
Dislocated Worker formula resources are made available.
Question. After reviewing the amount of funds you need to provide
temporary relief to these States and ensuring you have funds in reserve
for unexpected layoffs or disasters, please inform the Senate
Appropriations Committee if you need additional funds and how much.
Answer. The Department believes with the combination of fiscal year
2009 National Reserve and Recovery Act resources, adequate funding is
available to support the use of NEGs as described above. We would also
appreciate the support of the Committee for the increase of $71 million
that is requested in fiscal year 2010 for the Dislocated Worker
National Reserve, as these resources will be critical to meeting the
needs of dislocated workers into the subsequent program year.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Richard J. Durbin
farm labor conditions
Question. How do you consider farm labor conditions in the United
States? The Department of Labor has not been very engaged in the issues
associated with farm labor. What do you see as the Department of
Labor's role moving forward?
Answer. Although conditions may have improved for some agricultural
workers, these workers continue to be among the most vulnerable in the
workforce. According to a 2008 United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA) report (Kandel, W. ``Profile of Hired Farmworkers, A 2008
Update.'' USDA, ERS Economic Research Report No. 60, July, 2008. (38)),
farmworkers remain ``among the most economically disadvantaged working
groups in the United States.'' and ``poverty among farmworkers is more
than double that of all wage and salary employees.'' The report goes on
to note that not only do farmworkers face workplace hazards similar to
those found in other industrial settings, they confront a number of
additional hazards, such as pesticide exposure, sun exposure,
inadequate sanitary facilities, and crowded and/or substandard housing.
Being from the State of California, I have a personal interest in
ensuring that this Department does all it can do to protect the welfare
of those workers who plant our crops, harvest our vegetables, and put
food on the tables of homes across this country. The President's fiscal
year 2010 budget request for the Department's Wage and Hour Division
will enable that agency to restore its investigator levels to those
seen prior to 2001. These new investigators will support our goal of
increasing compliance with and strengthening enforcement of the labor
standards that protect vulnerable workers and in particular,
farmworkers. Coupled with this emphasis on vigorous enforcement, the
Wage and Hour Division will continue its outreach efforts to community
groups that assist farmworkers, so that those groups can help educate
agricultural workers about their rights and about their employers'
obligation to provide a safe and fair workplace for them.
Our commitment to protecting farmworkers is evidenced by the recent
action the Department took to ensure that the regulations governing
worker protections under the Immigration and Nationality Act's H-2A
temporary nonimmigrant agricultural worker program adequately protect
the workers in this program. For that reason, on May 29, 2009, we
announced the suspension of the H-2A regulations promulgated under the
prior administration effective June 29, 2009. Unfortunately, on June
29, 2009, the United States District Court for the Middle District of
North Carolina preliminarily enjoined the suspension.
coalition of immokalee workers
Question. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) is a community-
based organization of mainly Latino, Mayan Indian, and Haitian
immigrants working in low-wage jobs throughout the State of Florida.
They organize for the following: a fair wage, better and cheaper
housing, stronger laws and stronger enforcement against those who would
violate workers' rights, the right to organize on our jobs without fear
of retaliation, and an end to indentured servitude in the fields.
If you are aware of the CIW's efforts to improve conditions in
Immokalee, can you speak to the market-based, voluntary compliance
approach--Campaign for Fair Food--spearheaded by the CIW and embraced
by food industry leaders?
Answer. The Campaign for Fair Food was initiated in April 2001 when
the Coalition of Immokalee Workers' farmworkers, who were harvesting
tomatoes for suppliers of retail food corporations, called for a
nation-wide consumer boycott of Taco Bell restaurants and products.
Over the next few years, the campaign was able to obtain agreements
with large purchasers of tomatoes including Taco Bell, McDonald's, Bon-
Appetit, Whole Foods Market, and Burger King to improve conditions for
field workers. These agreements increased the wages by a penny a pound
and led to additional monitoring of field conditions.
We understand that the premises of the Campaign for Fair Food are
that:
--Retail food corporations have a responsibility to improve the wages
of farmworkers because their procurement practices have helped
to suppress those wages at a sub-poverty level.
--Farmworkers must be full partners with retail food corporations--
and the growers that supply them--in protecting and advancing
their own rights (such as the right to overtime and the right
to organize), as a matter of human dignity and effectiveness in
changing the conditions in the fields.
--Consumers have a responsibility to influence retail food
corporations to ensure the human rights and dignity of the men
and women harvesting produce through purchasing decisions,
shareholder actions, and shared public witness.
The Department applauds all efforts to increase wages and improve
working conditions for farmworkers and looks forward to working in
concert with such organizations to further better the lives of the
laborers that feed families across this country and others.
Question. I have been working closely with the CIW regarding the
conditions found on tomato farms in Florida. Would you be willing to
look further into the situation in Immokalee, Florida?
Answer. I will review the conditions in Florida and the Department
will investigate as appropriate.

SUBCOMMITEE RECESS

Senator Harkin. Thank you very much, Madam Secretary.
The subcommittee will stand recessed.
[Whereupon, at 10:39 a.m., Wednesday, May 13, the subcom-
mittee was recessed, to reconvene subject to the call of the
Chair.]

DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND
RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2010

----------

THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2009

U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met at 10:29 a.m., in room SD-138, Dirksen
Senate Office Building, Hon. Tom Harkin (chairman) presiding.
Present: Senators Harkin and Shelby.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health

STATEMENT OF RAYNARD S. KINGTON, M.D., Ph.D., ACTING
DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
ACCOMPANIED BY:
JOHN E. NIEDERHUBER, M.D., DIRECTOR, NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
ELIZABETH G. NABEL, M.D., NATIONAL HEART, LUNG, AND BLOOD
INSTITUTE
ANTHONY S. FAUCI, M.D., DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY
AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES

OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR TOM HARKIN

Senator Harkin. Good morning. The Subcommittee on Labor,
Health, Human Services, and Education will come to order.
This morning we will examine the President's proposed
fiscal year 2010 budget for the National Institutes of Health
(NIH). We'll also discuss the $10.4 billion that was provided
for NIH in the Recovery Act.
I would say at the outset these are exciting times for NIH.
After several years of stagnant funding, the Recovery Act has
breathed new life into the field of biomedical research. The
new Challenge Grant Program alone has generated more than
20,000 applications from researchers across the country, far
more than anyone expected.
The scientific advances that result from this funding will
probably take some time to gauge but in the meantime, I expect
it to have a tremendous impact on the economy. Every time a
researcher gets a grant, it supports an average of six or seven
jobs. That's not just one researcher by himself or herself.
It's lab technicians, post-doc fellows and research assistants,
and then there's the ripple effect of the research itself.
Maybe this grant leads to a new compound that a
pharmaceutical company wants to develop into a new drug and
that means more money in our economy. Maybe an entrepreneur
uses some breakthrough to form a spin-off company. That
stimulates the economy, also.
I just want to note for the record, I don't want any of you
here at the table to take this wrongly, but all of this money
won't just go to Bethesda. It goes to researchers in every
State and it helps the entire country.
But while there's a great deal of optimism about the next 2
years, there's also a concern about what happens after the
Recovery Act funding runs out in the year 2011. After 2 years
of healthy budgets, will we then have a cliff effect where we
just kind of fall again?
That's one of the questions I will want to discuss with our
witnesses today.
At this point, I know Senator Cochran is also on our
Defense Committee hearing mark-up and will probably be here
later, but I'll leave the record open for his opening statement
at this point and any other statements that any members of the
subcommittee might have.
This morning we have Dr. Raynard S. Kington who was named
Acting Director of the National Institutes of Health on October
31 of last year, before that he was Deputy Director for 5 years
under Dr. Zerhouni.
Dr. Kington received his B.S. and M.D. degrees from the
University of Michigan and a Ph.D. from the University of
Pennsylvania, and I just want to add that, Dr. Kington, I know
you've served in this capacity probably longer than you thought
you were going to have to serve. But by every account that I
have seen, you have done a great job in running this agency and
I just want to thank you for this period of service and for all
the previous service, Dr. Kington.
Also at the table is Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Director of the
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Again, I
don't know if you've ever kept count of how many times have you
appeared before this subcommittee, Tony, going back all these
years? But again, welcome.
Dr. Fauci came to NIH in 1968, after completing his
residency at the New York Hospital, Cornell Medical Center. He
received his M.D. degree from Cornell University Medical
College.
Dr. Elizabeth Nabel is the Director of the National Heart,
Lung, and Blood Institute, appointed to that position in 2005,
received her M.D. from Cornell University Medical College, and
prior to coming to NIH, Dr. Nabel was the Chief of Cardiology
and Director of the Cardiovascular Research Center at the
University of Michigan.
Dr. John Niederhuber is the Director of the National Cancer
Institute, a graduate of Bethany College in West Virginia,
received his medical degree from Ohio State, and prior to
coming to NIH, Dr. Niederhuber was a Professor of Surgery and
Oncology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine.
I know other Directors are here this morning. Dr. Lawrence
Tabak at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial
Research is here. Dr. Tabak is here.
Dr. John Ruffin from the National Center on Minority Health
and Health Disparities.
Dr. Steven Katz, the National Institute of Arthritis and
Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, Dr. Katz is here, yes.
Dr. Story Landis of the National Institute of Neurological
Diseases and Stroke, Dr. Landis.
Dr. Richard Hodes, National Institute of Aging. Nice to see
you again.
Dr. Griffin Rodgers from the National Institute of Diabetes
and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIDDK.
And Dr. Thomas Insel, National Institute of Mental Health,
also here, too.
Thank you all for being here.
Now, I had a series of really wonderful hearings last year
where we brought down something like three directors at a time,
and I wanted to do that this year, but because of healthcare
reform that we're working on and I also wear another hat, we're
trying to get the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition bill
through, so there's just a lot of things piled up on us right
now, so I don't have that luxury.
I think it's very important that we hear from the Directors
of these Institutes in a more indepth session. I will just say,
Dr. Kington, it's my intent, consistent with what we have to do
here in the Senate this year, that maybe we can catch up on
this later on. I'm still hopeful that maybe this fall some
time, if we get our healthcare reform bill through and we have
a little bit more time I would come back and hopefully revisit
that and reprise what we did again last year.
I just don't have the time to do it now, but sometime this
fall. So I say to you and the other directors it is my intent
to do that. Okay?
Well, with that, Dr. Kington, we'll turn to you for your
statement. I just would say that all of your statements will be
made a part of the record in their entirety and if you'd just
summarize them in 5 minutes or so, I'd certainly appreciate it.
Dr. Kington.

SUMMARY STATEMENT OF DR. RAYNARD S. KINGTON

Dr. Kington. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, it's a privilege to
appear before you today to present the National Institutes of
Health budget request and to discuss the priorities of NIH for
fiscal year 2010 and beyond.
Again, I would like to thank all of my colleagues whom
you've noted who are here joining me today and we would welcome
the opportunity to come back and have further discussions
whenever it is convenient.
First, I want to express my gratitude to Congress and the
president for the support reflected in the recent appropriation
of $10.4 billion in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
(ARRA) for NIH expenditure and the 3.2 percent increase in the
annual fiscal year 2009 appropriations for NIH.
The continued trust that you place in the NIH to make the
discoveries that will lead to better health for everyone is
appreciated.
I thank you on behalf of the many scientists who we are
able to support and more than 3,000 research institutions
throughout the United States and on behalf of the public who
count on our research to help detect, treat and prevent
hundreds of diseases and conditions.
As noted, I have submitted my testimony for the record and
will just highlight key points for you now.

FISCAL YEAR 2010 BUDGET REQUEST

The budget request embodies the President's fundamental
goal of increasing overall Federal investment in biomedical
research as well as the President's particular emphasis on
accelerating research in the areas of cancer and autism in
fiscal year 2010.
The budget request provides $31 billion, an increase of
$443 million or 1.4 percent over fiscal year 2009, to help fill
in gaps in our fundamental understanding of health and disease.
This request will increase funding for research project grants
by $243 million.
The request supports an estimated 9,849 new and competing
research project grants, about the same level as in fiscal year
2009, which will provide a success rate in 2010 of about 20
percent.
The fiscal year 2010 President's budget request includes
the following priorities. For cancer research, an increase of
investment across the NIH to over $6 billion reflecting the
first year of an 8-year strategy to double cancer research by
fiscal year 2017. This request represents an increase of $268
million or 5 percent over an estimated fiscal year 2009.
For autism research, the NIH will contribute $141 million
of the $211 million department-wide initiative on autism.
Working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and
the Health Resources Service Administration, we will use these
funds to support research into the causes of and treatment for
autism spectrum disorders. For NIH this represents an increase
of $19 million or about 16 percent above the estimated fiscal
year 2009 level.

ECONOMIC AND SCIENTIFIC BENEFITS OF ARRA

I expressed earlier my gratitude to the President and
Congress for their support of the NIH with ARRA. It is time
that the ARRA funds be provided to NIH to stimulate the economy
and advance biomedical and behavioral research. The biomedical
research community is not spared from the recent downturn in
the economy. This is worrisome not only because it means fewer
jobs but also because innovation and a constant influx of young
talent are crucial to the Nation's economic success and a
robust biomedical research enterprise.
We are moving quickly to identify the best science and
support it with an additional $10.4 billion provided by ARRA to
NIH and to obligate it within the next 2 years. We have already
started selecting projects to receive the funding. To date NIH
has begun obligating more than $375 million worth of ARRA
support to a wide array of important projects. We expect the
number of actions to increase exponentially over the coming
weeks and months.
For example, NIH ARRA funding is already supporting
research to construct a reference sequence dataset for the
Human Microbiome Project. This genomic survey project promises
to lay the foundation for future advances to understand the
impact that microbes in the human body have on health and
disease.
Another funded project seeks to develop molecular targeting
to improve the delivery and efficacy of treatments for deadly
brain tumors known as glial blastomas.
Still another ARRA grant will support a Pittsburgh lab that
has been developing a minimally invasive surgical approach for
removing intracerebral hematomas, deadly bruises on the brain.
In this case ARRA funds have allowed the lab to reopen and the
staff newly returned to their benches to continue their
potentially life-saving studies.
Furthermore, your funding decisions sent a strong message
to scientists in the field and to bright young people who may
one day choose a career as scientists that the United States is
working to support outstanding research and outstanding
scientists.
Just yesterday the Baltimore Sun published a story on the
impact of ARRA funding and here's a quote from the article:

``There are a lot of really good ideas that were dying on
the vine because they weren't getting funding,'' said James
Hughes, Vice President for Research and Development at the
University of Maryland, Baltimore, ``but with the stimulus
money, Hughes estimates that his medical, pharmacy, dental, and
nursing schools could see as much as an additional $100 million
over the next 2 years, money that will not only further
research but would create hundreds of good jobs.''

I am certain that similar scenarios are occurring
throughout the country and will continue to do so over the next
2 years as we implement this act. Here's only a sampling of the
important work that we will support with the ARRA funds.
For example, we will expand our current understanding of a
wide array of diseases and conditions, including diabetes,
various forms of cancer, addiction, glaucoma, infectious
diseases, heart and lung diseases, arthritis, kidney disease
and mental disorders.
In addition, we will expand our efforts in community-based
research with special focus on minority and under-served
populations, and make further investments into the potential
applications of nano technology.
Just to review briefly, the ARRA funding to NIH will be
used in the following ways. The legislation allocated $1.3
billion for the National Center for Research Resources with $1
billion identified for extramural construction and renovation
and $300 million targeted for shared instrumentation and other
large capital research equipment.
The positive impact of the support for institutions and
researchers will be extraordinary, providing broader access to
the state of our equipment. Funding for extramural construction
and renovation will result in jobs in construction and a number
of trades in the building industry.
Shared instrumentation will improve the quality and even
the speed of work that is done and build collaboration in ways
that will accelerate discovery. Shared scientific
instrumentation, including such resources as advanced real-time
imaging tools, will allow scientists to image the brain in
action in ways that have not been possible before.
You appropriated $8.2 billion to NIH, of which $7.4 billion
was distributed through the Office of the Director to
Institutes and Centers of NIH and to the common fund for the
direct support of biomedical research. The remaining $800
million was distributed by the Office of the Director to fund
specific research challenges of scientific priorities at the
Institutes and Centers.
Our current projections are that NIH activities with these
funds will support more than 7,000 new awards, most of which
will be for 2 years of scientific research.
In addition, $400 million transferred to NIH from the
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality as directed under
ARRA and will be used to support comparative effectiveness
research. The remaining $500 million will be used to fund high-
priority repairs, improvements, and construction on the NIH
Bethesda campus to enable the highest-quality research to be
conducted.
Let me review how NIH will be using ARRA dollars in direct
support of science.
NIH developed a nimble approach to investing the money
quickly and with the greatest impact. For example, we are in
the process of scrutinizing approximately 14,000 grant
applications we received in our last round of review,
applications that were already highly meritorious and approved
by advisory councils at each Institute and Center, applications
that despite their merit we could not fund before.
We are now identifying and planning to fund some of these
scientifically meritorious applications for 2 years where the
scientific plan is appropriate for a 2-year award instead of
the usual 4-year award.
NIH has already issued a number of new funding
announcements. In particular, we've made targeted grant
announcements to stimulate research in high-priority exempt
areas. An excellent example is research funding opportunities
related to autism, a disease that affects so many families
across the United States.
NIH has committed $60 million of research funding, in
addition to a $141 million in the base budget request, to
address the differences across autism spectrum disorders.
Resources will help develop and test diagnostic screening
tools, assess risk for exposures, test early interventions and
adapt existing pediatric treatments for older groups with
autism spectrum disorders.
While few trials can be completed in 2 years, the ARRA
funds will be important for jumpstarting projects and building
the foundation for longer-term autism research.
NIH has created a number of new programs that will spur new
areas of research and trigger an almost immediate influx of
research dollars into communities across the Nation.
For example, we've introduced the Challenge Grants, the
Grant Opportunity or GO Grants, Signature Initiatives, a
program to encourage the recruitment of new faculty to conduct
research, and a program to hire students and science teachers
to work in research laboratories.
For the Challenge Grants, we issued the largest request for
applications in NIH history, which is saying something, to
initiate the program. The 220-page solicitation lists 237
scientific topics in 15 broad scientific areas. As noted, we
initially expected to devote approximately $200 million to this
effort, funding the best proposals from a pool of around
15,000, we initially estimated. However, upon receiving well
over 20,000 applications, we now anticipate devoting
substantially more than that.
The magnitude of the response demonstrates the breadth and
depth of the scientific capacity that exists across the United
States, capacity awaiting only financial support to be
actualized. It is inspiring to witness the scope and creativity
of American scientists.
Here are only a few examples of Challenge Grant topics. New
advances in biosensors and lab on a chip technology to create
novel ways to measure the health effects of contaminants in the
environment and develop high-tech blood and tissue analysis
techniques, new approaches to better understand persistent HIV-
1 infections in patients receiving antiretroviral therapy, and
enhancing research in the bioethics field.
Another new program is the Grant Opportunity Program or GO
Grants. The GO Grant Program which was designed to complement
the Challenge Grants will support large-scale research
projects. These large-scale projects will accelerate critical
breakthroughs early in applied research on cutting edge
technologies and new approaches to improve the interactions
among multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary research teams. The
applications are due on May 29th of this year and I know that
we've received already more than 2,400 letters of intent from
potential applicants.
NIH is also identifying a number of Signature Initiatives
that will support exceptionally creative and innovative
projects and programs to address major challenges in biomedical
research in public health. The initiatives will cover new
scientific opportunities in nano technology, genome-wide
association studies, health disparities, arthritis, diabetes,
autism, genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease, regenerative
medicine, oral fluids as biomarkers, and HIV vaccine research.
In addition to direct support from the Institutes and
Centers ARRA funds, the Office of The Director will also
support at least $30 million from its ARRA funds for these
signature projects.
We've also announced a new program to support newly trained
faculty to conduct research. This will help address the need to
support early career scientists who are one of NIH's top
priorities. Funding will be provided to hire, provide
appropriate start-up packages, and develop pilot research
projects for newly independent investigators. The applications
for this program are due to NIH May 29, as well.
We are particularly delighted to tell you about our
expanded summer program for teachers and students from all 50
States and the District of Columbia. NIH will use $35 million
of ARRA dollars to support short-term jobs over 2 summers for
over 3,700 individuals. Most of these will be high school and
undergraduate students, though the number also includes several
hundred elementary, middle, high school, and community college
science educators.
This laboratory experience around the country will provide
several thousand Americans with the opportunity to experience
the extraordinary world of research. We hope this experience
will spark the desire of many of these students to become
scientists.
We are mindful that a top priority for the use of ARRA
funds by NIH is to create and preserve jobs as well as to
increase purchasing power in all corners of the country. We
firmly believe that we can do this while carrying out the core
NIH mission and without compromising our commitment to fund the
very best scientific research ideas.
We will fulfill ARRA's comprehensive reporting
requirements, including jobs created and preserved, tracking of
all projects and activities and trend analysis. To track all of
the NIH ARRA-related activities, I invite you to go to our Web
site, www.nih.gov, which we will update regularly.
In summary, groundbreaking discoveries are most often built
on the foundation of many incremental advances that bring us
closer to early diagnoses, better treatments and other public
health improvements expected by Congress and the American
public.
Because of the ARRA funds, there will be more discoveries
across the country next year and many years thereafter. These
findings will yield better understanding of the major diseases
and disorders, including those I touched on today, and hundreds
more, as well as providing keys to living healthier lives.
As I said in my opening comments, we are grateful for the
commitment to biomedical research and all the promise it brings
to the people here in the United States and around the world.
We have employed a number of innovative strategies to quickly
and wisely invest ARRA funds. We still stimulate the economy,
create jobs and advance science.
Most importantly, however, ARRA will help contribute to our
principal mission: to make scientific discoveries that will
improve people's health.

PREPARED STATEMENTS

I will be pleased to answer any questions that you might
have.
[The statements follow:]
Prepared Statement of Raynard S. Kington
Good morning, Mr. Chairman and distinguished members of the
subcommittee.
It is a privilege for me to appear before you today to present the
National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget request and to discuss the
priorities of NIH for fiscal year 2010 and beyond.
First, I want to express our gratitude for your and the President's
support as reflected in the recent appropriation of $10.4 billion in
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for NIH expenditure
and the 3.2 percent increase in annual fiscal year 2009 appropriations
for NIH. The continued trust that you place in NIH to make the
discoveries that will lead to better health for everyone is
appreciated.
I thank you on behalf of the many scientists we are able to support
at more than 3,000 research institutions throughout the 50 States and
United States territories; and on behalf of the public, who count on
our research to help detect, treat, or prevent hundreds of diseases and
conditions.
As you well know, research conducted and supported by the NIH
touches people's lives every day. NIH is the largest single engine for
outstanding biomedical research in this country--and the world. Not
only does NIH have an impact globally, it also has a lasting impact at
the community level, bringing intellectual and economic growth to towns
and cities across America.
Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Request
The budget request embodies the President's fundamental goal of
increasing overall Federal investment in basic research and development
as well as particular emphasis on accelerating research in the areas of
cancer and autism in fiscal year 2010.
The budget request provides $31 billion, an increase of $443
million or 1.4 percent over fiscal year 2009, to help fill gaps in our
fundamental understanding of health and disease. NIH Research Project
Grants (RPGs) support scientists to discover the fundamental
underpinnings of complex human biology through investigator-initiated
research, the mainstay of creativity in science. This request will
increase funding for RPGs by $243 million. The request supports an
estimated 9,849 new and competing RPGs, about the same level as fiscal
year 2009.
The fiscal year 2010 President's budget request includes the
following priorities:
Cancer Research.--Increases the investment across NIH to over $6
billion for cancer research across NIH, reflecting the first year of an
8-year strategy to double cancer research by fiscal year 2017. The
fiscal year 2010 request represents an increase of $268 million or 5
percent over the estimated fiscal year 2009 level.
Autism Research.--Invests $141 million of the $211 million
Department-wide initiative on autism. This total amount includes the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Health Resources
Services Administration for research into the causes of and treatments
for autism spectrum disorders. For NIH, this represents an increase of
$19 million or 16 percent above the estimated fiscal year 2009 level.
Economic and Scientific Benefits of ARRA
I expressed earlier my gratitude to the President and Congress for
their support of NIH with ARRA. It is timely that ARRA funds be
provided to the NIH to stimulate the economy and advance biomedical and
behavioral research. The biomedical research community has not been
spared from the drastic downturn in the economy. This is worrisome not
only because it means fewer jobs, but also because innovation and a
constant influx of young talent are crucial to the Nation's economic
success and a robust biomedical research enterprise.
We are moving quickly to identify the best science and support it
with the additional $10.4 billion provided by ARRA to the NIH, and
obligate it within the next 2 years. Moreover, your decision sends a
strong signal to the scientists in the field, and to bright young
people who may one day choose science as a career, that the United
States is working to support outstanding research and outstanding
scientists.
To demonstrate the impact ARRA will have at the individual level, I
would like to share with you the following: One of our program
directors received an email after enactment of ARRA in response to news
that an applicant's grant application was being considered for funding
with ARRA money.
Here is an excerpt from the email (with names deleted):

``Forgot to say that we gave a termination letter last Friday to my
longtime (5 years) postdoc. His job has been saved. He is going to be
thrilled to hear about his change in fortune! I also would like to hire
a technician with the new funds, since at present I do not have one.''

Let me highlight some of the important work that we will support
with ARRA funds. For example, we will rapidly expand our current
understanding of the genetic changes associated with a wide range of
diseases and conditions, including addiction, Alzheimer's disease,
various forms of cancer, chronic pain, diabetes, glaucoma, heart and
lung diseases, kidney disease, and mental disorders, through genetic
analysis of existing, well characterized population cohorts. We will
take steps toward using this genetic information to better inform the
modification of disease for those patients most at risk, principally
through lifestyle factors and personal health behaviors.
In addition, our efforts to expand community-based research
efforts, with special focus on minority and underserved patients, will
be accelerated through catalytic grants designed to enhance
interrelationships among academic health centers, community
organizations, and community healthcare clinical centers. Evaluation of
the health and safety risks of nanoscale products is critical as
nanomaterials are being used in applications as diverse as medical
devices, drug delivery, cosmetics, and textiles. Biological, physical,
and chemical characterization of selected nanomaterials will be
conducted to both inform the establishment of standards for health and
safety and developing computational models for the prediction of long-
term secondary effects.
Just to review briefly, the ARRA provided NIH funding in the
following ways:
--It allocated $1.3 billion for the National Center for Research
Resources, with $1 billion identified for extramural
construction and renovation, and $300 million targeted for
shared instrumentation and other large capital research
equipment. The positive impact of this support for institutions
and researchers will be extraordinary, providing broader access
to state-of-the-art equipment. Funding for extramural
construction and renovation will result in jobs in construction
and a number of trades in the building industry. Shared
instrumentation will improve the quality and even the speed of
the work that is done, and build collaboration in ways that
will accelerate discovery. Shared instrumentation, including
such resources as advanced real-time imaging tools, will allow
scientists to image the brain in action or enable them to see
separate proteins that play a role in health and disease.
--It appropriated $8.2 billion to NIH, of which $7.4 billion will be
distributed through the NIH Office of the Director, to the
Institutes and Centers of NIH, and to the common fund for the
support of biomedical research. The remaining $800 million will
be distributed by the Office of the Director to fund specific
challenges and scientific priorities at the Institutes and
Centers.
--In addition, $400 million transferred to NIH by the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), as directed under ARRA,
will be used to support comparative effectiveness research.
--The remaining $500 million will be used to fund high-priority
repairs, improvements, and construction on the NIH campus to
enable the highest quality research to be conducted.
How Will NIH Accomplish This Task
NIH is determined to seize the opportunity afforded by the infusion
of ARRA resources to develop a nimble approach to investing the money
quickly with the greatest impact. This opportunity is too important for
us to conduct ``business as usual.'' It demands that we employ the best
possible approaches to ensure progress at in an accelerated pace, with
the most efficient and effective use of resources. For example, we are
scrutinizing the 14,000 grant applications we received in our last
round of review--applications that were already deemed highly
meritorious and approved by Advisory Councils at each Institute and
Center--applications that, despite their merit, we could not fund
before. We are now starting to fund those scientifically meritorious
applications for 2 years, where the scientific plan is appropriate for
a 2-year award instead of the usual 4-year award. Also, every Institute
and Center is identifying scientific priorities that can be funded
through administrative supplements. Administrative supplements will
accelerate the progress of a promising grant, typically by adding
support for postdoctoral scientists and graduate students and key
pieces of equipment
The NIH team is proud of the trust placed in it to be a part of the
economic recovery process. NIH will work tirelessly to support the
goals and intent of ARRA, with wise resource investments in science.
NIH has created a number of new programs that will spur new areas
of research and trigger an almost immediate influx of research dollars
into communities across the Nation. For example, NIH created a new
program called the Challenge Grant award. To jump start this program,
we issued the largest Request for Applications in our history. This
220-page document lists numerous scientific topics in 15 broad
scientific areas, including: bioethics, translational science,
genomics, health disparities, enhancing clinical trials, behavioral
change and prevention, and regenerative medicine--areas that would
benefit from a jumpstart or in which a scientific challenge needs to be
overcome. The Office of the Director expects to devote at least $200
million of these funds to this effort.
I will highlight only a few examples of the Challenge Grant topics
that could be further explored:
--New advances in biosensors and lab-on-chip technology to create
novel ways to measure the body burden and sub-clinical health
effects of emerging contaminants in the environment in large
study populations. Additional research funds could support
field testing of the most promising sensors and analysis
techniques through collaboration with existing epidemiologic
studies taking advantage of both new and banked tissue
specimens.
--There is increasing evidence that suggests that HIV-1 infected
individuals experience similar immunologic changes as the
uninfected elderly. This may be due to persistent stimulation
of the immune cells. It is not clear whether antiretroviral
therapy can reverse this process. Research will aim to compare
the effectiveness of different treatment regimens in reversing
or preventing accelerated aging that appears in the immune and
other body systems.
--Studies are needed to assess the impact and ethical considerations
of conducting biomedical and clinical research internationally
in resource-limited countries.
Another new program is what we call the Grand Opportunity Program,
or ``GO grants.'' The purpose of this program is to support high-impact
ideas that require significant resources for a discrete period of time
to lay the foundation for new fields of investigation. The GO program
will support large-scale research projects that accelerate critical
breakthroughs, early and applied research on cutting-edge technologies,
and new approaches to improve the synergy and interactions among
multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research teams. Applicants may
propose to address either a specific research question or propose the
creation of a unique infrastructure/resource designed to accelerate
scientific progress. For those projects that span the missions of
multiple Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICs), support may come from
ARRA funds allocated to the Common Fund.
NIH will identify a number of signature initiatives that will
support exceptionally creative and innovative projects and programs--
and potentially transformative approaches to major challenges in
biomedical research. The initiatives will cover new scientific
opportunities in nanotechnology, genome-wide association studies,
health disparities, arthritis, diabetes, autism, and the genetic risk
for Alzheimer's disease, regenerative medicine, oral fluids as
biomarkers, and HIV vaccine research.
Each IC is developing at least one signature initiative, and a
number will be done in partnership across ICs and/or the Office of the
NIH Director. The areas being developed include an Office of the
Director-led set of catalytic awards to enhance community-based
research efforts to ensure that we are able to reach segments of our
Nation that are too often overlooked in clinical research.
In addition, considerable investment is expected to be made to
understand the genetics of a wide range of specific diseases and
conditions, as well as second generation ``deep DNA sequencing'' of
very large and well-defined national patient cohorts to identify
disease causing genetic variants. Using new technology developed with
NIH-support, ``deep sequencing'' allows analysis of genome sequence
from many individuals to provide greater insight about subtle genetic
variations than could previous methods, and does so at lower cost.'' An
initiative to modify disease risk-based on genome-wide association
findings is also being planned. Complementing this will be initiatives
to accelerate biomarker discovery and validation.
Also, NIH will use other funding mechanisms, such as the Academic
Research Enhancement Award, or AREA grants, that support small research
projects in the biomedical and behavioral sciences conducted by faculty
and students in health professional schools and other academic
components that have not been major recipients of NIH research grant
funds. A research program to support new faculty, called the ``Core
Centers for Enhancing Research Capacity in U.S. Academic
Institutions,'' will address the need for more bioethicists and provide
opportunities for young scientists, who are one of NIH's top priorities
for support. The Core Center grants are designed to establish
innovative programs of excellence by providing scientific and
programmatic support for research by promising investigators. They
provide funding to hire, provide appropriate start-up packages, and
develop pilot research projects for newly independent investigators,
with the goal of augmenting and expanding the institution's biomedical
research base. We must invest today to ensure tomorrow's scientific
discoveries.
ARRA Funds for Administrative Supplements
U.S. institutions and investigators with active NIH research grants
may request administrative supplements for the purpose of accelerating
the pace of scientific research through the programs and activities of
their peer-reviewed projects. These supplements seek to promote job
creation and retention, as well as scientific progress at NIH-funded
institutions, by providing researchers with the means to employ, for
example, postgraduate students or to enhance capacity for data
analysis.
We are particularly delighted to tell you about our expanded summer
program for teachers and students across America. Funds will provide
short-term summer jobs for high school and undergraduate students--as
well as elementary, middle, high school and community college science
educators in laboratories around the country--work that will not only
provide summer income, but will also provide several thousand young
people with the opportunity to experience the world of research, and I
hope will spark their desire to become scientists.
In addition to administrative supplements, U.S. research
institutions and scientists with active NIH Research Grants may submit
revision applications (so-called ``competitive supplements'') to
support a significant expansion of the scope or research protocol of
currently approved and funded projects.
The Economic Benefits
We are mindful that a top priority for the use of ARRA funds by NIH
is to create and preserve jobs, as well as increase purchasing power in
all corners of the country. We firmly believe that we can do this while
carrying out the core NIH mission, and without compromising our
commitment to fund the best scientific research ideas. In keeping with
the ARRA reporting requirements, we are asking recipients to document
key economic benefits, such as jobs created and retained. A study
indicates that, on average, every NIH grant supports 6 to 7 in-part or
full scientific jobs.\1\ Another study suggests that every dollar spent
by NIH in local communities around the Nation is leveraged on average
three times its original amount, if you look at the national ``economic
multiplier'' effect.\2\ These grants pay the salaries of scientists and
technicians. The scientists and technicians, in turn, purchase goods
and services in the communities in which they work and live.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ ``Estimating the Number of Senior/Key Personnel Engaged in NIH
Supported Research,'' study issued October 2008. Study funded by the
NIH Evaluation Set-Aside Program, 07-5002-OD-ORIS-OER, administered by
the Evaluation Branch, Division of Evaluation and Systematic
Assessment, OPASI, Office of the Director, National Institutes of
Health.
\2\ ``In Your Own Backyard: How NIH Funding Helps Your State's
Economy,'' published by Family USA (A Global Health Initiative Report).
June 2008.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
ARRA: Risk Management
NIH has implemented a risk management program in compliance with
OMB guidelines that addresses the identification and assessment of
proper controls over financial reporting and operations processes. In
the financial arena, the risk program includes reviews of financial
reporting at the transaction level that are conducted by both internal
and external auditors. In the operations arena, the program includes
internal assessments of systems and processes that support both
intramural and extramural research.
The Scientific Benefits
The advancement of science is a gradual process. Groundbreaking
discoveries are most often built on the foundation of many gradual
advances that bring us closer to diagnosis, treatments, and other
public health improvements expected by Congress and the American
public. Because of ARRA funds, there may be many such discoveries
across the country next year and many years thereafter. These
discoveries could yield better understanding of the major diseases and
disorders such as heart disease, cancer, neurodegenerative illnesses,
autism, arthritis, mental health, chronic, acute and rare diseases, and
diseases related to addiction or behavior.
We are committed to ensuring that ARRA funds will produce benefits
to the economy, to scientific knowledge, and ultimately aid in
improving the health of the Nation. As an agency, we are well-equipped
to disburse these resources, to handle the increase in workload, and
award grants expeditiously to the best scientists in the world.
Again, NIH is grateful for your trust and commitment to biomedical
research and all the promise it brings to people here in the United
States and around the world. We have employed a number of innovative
strategies to quickly and wisely invest ARRA funds. We will provide you
and the public with regular updates and reports to ensure full
transparency and accountability for how these funds are being spent.
Americans deserve to know the impact of their tax dollars--on science,
on the economy, and the Nation's health. In addition, we look forward
to working with you on the fiscal year 2010 budget request.
I would be pleased to answer any questions that you might have.
______

Prepared Statement of John E. Niederhuber
Mr. Chairman and Members of the subcommittee: Thank you for the
opportunity to offer testimony on behalf of the National Cancer
Institute (NCI) and the National Cancer Program.
I am pleased to present the President's fiscal year 2010 budget
request for the NCI of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The
fiscal year 2010 budget includes $5,150,170,000, which is $181,197,000
more than the fiscal year 2009 appropriation of $4,968,973,000.
doubling cancer research
The fiscal year 2010 budget reflects the President's prioritization
of biomedical research supported by NIH. The budget is the first year
of an 8-year strategy to double the NIH-wide cancer research budget and
includes over $6 billion for this purpose. The budget balances the
President's commitment to cancer research with that of research in
other areas.
NIH's fiscal year 2010 budget will build upon the unprecedented $10
billion provided in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009,
which will support new NIH research on a wide array of diseases,
condition, and disorders in 2009 and 2010.
Because cancer research involves the dissection and understanding
of perhaps the most basic functions of human cell growth and
differentiation, cancer research will always produce many serendipitous
discoveries. Such discoveries involving the most basic properties of
human cells have historically contributed to our understanding of the
basic biology underlying almost all diseases.
In addition, cancer research also involves technology development
that will benefit research in a number of disease areas. For example,
cancer research includes a major effort to understand the complete
genetic alterations that result in abnormal cell growth. This effort in
whole genome sequencing is a major driver in the development of
sequencing technology that we believe will lead to our ability in the
next 2-3 years to perform whole genome sequencing in a matter of hours
for less than $1,000.
Numerous other Institutes and Centers contribute their expertise to
fundamental research on biological processes, technologies and tools,
and work collaboratively with NCI to fund important research in cancer.
For example, much of what has been learned at NCI in controlling
tobacco usage is now being applied to study and address the growing
health burden of obesity. NIH will work to ensure that cancer research
resources are allocated responsibly, effectively, in accordance with
peer review principles, and on the basis of sound science and cancer
relevance.
moving past a legacy of fear
One of the great American voices on behalf of biomedical research
was Mary Lasker. A well-known figure in Washington politics and
government, Mrs. Lasker was a driving force behind the creation of
several Institutes of the NIH and a key player in the formulation and
passage of the National Cancer Act of 1971. Among her towering
accomplishments, however, one stands out, perhaps because of its
simplicity. In the years after World War II, cancer, she once remarked,
remained ``a word you simply could not say out loud.'' Mary Lasker
changed that. She persuaded David Sarnoff, the powerful head of the
Radio Corporation of America--RCA--to allow the utterance on the
airwaves of that single, chilling word.
Today, we feel no compulsion to avoid speaking its name; yet few
would argue that we fear cancer less in 2009 than we did 50 or 100
years ago. Cancer will befall approximately 1 of 2 American men and 1
of 3 American women. Its diagnosis engenders thoughts of mortality, of
debilitating treatments, of diminished quality of life, of lingering
burdens on loved ones, of personal financial peril.
This major health problem is fueled by an aging, more heterogeneous
population. A study published in April 2009 by the University of Texas
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center estimated that the number of new cancer
cases in the United States each year will increase by 45 percent over
the next two decades, to 2.3 million per year by 2030.
It is thus quite understandable when the public and those
responsible for health care ask if we are investing enough to advance
the science needed to avert such predictions. Since 1971, the Federal
Government, private foundations, and companies have spent approximately
$200 billion on cancer research. This investment has led to our
understanding of many of cancer's numerous complexities; has resulted
in a steady decline in the annual overall cancer mortality--and has
increased the number of cancer survivors to more than 12 million
Americans. NCI's budget request and its research projects are
consistent with the President's multi-year commitment for cancer and
autism. Aggressive programs in screening and prevention have greatly
reduced the incidence of a number of cancers. For example, NCI led
efforts to eliminate the use of tobacco has resulted in a 1.9 percent
decrease per year from 1992 to 2003 in male lung cancer incidence
rates. This has accelerated to a 3.3 percent decline per year over the
period from 2003 to 2006. Despite these advances, it is evident that a
greater investment than ever is needed to continue the dissection of
the fundamental biology underlying the initiation of abnormal cell
growth and its progression to invasive and metastatic disease.
the power of the genome
Cancer is an extremely complex disease of altered genes. These
changes within the cells of our body take many forms--and are both
inherited and acquired, as we live out our lives. Since the completion
of the Human Genome Project in 2003, the knowledge of the genetic
alterations associated with cancer has grown exponentially. Vastly
improved technologies are making it possible to study the genomes of
thousands of individuals, in the search for common abnormalities that
point to risk of cancer. Likewise, one of NCI's signature projects, The
Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), is studying the genetic changes associated
with the development of several cancer types, including lung, ovarian,
and brain cancers. The success of this pilot program is leading NCI to
expand TCGA's scope to the sequencing of 20 to 25 tumor types.
Sequencing these tumors in more than 200 patients per tumor type,
coupled with whole genome scans of large population cohorts, is
uncovering important information about cancer risk and patient-specific
profiles unique to disease. Within just 5 years, some have suggested,
whole genome deep sequencing will be part of virtually every laboratory
cancer experiment, and within a decade, such deep genomic sequencing
will be commonplace for patients.
At this moment, the results of this deep probing of the genetic
basis of cancer remain, in most cases, fascinatingly powerful
information. How we turn that information--sometimes referred to as
code--into new methods of prevention, early detection, and treatment of
cancer will require a major infusion of new resources. We must convert
this coded information, which is stored in large data sets, into a
clear interpretation and understanding of the functional biological
alterations these genetic changes impart. NCI is working to fill this
large gap in our knowledge, through a well-considered, coordinated
blueprint appropriate for a new era of medicine. It begins with new
discoveries at the level of the gene and ends at the patient's bedside.
NCI is preparing to bring together a network of investigators,
whose work will begin after genomic sequencing is completed, taking
information generated by TCGA and allied projects and turning that data
into new knowledge of biologic function. The goal will be to identify
potential new therapeutic targets in molecular pathways and physical
processes that are, today, considered ``undruggable.'' This network
will be virtual: a consortium of researchers primarily at research
universities who will be offered the chance to participate in
collaborative projects, often partnering between institutions. These
projects will be prioritized on the basis of potential patient impact
and technical feasibility--assigned to investigator sites on a
competitive basis, each with a project manager.
The targets that will come forward from this functional biology
consortium will be somewhat akin to a key piece of a jigsaw puzzle. It
will be necessary to find the adjoining pieces--the new drugs,
biologics, and other therapeutics--that connect. When potential new
targets emerge, NCI will then employ its state-of-the art, high-
throughput capacity to screen thousands of previously identified
compounds, both natural and synthetic, to identify the exact piece to
complete the puzzle.
In many cases, new therapies will require refinement, for example,
to make them water soluble, or to create mass-producible versions of a
natural product. Another virtual network, the Chemical Biology
Consortium, will provide the necessary chemistry and chemists to
optimize further development of these new anti-cancer agents. NCI will
then be able to have those new agents produced in small batches for
refinement and testing--using best manufacturing principles--and move
them into pre-clinical testing, including toxicology screening.
Early phase clinical trials will follow. NCI has conducted the
first of a new kind of trial called Phase 0, which uses a small number
of carefully selected patients who, after receiving small doses of new
drugs, are studied, in real time, at the molecular level, to see if the
new medication is reaching and affecting its target. Phase 0 trials
will allow for significantly earlier decisions on whether to move
forward with Phase 1 trials.
It is not only Phase 0 trials that will require well characterized
patients. As genomic characterization of the populace comes closer to
becoming standard medical practice, NCI is taking steps on the leading
edge of that transition, creating the first of a national network of
patient characterization centers that will centrally conduct genomic
and genetic characterization. Always employing the latest technologies
and standardized protocols, these facilities will serve wide geographic
areas, bringing together genomics and genetics, proteins and
proteomics, all in the interest of matching a genetically characterized
patient and his or her characterized tumor to appropriate and optimal
therapeutic solutions.
The NIH Clinical Center; NCI's Specialized Programs of Research
Excellence; the NCI Community Cancer Centers Program; Cooperative
Groups; the Community Clinical Oncology Program; and the NCI-designated
Cancer Centers network will all be key players in establishing a highly
characterized national cohort of patients who can be easily matched
with potential new agents.
developing electronic health records
Creating an integrated, 21st century translational science program
will require data integration and a national commitment for the cancer
electronic health record. NCI's cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid,
better known as caBIGT, and its companion BIG Health Consortium, are
leaders in this Federal effort, working to develop a unified biomedical
information infrastructure, along with data standards and protocols for
electronic medical records that are consistent with the Federal
Government's national health IT efforts. Through caBIG, NCI is helping
both large facilities from the NCI-designated Cancer Centers network
and local facilities in the NCI Community Cancer Centers Program
develop electronic records.
In addition, accomplishing the scale-up of TCGA and the genetic
characterization of our patients--with data integration through caBIG--
will require biospecimens collected using standardized protocols,
tissue characterization, cataloging, and analysis, all coordinated by
NCI's caHUB initiative.
a wide-ranging effort
This plan will require the contributions of biologists, chemists,
informaticians, and clinical scientists devoted to a clear path from
discovery to patient. This is not only the nature of translation; it
will be a model for the study of many diseases and, ultimately, a model
of 21st century healthcare. This platform is a vision for a new way of
thinking. But it is not an unrealistic concept. It is an action plan: a
roadmap for what we have begun to assemble this year, making the
optimal use of every new resource.
In 2008, NCI began a series of meetings with theoretical physicists
and mathematicians, designed to bring unique perspectives to the
problem of cancer. The result is a new network of physical sciences--
oncology centers, soon to launch, which will study physical forces--
heat, stress, and cellular evolution, just to name a few--in cancer.
This network is an exciting frontier in cancer research, which we
fervently believe will be further proof that scientific collaboration
pays great dividends.
NCI's goal is to make cancer a chronic condition one can live with,
and not die from. We will continue to find better ways to prevent
cancer's development and for the earliest detection, when a tumor is
limited to a very small number of cells. We will continue to develop
new therapies with fewer side-effects and greater quality of life. We
will continue to study environmental causes of cancer. We will continue
efforts to better understand the behaviors that increase cancer risk,
and we will continue to follow those who have survived cancer, to
understand the reasons why they are so often at risk for subsequent
malignancies. These efforts will require coordinated programs and the
continued work of a remarkable national cadre of individual laboratory
investigators.
NCI is committed to paying dividends on behalf of every American.
We no longer fear speaking the word cancer. Yet, our work is far from
finished, and NCI remains committed to making every effort to advance a
vastly different medical future.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide you this testimony. I look
forward to the opportunity to take your questions.
______

Prepared Statement of Elizabeth G. Nabel
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: I am pleased to
present the President's fiscal year 2010 budget request for the
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National
Institutes of Health (NIH). The fiscal year 2010 budget of
$3,050,356,000 includes an increase of $34,667,000 over the fiscal year
2009 appropriated level of $3,015,689,000.
The NHLBI provides global leadership for a research and education
program to promote prevention and treatment of heart, lung, and blood
diseases. The vision is to enhance the health of all individuals and
thereby enable them to lead longer and happier lives. The work of
Institute is guided by the goals and approaches outlined in its
strategic plan, which was completed and published in September 2007 and
submits that its research projects re consistent with the President's
multi-year commitment for cancer and autism.
This statement describes several initiatives that are being
undertaken during the current fiscal year and outlines a number of
opportunities to be addressed in fiscal year 2010.
stem cell consortium
Recent advances in knowledge, coupled with development of new
technologies and reagents, have set the stage for rapid progress in the
field of regenerative biology and medicine. The NHLBI is capitalizing
on this extraordinary opportunity through formation of a Progenitor
Stem Cell Biology Consortium that includes leading scientists in the
fields of cardiovascular, pulmonary, and hematopoietic cell biology
working closely with experts in the general field of progenitor cell
biology. Its goal is to identify and characterize progenitor cell
lineages, to direct the differentiation of stem and progenitor cells to
desired cell fates, and to develop strategies to address the challenges
presented by the transplantation of such cells. The Institute will fund
6 research hubs and 1 administrative coordinating center in fiscal year
2009, with plans for a total support period of 7 years.
clinical trial of hypertension management strategies
A new clinical trial, the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention
Trial (SPRINT), was launched in fiscal year 2009. The health benefits
of lowering blood pressure in individuals with hypertension have been
well demonstrated, and current practice strives to achieve a systolic
blood pressure (SBP) level below 140 mmHg for most patients. However,
epidemiological evidence suggests that the optimal SBP goal may be even
lower. SPRINT will enroll about 7,500 individuals with hypertension or
pre-hypertension, randomly assign them to a SBP goal of <120 mmHg or
<140 mmHg, and assess cardiovascular disease outcomes. The potential
public health impact of this work is substantial, given the multi-
millions of people in this country and worldwide who suffer from high
blood pressure.
asthma network
The NHLBI has for many years supported highly successful clinical
research networks designed to fill gaps in science and address emerging
areas of concern in the management of asthma. Upon the anticipated end
of the current funding period for the asthma networks, the Institute
convened a workshop to obtain advice from key scientific leaders on a
network structure that would sustain the past success and meet future
clinical research needs. As a result of its recommendations, the
Institute is establishing AsthmaNet, a clinical research network that
will develop and conduct clinical trials of new treatment and
management approaches in pediatric and adult populations. Launched in
fiscal year 2009, AsthmaNet will include multiple clinical centers and
one data coordinating center. The NHLBI's plans for promoting use of
shared resources and promoting programmatic and scientific efficiency
in the network coincide with the expansion of the NIH Roadmap
initiative to Re-engineer the Clinical Research Enterprise through the
Clinical and Translational Science Award program.
hemoglobinopathies data system
The NHLBI is developing and implementing a national data system and
biospecimen repository on people with sickle cell disease, thalassemia,
and hemoglobin E disease. It will be designed to collect, analyze,
interpret, and disseminate State-specific data on the epidemiology,
clinical characteristics, healthcare utilization, and community
resources of patients with these conditions. The system will support
research, information dissemination, policy decisions, healthcare
planning, and provider training at the social, State, and national
levels. This fiscal year 2009 initiative is being conducted via an
interagency agreement with the CDC.
cardiac translational research implementation program (c-trip)
A new program has been designed to accelerate the movement of
laboratory discoveries to the bedside of patients with heart failure or
arrhythmias. C-TRIP is a two-stage project to speed translation of
promising new therapeutic interventions derived from basic research
through well-designed clinical trials to demonstrate safety and
efficacy. Two-year stage 1 exploratory planning grants, to be awarded
in fiscal year 2010, will support feasibility studies, analysis of
existing data, preparation for regulatory clearances, team-building,
development of clinical management tools and recruitment strategies,
and finalization of protocols. Subsequently, stage 2 grant applications
will be considered for the conduct of the safety and efficacy trials.
new programs to prevent and treat childhood obesity
Obesity is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, and effective
interventions are urgently needed to address this increasingly
prevalent public health menace. A new research consortium will test the
efficacy of innovative approaches to prevent weight gain among normal-
weight young children and to prevent additional weight gain or
facilitate weight loss among obese adolescents.
A second fiscal year 2010 initiative will examine outcomes
associated with existing community programs designed to reduce
childhood obesity by improving children's diet and physical activity.
One research unit will be funded to serve as a study coordinating
center, which will work with the National Collaborative on Childhood
Obesity Research to design and implement the research. The study will
establish common metrics for evaluation of the programs and examine
outcomes associated with program policies, environments, educational
activities, dietary and physical activity regimens, and other factors.
The goal is to inform national and local policy for control of
childhood obesity.
resuscitation outcomes consortium (roc) renewal
In 2004 the NHLBI, the American Heart Association, the U.S.
Department of Defense, and several Canadian health agencies established
the ROC to design and conduct studies of promising experimental
strategies to resuscitate patients who experience out-of-hospital
cardiac arrest or life-threatening trauma. The ROC brings together
investigators, hospitals, emergency medical services (EMS), and local
communities to address the unique characteristics of this research and
ensure the efficient translation of proven strategies into clinical
practice. In addition to supporting new trial protocols, the 2010
renewal will develop information to define and improve pre-hospital
best practices, facilitate public health efforts for the prevention of
emergency life-threatening conditions, and improve EMS delivery and
training.
prematurity and respiratory outcomes program (prop)
The new PROP will promote collaborative, innovative research to
identify mechanisms, and associated biomarkers of respiratory disease
risk of premature infants who are ready for discharge from the neonatal
intensive care unit. Increased survival of very premature infants is
leading to increasing numbers of children with chronic lung disease
that often results in multiple readmissions. Currently no objective
measures exist that can be used to predict which premature newborns
will have persistent respiratory problems after discharge from the
hospital. This cooperative, multidisciplinary scientific group will
investigate hypotheses on the molecular mechanisms that make certain
premature newborns prone to develop recurrent respiratory disease, with
the long-term goal of improving outcomes in the first year of life.
nhlbi proteomics initiative
The Institute will continue to invest substantial resources in the
use of proteomic approaches and technologies to develop a greater
understanding of pathway and interactions that influence heart, lung,
and blood diseases. Planned for fiscal year 2010 is a combined renewal
of the NHLBI Proteomic Centers and the NHLBI Clinical Proteomic
Program, both of which terminate in September 2009. Each of seven
centers will focus on proteomic technology development and molecular
mechanistic and functional studies related to a specific clinical need,
problem, or disease. The ultimate goal of this work is to bring greater
precision, reliability, and sensitivity to detection, diagnosis,
treatment, and prevention strategies for the individual patient.
We are delighted to have the opportunity to pursue these exciting
new research avenues. I would be pleased to answer any questions the
subcommittee may have.
______

Prepared Statement of Anthony S. Fauci
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: I am pleased to
present the President's fiscal year 2010 budget request for the
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), of the
National Institutes of Health (NIH). The fiscal year 2010 budget
includes $4,760,295,000, which is $57,723,000 more than the fiscal year
2009 appropriation of $4,702,572,000.
NIAID conducts and supports biomedical research to understand,
treat, and prevent infectious and immune-mediated diseases of domestic
and global concern, including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria,
neglected tropical diseases, emerging and re-emerging infectious
diseases. NIAID's budget request and its research projects are
consistent with the President's multi-year commitment for cancer and
autism. As economies and societies around the world have become
increasingly interdependent, responding to emerging infectious
diseases, such as the 2009-H1N1 influenza virus, as well as to long-
established health challenges such as neglected tropical diseases, has
taken on new urgency. As we address infectious diseases in a global
context, we have the added benefit of contributing to preparedness
against the threat of bioterrorism and naturally occurring disease
outbreaks. Meanwhile, our ongoing research on domestic health
challenges such as HIV/AIDS, influenza, and asthma, allergies, and
other immune-mediated diseases continues to yield important advances.
Using a multidisciplinary approach that engages academic, industry,
governmental, and nongovernmental partners, NIAID remains committed
both to basic immunology and infectious disease research and the
application of this knowledge to the development of strategies to
detect, prevent, and treat these diseases.
The research activities of NIAID will become more important than
ever, as current and as-yet unrecognized health threats, particularly
in the context of the inevitability of emerging and re-emerging
infectious diseases, will require new diagnostic, preventive, and
therapeutic interventions. These new tools promise to have a great
impact on the public health over the next two decades.
We have long known that the threats posed by infectious microbes do
not remain static, but change over time as new microbes emerge and
familiar ones re-emerge with new properties or in new settings. This
will not change in the coming decades. Addressing these global threats
requires that we consider infectious diseases not through the lens of
individual diseases, infections, or microbes in a vacuum, but by
understanding how diseases interact in people with multiple health
issues. Only then can we develop the tools for a comprehensive and
practical approach to global health.
Tuberculosis (TB) is a prototypic example of a re-emerging threat
as an increase in the prevalence of drug-resistant forms of TB presents
major challenges to the control of this disease. TB also is an example
of a disease that often occurs with other infectious diseases such as
HIV/AIDS--people co-infected with TB and HIV appear to have a more
rapid and deadly disease course. Recently, NIAID-supported clinical
trials have shown that mortality among TB patients co-infected with HIV
is remarkably reduced when antiretroviral (ARV) therapy is provided at
the same time as TB therapy. Additional studies are under way to
determine optimal strategies for the prevention, treatment, and
diagnosis of TB in the setting of HIV infection. NIAID continues to
conduct and support research to create a foundation of knowledge for
the discovery of new diagnostics, drugs and vaccines for TB, including
drug-resistant TB. The Institute's support for public-private
partnerships has been instrumental in linking research across sectors
to build a robust pipeline of tools to combat TB.
Malaria continues to exact a devastating toll on individuals
worldwide, mostly among children in sub-Saharan Africa. Compounding the
problem is the emergence of drug-resistant malaria parasites and
insecticide-resistant mosquito vectors. In 2008, the Institute released
the NIAID Strategic Plan for Malaria Research and the NIAID Research
Agenda for Malaria. The Plan and Agenda outline our efforts to
accelerate control and move toward eradication of malaria through
biomedical research, including the development of prevention
modalities, promising drugs and vaccine candidates. Accomplishing these
goals will require the support and cooperation of malaria researchers
and other organizations to build on the foundation of NIAID's basic
research program in malaria. Over the next two decades, we hope to have
a major impact on global TB and malaria burden through the development
of vaccines that protect against these infectious killers.
Seasonal influenza, which changes slightly every year, is the
classic example of a re-emerging infectious disease. Influenza viruses
also can undergo more drastic genetic changes that periodically enable
them to evade pre-existing immunity and cause a pandemic, such as the
deadly influenza pandemic in 1918 that killed more than 50 million
people worldwide. NIAID has seen significant progress in its influenza
research program, particularly in the area of pandemic influenza
preparedness. This progress has prepared the Institute to respond
rapidly to the newly identified 2009-H1N1 influenza virus, which has
emerged as a public health threat in the United States, Mexico, and
throughout the world. NIAID-funded researchers have responded quickly
to this new threat, characterizing the virus and preparing for the
development of a vaccine and other countermeasures.
Nearly 28 years since the first cases of AIDS were documented, the
terrible burden of HIV/AIDS continues to grow. The 2.7 million new
infections worldwide in 2007 underscore the continuing urgency of the
global AIDS pandemic, and sobering HIV/AIDS statistics in the District
of Columbia remind us that the AIDS epidemic here in the United States
demands our strongest efforts. Over the past two decades, NIH and
NIAID--supported by Congress and by this subcommittee--have devoted
substantial resources to the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Worldwide, for every two people who receive ARV treatment, five
others are newly infected. Therefore, our first priority in the fight
against HIV/AIDS is prevention. NIAID-supported investigators have made
great strides in advancing our understanding of the modalities of
effective prevention, including those that prevent mother-to-child
transmission of HIV. NIAID-supported research recently determined that
medically supervised circumcision of adult males markedly reduces the
risk of HIV acquisition through heterosexual intercourse for at least
3.5 years after the procedure, demonstrating long-term efficacy of male
circumcision as a prevention tool. Research conducted by our
Microbicide Trials Network found the microbicide gel PRO 2000 to be
safe and showed the first suggestion of potential efficacy among
several clinical trials with other products. Of course, the most
powerful prevention tool would be a safe and effective HIV vaccine. In
response to the significant challenges that United States and
international vaccine investigators have experienced in HIV vaccine
development, NIAID has expanded our basic vaccine discovery research
portfolio to provide the knowledge necessary to identify a viable HIV
vaccine candidate. Our hope is that these advances in HIV prevention
research will become part of a comprehensive HIV prevention ``toolkit''
that will markedly decrease new infections over the next two decades.
In addition to these prevention modalities, NIAID is boldly
advancing three new approaches to HIV prevention. Together with
Government and nongovernmental partners, the Institute is investigating
the feasibility of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention,
which involves providing ARVs to HIV-negative individuals who are at
high risk of HIV infection. Second, recent modeling data have shown
that aggressive HIV testing and treatment potentially could reduce the
number of new HIV cases by 95 percent in the next decade; NIAID is
evaluating critical research questions that underpin the validity of
this voluntary ``test and treat'' approach. Finally, NIAID is expanding
its efforts to find a cure for HIV/AIDS. Through research to improve
our basic understanding of HIV viral latency, we hope to achieve long-
term HIV remission following discontinuation of effective therapy--a
``functional'' cure--or, ultimately, a complete eradication of residual
virus.
Since the acceleration of our biodefense research program in fiscal
year 2003, NIAID has achieved major successes in the development of
countermeasures against significant bioterrorism threats. Some
countermeasures have been fully developed and are stockpiled or
available for use in an emergency; others in the pipeline have been
transferred to the HHS Biomedical Advanced Research and Development
Authority for advanced development. Promising candidate countermeasures
in development include ST-246, a smallpox drug candidate that has
protected animals from an otherwise lethal exposure to live poxviruses.
Equally important, NIAID has developed a physical and intellectual
research infrastructure that has been critical to our ability to
respond to new and re-emerging infectious diseases. This year, the
Institute recompeted the Regional Centers of Excellence for Biodefense
and Emerging Infectious Diseases, which comprise a network of 11
regionally based, multi-institutional centers engaged in
interdisciplinary research to develop vaccines, therapeutics, adjuvants
and diagnostics for biodefense and emerging infectious diseases.
Autoimmune diseases, allergic diseases, asthma, rejection of
transplanted organs, and other immune-mediated disorders are
significant causes of chronic disease and disability in the United
States and throughout the world. NIAID-supported research in immunology
and immune-mediated diseases has led to significant advances in our
understanding of the mechanisms underlying these diseases and in the
development of strategies to detect, prevent, and treat them.
For example, food allergies affect the health and quality of life
of many Americans, particularly young children. NIAID remains committed
to basic research and clinical studies to advance the understanding of
food allergy and food allergy-associated anaphylaxis. In June 2008,
NIAID awarded 12, 2-year grants, totaling $2.5 million, to
investigators to lead high-impact, innovative studies of food allergy
under the Exploratory Investigations in Food Allergy initiative.
Cosponsored with the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, the Food
Allergy Project, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, this
program supports innovative pilot studies on the mechanisms of food
allergy, with a goal of attracting new investigators to the field of
food allergy research. We plan to renew this program in fiscal year
2010.
NIAID also continues to support clinical trials to prevent the
development of food allergies and to reverse established allergy to
milk, eggs, and peanuts. Lastly, NIAID, in collaboration with
professional societies, advocacy groups, and other Federal agencies, is
developing clinical guidelines to provide guidance to medical
practitioners on the diagnosis, management, and treatment of food
allergies.
For more than six decades, NIAID has conducted and supported basic
research on infectious and immune-mediated diseases that has
underpinned the development of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.
These, in turn, have improved health and saved millions of lives in the
United States and around the world. Through partnerships with academic,
industry, governmental, and nongovernmental partners, the Institute
will continue to leverage these fundamental discoveries into the tools
needed to achieve a healthy world.
______

Prepared Statement of Dr. Roger I. Glass, Director, Fogarty
International Center
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: I am pleased to
present the President's budget for the Fogarty International Center
(FIC) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The fiscal year 2010
budget of $69,227,000 includes an increase of $536,000 more than the
fiscal year 2009 appropriated level of $68,691,000.
Over the past year, Congress has renewed its commitment to
confronting global health issues, recognizing that these investments
will not only improve the health and well-being of all, but also
enhance U.S. stature abroad, economic development, and U.S.
competitiveness. As the recent H1N1 virus outbreak illustrates, solving
health problems in an interconnected world requires greater
international collaboration than ever before. To effectively confront
complex health issues that transcend national boundaries, scientific
collaborations must be continually developed and nurtured. Research
advances are more likely to occur when investigators study diseases on-
site, and U.S. scientists partner with international scientists to
develop health interventions that are responsive to local and
international needs and priorities. This model requires a critical mass
of trained, in-country scientists and capable institutions that are
uniquely positioned to address local study populations and to support
sustainable collaborations with U.S. and other investigators.
Since its inception, the Fogarty International Center (FIC) has
been the focal point for global health at the NIH. FIC supports and
facilitates global health research conducted by U.S. and foreign
investigators, builds collaborations between U.S. and health research
institutions worldwide, and trains the next generation of scientists to
address global health needs. FIC-supported research and research
training programs address a wide range of diseases and needs, including
HIV/AIDS, malaria, Tuberculosis and other infectious diseases;
noncommunicable diseases, such as brain disorders and cancer; and
cross-cutting areas that foster sustainable research environments,
including research ethics and informatics for health research. In 2008,
FIC launched a strategic plan that addresses emerging areas of science
and shifting disease burdens, and strengthens the global health
research workforce in the United States and around the world.
addressing the rising burden of noncommunicable disease
Rapidly developing countries like India, Brazil, Mexico, China, and
Bangladesh have seen life expectancies grow for the past 40 years.
Population forecasts now predict that by 2030, 1 out of 8 people will
be 65 or more than 1 billion adults. In addition, poorly balanced
nutrition, less physical activity, and tobacco use are all on the rise
in developing countries as a result of poverty, industrialization,
urbanization and global marketing of goods and products. With
increasing longevity, convergence of risk factors and diseases blurs
the distinction between disease burdens in developing and developed
countries, and calls for a common health research agenda. International
research collaborations to study these diseases in highly endemic areas
accelerate scientific advances on how to prevent and treat them. In
response to this trend, FIC established the new Millennium Promise
Awards in Non-Communicable Disease Program in partnership with several
other NIH Institutes, designed to support research training in low- and
middle-income countries in fields related to cancer, stroke, lung
diseases, obesity, and environmental factors.
According to the World Health Organization, tobacco use kills 5.4
million people every year--an average of 1 person every 6 seconds.
Almost half the world's children breathe air polluted by 8 causes of
death in the world. If current smoking patterns continue, this number
will rise to 8 million in 2030, with approximately 80 percent of the
deaths occurring in developing countries. FIC, in partnership with the
National Cancer Institute and the National Institute on Drug Abuse, is
helping to address this rising epidemic through its International
Tobacco and Health Research and Capacity Building Program. This program
enhances the ability of scientists in low- and middle-income nations to
understand risk factors for smoking uptake, particularly in youth, to
develop effective prevention and mitigation programs, and to identify
the most effective implementation and communications strategies to
reduce the negative impacts of smoking on populations. The knowledge
gained and effective interventions developed abroad through the Tobacco
Program will also benefit U.S. populations who share common risk
factors with low-resource communities in developing countries.
The continuing burden of infectious disease in low-income
populations, as well as the rapid rate at which microbial agents can
evolve, adapt and develop resistance to antibiotics, demand that FIC
continue to invest in infectious disease research and training. In
particular, FIC will continue to support interdisciplinary research
that develops predictive models and principles governing the
transmission dynamics of infectious disease agents. This will result in
increased capacity to forecast outbreaks and improved understanding of
how diseases like the H1N1 flu emerge and re-emerge, and strategies to
control them.
advancing implementation science
Unprecedented resources are being invested in interventions that
have been proven safe and effective, although many have not been
implemented on a wide scale due to logistical, cultural, financial, and
other barriers. Bridging the gap between effective interventions and
improved health outcomes will in large part depend on a cadre of local
scientists who can ask and answer questions regarding what works, what
does not, and why, in particular settings. To advance this area of
science FIC supports research training for scientists who can generate
knowledge to improve scale-up of interventions and help identify the
most effective ways to translate research findings into clinical and
public health practice.
For example, FIC's International Clinical, Operational, and Health
Services AIDS/TB Research Training Program is developing a network of
researchers who are studying how to best apply research knowledge and
new technologies related to HIV/AIDS and TB in clinical and community
settings. With support from this program, scientists in Haiti have
developed a new masters degree in public health program at a Haitian
university and are training the personnel needed to monitor and
evaluate the implementation of a new country-wide program to provide a
standardized package of HIV care and prevention to 300,000 people per
year.
maintaining u.s. leadership in global health research
If we are to continue to lead in biomedical research, then U.S.
researchers must be supported to effectively participate in
international science. Biomedical research has always been an
inherently international enterprise. Many significant scientific
advances have resulted from research conducted by teams of scientists
working across international borders. For example, U.S. and local
scientists together pioneered the development of oral rehydration
therapy (ORT) for treatment of cholera. ORT is now the first line
treatment for childhood dehydration worldwide and recommended for
treatment of every American child with diarrhea. In this era of
globalization, this trend will not only continue, but will likely
become stronger. It will also require a well-trained cadre of U.S.
health scientists who are able to work seamlessly in diverse settings.
To this end, FIC support strengthens the ability of U.S. academic
institutions to engage in the global scientific marketplace. The vast
majority of FIC awards support scientists in U.S. institutions, who in
turn collaborate with colleagues in foreign institutions. Additionally,
FIC is capitalizing on the burgeoning interest in global health on U.S.
university campuses through two innovative programs. First, we are
providing a launching pad for American health sciences students and
junior researchers to build relationships abroad and to address
critical global health research questions through the Fogarty
International Clinical Research Scholars Program (FICRS). This program
responds to the acute need for future clinical investigators who can
help translate basic research advances into clinical practice on a
global scale. This next generation of clinical researchers will require
hands-on experience in conducting clinical trials and clinical research
in countries where the disease burdens are highest. The FICRS provides
highly motivated U.S. graduate students in the health sciences and
medical residents or fellows 1 year of mentored clinical research
training at distinguished low- and middle-income country research
institutions. Each U.S. student is paired with a foreign student, who
also receives training as an equal partner, thus strengthening
scientific capacity in the United States and abroad simultaneously.
Several NIH Institutes partner with FIC in the effort, and therefore,
the program includes a wide breadth of research areas, including
cancer, maternal and child health, and extensively drug-resistant TB.
An increasing number of U.S. and foreign academic research
institutions are welcoming the opportunity to use their substantial
creative resources to make a significant and lasting difference in
global health. As scientific problems become more complex, there is a
need for team and systems approaches to tackle important health
challenges. To help catalyze this approach in academic research
institutions, Fogarty's Framework Programs for Global Health support
the development of multidisciplinary global health programs on campuses
in the United States and in low- and middle-income countries. This
innovative program develops new curricula and degree programs that cut
across departments and schools to create a pipeline for a new
generation of researchers schooled in multiple fields to address global
health challenges. Schools representing more than 17 different
disciplines participate in the program including, engineering,
environmental sciences, journalism, business, law, medicine and public
health.
Congressman Fogarty was prescient in arguing that the needs and
rewards of global health research will benefit the United States as
well as the global community. FIC is extending his vision, given that
international trade, travel and communications have created a truly
interdependent world. As we look to the next two decades, we envision a
world in which a global scientific workforce is equipped with the
knowledge and the skills to better prevent and treat disease as a
result of rigorous global research. This workforce will form the
backbone of research institutions in the United States and abroad,
which will be effectively linked with each other through years of
sustained productive research and training collaborations. Working
towards this vision moves us closer to the ideal of global health--one
that reflects the aspiration of all people to live long and healthy
lives.
______

Prepared Statement of Dr. Josephine P. Briggs, Director, National
Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: I am pleased to
present the President's fiscal year 2010 budget request for the
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) of
the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The fiscal year 2010 budget
includes $127,241,000, which is $1,770,000 more than the comparable
fiscal year 2009 appropriation of $125,471,000.
In December 2008, the NCCAM, in conjunction with the National
Center for Health Statistics, released data from the 2007 National
Health Interview Survey (NHIS).\1\ The survey is the most comprehensive
and reliable information to date on the use of complementary and
alternative medicine (CAM) in the United States. The 2007 NHIS data
confirm that millions of Americans--38 percent of U.S. adults and 1 in
9 children--use CAM to promote health and wellness and to address
specific conditions such as chronic pain.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Barnes PM, Bloom B, Nahin R. CDC National Health Statistics
Report#12. Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among Adults and
Children: United States, 2007. December 10, 2008.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The NHIS data affirm the public health importance of NCCAM's
mission to develop an evidence base for the integration of CAM with
conventional healthcare and to disseminate research results to the
public and healthcare professionals. Since its founding 10 years ago,
NCCAM has created a nationwide CAM research enterprise, built on sound
scientific principles, that enables the rigorous study of CAM. Among
NCCAM's accomplishments are a Centers of Excellence program at leading
biomedical research institutions; standards for quality and stability
for the natural products used in research; and the development of tools
and methodologies to discover the potential benefits and risks of CAM
modalities. Today, under NCCAM's leadership, partnerships between
biomedical research institutions and CAM institutions and practitioners
are engaged in state-of-the-art scientific research. NCCAM-supported
CAM research has resulted in more than 3,300 peer-reviewed
publications. Professional associations, such as the American College
of Physicians and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons are now
able to use CAM research findings to inform their practice guidelines.
NCCAM will continue to meet the challenges of building the evidence
base for CAM interventions through its rigorous research, research
training, and outreach endeavors. NCCAM's budget request and its
research projects are consistent with the President's multi-year
commitment for cancer and autism.
a structured approach to answering key questions
CAM research is a promising scientific endeavor that requires
multidisciplinary basic, translational, and clinical trial
collaborations. In fiscal year 2010, NCCAM will fund awards under a new
initiative, Partnerships for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Clinical Translational Research. This initiative, which replaces the
NCCAM Developmental Centers for Research on CAM program, will foster
such collaborations at CAM institutions and create tools and
methodologies for research.
NCCAM investigations span the continuum of research areas: basic
(How does the therapy affect the body?); translational (Do we have the
methods and tools to detect and measure the modality's effects?);
efficacy (Is there evidence of safety and benefit under optimal
research conditions?); and effectiveness (How well does the CAM
practice work in the ``real world'' and in comparison to other
treatments?). NCCAM has strong programs in all four of these areas; its
current research strategy places particular emphasis on strengthening
effectiveness research.
area of promise and investment: managing chronic pain
The 2007 NHIS data indicate that chronic pain is, by far, the most
common health problem for which Americans turn to CAM. NCCAM-supported
basic, translational, and clinical research is using state-of-the-art
neuroscience, brain imaging, and novel study designs to demonstrate
that mind-body medicine approaches, such as massage, chiropractic, and
acupuncture, affect pain perception and to understand how patient
expectancy and practitioner reassurance may have an impact on pain
management. For example, using functional magnetic resonance imaging
(fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET), basic researchers are
developing important insights into how acupuncture affects specific
pain networks in the brain. In addition, emerging data, such as the
recent report in the Annals of Internal Medicine that massage therapy
and simple touch may provide pain relief for advanced cancer patients,
point to the promise of mind-body practices. NCCAM is focusing on
developing the evidence base for the use of nonpharmacologic CAM
practices for pain management.
Chronic back pain is a problem for millions of Americans, and costs
associated with it total at least $50 billion annually. \2\ It is often
difficult to treat, and medications used to address it can have
troubling side effects. Certain CAM therapies, such as acupuncture,
chiropractic, massage, and yoga, show promise in treating chronic back
pain. In May 2009, NCCAM is sponsoring, with other NIH Institutes and
Centers, a workshop on nonpharmacologic interventions for the treatment
of chronic back pain, bringing together experts to identify gaps in the
CAM evidence base and opportunities for future research. NCCAM plans to
fund awards in fiscal year 2010 under a new initiative, Effectiveness
Research--CAM Interventions and Chronic Back Pain. This initiative will
support studies of CAM approaches to address a range of outcomes for
back pain, such as reduced dependency on narcotics.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ Low Back Pain Fact Sheet; National Institute of Neurological
Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Department of
Health and Human Services, July 2003.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
area of promise and investment: translational tools
Basic and translational (i.e., ``bench-to-bedside'') research is
especially challenging for CAM mind-body practices, acupuncture, and
body-based and manipulative therapies, because current scientific
methods may not adequately capture and measure the effects of these
therapies. To decipher these practices' potential physiological effects
and enable scientists to study them in clinical trials, better
scientific tools, metrics, and methodologies must be developed. In
fiscal year 2010, NCCAM will fund awards under its initiative, Program
for Translational Tools for CAM Clinical Research. The research
supported under this initiative will improve the quality and
reproducibility of CAM clinical investigations.
area of promise and investment: natural products
According to the 2007 NHIS, almost 40 million U.S. adults and 2.850
million children use natural products to manage their health and
wellness. Given the widespread use of dietary supplements, NCCAM's
research into the safety and efficacy of natural products remains a
public health priority.
NCCAM-supported studies, including collaborations under the NIH
Botanical Research Centers program, demonstrate the promise of natural
products research. For natural products, basic and translational
research remains critical precursors to large-scale clinical trials. A
recent study by the University of Maryland and Rutgers University
elucidated an immune system mechanism of action of green tea
polyphenols on rheumatoid arthritis. In another study, Duke University
researchers reported that bromelain, an enzyme derived from pineapple
stems, reduced inflammation resulting from Crohn's disease and
ulcerative colitis.
Although natural products research shows great promise, product
quality remains a significant issue. In July 2008, an NCCAM-funded
study in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that
one-fifth of Internet-available Ayurvedic medicines contained
detectable levels of lead, mercury, and arsenic. The authors also found
evidence for benefit of industry-established standards for quality in
reducing levels of toxic metals. NCCAM has led the scientific community
in requiring that all natural products used in its research undergo
quality and stability screening to ensure that the research is safe and
reproducible. Ongoing collaborations with the dietary supplement
industry are important to this effort. Equally important are NIH
partnerships in the development of an evidence base for natural
products.
making wise decisions: outreach
Studies confirm that consumers do not tell their doctors that they
use CAM, and doctors do not ask their patients about CAM use. To ensure
safe, coordinated care NCCAM developed its time to talk patient and
provider education program. NCCAM also partnered with the National
Institute on Aging to develop a CAM section on NIH Senior Health, the
NIH Web site especially for older adults.
In fiscal year 2009, NCCAM will initiate a new educational section
of its Web site (nccam.nih.gov) to provide health professionals with
evidence-based information and clinical practice guidelines on CAM use.
NCCAM also cosponsored the North American Research Conference on
Complementary and Integrative Medicine, on May 12-15, 2009. This
international meeting of scientists and CAM and conventional
practitioners highlighted the emerging science on CAM and future
directions for research.
nccam: looking to the future
There are areas of considerable promise and potential for the field
of CAM research, and NCCAM will focus its resources to ensure that they
will be optimally directed. The Center has begun to develop its next
strategic plan, seeking the input of the scientific community as well
as its diverse community of stakeholders. As a first step in this
process, the Center has convened a Blue Ribbon Panel to consider future
directions for its intramural research program.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify. I would be pleased to
answer the subcommittee's questions.
______

Prepared Statement of Dr. Barbara M. Alving, Director, National Center
for Research Resources
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: It is a privilege to
present to you the President's budget request for the National Center
for Research Resources (NCRR) for fiscal year 2010. The fiscal year
2010 budget of $1,252,044,000 includes an increase of $25,781,000 more
than the fiscal year 2009 appropriated level of $1,226,263,000. NCRR's
funding priorities for fiscal year 2010 include expansion of the
Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) program. Additionally,
NCRR will sustain the range of activities supported by the Center's
other major programs, including the Research Centers in Minority
Institutions, the Institutional Development Awards, the National
Primate Research Centers, and the Biomedical Technology Research
Centers.
The mission of the NCRR, as one of the 27 Institutes and Centers of
the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is to provide support and
training for researchers that extend from the laboratory to clinical
trials and into dissemination of prevention strategies and treatments
that will impact communities as well as patients.
appreciation for investment in research infrastructure
On behalf of NCRR and the research community, I extend our
appreciation to the President and the Congress for the $1.6 billion
allocated to our Center as American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
(ARRA) funding. We will ensure that the $1 billion for extramural
construction funding and the $300 million in shared instrumentation
funds are invested wisely at academic institutions throughout the
Nation. The NCRR is using the additional ARRA funding to supplement
awards in the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program, the
Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) program, the Clinical
and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program, as well as other NCRR
programs.
building a matrix for clinical and translational research
The NCRR, through its stewardship of the IDeA, RCMI, and CTSA
programs, is linking investigators and communities by supporting and
encouraging collaborations for training, sharing of data, accelerating
advances in research and clinical informatics, and dissemination of
best practices for community engagement. For example, the University of
Washington CTSA is partnering with academic institutions in IDeA States
to create greater opportunities to reach underserved populations. CTSAs
are also connecting with RCMIs: Emory University (Atlanta) is
partnering with Morehouse School of Medicine; Vanderbilt University
(Nashville, Tennessee is partnering with Meharry Medical College; and
Weill Cornell Medical College (New York) is partnering with Hunter
College.
Led by NCRR, the CTSA program is a partnership between the NIH and
a national consortium of 39 academic health centers and research
institutions to build academic homes for clinical and translational
research. The CTSA program is designed to translate more efficiently
the rapidly evolving knowledge developed in basic biomedical research
into treatments to improve human health. Additionally, the CTSAs are
training a new generation of clinical and translational researchers to
excel in the interdisciplinary, team science environment.
The momentum of the national CTSA consortium continues to build as
new connections are rapidly emerging within, across, and beyond the
consortium. In the last year, 15 new CTSAs joined the consortium,
adding representation from 5 new States, additional pediatric
expertise, and greater informatics capabilities. When the program is
fully implemented, the NCRR expects to fund CTSA awards at 60
institutions at a total cost of $500 million per year. As the CTSA
program increases in complexity and size, institutions are forming
regional consortia to focus on shared goals with greater efficiency.
The CTSA institutions are using business principles and practices
to improve the processes involved in translational research.
Investigators and core facilities directors at the CTSA at Yale
University are increasing efficiencies and reducing redundancies by
using Web-based resources and systems to maximize the use of their core
research facilities, which include imaging, informatics, and genomic.
Thanks to this integration, researchers now have improved access to
sophisticated technologies and valuable expertise with less
administrative burden.
The CTSA consortium has identified five strategic goals: (1) to
develop strategies and resources to move laboratory discoveries into
early clinical testing (T1 translation); (2) to reduce complexities and
improve ways clinical and translational research is conducted; (3) to
enhance training and career development of clinical and translational
investigators; (4) to encourage consortium-wide collaborations; and (5)
to improve the health of communities across the Nation.
fostering t1 translational research
The potential to accelerate research discoveries from the bench
into early clinical studies (T1) usually requires preclinical studies,
those studies that involve the appropriate animal models. Currently,
researchers with expertise in animal models (including mouse, rat, and
nonhuman primate models) are working with CTSA investigators on pilot
projects that focus on cardiovascular disease, ovarian cancer, and
other diseases. NCRR and its National Primate Research Centers are
working closely with National Institute of Allergies and Infectious
Diseases and the NIH Office of AIDS Research to ensure that adequate
numbers of animals and resources are available to meet the need for
development of new AIDS vaccines.
NCRR's Biomedical Technology Research Centers are cutting-edge
interdisciplinary centers that create transformative technological and
computational infrastructure for biomedical research. The CTSAs are
leveraging the expertise of investigators in these centers to conduct a
wide range of translational research, from cell biology to clinical
imaging.
leveraging partnerships to benefit biomedical science
The CTSAs are realizing returns on their research discoveries by
securing patents and licensing them. From 2006 to 2008, the CTSAs
established more than 350 academic, public, and private partnerships.
To achieve its overall mission to speed the translation of scientific
discoveries to improve human health, the CTSAs are establishing
innovative partnerships with industry to accelerate the development of
treatments, diagnostics, and devices. For example, the CTSA at Scripps
Research Institute is collaborating with Qualcomm to develop and
clinically validate biosensors--tiny devices that measure body
functions--and other wireless healthcare technologies. Similarly, the
Oregon Health and Science University is partnering with Intel to apply
wireless and mobile technology with various sensors to enable earlier
detection and treatment of life-threatening events for diabetics and
individuals at high risk of stroke.
Ensuring that the public is actively engaged in research and
benefiting from research findings is a key component of the CTSA
program. One example of ways CTSAs are improving the health of their
communities is a collaborative effort in Houston, which is helping
children in two inner-city neighborhoods make healthier lifestyle
choices and reduce their risk of obesity. CTSAs in Chicago have joined
forces to ensure active participation from their communities throughout
all stages of research--from project design to results dissemination.
Similarly, connections between the CTSA consortium and NCRR's Science
Education Partnership Award program are growing, helping to inspire the
next generation of researchers. As an example, the University of
Pittsburgh CTSA and Science Education Partnership Award investigators
hosted an outreach event for middle school students, featuring a mobile
science laboratory.
improving research informatics
NCRR continues to support informatics tools and resources to
enhance research collaboration. For example, NCRR is funding a
Biomedical Informatics Research Network coordinating center at the
University of Southern California to enhance data sharing among the
network's research centers and other researchers. Through an ARRA-
funded initiative, NCRR will facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration
and scientific exchange by developing tools and infrastructure that
will help connect basic, clinical, and translational investigators and
students with other researchers that share their interests or who could
benefit from their expertise. NCRR also plans to support development of
an animal models informatics resource to provide researchers with one-
stop access to information related to animal models of human disease.
expanding research capacity
NCRR is enhancing the capabilities of RCMIs to conduct clinical and
translational science through the RCMI Infrastructure for Clinical and
Translational Research Awards. Funding may be used for out-patient
clinical resources, biostatistical support, core laboratories, and
patient-oriented research infrastructure. This award is a
reorganization of previous RCMI programmatic activities and will
enhance research capacity, improve collaboration between translational
and clinical researchers, facilitate multidisciplinary training and
career development and enable seamless interactions with CTSAs.
The IDeA program fosters health-related research and increases the
competitiveness of investigators in 23 States and Puerto Rico. NCRR's
previous investments in developing research capacity through its IDeA
program have resulted in additional funding opportunities for
investigators. For example, the University of Kansas recently received
$9.6 million in grants from non-Federal sources for drug development
efforts; the expertise that provided the foundation for this award
grew, in part, from funding for a center of excellence in the IDeA
program.
This snapshot of NCRR's programs and activities demonstrates our
continuing commitment to advancing clinical and translational research.
NCRR's budget request and its research projects are consistent with the
President's multi-year commitment to finding cures for cancer and
autism. By encouraging collaboration among our clinical and
translational programs, NCRR is maximizing the Nation's investment to
translate research discoveries into improved treatments for patients.
______

Prepared Statement of Dr. Paul A. Sieving, Director, National Eye
Institute
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: I am pleased to
present the President's budget request for the National Eye Institute
(NEI). The fiscal year 2010 budget of $695,789,000 includes an increase
of $7,309,000 more than the fiscal year 2009 appropriation level of
$688,480,000.
ophthalmic genetics
The loss of sight affects us in fundamental ways, threatening
independence, mobility, and quality of life. Many eye diseases strike
later in life. Thus, as life expectancy has increased, more Americans
have become susceptible to vision loss and blindness. One such disease,
age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is the leading cause of vision
loss in the United States. AMD causes a progressive loss of light-
sensing cells in the macula, the center of the retina, making it
difficult to read, recognize faces, drive a car, or perform even simple
tasks that require hand-eye coordination. Based on published study
data, 8 million older Americans are at risk to develop advanced AMD.
Advanced AMD can take two distinct forms, either geographic atrophy
or wet AMD. In geographic atrophy, large areas of the retina atrophy
and die. In wet AMD, abnormal blood vessels grow into the retina,
leaking blood and serum that damages the retina. Previous studies have
found several gene variants, which regulate inflammation, are
associated with the ``wet'' type of AMD. These variants are thought to
lead to chronic, overactive inflammatory responses that damage retinal
tissue and eventually lead to AMD. Most recently, the first gene
associated exclusively with the geographic atrophy, namely the Toll-
like receptor 3 (TLR3) gene, was published. The TLR3 gene encodes a
viral sensor which activates immune responses. When TLR3 activates in
response to certain viruses, it induces cell death in the retina thus
causing geographic atrophy. Alternatively, in humans, it appears that
low activity of TLR3 confers protection against geographic atrophy,
most likely by sparing the death of retinal cells. This is the first
evidence that viral infection may contribute to the development of
geographic atrophy. Ongoing work includes screening for viruses in
affected individuals as well as developing methods to decrease TLR3
activity in the retina.
Glaucoma is a group of eye disorders that share a distinct type of
optic nerve damage, which can lead to blindness. Elevated intraocular
pressure is frequently, but not always, associated with glaucoma.
Published study data find that approximately 2.2 million Americans have
glaucoma and a similar number are unaware that they have developed the
disease. Like AMD, glaucoma is a genetically complex disease likely
involving many changes in many genes. NEI is committed to exploiting
the latest genetic technologies in finding the genes that contribute to
this common disorder. To this end, NEI initiated funding for genome-
wide association studies, a powerful approach that enables
investigators to scan the entire human genome to detect multiple,
subtle gene variants that increase the risk of developing this complex,
blinding disease. Knowledge of the genetic basis of glaucoma is crucial
to developing personalized therapies that target specific genes in
order to prevent vision loss.
Each genetic discovery has made it possible to study the implicated
gene's function in health and disease. NEI investigators have made
considerable progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms of
genetic eye disorders and are developing rational therapies that
address the molecular cause of the disease. The first success in this
translational research effort are the reports of positive results from
recent phase I clinical trials of gene transfer in a form of Leber
congenital amaurosis, a severe, early onset retinal disease. In the
effort to accelerate progress NEI established eyeGENE, a research
program that offers genetic testing to patients through a national
network of vision research laboratories in exchange for participation
in a secure, confidential patient registry and DNA repository. DNA
samples and corresponding diagnostic and clinical information are made
available to the vision research community to recruit patients for
clinical trials and to conduct genetic and molecular studies. eyeGENE
represents a new paradigm to personalize medical care in the practice
of ophthalmology. Knowledge of an individual's genomic profile will
enable patients to make informed decisions about presymptomatic,
preventive treatments or highly targeted molecular therapeutics.
translational medicine
Neovascularization refers to the growth of new blood vessels. In
some diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy and AMD, neovascularization
is mistakenly activated and becomes a major pathologic consequence of
the disease. Neovascularization can cause severe and irreversible
vision loss due to abnormal vessel growth and consequent fluid leakage
into the retina. Previous studies have established vascular endothelial
growth factor (VEGF) spurs neovascularization and several therapies
have been developed to prevent the abnormal activation of the VEGF
protein. A recent National Institutes of Health (NIH) supported study
reports on the discovery of a protein, Roundabout4 (Robo4), that
stabilizes the existing vasculature and prevents neovascularization by
inhibiting VEGF activity. Robo4 maintains vascular integrity by
inhibiting VEGF-induced cell migration, vessel formation, and
permeability. Vascular eye diseases are the most common cause of vision
loss in the United States. This study suggests a new and promising
therapeutic avenue to control neovascularization by regulating Robo4
activity.
RNA interference is a new approach that has been touted as having
great potential for treating many diseases. This method harnesses a
naturally occurring process that cells employ to control gene
expression. By designing a small, interfering RNA sequence (siRNA), it
is thought investigators can target and silence specific genes with
specific siRNAs. Vision researchers have developed siRNA sequences to
prevent the expression of VEGF in AMD and diabetic retinopathy that
have been demonstrated to prevent neovascularization in animal models.
However, a recent NEI-supported study suggests that siRNA may not
always target the intended gene to initiate RNA interference. This
study provides an important cautionary note to the entire field of
siRNA that systemic administration of this treatment may have
unintended consequences and side effects.
visual neuroscience
Although the function of astrocytes, a cell type found in the brain
and central nervous system, is not entirely understood, they have long
been thought to maintain normal neuronal function. More recent evidence
suggests that astrocytes may have some function in neural signaling and
processing. Recently, NEI investigators found key evidence that
astrocytes also act as a critical intermediary between neurons and
local blood flow. In this study, inhibition of astrocyte activity
decreased local blood flow. This finding explains why imaging devices,
like functional MRI, detect blood flow changes that correspond to
neuronal activity. Pathologic changes in astrocytes are implicated in
Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and other neurodegenerative diseases. The
specific effect of astrocyte activity on the hemodynamic response
provides a basis for the interpretation of functional MRI, adding
qualitatively to the clinical and research utility of this powerful
imaging tool across the broad spectrum of neurologic disease.
clinical trials and diagnostics
Cataracts (clouding of the ocular lens) remain the primary cause of
blindness in the world today. Researchers at NEI and NASA collaborated
to develop a dynamic light scattering device which allows clinicians to
detect and quantify the amount of unbound alpha crystallin proteins in
an intact eye. With this device, it is now possible to safely and
reproducibly measure the extent of lens damage and cataract formation
caused by oxidative stress to a patient's eye (and perhaps the body) by
measuring alpha crystallin reserves. This provides clinicians with the
ability to monitor lens health, and may allow preventive or therapeutic
actions that delay or eliminate cataract formation and blindness.
Each year approximately 33,000 Americans undergo corneal
transplants to replace diseased corneas, the normally transparent
tissue that protects the eye and helps focus light on the retina.
Corneal transplants are among the most common and successful
transplantation procedures in medicine but sufficient donor is not
available. Eye banks, the primary source of donor tissue, refrain from
harvesting tissue from donors over age 65 because of uncertainty about
the integrity of older corneas. However, the recently published Cornea
Donor Study (CDS) found that corneal transplants using tissue from
older donors, ages 66 to 75, have similar success rates as tissue from
younger donors, ages 12 to 65. Based on these findings, the study
authors recommend that the age limit for donor tissue should be
expanded to 75. The CDS study gives eye banks, transplant surgeons, and
patients confidence in the use of older donor tissue. This finding
should help eye banks keep pace with the demand for corneal tissue.
medicine of the future
Development of an artificial cornea will provide an abundant source
of nonimmunogenic tissue for transplantation. Cell transplantation has
prevented vision loss in rodent models of retinal disease. It is likely
that these efforts will culminate in viable forms of regenerative
medicine for eye disease. Genomic medicine will allow us to predict
susceptibility to disease and pre-empt it with a variety of gene-based
therapies. Gene transfer will likely become an option to treat many
retinal degenerative diseases. We will have the opportunity to restore
ambulatory vision to the blind through new prosthetic devices that
reproduce vision electronically. Such devices will allow those with
untreatable conditions to maintain independence and mobility. While
there is much work ahead, current research efforts to treat and cure
eye disease are very promising.
cancer research portfolio
NEI funds basic research on cell biology, development and the
regulation of blood vessel growth where findings could have relevance
to our understanding and treatment of cancer. NEI also supports a phase
III clinical trial on the treatment of retinoblastoma, a cancerous,
blinding and potentially fatal eye disease. Consistent with the fiscal
year 2010 NIH priority to expand cancer research funding, NEI will
increase its fiscal year 2010 commitment to this portion of the
portfolio by 4.4 percent.
______

Prepared Statement of Dr. Alan E. Guttmacher, Acting Director, National
Human Genome Research Institute
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: I am pleased to
present the President's fiscal year 2010 budget request for the
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) of the National
Institutes of Health (NIH). The fiscal year 2010 budget includes
$509,594,000, which is $7,227,000 more than the fiscal year 2009
appropriation of $502,367,000.
NHGRI's budget request and its research projects are consistent
with the President's multi-year commitment for cancer.
windfall of discoveries of the genetic basis of disease
The Nation's previous investments in the Human Genome Project and
the International HapMap Project have moved research forward into many
diseases with unprecedented speed. HapMap-enabled genome-wide
association studies (GWAS) identify a stunning number--more than 130 in
2008 alone--of genetic factors associated with major causes of
morbidity and mortality in the United States, such as autism, diabetes,
cardiovascular disease, lung and prostate cancer, and inflammatory
bowel disease. Identification of gene variants associated with disease
raises the possibility of using genetic testing, in combination with
family history information, to identify susceptible, pre-symptomatic
subjects for screening and preventive therapies. It also provides key
new understanding of the gene-environment interactions and biological
pathways that lead to disease, thus providing new insights into
treatment and prevention.
the cancer genome atlas
Initiated in fiscal year 2007, the TCGA is a pilot project, jointly
supported and led by the NHGRI and the National Cancer Institute (NCI)
that applies a comprehensive, large-scale genomic analysis approach to
cancer research. TCGA is designed to develop and test the complex
scientific and technological approaches needed to identify the
mutations and other genomic changes associated with various types of
cancer. Three NHGRI-supported sequencing centers provide genomic
sequencing capability for the TCGA. In fiscal year 2008, the first
major results of this pilot project were obtained for the most common
form of brain cancer, glioblastoma multiforme. Another very exciting
result was an unexpected observation that points to a potential
mechanism of resistance to a common chemotherapy drug used for brain
cancer. These first results from the TCGA pilot project represent an
exciting indication of the value of the multi-dimensional analysis of
the molecular characteristics in human cancer. In the next 1 to 2
years, the focus of TCGA will be on two other common cancers, squamous
cell lung cancer and ovarian cancer, as well as further analysis of
glioblastoma (brain cancer), as well as potential scale up to deal with
many other forms of cancer.
medical sequencing
The NHGRI's medical sequencing program aims to drive continued
technology improvement (lowering the cost of genome sequencing) and to
produce data useful to biomedical research. Seven studies are currently
underway to identify the genes responsible for several relatively rare,
``single-gene'' diseases and to survey the range of gene variants that
contribute to certain common diseases. In fiscal year 2008, a number of
medical sequencing projects were initiated: (1) Sequencing the genomic
regions identified in genome-wide association studies as containing
genetic components underlying common diseases, such as diabetes, breast
cancer, schizophrenia, or Crohn's disease; (2) Sequencing the genomes
of important human pathogens, such as those that cause malaria and
sleeping sickness, and their invertebrate vectors (in collaboration
with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease; and (3)
the TCGA project.
personalized genomic medicine
In addition to basic research underway to support medical
applications of genomics, two clinical genomics initiatives launched in
fiscal year 2007 are now in full stride. The first, ClinSeq, is a pilot
study aimed at developing technological and procedural approaches to
facilitate large-scale medical sequencing in a clinical research
setting. The second, the Multiplex Initiative, is a study intended to
provide genetic susceptibility testing for several common health
conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis, to
evaluate patients' reactions to the testing and receipt of results.
the 1000 genomes project
The 1000 Genomes Project builds on the human haplotype map
developed by the International HapMap Project to produce a much more
comprehensive view of genomic variation. In fact, it aims to find
almost all the variants in the genome, including those that contribute
to disease risk. The 1000 Genomes Project will map not only the single-
letter differences in people's DNA, called single nucleotide
polymorphisms, but also will produce a high-resolution map of larger
differences in genome structure called structural variants, which are
rearrangements, insertions, deletions, or duplications of DNA segments.
The importance of these structural variants has become increasingly
clear from surveys completed in the past 18 months that demonstrate
that differences in genome structure may play a role in susceptibility
to such conditions as mental retardation and autism.
The project includes large-scale implementation of several new
sequencing platforms to capitalize on the cost reductions emerging from
evolving technologies, described in the journal Nature Biotechnology in
October 2008. Using standard DNA sequencing strategies, the effort
would likely cost more than $500 million. However, the cost of the
project is expected to be far lower to the program--$30 million to $50
million--due to the project's pioneering implementation of new
technologies.
large-scale sequencing
Currently, 197 genomes are either in the pipeline or have been
completed by the NHGRI-supported large-scale sequencing centers, which
are world leaders, renowned for their cost-effective and high-quality
work. Completed in fiscal year 2009, the most recent study of a cow was
an important development in agriculture that may lead to higher-quality
beef and milk production and possibly lower carbon dioxide emissions.
Ongoing sequencing targets include several nonhuman primates, mammals,
fungi, and multiple strains of yeast.
the $1,000 genome
The NHGRI's continuing commitment to the development of innovative
sequencing technologies, which reduces the cost and increases the speed
of DNA sequencing, fuels the swift pace of genomic discoveries. In the
past year, several groups have demonstrated the ability to work with
individual DNA strands and read individual DNA bases. These two
breakthroughs are being combined to deliver the ability to sequence DNA
isolated directly from cells without any processing apart from
purification. This is one technology with promise to achieve the goal
of sequencing a genome for $1,000 by 2014, NHGRI's original goal.
genomic function
The NHGRI supports research to identify and characterize the
function of all parts of our genome and to understand their biological
relevance. Efforts to uncover functional elements are not limited to
the human genome, since understanding the genomes of other, ``model,''
organisms also can give insight into the structure and function of the
human genome.
Following a successful pilot project, the NHGRI implemented a full-
scale ENCyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) Project in fiscal year 2007
to examine the entire human genome for sequence-based functional
elements. Concurrently, the NHGRI initiated modENCODE, which has
similar goals for the analysis of the genomes of two important model
organisms. This program will take advantage of the small, more
manageable genomes of these organisms to unlock the function of the
many genes they share with humans.
ethical, legal, and social implications
The NHGRI supports six Centers of Excellence in Ethical, Legal, and
Social Implications (ELSI) Research. The Centers focus on issues
surrounding large-scale genomics research and emerging genetic
technologies. The NHGRI continues to support ELSI research as a core
aspect of our research portfolio in an effort to anticipate and address
the societal issues that will continue to arise as we learn ever more
about the human genome and its contributions to human health and
disease.
moving forward
The NHGRI recently began two new programs to harness genomic
knowledge and technology to help patients whose needs are not met by
existing scientific and medical programs. Launched in 2008, the
Undiagnosed Diseases Program (UDP), jointly led by the NHGRI, the NIH
Clinical Center, and the Office of Rare Diseases Research, focuses on
the most puzzling medical cases referred to the NIH by physicians
across the Nation. The NIH Therapeutics for Rare and Neglected Diseases
(TRND) Program, launched in fiscal year 2009, builds upon the
technology and strategies of high-throughput genomics to identify and
shepherd novel therapeutics for diseases where the risks of failure are
currently too high for the private sector, but the human need is too
great to ignore. These conditions by definition either occur in fewer
than 200,000 Americans or in the developing world, limiting the profit
motive for industry. UDP and TRND exemplify how the country can
leverage the advances funded and developed by the NHGRI and the NIH to
drive the development of more personalized, predictive, pre-emptive,
and participatory diagnostic and therapeutic options, improving health
outcomes for all Americans.
______

Prepared Statement of Dr. Richard J. Hodes, Director, National
Institute on Aging
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: I am pleased to
present the President's fiscal year 2010 budget request for the
National Institute on Aging (NIA) of the National Institutes of Health
(NIH). The fiscal year 2010 budget includes $1,093,143,000, which is
$12,347,000 more than the fiscal year 2009 appropriation of
$1,080,796,000.
Our Nation is currently in the midst of an unprecedented
demographic shift. The number of Americans ages 65 and older is
expected to double within 25 years. In less than 50 years, the number
of ``oldest old''--people ages 85 and older--will more than quadruple.
As record numbers of Americans reach retirement age and beyond,
profound changes will occur in our economic, healthcare, and social
systems.
The NIA leads a national effort to understand the nature of aging
and the diseases and conditions that are more common among older adults
and to develop interventions that will help older adults enjoy robust
health and independence, remain physically active, and continue to make
positive contributions to their families and communities. We support
and conduct a comprehensive and integrated portfolio of genetic,
biological, clinical, behavioral, and social research related to the
aging process, healthy aging, and diseases and conditions that often
increase with age.
understanding healthy aging and disease and disability
Modern medicine and new insights into lifestyle and other
environmental influences are allowing a growing number of people to
remain healthy and socially and emotionally vital into advanced ages,
and NIA remains at the forefront of the Nation's efforts to identify
the genetic, physical, emotional, and environmental factors that
contribute to healthy old age. For example, researchers on the NIA-
supported Long Life Family Study are analyzing data from families with
two or more siblings over age 79 to identify factors that may
contribute to long and healthy life, and the Longevity Consortium
brings together leading researchers to facilitate the discovery,
confirmation, and understanding of genetic determinants of longevity.
NIA intramural investigators are continuing the SardiNIA Project to
search for genes associated with nearly 100 traits in a small,
genetically homogeneous population and the Age, Gene/Environment
Susceptibility (AGES) Study to explore genetic susceptibility and gene/
environment interactions that contribute to various health outcomes in
old age.
NIA's biology programs are wide ranging and address organs,
systems, and processes throughout the body. For example, the Institute
supports research on long-term weight maintenance, diet composition,
and energy balance as well as the role of nutrition in the prevention
of common age-related conditions such as heart disease and cancer. NIA
is also collaborating with the National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases to support research to better understand the
mechanisms underlying age-related decline of the thymus, an organ that
produces white blood cells known as T cells, a critical component of
the body's ability to launch a robust immune response against
infections. Studies on basic bone biology have led to the surprising
finding that the protein Lrp5, an important factor in the process
through which new bone is created, regulates bone mass formation
through serotonin synthesis in the intestine, and not by acting
directly on the bone, as was previously believed. This finding broadens
our understanding of bone remodeling and suggests new therapeutic
approaches to increase bone mass. Research initiatives to help us
better understand mechanisms of anemia, chronic kidney disease, and
thyroid dysfunction in the elderly have also been established at NIA,
and an advisory ``summit'' meeting was held in September 2008 to
identify areas of scientific opportunity and facilitate the formulation
of future plans for research on the underlying biology of aging-related
changes.
Cognitive aging is a high-priority research area for NIA. A new
focus on brain health, as opposed to the study of specific causes of
brain disease and dysfunction, has emerged in recent years and has
become an increasingly important paradigm in neuroscience research. NIA
is continuing its involvement with the trans-NIH Cognitive and
Emotional Health Project to coordinate and accelerate research leading
to interventions for neurological health, as well as with the NIH
Neuroscience Blueprint Toolbox initiative on the development of
assessment tools for cognitive and behavioral health. NIA also
continues to support studies of age-related changes in cognition,
including grants funded under two new and related research
initiatives--one to develop neural and behavioral profiles of normal
cognitive aging and one to develop interventions to remediate age-
related cognitive decline as distinct from Alzheimer's disease (AD) or
related conditions.
promoting healthy aging and preventing age-related disease and
disability
NIA is continuing to support the development of interventions to
maintain health and prevent age-related disease and disability. For
example, NIA-supported researchers are conducting a number of studies
aimed at reducing the incidence and severity of falls, the leading
cause of both fatal and nonfatal injury among older adults in the
United States. Ongoing studies are exploring the association between
vitamin D insufficiency and fall risk; examining the effects of
neighborhood environmental characteristics on risk of outdoor falls;
and focusing on development of strategies to improve strength, balance,
and gait in the elderly.
The NIA-supported Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and
Vital Elderly Study was the first randomized, controlled trial to
demonstrate long-lasting, positive effects of brief cognitive training
to forestall cognitive decline in older adults. However, the training
did not improve the participants' ability to tackle everyday tasks.
More research is needed to translate the findings from the laboratory
into interventions that are effective at home. In 2008, NIA solicited
research to convert insights from previous work in cognitive aging into
feasible intervention strategies, including cognitive training,
lifestyle interventions, dietary interventions, or behavioral change
that can be tested in randomized clinical trials. Investigators are
encouraged to develop interventions addressing the role of individual
differences in cognition, personality, and sociocultural factors in
mediating or moderating adherence and outcomes. This research will be
active in 2010.
The development of interventions that will extend life span as well
as health span is another emerging area of study. Through the
innovative Interventions Testing Program, NIA-supported researchers are
investigating promising treatments, including diets, pharmaceuticals,
and nutritional supplements, that have the potential to extend the life
span and delay disease and dysfunction in mice, with the long-term goal
of identifying those interventions most likely to have a beneficial
effect in humans. Fourteen compounds are currently under study, with 3
more slated to be added in 2009. Testing on these compounds will
continue through 2010.
early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of age-related disease
Improved technologies as well as advances in our understanding of
the mechanisms of disease are allowing for the development of
interventions to predict, detect, diagnose, and treat age-related
disease and disability. Scientists in NIA's groundbreaking Alzheimer's
Disease Neuroimaging Initiative have made a significant step forward in
developing a test to diagnose the early stages of AD earlier and more
accurately by measuring two biomarkers--tau and beta-amyloid proteins--
in cerebrospinal fluid. The investigators found that certain changes in
biomarker levels in cerebrospinal fluid may signal the onset of AD.
They also established a method and standard for testing of these
biomarkers.
NIA currently supports more than 30 clinical trials of
interventions to prevent, slow, or treat AD. Interventions under study
include a highly promising immune approach; hormonal treatments,
including testosterone and raloxifene; diabetes drugs such as metformin
and insulin; antioxidants; physical and mental exercise; commonly used
psychiatric drugs; and many others. The identification of imaging and
biological markers as well as the development of improved clinical and
neuropsychological evaluation methods will enable us to perform less
expensive, shorter, and more efficient intervention trials.
In addition, NIA supports studies of treatments for a variety of
other conditions including new therapies for menopausal hot flashes;
hormone supplementation in men with symptoms related to low levels of
testosterone; and cognitive behavioral therapy for older adults with
arthritis pain and insomnia. A follow-up study to the ground-breaking
Diabetes Prevention Program established the efficacy of a lifestyle
intervention and drug treatment that can sharply decrease the risk of
type 2 diabetes in overweight individuals, which was most pronounced
for individuals age 60 or over.
addressing the societal implications of an aging population
The social and economic implications of aging are multi-faceted.
NIA supports long-term studies of older Americans covering a wide range
of topics, including retirement and economic status, care giving,
behavioral medicine, the dynamics of health and functional change at
older ages, cognition, and long-term care. These studies include the
ongoing Health and Retirement Study, the leading source of combined
data on health and financial circumstances of Americans over age 50 and
a valuable resource to follow and predict trends and help inform health
policy. NIA also supports studies on the social, emotional, cognitive,
and motivational processes and neurobiological mechanisms of economic
behavior as these influence social, financial, and health-related
decisions of middle-aged and older adults.
One of NIA's most urgent priorities is to improve our ability to
reduce health disparities and eliminate health inequities among older
adults. NIA works to identify ways to reduce health disparities through
its Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research, and the Institute has
compiled a Web-based toolkit on outreach, recruitment, and retention of
minority populations in clinical research on aging. Through the Healthy
Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity Across the Life Span Study, NIA
intramural researchers are continuing their efforts to disentangle the
complex relationships among race, socioeconomic status, and health
outcomes. Other programs, notably the NIA Alzheimer's Disease Centers,
have a strong focus on minority health and health disparities in both
research and outreach.
Once again, thank you. I welcome your questions.
______

Prepared Statement of Dr. Kenneth R. Warren, Director, National
Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: I am pleased to
present the President's fiscal year 2010 budget request for the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), of the
National Institutes of Health (NIH). The fiscal year 2010 budget
includes $455,149,000, which is $4,919,000 more than the fiscal year
2009 appropriation of $450,230,000.
NIAAA's long-range vision for medicine with respect to alcohol-
related health issues is that research on the health effects of alcohol
will reduce the burden of illness attributable to excessive alcohol
consumption thereby enhancing the well-being of individuals at risk,
their families, and society-at-large. Through translation of NIAAA
supported research findings, we have an unparalleled opportunity to
significantly reduce the burden of illness due to alcohol-related
problems. We are especially appreciative of the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act funds which will accelerate our progress. NIAAA's
budget request and its research projects are consistent with the
President's multi-year commitment for cancer and autism.
current scope of the problem and research
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
alcohol is the third leading cause of preventable death in the United
States. Even more important from a public health perspective, alcohol
misuse negatively affects the quality of life for millions of
Americans. According to the World Health Organization, alcohol is one
of the top 10 causes of Disability Adjusted Life Years in the United
States and contributes to a number of the other leading causes. Alcohol
problems cost the United States an estimated $185 billion annually,
with almost half the cost resulting from lost productivity due to
alcohol-related disabilities.\1\ According to NIAAA's National
Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, more than 18
million people ages 18 and older suffer from alcohol abuse or
dependence and only 7 percent of them receive any form of treatment.
Furthermore, heavy drinkers, who are not dependent, but nevertheless at
risk for adverse health and psychosocial outcomes, are seldom
identified. The consequences of alcohol misuse can affect both drinkers
and those around them at all stages of life, from damage due to alcohol
exposure of the developing embryo, to injuries, to tissue and organ
damage resulting from chronic, heavy alcohol use. Therefore, to achieve
its goal of reducing the heavy burden of illness from alcohol misuse,
NIAAA's research focus must be broader than simply reducing alcohol-
related mortality; it must encompass reducing the risk for all adverse
alcohol-related outcomes at all stages of life.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Harwood, H. Updating Estimates of the Economic Costs of Alcohol
Abuse in the United States: Estimates, Update Methods and Data (2000).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Research supported by NIAAA has reframed our understanding of
alcohol dependence in several ways by demonstrating that: (1) it is a
developmental disorder that often has its roots in childhood and
adolescence; (2) the highest prevalence of alcohol dependence in the
U.S. general population occurs in 18-24 year olds; (3) there is
substantial variation in the severity and chronicity of dependence
among individuals; and (4) a large percentage of individuals with
alcohol dependence are highly functional in society, and therefore go
largely unnoticed by the healthcare system.
These findings underscore the opportunity to: (1) be able to better
predict which individuals are at risk for future dependence by
understanding the complex interplay between genetic, environmental, and
developmental factors; (2) pre-empt future problems through research-
based prevention efforts for children and adolescents as well as
screening and guidance for people of all ages about how drinking
patterns, especially binge drinking, relate to adverse health outcomes;
(3) conduct research to develop treatment options that are personalized
to individual needs and lifestyles; and (4) engage individuals,
communities, and professional groups to be actively participatory in
shaping the future of healthcare as it relates to alcohol misuse.
outlook for the future
NIAAA is revolutionizing alcohol treatment by providing evidence-
based options for addressing the full range of alcohol- related
problems. For example, research has shown the value of alcohol
screening in primary care and mental health settings to help patients
understand the risks associated with different drinking patterns. NIAAA
has developed tools that clinicians can use to screen and intervene in
these settings. Moving treatment of less severe forms of alcohol
dependence into mainstream medical care will decrease stigma, improve
availability, accessibility, and appeal of treatment options, and
ultimately reduce the number of people who suffer with dependence.
Alcohol-dependent patients will benefit from NIAAA's research focusing
on the development of new treatments including behavioral therapies and
medications that will shorten the duration, number, and severity of
episodes of dependence and prevent, for most, the development of
chronic, relapsing dependence. Studies suggest that as a result of
these types of intervention, most people with mild to moderate
dependence will recover.
Patients with more severe and/or relapsing dependence, are more
complex to treat and often need multi-faceted, personalized addiction
services that may include medications, counseling, psychotherapy, and
case management. These patients often have other health (infectious
diseases, mental illness, and liver disease) and psychosocial (family,
marital, and workplace) problems, some that are the direct result of
their alcohol misuse. Comprehensive treatment must take all of these
into account. NIAAA-supported research will continue to develop and
refine treatment options for these individuals, both for their alcohol
dependence as well as the many adverse health consequences that may
result. Collectively, these changes in the approach to treatment of
alcohol problems will substantially reduce the public health burden of
heavy drinking and alcohol use disorders.
Ensuring that appropriate research-based guidance about alcohol use
for special populations, including pregnant women, is available and
will result in a dramatic reduction in the incidence of fetal alcohol
spectrum disorders, the most severe forms of which produce lifelong
disability, and may also decrease the incidence of Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome. NIAAA research will continue to inform this guidance,
including information about the risks of alcohol exposure to the
developing embryo and fetus, and will make it accessible to primary
healthcare providers and obstetricians. For pregnant women who drink
despite the best advice, research is focused on developing nutritional
and/or pharmacological agents that may lessen the negative effects of
alcohol exposure.
Biomarkers, stemming from NIAAA-supported genetic and epigenetic
research, will be available that: (1) predict individual risk for
future alcohol dependence; (2) assess progression of at risk drinking
through dependence; and (3) track damage to tissue and organs. These
tools will enhance the ability of healthcare providers to offer
guidance to patients about their drinking patterns and determine
appropriate healthcare based on individual risk factors. A repertoire
of medications will facilitate treatment tailored to the needs of the
patient. Personalized treatment including medications and behavioral
therapies will be based on individual genetic make-up, desired drinking
outcomes, attention to co-occurring disorders, ease of compliance, and
other factors.
moving forward
NIAAA supported biomedical and behavioral research is supporting
the research that will contribute to realizing the vision outlined
above. Ongoing studies, as well as new initiatives, will provide the
scientific knowledge and tools, to improve our ability to predict which
individuals are at increased risk for alcohol-related problems
including dependence, pre-empt the harm from alcohol misuse, and
provide personalized treatment.
The integration of routine alcohol screening, and where
appropriate, brief intervention and/or referral to specialty treatment
into primary healthcare for all ages is central to reducing
consequences of alcohol misuse. NIAAA will continue to develop teaching
and training tools to increase the usage of A Clinician's Guide:
Helping Patients Who Drink Too Much. NIAAA has also recently launched
Rethinking Drinking, a new Web site, and booklet that provides
information and tools to help individuals change harmful drinking
patterns, either on their own or by helping them reach the decision to
seek help. NIAAA is also developing guidance on screening and brief
intervention for children and adolescents, recognizing that criteria
developed for adults may not fit the needs or behaviors of youth.
Medications development remains a central focus of the Institute.
Emerging data are changing the way we look at alcohol dependence,
guiding us to be more strategic about the medications we test, the way
we test and design them, and how we determine the subpopulations of
patients most likely to benefit from them. For example, new
understanding of the relationship between withdrawal induced anxiety
and relapse has provided additional targets for drug development to
minimize relapse. Broadening the desired treatment outcome, from
targeting only abstinence to including reduction in heavy drinking, is
also influencing the medications that are being tested as well as how
they are tested. Other compounds that may mitigate tissue and organ
damage are under study.
Most individuals with alcohol dependence do not access treatment
yet many of them recover without the benefit of professional care or
facilitated self-help. NIAAA continues to investigate the process
leading to a decision to stop drinking or to seek help. In concert with
a broader NIH Roadmap Initiative, NIAAA is currently supporting studies
to understand mechanisms of change away from harmful health behaviors.
Given our current state of knowledge and what we are learning from
ongoing studies, we are optimistic that we can substantially reduce the
burden of illness for alcohol-related problems and the suffering it
brings to individuals, their families and society at large.
______

Prepared Statement of Dr. Stephen I. Katz, Director, National Institute
of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: I am pleased to
present the President's fiscal year 2010 budget for the National
Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) of
the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The fiscal year 2010 budget
includes $530,825,000, which is $5,953,000 more than the fiscal year
2009 appropriation of $524,872,000.
introduction
As the primary Federal agency for supporting medical research on
diseases of the bones, joints, muscles, and skin, the NIAMS touches the
lives of nearly every American. For example, the U.S. Bone and Joint
Decade notes that 1 in 2 people will experience back pain each year,
and 1 in 5 will have pain that affects their ability to work. The
National Arthritis Data Working Group estimates that 21 percent of
adults have arthritis in at least one joint, a figure that is likely to
grow as the population ages. Likewise, 1 of every 2 women and 1 in 4
men aged 50 years and older suffer fractures each year because of
osteoporosis; researchers project that the number of osteoporotic
fractures in the United States will grow from 2 million to more than 3
million in the next two decades. The NIAMS is committed to preventing
disabilities and reducing costs associated with these and other
conditions through balanced basic, translational, and clinical research
investments.
As the Institute sets priorities, it is considering how recent
advances have positioned its research community for discoveries to
prevent disease and improve each American's life. It is soliciting
input from researchers, healthcare providers, patients, and the public
on promising areas of inquiry; pressing scientific needs; programs to
ensure a continuing supply of well-trained researchers; and strategies
to eliminate health disparities. An important consideration is how
investigators can engage in multidisciplinary opportunities. Chronic
pain, for example, is an aspect of many diseases that are part of the
NIAMS portfolio; staff are exploring partnerships through the Trans-NIH
Pain Consortium. Prospects for stem cell research are growing rapidly
as researchers isolate stem cells from skin and other organs, and as
more lines become available under the Nation's policy for Federal
support of embryonic stem cell research.
Consistent with the Federal commitment to double NIH-wide cancer
research spending, the NIAMS will continue to pursue collaborations
with the National Cancer Institute in support of high-quality projects
that relate directly to diseases and organ systems within the NIAMS
mission, particularly the bones and the skin. Already, the NIAMS
supports research on mechanisms underlying skin cancers, and
investigators have uncovered a strategy that kills tumor cells with
less damage to healthy skin.
preventive medicine
Research to identify susceptibilities to and initial symptoms of
disease, and to develop strategies to slow disease progression, is a
NIAMS priority. Building on findings that early, aggressive therapy
alters the course of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), NIAMS is comparing
treatments against a related disease-juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
The NIAMS and the National Institute on Aging lead the
Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI), a public-private partnership to
identify and evaluate biomarkers of osteoarthritis (OA). NIH and its
partners, with input from the Food and Drug Administration, launched
the OAI in 2001. More than 1,100 researchers worldwide have accessed
OAI data to explore issues such as differences in OA progression, or
why only some people with X-ray evidence of OA develop pain. In 2010,
the NIH will extend the OAI for 6 years. It expects the OAI to suggest
approaches for slowing joint damage, facilitate clinical testing of
interventions and allow clinicians to identify risk factors for OA
development, predict severity, and personalize treatments for their
patients.
complex genetic diseases
The NIAMS community is benefiting from another public-private
partnership, the Genetic Association Information Network (GAIN). Since
GAIN's inception, NIAMS investigators have been involved in its
Collaborative Association Study of Psoriasis, an ambitious effort to
combine genetic and clinical information from people affected by
psoriatic skin disease and psoriatic arthritis. The project has yielded
a wealth of data that researchers are using to develop diagnosis,
treatment, and prevention strategies.
NIAMS-funded investigators have uncovered genetic susceptibility
markers of alopecia areata and other autoimmune or auto-inflammatory
skin and joint diseases, including lupus. Collaboration among United
States and European researchers recently linked a component of the
immune system and RA. At the NIH Clinical Center, sample collection has
begun for a genomic analysis of Behcet's disease, a complex disorder of
inflammation affecting skin, eyes, gastrointestinal tract, lungs,
vasculature, and joints.
collaborations and team science
Behcet's disease is one of many conditions researchers are studying
through the new NIH-wide Center for Human Immunology, Autoimmunity, and
Inflammation. NIAMS' intramural program is taking a leadership role in
the Center. Collaborations among scientists from several NIH Institutes
who are studying related disease systems will facilitate studies about
conditions associated with defective immune or inflammatory responses,
and will allow them to apply their results to the development of
interventions and, ultimately, disease prevention strategies.
In collaboration with orthopaedic surgeons at the Walter Reed Army
Medical Center, NIAMS researchers recently discovered that tissue
commonly discarded as waste contains special cells that feature many of
the same properties as adult stem cells. The cells can be used for
regenerative medicine, such as treating war-traumatized muscle, without
subjecting patients to additional surgeries and related complications.
The NIAMS participates in the multi-Institute Senator Paul D.
Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Centers program. In
addition to conducting research, scientists at the Centers maintain
core resources that all who are studying muscular dystrophy can use. A
group of NIAMS-funded muscle researchers showed that defects in blood
vessel constriction are associated with the severe fatigue that people
with muscular dystrophy experience; mouse experiments suggest that
compounds with FDA-approval for other conditions may improve symptoms.
Other scientists uncovered molecules that confer many of the benefits
of exercise, at least in mice; the findings might lead to treatments
for conditions that leave patients unable to exercise.
The scale and complexity of today's research problems and their
solutions demand that the NIH explore new models for team science. In
fiscal year 2008, the NIAMS started a program, Building
Interdisciplinary Research Teams (BIRT), to promote partnerships among
fields that share interests, but historically do not interact. Because
collaborations proposed in the first round of applications suggested
that modest investments in the program will provide great dividends,
the NIAMS opened BIRT up to additional communities and expects to make
another set of awards at the end of fiscal year 2009.
In the past year, the NIAMS has made considerable progress in
leading a trans-NIH partnership with the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration. By designating the U.S. portion of the International
Space Station (ISS) as a National Laboratory, Congress underscored the
significance that Americans place on the ISS' research potential. The
NIH shares this belief and, for the next 3 years, will accept
applications for studies that use the ISS for experiments directly
related to the NIH goals of understanding human physiology and
promoting the public's health.
clinical studies
One element of improving the Nation's health is to support clinical
studies on which physicians can rely when discussing treatment options
with patients. Before the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial
(SPORT), many who had low back pain were conflicted about surgery. Now,
patients can be assured that surgery relieves pain from herniated
disks, but--if the pain is tolerable and not worsening--it will likely
subside without surgery. Similarly, people who have pain due to spinal
stenosis (a narrowing of the spinal column that occurs with age) are
likely to benefit more from surgery than from noninvasive treatments
such as physical therapy; but, they are not causing more damage if they
adopt a ``wait-and-see'' approach before committing to an operation.
Recently, SPORT offered guidance to help people who suffer from
herniated disks personalize their treatment decisions by reporting that
study participants who had surgery on an upper lumbar disk improved
more than those with damage further down.
For decades, the NIAMS has invested heavily in efforts to
understand fracture risk and to uncover strategies to prevent and treat
bone loss. Although physicians now have an array of medications for
people who are at risk of osteoporosis, many patients fail to benefit
fully because they do not follow the treatment regimens. Because a
method to improve compliance could immediately slow the growing health
and economic burden that osteoporosis places on society, the NIAMS is
funding research in this area.
conclusion
The discoveries and activities highlighted above are just a few
examples of research that will continue to benefit Americans from all
walks of life. In partnership with Government and private entities, the
NIAMS also develops and distributes science-based health information
directly to patients, healthcare providers, and the public. The
Institute will continue outreach to diverse populations through
research, training, and information dissemination. Collectively, NIAMS
programs have spurred understanding of many common, chronic, and costly
diseases. Looking forward to the next decades, this progress provides a
foundation for an era in which the burden of these debilitating
conditions is reduced and--with time, continued support from the
American public, and the dedication of our Nation's researchers--
eliminated for millions of affected adults, children, and families.
______

Prepared Statement of Dr. Roderic I. Pettigrew, Director, National
Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: I am pleased to
present the President's fiscal year 2010 budget request for the
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) of
the National Institutes of Health. The fiscal year 2010 budget includes
$312,687,000, which is $4,479,000 more than the fiscal year 2009
appropriation of $308,208,000.
The NIBIB is leading the development of revolutionary technologies
that will help transform medicine in the United States and around the
world. It has primary responsibility for uniting the engineering and
physical sciences with the life sciences to bring about new ways of
thinking that will accelerate discovery and technology development.
With a global vision and a public health mission, the Institute is
working to develop technologies that enable personalized healthcare,
early detection of disease, and treatments that are minimally invasive,
cost-effective and widely accessible.
translating technology into practice
Ultimately, NIBIB seeks to expand the translation of technological
advances into solutions that improve human health by reducing disease
and enhancing quality of life. To accomplish this goal, NIBIB continues
to fund bold and far-reaching projects that facilitate discovery and
translate discovery to clinical practice. NIBIB-supported scientists in
the innovative Quantum Grants Program are making extraordinary progress
to develop new technologies and modalities for the diagnosis,
treatment, or prevention of disease that will result in practical
healthcare benefits for the Nation.
changing healthcare delivery through point-of-care (poc) technologies
Testing at the point of initial contact, or ``point-of-care,''
rather than at specialized centers or hospitals utilizes state-of-the-
art diagnostics and information systems that can be used in the
doctor's office or even at home. Consequently, the use of POC devices
can also help patients monitor their wellness in preventive medicine.
The POC approach to health care delivery can significantly improve the
quality and reduce the cost of health care by: providing earlier
diagnosis of disease when treatment is more effective and less costly;
making modern medicine available to those who lack access to regular
care, such as people in rural settings or developing countries;
combining cutting-edge diagnostic and communication technologies to
bring patients into more frequent and regular contact with health care
providers; and enabling a patient-centered process with home-based
monitoring.
The NIBIB currently funds a network of four POC Technologies
Research Centers that target the development of new POC technologies
for early and rapid detection of strokes, detection of sexually
transmitted diseases, rapid multi-pathogen detection for national
disaster readiness, and diagnosis of infections that can be used in
low-resource settings among underserved populations. Additionally, the
NIBIB and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) of the Ministry of
Science and Technology of the Republic of India held a joint workshop
on Low-Cost Diagnostic and Therapeutic Medical Technologies in November
2008 in Hyderabad, India. The workshop was a result of a bilateral
agreement between the NIBIB and DBT to develop low-cost technologies to
improve the quality of healthcare for underserved populations. Point-
of-care testing is becoming a vital part of the world's healthcare
delivery system, and is a key to reducing healthcare costs while
maximizing accessibility for everyone.
health information technology
Health information technology research that enables the integration
of clinical data, medical image diagnostic and treatment data with the
patient's medical history in a comprehensive electronic medical record
will improve clinical decisionmaking. The ability to connect and
exchange diagnostic information and medical images between healthcare
providers, clinics, and hospitals will help provide the timely
information that is needed for effective healthcare and will help
reduce unnecessary, excessive, and duplicative procedures. A patient-
centered approach to comprehensive electronic health records will allow
patients access to their health information. This will enable patients
to play an active role in their own wellness by enabling them to ask
knowledgeable questions about treatment options. Additionally, patients
are also empowered to provide this information to any and all
healthcare providers as needed, independent of their location or where
the medical data was created or stored. The NIBIB supports research in
new technologies to address issues such as: interoperability of data
systems, compatibility of computer software across medical
institutions; security of data during transmission; HIPPA compliance;
and availability of affordable data systems for patient care providers.
microchip captures early circulating cancer cells
NBIB's budget request and its research projects are consistent with
the President's multi-year commitment for Cancer. Malignant cancers
shed cells that enter the circulation, travel to other areas of the
body, and often grow into secondary tumors, or metastases. Indeed,
metastases are responsible for the great majority of cancer deaths. It
is estimated that 70,000 men per year are diagnosed with recurrent
prostate cancer after prostatectomy, as shown by rising prostate
surface antigens. For these men, the ability to detect and characterize
the malignant cells in the blood may enable personalized therapy.
Researchers are developing a technology to facilitate quantitative
detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs). They have engineered a
microchip with a large surface area of an adhesion molecule that binds
CTCs from whole blood, making detection of CTCs more reliable than
previous approaches. They are analyzing molecular and genomic
information in the CTC's to identify new biomarkers to customize
treatments that are personalized for the patients and to predict
treatment outcomes. The NIBIB-supported research has the potential to
eliminate or greatly reduce cancer deaths due to metastases.
regenerating brain tissue to promote stroke recovery
Brain cells can be irreversibly damaged in a matter of minutes when
the blood supply carrying oxygen and glucose is interrupted in a
stroke. Individuals who have had a stroke may experience partial
paralysis or problems with awareness, attention, learning, judgment,
memory, or speech. An international team of researchers from Baylor
College of Medicine, Rice University, London's National Institute of
Medical Research, King's College of London, and Edinburgh University is
integrating cutting-edge imaging, biological, and engineering
techniques to map and understand normal brain regions that are
responsible for generation of new neurons in the adult. The ultimate
goal is to bioengineer a cellular system mimicking these brain regions
that can eventually be used to replace and/or drive repair of stroke-
damaged tissue.
miniature artificial kidney replaces traditional dialysis
Nearly one-half of a million people in the United States suffer
from end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and the incidence rate of this
disease has been steadily increasing for over 25 years. Kidney
transplantation provides the best option for ESRD patients, but a
shortage of donors means that most patients never make it to the top of
a waiting list. The alternative is dialysis, which is expensive,
inconvenient, far less effective, and significantly lowers the
patient's quality of life. An interdisciplinary group of researchers
has envisioned a way to improve management of ESRD by developing an
implantable, self-regulating, bioartificial kidney capable of filtering
toxins from the blood as well as replacing some of the metabolic
functions of a healthy kidney. Such an implantable bioartificial kidney
could substitute for transplantation and will truly be a quantum leap
in healthcare, giving hope, independence, and mobility to the 350,000
patients presently tethered to thrice-weekly in-center dialysis.
insulin-producing cells from amniotic fluid stem cells treat diabetes
More than 1 million people in the United States suffer from type 1
diabetes, which is caused by the destruction of insulin-producing
pancreatic islet cells. Currently available insulin therapy by itself
does not cure the disease or prevent many of its long-term
complications. Transplantation of islet cells has shown promise, but
there is a shortage of donors, and the process is expensive,
inefficient, and requires life-long immunosuppression. Researchers from
Wake Forest University and the University of Miami have combined their
expertise in stem cell differentiation and in vivo islet cell
transplant studies to explore a new approach using amniotic fluid stem
cells. The team has successfully isolated amniotic fluid stem cells and
generated insulin-producing, islet-like cells in vitro. Future work
will determine whether these cells are able to function and survive in
animal models of diabetes. If successful, this approach could
potentially provide a curative treatment for type 1 diabetes through
transplantation using cells produced from amniotic stem cells.
molecular theranostics: new technologies for the diagnosis and
treatment of diseases
The concept of combining a therapeutic with a diagnostic agent is
rapidly evolving and goes beyond traditional diagnostic tests that
screen or confirm the presence of a disease. With specialized molecular
imaging techniques and biomarkers, theranostics might predict risks of
disease, diagnose disease, and monitor therapeutic response leading to
real-time, cost-effective treatment. NIBIB supports a number of teams
that are developing novel theranostics and approaches that can be
applied in clinical studies of human patients. A team of chemists and
neurosurgeons at the University of Michigan is developing highly
specific, dye-loaded nanoparticles capable of delivering targeted
photosensitizers to improve the survival of brain tumor patients. This
technique will allow neurosurgeons to visualize the brain tumors for
surgical resection of the main tumor mass while eradicating remaining
tumor cells through a process known as photodynamic therapy. These
particles also contain imaging contrasting agents to visualize response
to therapy.
______

Prepared Statement of Dr. Nora D. Volkow, Director, National Institute
on Drug Abuse
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: I am pleased to
present the President's fiscal year 2010 budget request for the
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) of the National Institutes of
Health (NIH). The fiscal year 2010 budget includes $1,045,384,000,
which is $12,625,000 more than the fiscal year 2009 appropriation of
$1,032,759,000.
Drug abuse and addictions are preventable conditions, yet continue
to cause immeasurable human suffering, with associated societal costs
estimated to exceed one-half a trillion dollars annually in the United
States. Tobacco use alone is responsible for more than 400,000 deaths
per year, and is the leading cause of preventable death in the United
States. NIDA's budget request and its research projects are consistent
with the President's multi-year commitment for cancer. For example,
NIDA has active programs to hasten the development of new, more
effective treatments for nicotine addiction that can dramatically
reduce the prevalence of diseases like lung cancer and emphysema, which
mean an early death for many smokers. Other NIDA-supported research
advances have contributed to steady declines in both licit and illicit
drug use over the years, particularly among our Nation's youth. Our
latest Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey of drug use patterns and
trends among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders reveals, for example, that
tobacco use has declined continuously since its peak in the mid-1990s,
and is presently at its lowest level since the first MTF survey in
1975. However, if we are to fully eradicate drug abuse and addictions,
we must find novel approaches to prevent drug abuse (including smoking)
among the significant fraction of youth who, because of strong genetic
and/or environmental propensity, appear refractory to current efforts.
Additional challenges include the growing abuse of prescription
medications, including opioid analgesics (e.g., painkillers),
stimulants (e.g., ADHD medications), and CNS depressants (sleep and
anxiety medications). NIDA is committed to closely monitoring these
trends and to furthering the development of innovative strategies to
counter them, including the widespread dissemination of screening and
early intervention tools for medical settings to increase the medical
community's participation in identifying and treating substance abuse
disorders.
addiction medications: changing the culture of treatment
NIDA's accelerating rate of discovery is beginning to spur the
advent of better medications and behavioral interventions to counteract
drug-induced changes in brain function. Among the strategies NIDA
supports for medications development are those to: counter stress
responses, which frequently trigger relapse to drug use; strengthen
executive function and inhibitory control so that drug abusers can
better control their urge to take drugs; and interfere with drug-
conditioned memories to prevent relapse when drug abusers are exposed
to environments they associate with drug use. Other research includes
development of vaccines, or antibody-based approaches, which can block
both illicit and licit drugs (e.g., nicotine) from ever reaching the
brain, thereby inhibiting their rewarding effects. In the context of
nicotine addiction, this approach may help prevent smokers from
escalating to addiction and/or facilitate abstinence in those who seek
to quit. It also complements ongoing efforts to discover new, more
effective medications through conducting screens of novel compounds and
chemical libraries and applying promising findings to help people
achieve abstinence from tobacco and other addictive substances.
To accelerate progress in combating substance use disorders, there
must also be social change to recognize that people who suffer from
addiction require medical treatment. Presently, addiction treatment
occurs largely outside of mainstream medicine, even though drugs
undermine overall health, frequently appearing alongside other medical
and psychiatric conditions. To help change this culture, NIDA is
providing knowledge of associated brain dysfunctions and developing and
deploying effective addiction medications. As these efforts succeed,
the consequent medicalization of drug abuse and addiction will allow
(1) clinicians to respond to their patients' needs more effectively and
in a more personalized fashion; (2) insurance companies to become
increasingly responsible for the coverage of treatments that can
dramatically improve overall health; and (3) pharmaceutical companies
to be incentivized to develop novel addiction medications. As the
stigma of addiction wanes, the dissemination of proven treatments will
expand to include the populations that need them the most, such as
those involved in the criminal justice system, half of whom meet the
criteria for drug abuse or dependence, according to estimates from the
Department of Justice. Broader treatment access for drug-addicted
offenders will help them to successfully transition back into society,
dramatically reducing not just drug abuse, but also criminal
recidivism.
genes and environment: high pay-off research
A steady flow of genetic discoveries is uncovering previously
unsuspected genes whose products may be involved in the addiction
process and therefore present good candidates for medication
development. They also herald the advent of more personalized
interventions based on a patient's genetic profile. And, because genes
influence both vulnerability and resilience to substance abuse and
other mental disorders, genetic data will further our understanding of
the basic mechanisms underlying the disease of addiction, as well as
its frequently associated comorbid conditions.
But genes do not act in isolation; rather, they work in tandem with
developmental and environmental factors to determine a person's drug
abuse vulnerability. Therefore, NIDA is encouraging more research to
understand how genes might mitigate or amplify social influences that
affect individual choices and behaviors related to substance abuse.
Conversely, environmental elements, such as parenting quality, home
conditions, stress, diet, pollutants, and, of course, exposure to drugs
of abuse, can regulate gene expression. Uncovering the mechanisms
behind these so called epigenetic effects, offers a path to alleviate
and perhaps even override a genetic predisposition by adjusting
environmental variables.
One approach NIDA is pursuing is the merging of genomic and brain
morphology (i.e., brain structure) data in order to understand how
genes influence human brain development. Such data would be invaluable
as a basis for understanding the contribution of specific genes to
neuropsychiatric disorders and how exposure to certain environmental
factors can trigger disease in those who are genetically vulnerable.
This research would, in turn, open the door to next-generation
pharmaceuticals that could target and perhaps even prevent or reverse
disease processes. The recent discovery of histone demethylases--a new
family of genome modifying enzymes--is just one example of a set of
proteins that could be targeted for medications development.
Also critical to substance abuse prevention and treatment is the
development of reliable assays for drug exposure and addiction
vulnerability. Although tests of bodily fluids or hair and surveys
using self-report questionnaires are used routinely, their value is
compromised by their limited reliability, low sensitivity, and narrow
scope. NIDA will encourage research to find reliable biomarkers--or
indicators of a biological response/vulnerability to drug exposure--for
assay development. The ability to quantify thousands of biomarkers in a
consistent, expeditious, and affordable manner will yield revolutionary
new approaches to the prevention and personalized treatment of
substance abuse.
the relevance and impact of comorbid conditions
NIDA research has demonstrated that drug abuse cannot be treated in
isolation from associated concerns, such as criminal behavior, mental
and physical health status, social functioning, and HIV/AIDS. A robust
and consistent effort to tap into and integrate different sources of
knowledge will be needed to design and implement effective
interventions in the future. This will be particularly important for
members of the military and their families, who may be facing difficult
challenges related to substance abuse in the coming years. Many are
returning from active duty with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
and/or chronic pain conditions, both of which can be comorbid with drug
abuse and require comprehensive treatment interventions. In response to
these projections NIDA will increase our research investment in this
area and collaborate with the Veteran's Administration, the Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA), and other NIH
Institutes--NIMH, NCI, NIAAA, and NHLBI--in developing a responsive and
forward-looking research agenda.
understanding the dynamics of drug abuse and hiv
NIDA's recent revamping of its HIV/AIDS research strategy better
addresses the critical need for new therapies for drug abusers with HIV
and for research designed to uncover more about the complex medical
consequences, such as neuroAIDS. Initiatives in this area will help
elucidate the effects of genetic variations on disease progression, and
on how drugs of abuse and medications (for drug addiction and HIV)
interact with both host and viral genes. To further such innovations,
NIDA has established the Avant-Garde Award for exceptionally creative
researchers offering transformative approaches to major challenges in
biomedical and behavioral research on drug abuse and HIV/AIDS. Awardees
are undertaking diverse approaches, such as evaluating the
effectiveness of expanded access to highly active antiretroviral
therapy in decreasing new cases of HIV infection among injection drug
users. Evidence to date suggests the utility of this approach for
injection drug users and their partners; if widely adopted, it could
also help stem the HIV epidemic around the world. In addition, NIDA is
promoting research on HIV screening and on how to best integrate
testing and counseling into drug abuse treatment settings, among
criminal justice populations, and in other countries that have been hit
especially hard by the epidemic. Learning one's HIV-positive status
reduces risk behaviors and, when linked to HAART, makes the person a
less efficient vector for spreading the disease.
In sum, the health of our Nation and its leadership role in
bringing science to bear on drug abuse and addiction depend on our
ability to continue to support promising biomedical research that can
bring with it enduring and transformative public health changes not
just to this country but to the rest of the world. Thank you for this
opportunity, and I will be pleased to answer any questions you may
have.
______

Prepared Statement of Dr. James F. Battey, Jr., Director, National
Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: I am pleased to
present the President's fiscal year 2010 budget request for the
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
(NIDCD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The fiscal year
2010 budget includes $413,026,000, which is $5,767,000 more than the
fiscal year 2009 appropriation of $407,259,000.
The NIDCD conducts and supports research and research training in
the normal and disordered processes of hearing, balance, smell, taste,
voice, speech, and language. Last year, NIDCD celebrated its 20th
anniversary. Over the past two decades, extraordinary research
opportunities have led to scientific breakthroughs in the study of
genes, proteins, sensory and supporting cells, and molecular processes
that directly affect our understanding of communication disorders.
NIDCD-supported scientists have also made substantial progress in
behavioral studies that increase our understanding of how communication
processes impact health. NIDCD's budget request and its research
projects are consistent with the President's multi-year commitments to
cancer and autism research. The following are notable research
highlights built upon two decades of NIDCD support.
hair cell regeneration
Our ability to hear relies on sensory cells in the inner ear,
called hair cells. Hair cells can be damaged by disease, injury, aging,
or exposure to certain drugs. When enough hair cells are damaged, an
individual experiences hearing loss. Although fish, amphibians, and
birds can spontaneously regenerate new hair cells to replace damaged
ones, mammals (including humans) cannot. NIDCD-supported research into
the development of the mammalian inner ear has led to a better
understanding of which cells in a developing embryo become hair cells,
and which become supporting cells that help maintain the hair cells.
These basic studies have provided the foundations for more recent
advances. For example, NIDCD-supported scientists have identified
specific genes that determine an inner ear hair cell's fate. Building
on these studies,
NIDCD-supported scientists were able to regenerate new hair cells
in laboratory mammalian animal models, and restore hearing in some
cases. These promising results provide hope that we might someday be
able to regenerate functioning hair cells in humans.
preventing noise-induced hearing loss
Prevention of noise-induced hearing loss is another important goal
for the NIDCD. Approximately 15 percent of Americans between the ages
of 20 and 69--an estimated 26 million American adults--have high-
frequency hearing loss caused by exposure to loud sounds or noise at
work or during leisure activities. Since the sensory hair cells of the
inner ear do not spontaneously regenerate in humans, preventing noise
damage to these cells is critical for long-term health. In October
2008, NIDCD launched a new public education campaign called ``It's a
Noisy Planet. Protect Their Hearing.'' The campaign is designed to
increase awareness among parents of children ages 8 to 12--or
``tweens''--about the causes and prevention of noise-induced hearing
loss. With this information, parents and other adults can encourage
children to adopt healthy habits that will help them protect their
hearing for life.
improving technologies to treat hearing loss and balance disorders
The NIDCD supports many research efforts to develop or improve
technologies for the treatment of hearing loss and balance disorders.
The cochlear implant is an electronic device that provides a sense of
sound to individuals who are profoundly deaf or severely hard-of-
hearing. Cochlear implants process sounds from the environment by
directly stimulating the auditory nerve, bypassing the malfunctioning
cells in the inner ear. Sustained NIH support has greatly improved this
technology so that, with the appropriate training and support, deaf and
severely hard-of-hearing individuals who receive a cochlear implant can
enjoy an enhanced quality of life by participating more fully in
society. Currently, cochlear implants are most successful in children
who receive them at a young age, when the brain is still in an active
phase of language development. NIDCD-supported scientists are
investigating the benefits of bilateral cochlear implantation, in which
a cochlear implant is fitted into both ears. Results show that
individuals receiving two cochlear implants are significantly better at
localizing sounds and hearing speech in a noisy room compared to
individuals with one implant. In addition, within 1 to 2 years after
implantation, children with two cochlear implants will have learned how
to locate sounds, and most will be able to localize sounds better than
children with only one implant.
Much like hearing, our sense of balance relies on hair cells
arranged in specialized structures within the inner ear, which together
make up our vestibular system. Vestibular hair cells are susceptible to
damage by the same mechanisms as hearing hair cells--drugs, trauma, and
infection--and their dysfunction can lead to dizziness or balance
problems. Building on lessons learned from cochlear implant research
and technology, NIDCD-supported scientists are now working to develop
an implanted device to help partially restore a person's sense of
balance. Although the prototype vestibular implant is still being used
in animal studies, it has the potential to benefit more than 90 million
Americans who experience dizziness or balance problems in the future.
NIDCD also actively supports research to improve hearing aid
technology. Improving hearing in noisy environments is a major
challenge for hearing aid users. Of the currently available
technologies, directional microphones that focus on nearby sounds and
filter out sounds further away show the most promise for addressing
this problem. NIDCD-supported scientists have successfully completed a
prototype of a low-power, highly directional microphone that is modeled
on the acute directional hearing of a parasitic fly and is small enough
to fit into a hearing aid. The device could offer hearing aid users
significant improvement in their ability to listen to conversations
amidst background noise. NIDCD's goal is for this research is to lead
to the development of hearing aids that are more personalized and
better able to restore normal hearing.
identifying genes responsible for communication disorders
NIDCD-supported scientists are identifying and describing genes
involved in many communication disorders, including autism, dyslexia,
stuttering, speech-sound disorders, and hearing loss. Currently,
scientists have mapped more than 80 genes responsible for inherited
hearing loss. Starting in fiscal year 2009, NIDCD is serving as the
lead Institute for an NIH Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA)
goal to ``identify or study additional genes involved in communication
disorders in human and animal models by 2011.'' To achieve this goal,
NIDCD- and other NIH-supported scientists are using the knowledge
gained from the Human Genome Project to identify genes that play a role
in communication disorders. These efforts will inform scientists as
they develop genetic tests to predict communication disorders and
personalize treatment plans for individuals affected by them. In a
recent study, NIH-supported scientists scanned the human genome for
genetic differences between individuals with and without autism. They
identified both common and rare genetic factors that affect the risk
for developing autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The results suggest
that there are specific inherited genes that can cause abnormal
connectivity between nerve cells in the brains of people with an ASD.
These abnormal connections may be, in part, responsible for their
communication difficulties.
autism and language
According to the American Psychiatric Association, approximately
20-40 percent of individuals with autism spectrum disorders have
apparently normal intellectual abilities and relatively intact language
skills, but they still have difficulty with the social aspects of
communication. These individuals are categorized as having high-
functioning ASD. In order to develop useful and appropriate treatment
programs for them, scientists need to know what specific aspects of
communication are most impacted. NIDCD-supported scientists have used
standardized conversational tests to compare individuals with high-
functioning ASD to age-matched individuals without ASD. These
comparisons enabled them to identify three main areas of conversational
difficulty for individuals with high-functioning ASD: (1) Managing
topics--responding in a way that is pertinent to the topic and
identifying topics of interest to both parties; (2) Managing
information--understanding how much information is enough and knowing
what type of information to provide; and (3) Establishing reciprocity--
participating in a balanced back-and-forth exchange. Researchers can
now use these results to develop personalized treatment programs
targeted to improve existing conversational skills and build new skills
in the areas of communication that are most affected in individuals
with high-functioning ASD.
vocal fold regeneration
The vocal folds--also referred to as vocal cords--are two elastic
bands of tissue located in the larynx, or voice box, directly above the
trachea, or windpipe. The vocal folds produce voice when air held in
the lungs is released and passed through the partially closed vocal
folds, causing them to vibrate. Vocal fold scars can result from injury
or inflammation, or because of surgery to remove vocal fold nodules or
polyps. The scars increase vocal fold stiffness and reduce their
ability to vibrate. An individual with scarred vocal folds may have a
hoarse, breathy, or low-pitched voice. NIDCD-supported scientists have
developed a new class of soft gel material to serve as a scaffold to
encourage regeneration of vocal fold tissue. Specific particles within
the material can also be modified to bind and slowly release
therapeutic drugs within the vocal folds as a way to further encourage
regeneration of the tissue. This new material is currently being tested
to learn what types of changes, such as particle size, distribution,
and so on, will optimize tissue regeneration. Once the gel is optimized
in laboratory tests, it may offer a potential future personalized
treatment for individuals whose vocal folds have been damaged due to
scarring.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank you and members of this
subcommittee for giving me the opportunity today to present examples of
scientific advances made with the support of the NIDCD. I am pleased to
try to answer your questions.
______

Prepared Statement of Dr. Lawrence A. Tabak, Director, National
Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: I am pleased to
present the President's fiscal year 2010 budget request for the
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) of the
National Institutes of Health. The fiscal year 2010 budget includes
$408,037,000 which is $5,385,000 more than the fiscal year 2009
appropriation of $402,652,000.
facing the future
Extraordinary advances have been made in recent years at the
interface of traditional scientific disciplines. Multidisciplinary
teams of scientists, engineers and clinicians have combined advances in
biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, engineering, genetics, and
neuroscience to gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms
underlying disease pathogenesis. This has yielded clues for the
prediction of those most at risk for disease, approaches to
personalized interventions, and strategies to prevent disease
progression.
For example, who has not marveled at the complexity of a face? Or
how nature designed the mouth and its unique soft and hard tissues as a
gateway to the body and, in some creatures, a first line of defense?
Among Nature's greatest miracles of design and engineering is the
craniofacial complex. Utilizing the many powerful research techniques
and tools now available, teams of NIDCR-supported scientists are
creating a publicly accessible informatics platform, termed FaceBase,
that will enable multiscale analysis of all aspects of craniofacial
development. This basic understanding is key to one day preventing and
more effectively managing craniofacial defects and disorders. Each year
thousands of infants are born with a variety of craniofacial
dysmorphologies. While many of these conditions, such as cleft lip and/
or palate can be managed surgically and with supportive therapies,
others are more challenging to treat. For example, children born with
ectodermal dysplasias must deal with either malformed or multiple
missing teeth.
The NIDCR's new strategic plan captures the communal spirit
required to address complex oral and craniofacial diseases and
conditions. It lays out the challenges of the immediate road ahead for
dental, oral, and craniofacial research--challenges that our 2010
budget positions us to meet. But above all, our plan lays out the great
promise that awaits scientists and the American public in the years
ahead.
widen the scope of inquiry
As the volume of biological information has grown, so, too, have
the questions that scientists can ask. No longer must the human body be
neatly subdivided into its constituent parts and studied in strict
isolation, one organ from another. Biological clues in one part of the
body often have application elsewhere in the body.
An excellent example is oral cancer which results in more than
7,500 deaths each year in this Nation. Unlike cancers that arise in the
internal organs, tumors of the oral cavity are often readily accessible
for biopsy and prompt study. This has allowed a dedicated corps of
scientists to make tremendous inroads into defining the molecular
errors that trigger the disease. For example, a key signaling pathway,
termed Akt-mTOR, is frequently dysregulated in head and neck
carcinomas. Their research efforts not only will improve the diagnosis
and treatment of oral cancer, it also will provide comparative data and
possible new leads for scientists who study other less accessible
tumors.
The same is true of research on the microbial biofilm that forms on
the hard and soft tissues of the mouth. Oral health researchers have
defined more than 600 microbes that inhabit the mouth and have spent
generations studying the communal dynamics that contributes to common
diseases, such as periodontal disease and tooth decay. This decades-
long head start will help to guide research now under way on the other
biofilms that form throughout the body. This line of study emerges from
the growing recognition that subtle shifts in the composition of the
body's biofilms may play a major contributory role in myriad human
diseases. Advances are being enabled by powerful new technologies that
allow for the more facile sequencing and analysis of microbial genomes.
Indeed, microbes that have not yet been cultivated are now amenable to
study, in silico, which helps describe the lifestyle of each organism.
NIDCR intends to make considerable investments in genome wide
association studies of diseases and conditions affecting the
craniofacial complex that will also inform pathology in other regions
of the body. For example, an analysis of genes associated with
Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease affecting 1 million or more
Americans, will likely provide clues for other diseases such as
rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus. Chronic facial
pain, including temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders, has begun
to yield its secrets to the efforts of geneticists and neuroscientists.
Particularly important are efforts to better understand the transition
of acute to chronic pain. Compelling evidence suggests this may be
related to neural plasticity, in a manner not dissimilar to mechanisms
that underlie memory.
These are but a few of the cross-cutting issues that are now on
NIDCR's research agenda. To investigate them vigorously, the NIDCR must
continue to encourage innovation and bring to bear the best science
possible. But therein lays another challenge.
keep the pipeline strong
For the Nation's oral health community to tackle NIDCR's ambitious
research agenda successfully, it needs tight integration among
research, practice, and education. This synergy holds the key to
solving the many disorders that affect the oral and craniofacial
complex. During 2010, the Institute will continue to emphasize training
and career development for oral health professionals, to ensure that we
increase a thriving community of dentist-scientists ready to capitalize
on the rapid and significant advances occurring in biomedical and
behavioral research. At the same time, the Institute must continue to
attract scientists from outside its traditional research arenas. We
will need to cover all of the scientific bases, from chemists and
computer scientists to molecular biologists and mathematicians. All
play critical roles and will be invaluable in ensuring that the best
science moves rapidly into clinical studies. In an effort to strengthen
the pipeline at every stage, the NIDCR is determined to maintain its
high level of commitment in 2010 to funding new and early-stage
investigators in a wide range of scientific fields.
promote clinical innovation
Moving forward in the clinical realm will require a great deal of
innovative thinking. In 2010, NIDCR will continue to lay the foundation
for the next great revolution in oral healthcare: biology-based dental
care. As the name suggests, dentistry will launch molecular-based
healthcare over the next several decades. Using salivary-based
diagnostics, this new oral health paradigm will provide patients with
more precise diagnoses and a greater opportunity to practice
prevention. Greater understanding of disease pathogenesis and the
variation in individual susceptibility will yield targeted and
personalized therapies to treat their conditions more efficiently. This
will provide a better chance to maintain their teeth and supporting
bone ultimately leading to a lifetime of high-quality health.
To catalyze adoption of these advances, and to further the evidence
base of the dental profession, in 2010, the NIDCR will continue to
support its Practice Based Research Networks initiative, which now
engages hundreds of dentists nationwide in scientific studies.
address health disparities
As beneficial as biology-based dental care will be one day in
improving the oral health of Americans, every effort must be made, now
and in the future, to combat oral health disparities. Millions of
primarily low-income Americans have yet to benefit fully from advances
in dental care, including countless children and their families.
The fiscal year 2010 budget request will allow the NIDCR to
maintain strong support for its Centers for Research to Reduce Health
Disparities. These Centers continue to demonstrate the value of
partnering with communities throughout the research process in order to
gain a complete understanding of the factors contributing to dental
disease in each community and to develop appropriate intervention
strategies. Emerging from this initiative will be a greater focus to
identify the many complex factors that contribute to the disparities,
targeted, multi-tiered research to address the problem, and coordinated
efforts to promote greater awareness of oral disease.
The Institute also plans to continue partnering with the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention to monitor the status of the
Nation's oral health. As a part of this effort, the NIDCR will seek to
validate new methods to measure and document oral, dental, and
craniofacial diseases.
dental care in the future
Biology-based dental care will transform the most fundamental
principle of the profession: restoration of form and function. No
longer will dentists rely as readily on mechanical instruments and
ceramo-metallic materials to repair damaged tissue. They will
regenerate form and function (a) using the precision of molecular
information--or the underlying cause of the disease--as their
operational guide and (b) employing the body's own cells and
biochemistry as their engineering materials.
Future dentists will possess more powerful optical instruments to
visualize and accurately characterize whether near microscopic losses
of mineral from a tooth surface will be self-correcting or whether they
will progress to full blown decayed lesions. Advances in imaging,
genomics and proteomics will allow a clinician to profile the circuitry
of a tumor cell biopsied from the mouth. This diagnostic work-up will
guide the choice of chemotherapy drugs to those that are most likely to
target the internal wiring of the tumor cell and kill it. Targeted
treatments will allow the removal of only the cancerous tissues.
In closing, and as highlighted in our 2010 budget justification,
the NIDCR will continue to invest in research and research training to
meet emerging scientific opportunities and challenges. This budget
request will enable us to work towards achieving the four goals
outlined in our strategic plan. These goals are attainable, and in
striving to meet them, we can realistically expect to improve the
Nation's oral health for generations to come.
______

Prepared Statement of Dr. Griffin P. Rodgers, Director, National
Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Mr. Chairman and members of the subommittee: I am pleased to
present the President's fiscal year 2010 budget request for the
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
(NIDDK) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The fiscal year
2010 budget includes $1,781,494,000, which is $20,156,000 more than the
fiscal year 2009 appropriation of $1,761,338,000. Complementing these
funds is an additional $150,000,000 also available in fiscal year 2010
from the special statutory Type I Diabetes Research Program for NIDDK.
Our Institute supports research on a wide range of common, chronic,
costly, and consequential health problems that affect millions of
Americans. These include diabetes and other endocrine and metabolic
diseases; digestive and liver diseases; kidney and urologic diseases;
blood diseases; obesity; and nutrition research. Additionally,
consistent with the President's commitment to increase funding for
cancer research, and with the HHS-wide initiatives on autism, NIDDK
will support research relevant to these diseases.
genetic factors in complex diseases
Many complex diseases within the NIDDK mission result from
interactions amongst multiple genetic and environmental factors.
Building upon the wealth of genetic information from the Human Genome
Project, basic research on genetic contributors to these diseases lays
the foundation for translation of knowledge into clinical settings,
where it can be used to better predict and pre-empt disease
development, as well as provide more personalized medical care.
For example, the NIDDK supported recent research uncovering six new
genetic variants involved in type 2 diabetes. Combined with previous
genetic findings, this new knowledge can help to determine who is at
risk for this disease and how it might best be treated and prevented.
NIDDK research has also recently shown how a genetic variant associated
with type 1 diabetes works to alter immune function, enhancing
understanding of this disease and highlighting potential targets for
therapy. NIDDK also contributed to international research efforts
yielding an explosion of new genes or gene regions associated with the
inflammatory bowel disease known as Crohn's disease. The total number
of known susceptibility genes currently stands at more than 30, each of
which promises fresh insights into this disease and its management.
Genetic analyses have also identified contributors to other diseases
within the NIDDK mission, including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease,
liver cancer, and diabetes-related kidney disease. Some of this
research addresses populations disproportionately affected by certain
diseases. For example, genetic variants were identified that account
for much of the burden of nondiabetic kidney disease in African
Americans. These studies may lead to future screening strategies and
more personalized therapies.
The NIDDK also participates in trans-NIH efforts exploring how
genetic factors impact disease. Data from an NIDDK-sponsored study of
the genetics of diabetic kidney disease are being analyzed by the Gene
Association Information Network to inform disease prevention,
diagnosis, and treatment. The NIDDK leads two projects within the
Genes, Environment, and Health Initiative, which studies effects of
genetic variants on disease risk in response to environmental
exposures. The NIH Roadmap Epigenomics Program is researching how
epigenetics--or biochemical changes to DNA--can control genes during
different stages of development, such as fetal epigenetic responses in
the intrauterine environment and the risk of diabetes after birth.
clinical and population-based research
Clinical and population-based research generates important
information not only for developing more effective therapies, but also
for identifying strategies to pre-empt disease development--both
essential for the future of medical care. NIDDK-sponsored research
informs screening efforts to detect early signs of susceptibility and
prevent full-blown disease. For example, recent studies have proven the
potential of intensive early colonoscopy screening for precancerous
polyps in African Americans to reduce their disproportionate colon
cancer burden.
NIDDK-sponsored efforts are also testing interventions to address
type 2 diabetes related to overweight in both adults and children.
Researchers are studying obese adults with type 2 diabetes to observe
the effects of lifestyle changes to lower risk of diabetes
complications. Similarly, in children, a study is determining if
healthier food choices in schools, increased physical activity, and
improved awareness of healthy behaviors can reduce weight and lower
risk factors for type 2 diabetes--a disease that was once seen only in
adults, but has been increasing in American youth.
Obesity continues to be one of our Nation's most pressing health
problems. The NIDDK supports a multi-pronged obesity research effort
that includes studies of molecular and environmental contributors to
feeding behavior and metabolism, processes such as inflammation in
metabolic tissues, bariatric surgery and other potential treatments for
obesity, and lifestyle interventions to prevent or reverse obesity. For
example, a recent study showed that modest reductions in time spent by
children watching TV or using the computer have beneficial effects on
their weight.
Clinical research is also yielding new insights into the
development and management of kidney, urologic, and liver diseases.
Recent clinical studies showed the limited effectiveness of drugs to
enable vascular access during hemodialysis for kidney failure and for
treating chronic kidney disease due to high blood pressure in African-
American patients. A multi-center network is investigating causes of
the two most common urologic pelvic pain disorders-interstitial
cystitis/painful bladder syndrome and chronic prostatitis/chronic
pelvic pain syndrome--which may yield new targets for managing these
diseases. A new clinical research network conducting translational
research on chronic hepatitis B is focused on understanding disease
processes and applying this knowledge to more effective treatment and
control strategies.
enhancing future health research
The biomedical research enterprise will depend heavily on the next
generation of investigators, innovative ideas of individual scientists,
and the synergy of public-private partnerships. The NIDDK, along with
the wider NIH, will continue its commitment to helping new
investigators realize their potential through such efforts as special
funding consideration, small grant and career awards, and mentoring
workshops. The Institute also remains firmly committed to supporting
investigator-initiated research. Public private partnerships through
such entities as the foundation for the NIH will continue to expand the
reach of NIDDK research.
Strategic planning, analyses of disease burden, and research
coordination are tools utilized by the NIDDK to advance research.
Recently, the National Commission on Digestive Diseases--for which
NIDDK provided leadership and support--released its long-range research
plan, identifying challenges and opportunities for digestive diseases
research. A separate report on the burden of digestive diseases in the
United States was prepared by the NIDDK to inform this research plan.
The ``NIDDK Prostate Research Strategic Plan,'' released in 2008,
provides recommendations for future research efforts targeting the
causes, prevention, and treatment of benign prostate disease.
NIH recently initiated an effort to update its 2004 ``Strategic
Plan for NIH Obesity Research'' in order to review research progress
and identify new opportunities. This strategic planning effort is
overseen by the NIH Obesity Research Task Force, which I co-chair
together with Dr. Elizabeth Nabel, Director of the National Heart,
Lung, and Blood Institute.
Coordination to enhance research efforts across the NIH and with
research partners in other Federal agencies is also achieved through
the work of coordinating committees. The Diabetes Mellitus Interagency
Coordinating Committee (DMICC) coordinates diabetes activities across
the Federal Government and fosters opportunities for agency
collaboration. In its coordinating role, the DMICC encourages Federal
research collaborations, minimizes overlap of agency research efforts,
and enhances public awareness of diabetes research and health
information provided by Federal agencies. The DMICC is the focal point
for diabetes research planning efforts.
promoting health awareness
In addition to supporting health research, the NIDDK remains
committed to ensuring that knowledge gained from research is used to
promote health awareness. Relevant activities include the National
Diabetes Education Program, National Kidney Disease Education Program,
Weight-control Information Network, Celiac Disease Awareness Campaign,
and programs to promote prevention of obesity and overweight.
Recently, the NIDDK expanded its health information materials with
a new Awareness and Prevention series of fact sheets. These
publications are designed to raise awareness of diseases such as
diabetes, digestive diseases, and kidney and urologic diseases among
people not yet diagnosed with these illnesses. Materials produced by
the NIDDK are often translated into multiple languages. For example,
the Institute is currently developing Asian language materials on
hepatitis B to reach people whose origins place them at higher risk--a
priority highlighted at the NIH Consensus Development Conference on
Management of Hepatitis B in October 2008.
Another resource for promoting health awareness in affected groups
is a set of teaching tools for school-based diabetes education in
American Indians, who have the highest rates of diabetes in the United
States. Through educating American Indian youth about diabetes
prevention, these tools aim to reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes
in these young people and their families, as well as encourage entry
into health-related careers.
closing remarks
A key goal of the NIDDK is to maximize the return on research
investments to derive the greatest health and economic benefits.
Embedded in the population-based projects I mentioned is a
consideration of their cost-effectiveness. As areas of research
converge around common disease mechanisms--such as microbial influences
on health--and research tools--like genetics-based technologies--
opportunities exist to leverage resources and foster collaborations.
Past investments in sample repositories and databases can be extended
in ancillary and follow-up studies. In these ways, the intrinsic
economic benefit of NIDDK-sponsored research can be fully realized.
In closing, I thank the chairman and members of the subcommittee
for this opportunity to highlight some of the NIDDK's research and
outreach efforts to improve our Nation's health. I would be pleased to
answer any questions you may have.
______

Prepared Statement of Dr. Linda Birnbaum, Director, National Institute
of Environmental Health Sciences
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: I am pleased to
present the President's fiscal year 2010 budget request for the
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) of the
National Institutes of Health. The fiscal year 2010 budget includes
$684,257,000, which is $21,437,000 more than the fiscal year 2009
appropriation of $662,820,000.
introduction
NIEHS works at the forefront of public health to meet the
challenges the field of environmental health sciences faces in the 21st
century. Meeting these numerous and demanding challenges is vital to
reducing and preventing disease burden across the Nation. As biological
sciences generate a deeper understanding of the working of organisms at
the molecular and systems levels, opportunities open to advance our
knowledge of the effects of environmental exposures--not just the clear
and obvious effects, but also the subtle, complex ways human health is
affected by the environment. Tackling scientific questions with this
level of complexity requires an ongoing evaluation of our ideas and
approaches, and an emphasis on integration across disciplines--from
computational and molecular, to clinical and public health, and
everything in between. Our discoveries translate into improvements in
environmental regulation, public health, and clinical practice.
To improve our Nation's health, and to increase the benefits of our
health care system, the use of medical interventions must go hand in
hand with the adoption of behaviors aimed at disease prevention and
wellness promotion. The goal of environmental health sciences is to
remove human exposures to deleterious agents before disease processes
and dysfunction begins. By advancing our understanding of the
interactions of the environment with human health, and opening the door
to new ways to prevent disease, NIEHS's investments serve to undergird
a recovering economy and to support improvement of the health of our
citizens, as well as our healthcare system. NIEHS budget request and
research projects are also consistent with the President's multi-year
commitment for cancer, autism, and nanotechnology.
neurological disorders and the environment
There is continued concern that neurological disorders such as
autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and adult
onset diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's may be rooted in
early exposures to environmental toxicants. NIEHS supports basic
research to determine the mechanisms and pathways by which toxicants
may bring about neural damage to the developing brain. Some of the key
neurotoxicants being studied are metals such as lead, mercury, and
manganese; pesticides; tobacco smoke; and polychlorinated biphenyls and
polybromated diphenyl ethers used to make insulating and fire retardant
products.
With NIEHS support, the Children's Center at the University of
California, Davis is conducting the first large-scale human population
study of children with autism. These researchers are looking at a wide
range of environmental exposures and their effects on early development
in more than 1,000 California children. NIEHS researchers are also
developing new and improved animal and cellular models for ADHD and
autism--models that will help determine how neurotoxic substances may
impact brain development and behavior, and may be useful in testing
therapies.
environmental health and safety of nanomaterials
Engineered nanoscale materials display novel physical, chemical,
and biological properties that contribute to new technologies useful
for drug delivery systems, tissue engineering, biological and
environmental sensor technology, and environmental remediation. By
2015, the global nanotechnology market is projected to exceed $15
billion. Nanotechnology, like all emerging technologies, should create
innovation while minimizing risk of adverse health effects, and health
effects of exposure should be assessed prior to extensive use. Safety
assessment is challenging due to the diversity of materials used to
synthesize nanoparticles, as well as the wide range of physical and
chemical properties that emerge at the nanoscale. NIEHS and the
National Toxicology Program (NTP), which is headquartered at NIEHS,
support research on the impact of size and size-dependent properties of
nanomaterials on biological response at the systemic, cellular, and
molecular levels. This research has begun to demonstrate trends in the
relationship of physical and chemical properties to biological
response. NIEHS and NTP will continue to support research that
increases the understanding of potential health impacts of these novel
materials, as well as help to guide development of nano-enabled
products to reduce adverse health impacts in our increasingly exposed
population.
environmental disruptors of endocrine systems
Chemicals can mimic the hormones of our endocrine system and
disrupt its functions, with potentially adverse effects on health and
development. A consensus statement expressing concerns about the
possible health effects of one such chemical, Bisphenol A (BPA), was
issued by an expert panel as a result of a meeting organized by NIEHS
in November 2006.
NTP also recently completed an evaluation of BPA. BPA was selected
for evaluation because of the volume produced, widespread human
exposure, extensive animal data on reproductive and developmental
effects, and growing public concern. BPA is used in plastic water
bottles and containers, in some medical tubing, and in the plastic
coating inside of food cans, among other uses. Data from the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention showed BPA in 93 percent of 2,517
urine samples from people 6 years and older. The NTP evaluation graded
various health concerns on a six-level scale: serious concern for
adverse effects; concern; some concern; minimal concern; and negligible
concern. NTP concluded there is ``some concern'' for effects on the
development of the brain and behavior, and prostate gland development,
in fetuses, infants, and children at current exposures, and ``minimal
concern'' for effects on mammary gland and earlier age of female
puberty in fetuses, infants and children at current levels of exposure.
As a result of NTP's work, scientists at the Food and Drug
Administration are reviewing their policies on BPA.
In separate NIEHS-supported studies in rats, BPA exposure induced
changes in the mammary gland that were time and dose specific, so that,
for example, high-dose exposure resulted in architectural modifications
in the number of undifferentiated epithelial structures of the breast
tissue. High-dose exposures induced changes in genes related to cell
differentiation suggesting alterations in the normal development of the
gland. These studies are part of the larger NIEHS-National Cancer
Institute program of Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Centers;
NIEHS expects that these and other research findings will shed light on
the ways in which environmental exposures can influence the risk of
breast cancer in women.
hexavalent chromium and health
Chromium compounds, such as hexavalent chromium, are widely used in
electroplating, stainless steel production, leather tanning, textile
manufacturing, and wood preservation. The United States is one of the
world's leading producers of chromium compounds. Hexavalent chromium
compounds have been shown to cause lung cancer in humans when inhaled,
but it was not known whether these compounds could also cause cancer
when ingested; hence they were nominated for NTP toxicity and
carcinogenicity testing because of concerns over its presence in
drinking water, its potential health effects, and the lack of adequate
cancer studies on ingested hexavalent chromium.
NTP studies showed that sodium dichromate dehydrate, a compound
containing hexavalent chromium, causes cancer in laboratory animals
following oral ingestion. Male and female rats developed malignant
tumors in the oral cavity. In mice, the studies showed dose-related
increases in the number of benign and malignant tumors in the small
intestine. This is the first and only lifetime study that clearly
demonstrates the carcinogenicity of hexavalent chromium in rodents
after oral exposure.
The results of these studies were closely monitored by many groups,
including the affected industries and numerous national and
international public health and regulatory agencies. The data will most
certainly be used as the basis to develop State and Federal drinking
water and soil cleanup standards, and will have significant public
health impact on thousands of people exposed to hexavalent chromium in
contaminated drinking water and soil.
conclusion
These examples highlight important NIEHS and NTP research on the
environmental connection to human disease and stand in for other vital
research supported by the Institute. Research, such as the Sister
Study, an epidemiological study following a cohort of 50,000 sisters of
women diagnosed with breast cancer, promises to produce ground breaking
information on the environment's role in the causation of breast
cancer.
The field of environmental health sciences is beginning a new
chapter of scientific progress, with new and better tools at our
disposal, an expanding understanding of the human genome and its
relationship with the environment, and young scientists coming into the
field who are well-prepared and eager to apply these tools and
knowledge to our current scientific challenges. I am honored, as
Director of NIEHS and NTP, to facilitate the challenges and
opportunities ahead to alleviate suffering and improve human health.
______

Prepared Statement of Dr. Jeremy M. Berg, Director, National Institute
of General Medical Sciences
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: I am pleased to
present the fiscal year 2010 President's budget request for the
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). The fiscal year
2010 budget includes $2,023,677,000, which is $25,876,000 more than the
fiscal year 2009 appropriation of $1,997,801,000.
Each year, NIGMS-supported scientists uncover new knowledge about
fundamental life processes. While answering basic research questions,
these scientists expand our awareness and understanding of how disease
takes hold in the body. Institute grantees also develop important new
tools and techniques that have research and medical applications. The
payoffs from NIGMS research investments are impressive on many fronts.
As just one example, 67 scientists have received Nobel Prizes in
recognition of the scientific breakthroughs they made with NIGMS
support.
genetic studies guide treatments
The future of medicine will center on precise diagnosis and
personalized treatments. This is a departure from most of today's
medical approaches, which are based on studies of populations and one-
size-fits-all statistics derived from them. The ability to pre-
emptively tailor healthcare to individuals offers huge potential for
increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of efforts to preserve
health over the course of a lifetime.
Americans are eager for information that will help them make
intelligent, individualized choices about their health. Toward this
end, in 2000 NIGMS partnered with a number of other National Institues
of Health (NIH) components in launching an effort to determine how
genes affect the way people respond to medicines, including
antidepressants, chemotherapy agents, and drugs for asthma and heart
disease. Since then, studies by this Pharmacogenetics Research Network
(PGRN) have shown that genetic information can help predict how beta-
blockers, breast cancer medications, and nicotine patches will work in
a specific person. In early 2009, PGRN researchers merged data sets
from around the world to demonstrate that information about certain
genetic variations could aid doctors in determining the proper,
personalized dose of warfarin, a blood-thinning drug taken by millions
of Americans. This work set the stage for a prospective clinical trial
that will test if using such genomic information will make it quicker
and easier to get the right dose and furthermore, whether doing so
could prevent serious treatment complications like heart attacks,
strokes, and internal bleeding.
Other NIGMS-funded genetic studies have revealed surprising roles
for RNA. Nobel laureates Andrew Fire and Craig Mello paved the way for
this paradigm shift by showing that a process called RNA interference,
or RNAi, silences the activity of targeted genes. RNAi is now being
widely used both as a research tool and for the development of products
that could combat diseases like cancer and HIV. In 2008, other NIGMS-
supported scientists won the prestigious Lasker Award for their
groundbreaking discovery of microRNAs, short RNA molecules that
regulate gene function using some of the same mechanisms central to
RNAi. Our rapidly expanding understanding of RNA's many roles is
already providing novel medical insights, such as the linkage of
abnormal microRNA levels to cancer and other diseases.
physical sciences shine light on biology
The intersections between fields of science--such as those between
the physical sciences of physics, chemistry, mathematics, and computer
sciences and the biomedical and behavioral sciences--often yield
particularly fruitful and high-impact lines of investigation. One
timely example is the NIGMS-supported computational modeling tools
being used to predict the spread of emerging infectious diseases and
the results of possible interventions. These field-spanning approaches
provide important insights to help policymakers and public health
officials respond to outbreaks, including H1N1 flu.
Further evidence of how basic physical science can greatly
contribute to biomedical research is found in nuclear magnetic
resonance (NMR). This technique, developed by physicists in the 1930s,
underlies the well-known medical procedure of magnetic resonance
imaging. But in the laboratory, NMR is the basis of some of the most
powerful analytical methods in chemistry and biochemistry. In 2008,
NIGMS-funded researchers used NMR to identify a contaminant in several
batches of another widely used blood-thinning medicine, heparin. The
scientists determined the chemical structure of the contaminant, which
was only subtly different from heparin and therefore difficult to find
by other methods, and showed how the contaminant could cause severe
reactions and even death in humans. As a result of this work, NMR may
now be used to screen additional drug preparations for contaminants
that are difficult or impossible to detect by other means.
A physics-based technique called X-ray crystallography is also key
to understanding molecules that are central to health and disease.
Using this approach along with NMR, scientists funded through a
coordinated NIGMS effort called the Protein Structure Initiative (PSI),
have produced a wealth of information about the shapes of proteins,
which are essential to their functioning. Following successful pilot
and production phases that included the development of critical tools
and techniques, the Institute is now focusing the PSI on structures
with specific biological roles and expanding its reach throughout the
scientific community. This new direction, called PSI:Biology, will
emphasize partnerships between biologists and high-throughput structure
determination centers to address important biomedical problems and
provide information that will aid the development of new medicines.
Among the advances from chemistry studies are powerful imaging
techniques that allow scientists to visualize life processes in
unprecedented detail. The discovery and development of green
fluorescent protein (GFP) is a case in point. GFP was first purified
from jellyfish in 1962, and before long, NIGMS-funded American
researchers were finding ways to use this new tool to monitor
activities in living cells and organisms. These scientists, who won the
2008 Nobel Prize in chemistry for their insights, put the GFP gene into
a variety of organisms, including bacteria and worms. Today, GFP is an
essential part of the fabric of biological research and is used, for
example, as a key component of powerful drug development tools.
finding and funding innovation
To keep knowledge streaming from the Nation's scientific
laboratories, we must be agile in responding to the changing needs of
researchers, both individuals and teams. The Institute has been a
pioneer in novel funding programs that address the needs of the
scientific community and encourage innovation. One good example is
Konrad Hochedlinger, who received an NIH Director's New Innovator Award
in 2007. This program, which NIGMS developed and administers, jump-
starts the careers of unusually creative early stage investigators.
Since groundbreaking work in 2007 in which other NIGMS-funded
scientists reprogrammed ordinary skin cells to become induced
pluripotent stem cells (iPS) this area of inquiry has exploded. Dr.
Hochedlinger's project aims to unravel the many details of how
reprogramming works. He is currently working on creating
``reprogrammable mice'' in which every cell can become an iPS cell
capable of morphing into any cell type.
Another New Innovator is explaining basic behavioral principles
using animal models. Karin Pfennig is studying how different species of
toads choose a mate, a decision that has costs and benefits and
involves trade-offs. Understanding the fundamental drivers of such
``context-specific'' behavior may help us treat behavioral disorders in
people and address behavioral aspects of disease transmission and
spread.
Dr. Pfennig has contributed to the research enterprise in another
important way. As part of its commitment to training the next
generation of scientists and increasing the diversity of the scientific
workforce, NIGMS developed the Institutional Research and Academic
Career Development Award (IRACDA). This program gives postdoctoral
scientists mentored teaching experiences at minority-serving
institutions. Through IRACDA, Dr. Pfennig pursued her own cutting-edge
research at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, while also
teaching at a historically Black college, North Carolina Central
University. Dr. Pfennig, who grew up in a single-parent household with
very limited resources, attributes her desire to ``give back'' to her
own great teachers and mentors who challenged her to pursue her
ambition to become a scientist. Programs like IRACDA pay lasting
dividends on many levels, providing role models for students, preparing
future teachers, and promoting partnerships between institutions.
investing today for american prosperity
In addition to building a solid foundation of knowledge for medical
advances, basic biomedical and behavioral research yields tangible
economic benefits. NIGMS grants support the salaries and laboratories
of thousands of researchers throughout the United States. And NIGMS-
funded advances have played a significant role in the development of
the multi-billion-dollar biotechnology industry, which is now its own
engine of discovery as well as a critical partner to the pharmaceutical
industry.
I want to close by affirming the Institute's deep appreciation for
the extraordinary opportunities provided by the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009. In addition to its impact on stimulating the
Nation's economy, this legislation will enable scientists to uncover
new knowledge that will lead to better health for everyone. We intend
to use these funds to support highly meritorious research that could
not be funded with our regular appropriations and to further accelerate
the tempo of science through targeted supplements to existing grants.
NIGMS is also addressing research projects which are consistent with
the President's multi-year commitment for cancer and autism. We are
also eager to fund creative studies sparked by the new NIH Challenge
and Grand Opportunities grant programs, which are designed to focus on
health and science problems where significant progress can be expected
in 2 years.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would be pleased to answer any questions
that the subcommittee may have.
______

Prepared Statement of Dr. Thomas R. Insel, Director, National Institute
of Mental Health
Mr. Chairman, and members of the subcommittee: I am pleased to
present the President's fiscal year 2010 budget request for the
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) of the National Institutes
of Health (NIH). The fiscal year 2010 budget includes $1,474,676,00,
which is $24,185,000 more than the fiscal year 2009 appropriation of
$1,450,491,000.
public health burden of mental illness
According to the most recent estimates, roughly 12.5 million
American adults reported mental illness symptoms so severe as to cause
them significant disability in the past year.\1\ \2\ According to the
World Health Organization, mental disorders are the leading cause of
medical disability in the United States and Canada for people under age
45. In contrast to many other chronic medical conditions, mental
disorders typically begin at an early age, usually before the age of
30. Indeed, mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, depression, and
bipolar disorder, are increasingly recognized as the chronic medical
illnesses of young people. These illnesses also shorten people's lives.
Americans with serious mental illness die, on average, 25 years earlier
than the general population.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Kessler RC, Chiu WT, Demler O, Walters EE. Prevalence,
severity, and comorbidity of twelve-month DSM-IV disorders in the
National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R). Archives of General
Psychiatry, 2005 Jun;62(6):617-27.
\2\ U.S. Census Bureau. Population Estimates by Demographic
Characteristics. Table 2: Annual Estimates of the Population by
Selected Age Groups and Sex for the United States: April 1, 2000 to
July 1, 2004 (NC-EST2004-02) Source: Population Division, U.S. Census
Bureau Release Date: June 9, 2005. http://www.census.gov/popest/
national/asrh/
\3\ Parks J, Svendsen D, Singer P, Foti ME (Eds.). Morbidity and
mortality among people with serious mental illness. Alexandria, VA:
Medical Director's Council, National Association of State Mental Health
Directors (NASMHPD). October 2006. http://www.nasmhpd.org/
general_files/publications/med_directors_pubs/
Technical%20Report%20on%20Morbidity%20and%20 Mortaility%20-
%20Final%2011-06.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The annual economic costs of mental illness in the United States
are enormous. The direct costs of mental health treatment represent 6.2
percent of all healthcare spending, \4\ which, according to the Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid Services, totaled 15.8 percent of the gross
domestic product in 2003. Indirect costs associated with mental
illness, which include all nontreatment-related costs such as lost
earnings, Social Security disability payments, homelessness, and
incarceration, account for even greater expenses than the costs of
direct mental healthcare. A recent study found that serious mental
illnesses cost the United States at least $193 billion annually in lost
earnings alone.\5\ A conservative estimate places the total direct and
indirect annual costs of mental illness at well over $300 billion.\6\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ Mark TL, Levit KR, Coffey RM, McKusick DR, Harwood HJ, King EC,
Bouchery E, Genuardi JS, Vandivort-Warren R, Buck JA, Ryan K. National
Expenditures for Mental Health Services and Substance Abuse Treatment,
1993-2003. SAMHSA Publication No. SMA 07-4227. Rockville, MD: Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2007. http://
www.samhsa.gov/spendingestimates/SAMHSAFINAL9303.pdf.
\5\ Kessler, RC, Heeringa S, Lakoma MD, Petukhova M, Rupp AE,
Schoenbaum M, Wang PS, Zaslavsky AM. The individual-level and societal-
level effects of mental disorders on earnings in the United States:
Results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Am J
Psychiatry. 2008 Jun; 165(6):703-11.
\6\ Insel TR. Assessing the economic cost of serious mental
illness. Am J Psychiatry. 2008 Jun; 165(6):663-5.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
mental disorders are chronic brain disorders
NIMH's mission is to transform the understanding and treatment of
mental illnesses through basic and clinical research, paving the way
for prevention, recovery, and cure. These illnesses can now be studied
as brain disorders, as they are becoming more accessible to medical
science by using the tools of modern neuroscience. These disorders
frequently begin in childhood and are chronic, affecting people of all
races and ethnicities, in both rural and urban settings. To prevent a
lifetime of disability for millions of Americans, NIMH research is
directed toward identifying the biological basis of mental disorders,
examining the psychological and social aspects that contribute to the
disorders, and pinpointing targets for improved prevention, diagnosis,
and treatment.
mental healthcare in the future
In the future, the practice of medicine will be increasingly
predictive, pre-emptive, personalized, and participatory. Genetics and
clinical neuroscience will make this possible for mental illnesses.
Clinical neuroscience seeks to discover fundamental knowledge about the
brain and behavior and to use this knowledge to develop better tools
for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. For instance, biomarkers can
detect risk to permit prevention, neuroimaging may facilitate
diagnosis, and the discovery of new molecular targets should yield
novel treatments. The study of pathophysiology is fundamental for
NIMH's mission, which is to use science to transform care: not merely
to reduce symptoms among persons with mental illness, but to promote
recovery among this population and ultimately to discover pre-emptive
interventions that can prevent psychosis, disability, and suicide.
In pursuit of this mission, NIMH is in the process of implementing
its new Strategic Plan, which details the scientific priorities that
will direct and accelerate mental health research in the years to come.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the Recovery Act)
directs part of the Nation's stimulus funding to support job creation
and retention in the field of biomedical research. These supplemental
funds present an exciting opportunity for NIMH, allowing us to
jumpstart the groundbreaking science outlined in the Strategic Plan, as
well as the strategic plans of the NIH Office of AIDS Research and the
Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC). This commitment will
expand our knowledge about the underlying biology of mental disorders
and accelerate the development of improved diagnostic measures and
treatments. The fiscal year 2010 budget continues support for the IACC.
NIH will receive $1 million from the Office of the Secretary to support
the Committee.
Mental healthcare in the future will be based on the ability to
predict those most at risk, prevent the onset of disorder, and, in
cases where prevention is not possible, develop treatments tailored to
the individual. This requires collaboration among the diversity of
people affected, including mental healthcare providers, researchers,
and people with mental illness and their families. An example of NIMH
research taking this approach is our recent partnership with the U.S.
Army to reduce suicide among soldiers. The high rates of mental health
and behavioral adjustment problems among recent U.S. military combat
veterans and the increasing rates of suicide among Army soldiers are of
growing concern. To address this issue, NIMH and the U.S. Army are
collaborating on a $50 million research project, which will be the
largest single study NIMH has undertaken on the subject of suicide. The
project seeks to strengthen the Army's efforts to reduce suicide among
soldiers by identifying the risk and protective factors associated with
suicidal thinking and behavior. While targeted for the Army, the
study's findings will also inform our understanding of suicide in the
other Armed Forces as well as the overall population, leading to more
effective prevention and treatment for servicemembers and civilians
alike.
While we have long known that mental disorders are brain disorders,
recent research has begun to reconceptualize these illnesses as
disorders of brain development. Between infancy and adulthood dramatic
changes are taking place in the brain, not only in size, but also in
structure and function. Understanding these changes and how these
trajectories can go off course provides unprecedented promise for the
prediction and prevention of mental disorders, as well as opportunities
to harness this knowledge to improve treatments for individuals who go
on to develop a disorder, either in childhood or in early adulthood. As
an example, research on brain development in children with attention-
deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) from the NIMH Intramural program
recently reported a striking delay in cortical maturation. Between ages
5 and 15, the maturation of the prefrontal cortex was found to be
delayed by roughly 3 years in children with ADHD compared to age-
matched children without the disorder. Current studies are now
exploring the effects of treatment on the rate of cortical maturation.
The prototype neurodevelopmental disorder for NIMH is autism.
Matching the increasing public health urgency of autism, NIMH research
over the past year has yielded important discoveries on the
pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Research has shown
that different cases of ASD could potentially be traceable to any of 50
or more variations in the genome, alone or in combination, suggesting
that ASD may be the final common path for many different genetic
abnormalities. Most of the genes implicated are critical for brain
development. For example, independent teams of researchers have linked
inherited variations in a gene on Chromosome 7, called CNTNAP2, with
ASD. CNTNAP2 is part of a family of genes that make proteins that play
a key role in building the machinery by which brain cells communicate.
One variation of this gene was found to influence the age at which
children with ASD say their first word. Another variation was
identified that increases the risk for ASD, but mainly when it is
inherited from mothers. These studies provide evidence that CNTNAP2,
when disrupted, may represent one path to the development of ASD. In
addition to breakthroughs in the genetics of autism, recent research
has provided new tools for diagnosing autism as early as the first
birthday. Early diagnosis is critical because early intervention is
associated with the best outcomes.
In order to build upon these research advances, NIMH will be using
Recovery Act funding as an opportunity to fuel further research on ASD,
including its underlying biology, methods for earlier and more
effective diagnosis, and improvements in treatment. The new IACC
Strategic Plan for ASD Research provides the scientific goals and
benchmarks for this endeavor (www.iacc.hhs.gov). NIMH, in collaboration
with other NIH Institutes, has issued a series of funding opportunity
announcements (FOA) to address the heterogeneity of ASD. This will be
the largest single funding opportunity for ASD research in NIH's
history. NIMH may contribute as much as $30 million of the total $60
million of Recovery Act funds that NIH has set aside for this effort
(actual expenditures will depend on the proposals received). These FOAs
encourage applications for 2-year projects that address ASD
measurement, identification of biomarkers and biological signatures,
immune and central nervous systems interactions, genetics/genomics,
environmental risk factors, and ASD intervention and treatment.
Additionally, we will be supporting autism research with Recovery Act
funding through NIH's new Challenge Grants in Health and Science
Program. This program encourages applications on a diverse range of
research topics, such as improving access to services by individuals
with ASD and their families and expanding NIH's National Database for
Autism Research in order to accelerate the availability of new data for
the ASD research community. Finally, NIMH intends to continue to build
its investment in autism research via its base budget, which supports a
new intramural program for autism research, Autism Centers of
Excellence, and a broad range of individual grants for research and
training related to ASD.
Understanding the pathophysiology underlying mental disorders will
not only lead to the improved prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of
the disorders themselves, but will also help to clarify the
relationships that exist between mental disorders and other physical
health problems, such as cancer. People with mental disorders smoke
cigarettes at twice the rate of those without such a disorder, and they
consume 44 percent of all cigarettes smoked in the United States.\7\
NIMH research is not only addressing this major public health problem
through behavioral studies on smoking cessation techniques in these
populations, but is also seeking to understand the underlying causes of
smoking behavior. Several studies are examining the link between
cognitive function, which is often disrupted in severe mental illness,
and its improvement through nicotine use. By gaining better insight
into how nicotine influences neural mechanisms, NIMH researchers are
hoping to discover new ways of improving cognitive function among
people with mental illness, ultimately reducing the severe health
consequences associated with tobacco use.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ Ziedonis D., et al. Tobacco Use and Cessation in Psychiatric
Disorders: National Institute of Mental Health Report. Nicotine Tob
Res, 2008;10: 1-25.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In summary, we are well positioned to fulfill the promise of
predictive, pre-emptive, personalized, and participatory medicine in
the future. By using the best tools, funding the best science,
listening to our partners, and engaging our communities, we continue to
make progress toward our goal of transforming the understanding and
treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research,
paving the way for prevention, recovery, and cure.
______

Prepared Statement of Dr. Story C. Landis, Director, National Institute
of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: I am pleased to
present the President's fiscal year 2010 budget request for the
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) of the
National Institutes of Health (NIH). The fiscal year 2010 budget
includes $1,612,745,000, which is $19,401,000 more than the fiscal year
2009 appropriation of $1,593,344,000.
The important and challenging mission of NINDS is to reduce the
burden of neurological disorders through research. Hundreds of
disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and the nerves of the body affect
people of all ages. Collectively, they cause an enormous burden in lost
life, disability, and suffering, and cost billions of dollars each year
in medical expenses and reduced productivity. The causes of nervous
system disorders are diverse; among them are physical forces of
traumatic brain injury, slow degeneration of nerve cells in Parkinson's
and Alzheimer's disease, gene mutations in brain tumors and inherited
diseases, blood vessel block or bleeding in stroke, and toxic effects
of treatments for cancer, HIV/AIDS, and other diseases. Compounding the
challenge, the brain and spinal cord are intricate in structure,
difficult to access, sensitive to intervention, and do not readily
repair themselves following damage.
planning for the future
Over the last 2 years, NINDS has engaged the scientific community
and the public in strategic planning to meet these challenges. Planning
took a ``blue sky'' look at the future, but also gave outside experts
unprecedented access to data about NINDS programs to inform
recommendations of practical steps to better carry out our mission.
Even as we finalize the strategic plan and seek further public input,
we are implementing recommendations. One major lesson from planning is
the importance of program evaluation; based on the results we are
reallocating resources to maximize public health impact. Perhaps the
most important message for today, however, is not at the level of
program details, but about where we stand with respect to the NINDS
mission-treatments for neurological disorders are still far from
adequate, but research is yielding remarkable progress, and the
prospects for the future are very encouraging.
NINDS's budget request and its research projects are consistent
with the President's multi-year commitment for cancer and autism.
stroke
Stroke, the ``S'' in NINDS, shows how far we have come and how far
we have to go. Stroke remains the third leading cause of death in the
United States and a major cause of long-term disability. However,
American Heart Association statistics show that the age-adjusted stroke
death rate decreased by 29.7 percent from 1995 to 2005, and actual
stroke deaths declined by 13.5 percent, resulting in thousands of lives
saved. Many NIH research studies contributed to the decline by
predicting who is at risk for stroke, who will do best on which drug,
and whether surgery to clean a carotid artery or repair an aneurysm is
worth the risk for a particular patient. Research on stroke prevention
is continuing apace, including research on the geographic and racial
disparities.
About a decade ago, a NINDS clinical trial demonstrated that
appropriate use of the clot buster tPA can restore blood flow to the
brain and significantly improve outcome from stroke. New clinical
trials are building on this first successful emergency treatment by
testing whether ultrasound improves tPA's effectiveness to break up
clots in large brain arteries and whether direct injection of tPA into
a blocked brain artery or clot retrieval devices may help some
patients. Despite its proven benefit, too few people now receive tPA,
which must be administered after specialist assessment and within a few
hours of a stroke. A trial this year showed that telemedicine can
expand access to emergency stroke treatment to areas of the country
without specialized stroke centers. A second trial is assessing whether
emergency personnel in the field can rapidly deliver a therapy to
protect the brain prior to reaching a hospital. Beyond prevention and
emergency treatment, a major challenge for stroke, as for traumatic
brain injury, is promoting recovery after brain damage has occurred.
Rehabilitation that harnesses the brain's ``plasticity'' is showing
promise in people, and trials are assessing the most effective
strategies, but there is still a long way to go.
genes and brain diseases
Although there are hundreds of neurological disorders, common
themes unify research across diseases. One lesson of planning is the
importance of engaging the insight and ingenuity of researchers
throughout the United States to recognize shared disease mechanisms and
common therapeutic strategies. Research on genes is one unifying theme
that spans many areas of basic and clinical science.
A first wave of progress identified single gene defects that cause
more than 200 neurological disorders, and continues with new findings
in inherited types of ALS and other diseases. Often, the most immediate
benefit of gene findings is genetic tests, which can spare families
expensive and frustrating diagnostic odysseys to find out what is wrong
with their child. Even when a single gene defect is identified, major
obstacles confront therapy to correct the defect, especially in the
brain, but there is progress; this year, for example, a preliminary
clinical trial established the feasibility of gene transfer to treat
Batten disease. Genes can also provide the first foothold on
understanding causes and developing drug treatments, leading to
rational therapy development programs, as NINDS has underway for
muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy, and other disorders.
Although most brain tumors are not inherited, acquired gene defects
drive tumor formation. Observing which genes are affected in
glioblastoma and other brain tumors is suggesting which tumors respond
to which cancer drugs and providing clues to developing more effective
treatment.
Recently, scientists have begun to crack the more complex ways that
variations in multiple genes together contribute to common neurological
disorders and shape individual differences in therapy response. Gene
tests show promise for establishing the appropriate dose of the drug
warfarin, which is commonly used to prevent stroke in people with
certain risk factors. Warfarin now requires frequent blood tests to
find the safe and effective dose because of variability among people,
and people are at risk until the dose is set. Genome-Wide Association
Studies (GWAS) are one method that has associated genes with multiple
sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, stroke, and other common disorders. For
example, understanding autism is an NIH-wide priority, and
GWAS recently implicated molecules that have been studied in the
development of connections among nerve cells, linking a dynamic area of
basic research to this disease.
translating scientific insights to therapies
NINDS basic and clinical research yield understanding of disease
and clinical tools that are essential for therapy development in the
private sector. The Institute has also long pursued translational
opportunities that are not likely to be targeted by others, whether
because bold therapeutic strategies present uncertainty and long
development horizons that are not tolerable to investors, rare diseases
represent a small market, or developments in surgery and interventions
using existing drugs may not recapture investments. The NINDS
Intramural program developed the first successful enzyme therapy for
inherited disease. Among applied NINDS extramural programs, the
Anticonvulsant Screening Program has catalyzed the development of
several epilepsy drugs now on the market, and the Neural Prosthesis
Program successfully pioneered devices to restore lost nervous system
functions. In 2003, NINDS moved from selective translational research
in a few areas, to a broad effort to capitalize on opportunities across
all neurological disorders by initiating the Cooperative Program in
Translational Research. This program supports academic and small
business investigator-initiated preclinical therapy development, using
milestone driven funding and peer review expertise and criteria
tailored to therapy development. Therapies from this program have
received investigational approval from the FDA and are moving to
clinical trials. Based on the advice of strategic planning advisory
panels, which included industry experts, NINDS has created an Office of
Translational Research and recruited a leader who has extensive drug
development expertise. The new office will coordinate and focus NINDS
applied programs more effectively on therapy development, without
reducing NINDS commitment to basic and clinical research that is the
foundation for progress. As new opportunities for therapy development
emerge, we cannot let them languish in the ``valley of death'' between
the idea and the success.
Progress against two gene disorders that cause nervous system
tumors illustrates how basic understanding of disease can drive
research toward treatment. In people who have neurofibromatosis type 1,
tumors grow within nerves and can cause disabling symptoms by
compressing nerve, spinal cord, and other organs. Several years ago
NIH-funded investigators discovered gene mutations that cause the
disease and developed animal models that mimic the human disorder.
After years of work, researchers discovered how the mutant gene causes
cells associated with nerves to develop tumors, and then recruit other
cell types and blood vessels to the tumor. Once researchers understood
the molecular steps, they recognized that the cancer drug Gleevec acts
on the same molecules. They are now testing the drug in people who have
neurofibromatosis.
Tuberous sclerosis complex is another disorder in which tumors,
called tubers, can grow in nearly any tissue, including the brain. Many
people with this disease also develop epilepsy or autism. Again,
finding genes led to understanding of the molecular steps in disease,
and scientists recognized that an available drug, rapamycin, which is
used to prevent organ transplant rejection, affects a key molecule in
the disease process. Studies in mice that mimic the human disorder were
especially encouraging because the results suggest that the disease can
be reversed in adults, countering pessimism that the disease produced
irreversible affects on brain development. Researchers are exploring
whether rapamycin or similar drugs are safe for long-term use, and may
also be of benefit for epilepsy or autism from other causes.
the research workforce
As science progresses, we recognize themes that bring together
research on disparate diseases, whether shared disease mechanisms, as
in neurodegeneration, therapeutic approaches, as stem cells, or program
needs, as translational research. The American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act reminds us of another common theme--research is labor
intensive. Progress depends on the men and women who do research and
their commitment to research that may take decades. To maintain the
vigor of NIH and private research, NINDS is committed to making
research an attractive and sustainable career for young people who are
innovative, intelligent, dedicated, and diverse.
______

Prepared Statement of Dr. Patricia A. Grady, Director, National
Institute of Nursing Research
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: I am pleased to
present the President's fiscal year 2010 budget request for the
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) of the National
Institutes of Health (NIH). The fiscal year 2010 budget request
includes $143,749,000, which is $1,870,000 more than the fiscal year
2009 appropriation of $141,879,000.
NINR's budget request and its research projects are consistent with
the President's multi-year commitment for cancer and autism.
introduction
NINR supports clinical and basic research to build the scientific
foundation for clinical practice, prevent disease and disability,
manage and eliminate symptoms caused by illness, and enhance end-of-
life and palliative care. The breadth and depth of NINR's research
portfolio is ideally suited to explore some of the most important
challenges affecting the health of the American people. An aging
population, an increasing incidence of chronic illness, a shortage in
the health workforce, and rapidly escalating costs necessitate profound
changes in the ways in which we approach healthcare. These challenges
require us to develop new strategies for treating, managing, and
preventing illness that are person-centered rather than disease-
centered, that focus on pre-empting the development of chronic illness
rather than treating it, and that feature the person as an active
participant in managing his or her own healthcare. The research
supported by NINR can significantly contribute to the evidence base for
many of the changes that will occur in healthcare in the coming years
and decades. NINR advances science to address current and future
challenges through its research programs in health promotion and
disease prevention; self-management, symptom management, and
caregiving; and end-of-life and palliative care. In addition, NINR
maintains a strong commitment to the elimination of health disparities
faced by at-risk and underserved populations through continued work to
develop culturally appropriate, evidence-based interventions. NINR also
trains the next generation of scientists to ensure the development of
the innovative research and faculty workforce of the future. The
research goals in NINR's strategic plan, changing practice, changing
lives, emphasize the areas of public health that demonstrate the
greatest needs and in which NINR can have the greatest impact.
Let me now describe our research programs and highlight some of our
recent accomplishments.
ninr research programs
Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Healthcare professionals and policy leaders have stressed the
importance of preventive care to the health of all Americans. NINR
supports research to discover new ways to prevent disease and achieve
long-term, positive health outcomes in individuals across the lifespan.
NINR-supported scientists explore strategies to understand and promote
behavioral changes in individuals, evaluate health risks in diverse
communities, and assess issues of patient safety. In recent years,
successful efforts in the areas of health promotion and disease
prevention research have increasingly involved community members in the
design and conduct of the study.
NINR research has an impact on clinical practice. In one example,
researchers designed, implemented and evaluated a program to address
the health burden and costs associated with premature birth, a
condition affecting more than 500,000 infants in the United States
every year. The Creating Opportunities for Parent Empowerment program
(COPE), for parents of premature infants, is an educational-behavioral
intervention program that begins 2 to 4 days after admission to a
neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and teaches parents how to care for
their premature infant. The researchers found that COPE implementation
reduced the length of stay in the NICU by 4 days, for an estimated
healthcare cost savings of at least $4,800 per infant. Thus, in
addition to improving parent and child outcomes, routine implementation
of COPE in NICU's across the United States could possibly save the
healthcare system more than $2 billion per year. The results of this
study have sparked interest among hospitals and insurers nationwide.
NINR-supported researchers are developing more programs to promote
healthy behaviors and prevent disease, including: an outreach
intervention designed to reduce HIV-risk among adolescent girls
receiving services through community-based health centers; a parent
training program designed to promote positive parenting and mental
health among low-income ethnic minority families with young children;
and a lifestyle-modification program for prehypertensive, middle-aged
rural women.
self-management, symptom management, and caregiving
Given the increasing numbers of people living with chronic illness,
whether children with diabetes or elders with heart disease, NINR is
developing new approaches to help individuals manage their own health
conditions, to decrease the effects of adverse symptoms, and to reduce
the burden on caregivers. NINR is improving the quality of life of
individuals with chronic illness and their families by supporting
research related to self-management, symptom management, and
caregiving.
Our self-management research explores strategies that help
individuals to participate in their own health practices. In one recent
example, community ``Lay Health Educators'' were trained to deliver a
health promotion and asthma management program to children in
elementary schools from rural towns and unincorporated communities.
Children receiving this program demonstrated significant improvements
in asthma knowledge, self-management scores, and use of metered dose
inhalers. Results from this study suggest that using Lay Health
Educators for delivery of an in-school education program may be an
effective means for improving children's skills in asthma self-
management, especially in hard-to-reach communities.
Our symptom management research focuses on the biological and
behavioral aspects of symptoms such as pain and fatigue, with the goal
of improving patient health and quality of life. A recent symptom
management study aimed to define patient-determined success for
treatment of chronic spine pain in four areas: pain, fatigue, emotional
distress, and interference with daily activities. This study found that
the patients for whom pain was reduced experienced significantly less
fatigue, emotional distress, and interference with daily activities.
The findings confirm that successful treatment for chronic pain is not
viewed by patients exclusively in terms of pain reduction, but also
involves a number of additional quality of life factors.
Research Capacity Development
The increasing demand for nurse clinicians, faculty, and
scientists, and the inadequate supply of new nurses to meet that need,
continue to burden America's health system. NINR builds research
capacity and fosters interdisciplinary training for the next generation
of scientists in basic, translational, and clinical research through
individual and institutional training and career development awards.
NINR training strategies focus on the development of nurse scientists
and earlier entry into research careers with special consideration
given to underrepresented and disadvantaged populations. In addition,
innovative training programs at the NIH, such as the NINR Summer
Genetics Institute, the NINR Graduate Partnerships Program, and the new
BNC fellowship (a joint venture between NINR, the NIH Clinical Center,
and the Bravewell Collaborative), all serve to increase the knowledge
and experience base of new scientists, and assist them in their
transition to long-term research careers.
End-of-life
Faced with a complexity of life-limiting and eventual terminal
conditions--whether cancer, heart disease, stroke, or neurodegenerative
disorders--the challenges experienced by patients and their families as
life draws to a close have refocused attention to the end of life and
necessitated a better understanding of the dying process, the
associated decisions about treatment, and the quality of care patients
receive. Focusing on these topics, NINR end-of-life research seeks
through science to improve the understanding of the mechanisms
underlying palliation, including pain, fatigue, depression, and related
symptoms; enhances communication and decision-making processes between
patients and family members; and develops effective strategies to
optimize care across diverse settings, populations, and cultural
contexts.
One recent study explored the relationship between diagnosis and
advance directives. As part of a longitudinal study, patients with an
expected 2-year survival of less than 50 percent who had either cancer
or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) were interviewed with the goal
of determining whether and how end-of-life discussions differed between
clinicians and patients. Results showed that cancer patients were less
likely than ALS patients to have had advanced care planning
discussions. Although these results may reflect perceptions that ALS
has a more predictable disease trajectory, that advanced cancer has a
greater number of treatment options, or the presence of differing views
about hope, this study highlighted that cancer patients may be less
than adequately prepared for end-of-life decisionmaking.
Another recent study examined the life support withdrawal process
for patients who died in the intensive care unit (ICU) or within 24
hours of discharge from the ICU, and surveyed family members on their
perceptions of the care provided. The researchers discovered that for
family members of patients who had an ICU stay of 8 days or more,
families were more satisfied with care received when withdrawal of life
support occurred in a staggered progression. The outcome of this study
indicates that clinicians need to work with the family throughout the
patient's ICU stay to provide them with accurate information on which
to base decisions, and prepare them emotionally for the possible loss
of their loved one.
ninr and the american recovery and reinvestment act
Funding for scientific research received through the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) has provided NINR with an
enormous opportunity, not only to assist with the Nation's economic
recovery by creating and retaining jobs and enhancing infrastructure,
but to advance biomedical and behavioral research in areas of critical
importance to the NINR mission. NINR is using the funds from ARRA to
support additional research projects, to accelerate ongoing research
through supplements to current grants, and to create opportunities for
introducing prospective scientists to a research career. The additional
science supported by NINR through ARRA will, in the long-term,
contribute to improving the health of the Nation through enhanced
prevention and management of chronic illness and disease.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will be happy to answer any questions
that the subcommittee might have.
______

Prepared Statement of Dr. Donald A.B. Lindberg, Director, National
Library of Medicine
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: I am pleased to
present the President's fiscal year 2010 budget request for the
National Library of Medicine (NLM) of the National Institutes of Health
(NIH). The fiscal year 2010 budget includes $334,347,000, which is
$3,576,000 more than the comparable fiscal year 2009 appropriation of
$330,771,000.
NLM, the world's largest biomedical library and the developer of
electronic information services, delivers trillions of bytes of data to
millions of users daily. Every day 3.5 terabytes of data are downloaded
to users. By making research results--from DNA sequences to clinical
trials data to published scientific articles and consumer health
information--readily available, the Library magnifies the positive
impact of the NIH's investment in the creation of new knowledge. By
organizing increasing amounts and types of biomedical and health
information, the NLM fuels new research discoveries, informs patient
care decisions, helps people exert control over their health and
healthcare, and AIDS disaster preparedness and response.
The NLM is a key enabler for important congressional, NIH, and
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) initiatives. NLM's budget
request and its research projects are consistent with the President's
multi-year commitment for cancer and autism. Current priorities
include: increasing the transparency of clinical trials in
ClinicalTrials.gov; enhancing public access to NIH-funded peer-reviewed
manuscripts in the PubMed Central archive; making results of Genome-
Wide Association Studies (GWAS) available in dbGaP to improve the
understanding of genetic and environmental factors underlying human
disease; supporting and distributing standard terminologies for
electronic health records and clinical research data, including genetic
tests, within NLM's Unified Medical Language System; conducting
biomedical informatics research on health applications of information
technology; and developing specialized information resources for use in
emergency and disaster response.
To be useful, NLM's information services must be known and readily
accessible. The Library's outreach program relies heavily on the 5,800-
member National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) and on
exhibitions, events, and varied media to bring the message about NLM's
free, high-quality health information resources to communities across
the Nation. The NN/LM comprises academic health sciences libraries,
hospital libraries, public libraries, and community-based
organizations. They form an efficient way to make the published output
of biomedicine easily accessible by scientists, health professionals,
and the public and to develop partnerships with community organizations
and underserved populations.
scientific information resources
The NLM's National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)
meets the challenge of collecting, organizing, storing, analyzing, and
disseminating scientific data by designing, developing, and
distributing the tools, databases and technologies that are enabling
the genetic discoveries of the 21st century. Celebrating 20 years since
its enactment, the Center is at the hub of international interchange of
molecular biology and genomic information, with Web sites accessed
several million times a day.
In addition to the widely known GenBank and PubMed/MEDLINE
databases, the NCBI provides a wide array of genomic resources and is a
valued collaborator throughout the NIH. The recent discovery of a novel
H1N1 influenza virus highlights the value of the specialized virus
resource that NCBI developed with the National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases. It links vaccine researchers to genomic data about
the influenza virus. The PubChem repository fills a critical need in
the Molecular Libraries Roadmap Initiative, with information on more
than 40 million ``small molecules'' that are crucial in drug
development. The dbGaP database, which links genotype data with
phenotype information from clinical research studies to support
identification of genetic factors that influence health, is the public
repository for the trans-NIH GWAS project. NIH's mandatory Public
Access Policy ensures scientific articles written by NIH-funded authors
are deposited in PubMed Central and linked to other scientific
information.
The Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications leads
research to create and improve biomedical communications systems,
technologies, and networks. The Center recently completed a major
expansion of ClinicalTrials.gov, in response to the congressional
mandate. The system now maintains a registry of clinical trials
involving FDA-regulated drugs, biologics, and devices and starting last
September, began collecting summary results of trials of FDA-approved
products. ClinicalTrials.gov currently contains data on more than
70,000 trials in 166 countries and is searched by more than 500,000
people every month.
The NLM's two research centers collaborate on improving standards
for genetic and genomic testing. The NCBI provides a database of
reference values to assist in quality control of genomic tests. The
Lister Hill Center is helping to expand the Logical Observation
Identifiers Names Codes standard to cover genetic and newborn screening
tests already in routine clinical and public health use.
Electronic health records with advanced decision-support
capabilities--and connections to relevant health information--will be
essential to achieving personalized medicine and will also help people
manage their own health. NLM supported much of the seminal research
work on electronic records, clinical decision support and health
information exchange. NLM is the HHS coordinating body for clinical
terminology standards and supports development and dissemination of key
standards for U.S. health information exchange. The Lister Hill Center
is actively engaged in research on next generation electronic health
records to facilitate patient-centered care, clinical research, and
public health. This work has already resulted in tools that are helping
system developers, including some at the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services, to incorporate the use of standards into health
information systems.
information services for the public
In addition to providing researchers and health care providers with
access to scientific information, the NLM also serves the public--from
elementary school children to senior citizens. The Library's main
consumer health portal is MedlinePlus, available in both English and
Spanish. In fiscal year 2008, there were more than 750 million
MedlinePlus pages viewed by more than 132 million unique visitors from
229 countries. In addition to more than 725 ``health topics,''
MedlinePlus has interactive tutorials for persons with low literacy,
medical dictionaries, a medical encyclopedia, directories of hospitals
and providers, surgical videos and links to the scientific literature.
A ``Go Local'' feature links users to information about services in
their communities. Today, there is go local coverage for approximately
44 percent of the U.S. population and expansion is an important goal
for the Library in fiscal year 2010.
In 2009, the NLM celebrated its second year of producing the NIH
MedlinePlus magazine, an outreach effort made possible with NIH and
Friends of the NLM support. The free magazine is widely distributed to
the public via physician offices, libraries, and other locations, with
a readership of up to 5 million nationwide. A Spanish/English version,
NIH MedlinePlus Salud (the Spanish word for ``health''), was launched
in January 2009 to address the specific health needs of the growing
Hispanic population.
NLM also produces an array of specialized consumer health Web
resources. Genetics Home Reference provides understandable information
about genetic conditions and related genes or chromosomes. The
Household Products Database provides easy-to-understand data on
potential health effects of more than 2,000 ingredients contained in
more than 8,000 common household products. The Dietary Supplements
Labels Database has information from labels of more than 3,000 brands
of dietary supplements, with links to authoritative sources of
information.
ensuring access to information in times of disaster
NLM is committed to ensuring uninterrupted access to critical
information services in the event of disaster or emergency. NLM's new
Disaster Information Management Research Center is building on proven
emergency backup and response mechanisms within the NN/LM to promote
effective use of libraries and specially trained librarians--disaster
information specialists--in disaster management efforts. The Center
also collaborates with the Navy National Medical Center, Suburban
Hospital Healthcare System, and NIH Clinical Center in the Bethesda
Hospital Emergency Preparedness Partnership. The Partnership will
provide hospital surge capacity for the national capitol area and
create a surge model for use across the Nation. Recent studies found
such capabilities lacking in major metropolitan areas. NLM coordinates
R&D for this model and investigates new methods for sharing health
information for disaster preparedness and response.
NLM also develops advanced information services and tools to assist
emergency responders when disaster strikes. NLM's TOXNET, a cluster of
databases covering toxicology, hazardous chemicals, and toxic releases,
provides a foundation for services to first responders, such as
Wireless Information System for Emergency Responders and Chemical
Hazard Event Medical Management (CHEMM). CHEMM builds on the Library's
successful collaboration with the HHS Office of Public Health
Preparedness, the National Cancer Institute, and the centers for
disease prevention and Control to develop the Radiation Event Medical
Management (REMM) system. NLM is also developing a tool for
identification of post traumatic stress disorder and mild traumatic
brain injury.
In summary, the NLM is well-positioned to contribute to the
Nation's health--by making increasing amounts of scientific data
available to researchers and health practitioners, by improving the
Nation's healthcare information infrastructure, by providing the public
with access to authoritative information to maintain their personal
health, and by enabling health sciences libraries to make substantial
contributions to disaster information management. All of these
activities will depend on a strong and diverse workforce for biomedical
informatics research, systems development, and innovative service
delivery. To that end, the NLM will continue its longstanding support
for postgraduate education and training of informatics researchers and
health science librarians.
______

Prepared Statement of Dr. Jack E. Whitescarver, Director, Office of
AIDS Research
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: I am pleased to
present the President's fiscal year 2010 budget request for the trans-
National Institutes of Health (NIH) AIDS research program of the NIH.
The fiscal year 2010 budget includes $3,055,494,000, which is
$45,155,000 more than the fiscal year 2009 appropriation of
$3,010,339,000.
the aids pandemic
More than 33 million people around the world are estimated to be
currently living with HIV/AIDS infection. More than 25 million men,
women, and children have already died.
The pandemic affects the future of families, communities, military
preparedness, national security, political stability, national economic
growth, agriculture, business, healthcare, child development, and
education in countries around the globe. As a result of multilateral
and bilateral programs in low- and middle-income countries, almost 3
million people now have access to antiretroviral drug treatment.
However, for every 1 person who starts taking antiretroviral drugs,
another 3 become infected.
In the United States, HIV/AIDS remains an unrelenting public health
crisis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports
more than 1.1 million people are infected with the virus, with
approximately 56,300 new infections each year. According to CDC
statistics, African-American men and women and gay and bisexual men of
all races and ethnicities are the most affected groups in the United
States. It is estimated that 1 out of every 20 individuals in the
District of Columbia is HIV infected--a vivid example of the impact of
AIDS on minority populations in the United States.
the trans-nih aids research program
The NIH AIDS research program is the largest in the world--a unique
and complex multi-Institute, multi-disciplinary, global research
program. Perhaps no other disease so thoroughly transcends every area
of clinical medicine and basic scientific investigation. AIDS research
is carried out by nearly all of the NIH Institutes and Centers in
accordance with their mission. This diverse research portfolio requires
an unprecedented level of scientific coordination and management of
research. The Office of AIDS Research (OAR) was authorized to plan,
coordinate, evaluate, and budget all NIH AIDS research, functioning as
an ``institute without walls,'' allowing NIH to pursue a unified
research program to prevent and treat HIV infection and its associated
complications. OAR has established comprehensive trans-NIH planning,
portfolio analysis, and budgeting processes to identify the highest
priority areas of scientific opportunity, enhance collaboration,
minimize duplication, and ensure that precious research dollars are
invested effectively and efficiently. The research priorities that
frame this trans-NIH budget request were established through the annual
OAR strategic planning process, involving scientists from NIH, other
Government agencies, academia, industry, and nongovernmental
organizations, as well as community representatives.
fiscal year 2010 research priorities: prevention research
Prevention of HIV infection is NIH's highest priority for HIV-
related research. Disappointing results from recent clinical studies of
HIV vaccine and microbicide candidates underscore the need for
additional discovery (basic) research on HIV and the host immune
response. Biomedical and behavioral interventions are urgently needed
to reach individuals at risk, particularly in racial and ethnic
populations in the United States, in international settings, among
women, and among men who have sex with men. Priority areas include:
--Microbicides.--Microbicides, antimicrobial products that can be
applied topically for the prevention of HIV and other sexually
transmitted infections, may offer one of the most promising
primary preventive interventions. NIH supports a comprehensive
microbicide research program that includes the screening,
discovery, development, preclinical testing, and clinical
evaluation of microbicide candidates, as well as fundamental
research aimed at understanding how HIV transverses mucosal
membranes and infects cells. NIH supports behavioral and social
science research on the acceptability and use of microbicides
among different populations. In fiscal year 2010, NIH will
increase funding for the design, development, and evaluation of
microbicide candidates.
--Vaccines.--The best long-term hope for controlling the AIDS
pandemic is the development of safe, effective, and affordable
AIDS vaccines. AIDS vaccine research remains a high priority to
ensure that new and innovative concepts continue to advance
through the pipeline. NIH supports a broad AIDS vaccine
research portfolio encompassing basic, preclinical, and
clinical research. The disappointing results from clinical
studies of the Merck HIV vaccine candidate indicate a critical
need to reinvest in basic research studies on the virus and
host immune responses that can inform the development of new
and innovative vaccine concepts; as well as the development of
improved animal models to conduct pre-clinical evaluations of
vaccine candidates. In fiscal year 2010, NIH will fund
additional basic research on HIV and host responses, as well as
the design and development of new vaccine concepts and the pre-
clinical/clinical development of vaccine candidates in the
pipeline.
--Behavioral Research.--NIH supports research to further our
understanding of how to change the behaviors that lead to HIV
acquisition, transmission, and disease progression--including
preventing their initiation--and how to maintain protective
behaviors once they are adopted. In addition, NIH supports
research aimed at better understanding the social and cultural
factors associated with HIV risk or protection, particularly in
communities at high risk of HIV acquisition. This research will
contribute to the implementation of a broader range of
preventive and/or therapeutic strategies.
fiscal year 2010 priorities: therapeutics research
Antiretroviral treatment has resulted in improved immune function
in patients who are able to adhere to the treatment regimens and
tolerate the toxicities associated with antiretroviral drugs; and it
has delayed the progression of HIV disease, extending the time between
initial infection and the development of AIDS. However, a growing
proportion of patients receiving therapy are demonstrating treatment
failure, experiencing serious drug toxicities and side effects, and
developing drug resistance. A critical area of research is the use of
antiretroviral therapy as prevention. This includes evaluating the use
of therapeutic regimens after exposure to HIV (postexposure
prophylaxis), as well as testing the concept of the use of
antiretroviral therapy in high-risk individuals prior to HIV exposure
(pre-exposure prophylaxis).
Epidemiologic studies have revealed a number of co-infections and
co-morbidities associated with long-term HIV disease, including
tuberculosis, hepatitis C, malignancies, metabolic disorders,
cardiovascular disease, and neurologic disorders. A better
understanding of the underlying etiology of these HIV-associated
conditions will lead to better prevention and treatment strategies. NIH
supports a comprehensive therapeutics research program to design,
develop, and test drugs and drug regimens to prevent and treat HIV
infection and its associated co-infections and co-morbidities.
Translational and clinical studies also are needed to transform
fundamental research results into improved strategies for preventing
and treating these HIV-associated complications, including research on
drug resistance, drug toxicities, pharmacogenomics, adherence, and the
interrelatedness of HIV and nutrition.
discovery research: enabling innovation
A renewed emphasis on discovery research is essential to enable
innovation, address critical gaps, and capitalize on emerging
scientific opportunities. Ground-breaking strides have been made
towards understanding the fundamental steps in the lifecycle of HIV,
the host-virus interactions, and the clinical manifestations associated
with HIV infection and AIDS. However, additional research is needed to
further the understanding of the virus and how it causes disease,
including studies to delineate how gender, age, ethnicity, and race
influence vulnerability to infection and HIV disease progression. NIH-
supported genomics studies and breakthroughs in sequencing the human
genome provide new opportunities to apply these valuable tools to the
search for new HIV prevention and therapeutics strategies. OAR proposes
to capitalize on those opportunities by providing funds for new,
exciting areas of investigation, including studies utilizing genomics
tools to investigate the immune response to HIV infection.
research training and community outreach
NIH must continue to support training programs for United States
and international researchers to build the critical capacity to conduct
AIDS research both in racial and ethnic communities in the United
States and in developing countries. NIH funded programs have increased
the number of training positions for AIDS-related research, including
programs specifically designed to recruit individuals from
underrepresented populations into research careers and to build
research infrastructure at minority-serving institutions in the United
States. The changing pandemic and the increasing number of HIV
infections among women and in racial and ethnic populations of the
United States, particularly in African-American and Latino/Hispanic
communities, also underscore the need to disseminate HIV research
findings and other related information to communities at risk.
summary
NIH-sponsored HIV/AIDS research continues to provide the important
scientific foundation necessary to design, develop, and evaluate new
and better vaccine candidates, therapeutic agents and regimens, and
prevention interventions. NIH will continue to focus on the need for
comprehensive strategies to decrease HIV transmission and improve
treatment options and treatment outcomes in affected vulnerable
populations in the United States, and in international settings. These
interventions will address the co-occurrence of other sexually
transmitted diseases, hepatitis, drug abuse, and mental illness; and
consider the role of culture, family, and other social factors in the
transmission and prevention of these disorders.
The NIH investment in AIDS research is reaping even greater
dividends in unraveling the mysteries surrounding many other
infectious, malignant, neurologic, autoimmune, and metabolic diseases.
AIDS research has provided an entirely new paradigm for drug design,
development, and clinical trials to treat viral infections. Drugs
developed to prevent and treat AIDS-associated opportunistic infections
also provide benefit to patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy or
receiving anti-transplant rejection therapy. AIDS research also is
providing a new understanding of the relationship between viruses and
cancer. We are deeply grateful for the support the administration and
this subcommittee have provided to our efforts.

Senator Harkin. Dr. Kington, thank you very much for your
opening statement, and I see we've been joined by Senator
Shelby.
Did you have an opening statement?

STATEMENT OF SENATOR RICHARD C. SHELBY

Senator Shelby. Mr. Chairman, I'm glad to join you. I look
forward to the hearing. I'll be in and out of here. We have
some other Appropriations subcommittee hearings, but I do have
a statement that I'd like to be made part of the record and I
do have some questions that I'm going to have to leave and come
back to ask those questions, unless you let me go.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Senator Richard C. Shelby
Mr. Chairman, thank you. I appreciate you having this hearing today
to discuss the vital mission carried out by the National Institutes of
Health (NIH).
We live in a world where there are thousands of debilitating and
life-threatening diseases--all that could use additional funding for
research and clinical trials. We must continue to work towards the goal
of increasing the overall Federal investment in basic research and
development.
I support additional funding for NIH research, but in particular, I
would like to emphasize today the importance of accelerating research
in the area of Cystic Fibrosis (CF).
CF is a life-threatening genetic disease for which there is no
cure.
But there is promise for people with CF--and that promise is in
research.
Federal funding for medical research should accelerate the process
of discovery and clinical development of new therapies for the
treatment of disease. Yet, there is a significant discrepancy
persisting between funding for clinical versus basic laboratory
research.
Support for clinical research is particularly important for rare
diseases, which often suffer from a lack of start-up funding needed to
overcome the initial discovery phase of drug development and move into
advanced stages of research.
Clinical research programs like the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's
Therapeutics Development Network have produced innovative new therapies
for that disease. Led by research institutions including the University
of Alabama at Birmingham, this national network allows multiple
therapeutic approaches to be pursued simultaneously, accelerating the
development of new treatments for the disease.
Dr. Kington coordinated networks such as the Cystic Fibrosis
Therapeutics Development Network provide special insights regarding the
most efficient means of conducting clinical trials.

Question: Will the NIH increase Federal funding for these
types of research? deg.
Senator Harkin. I have some, but, I mean, if you have to go
to another----
Senator Shelby. Senator Mikulski and I have a NASA hearing.
Senator Harkin. Well, why don't you go ahead then? I'll
hold mine and you go ahead and ask your questions.

CYSTIC FIBROSIS

Senator Shelby. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, I thank you for the work you've done in
chairing this subcommittee, and I continue to work with you.
We live in a world where there are thousands, everybody
knows this, especially our panelists, we live in a world where
there are thousands of debilitating and life-threatening
diseases and they all could use additional funding for research
and clinical trials, and I believe we must work toward the goal
of increasing the overall Federal investment in basic research
and development, and I applaud Senator Harkin in his work in
this regard.
I personally, as a member of this subcommittee, support
additional funding for NIH research, but in particular, today
just for a few minutes, I would like to emphasize the
importance of accelerating research in the area of cystic
fibrosis.
Cystic fibrosis, as the panel knows, is a life-threatening
genetic disease for which there is no cure but there is promise
for people and that promise is in research.
Federal funding for medical research should accelerate the
process of discovery and clinical development of new therapies
for the treatment of this disease and others, yet there is a
significant discrepancy existing between the funding for
clinical research versus basic laboratory research.
Support for clinical research, as I understand it, is
particularly important for rare diseases which often suffer
from a lack of start-up funding needed to overcome the initial
discovery phase of drug development and move into advanced
stages of research.
Clinical research programs, like the Cystic Fibrosis
Foundation's Therapeutics Development Network, have produced in
the way of new therapies for that disease. Led by research
institutions, including the University of Alabama at
Birmingham, this national network allows multiple therapeutic
approaches to be pursued simultaneously, accelerating the
development of new treatments for the disease.
Dr. Kington, coordinating networks, such as the Cystic
Fibrosis Therapeutics Development Network, provide special
insights regarding the most efficient means of conducting
clinical trials.
Under your leadership, will the NIH increase Federal
funding for these types of research?
Dr. Kington. Let me start off with a general answer and
then I'll ask Dr. Nabel to comment, as well.
Senator Shelby. Okay.
Dr. Kington. I think, in general, we agree that there are a
lot of opportunities for us to accelerate the translation of
scientific advances in the basic level into real treatments and
interventions and diagnostic strategies at the bedside. We know
that there are particular challenges for less common diseases.
In fact, we just announced yesterday a new initiative to
help facilitate that translation and the Cystic Fibrosis
community in many ways is held up as a good example of how a
community affected by a disease can work collaboratively with
the research community to facilitate translation and we're
committed to helping that in any way we can.
Dr. Nabel, would you like to comment, as well?
Dr. Nabel. I appreciate your question. The NIH is very
concerned about rare genetic disorders, like cystic fibrosis,
and, indeed, I think if we can take a minute and really reflect
upon the progress that's been made in cystic fibrosis, it's
really been remarkable over the past decade.
We've gone from discovering the gene which causes the
majority of cystic fibrosis, particularly the mutation, the
CFTR gene. We know now that that gene leads to a protein that
doesn't unfold properly. This protein is responsible for
clearing secretion in the airways and in other tissues and when
that protein doesn't unfold it can't lead to the clearance of
secretions, mucous builds up, that gets infected and the
sequela start.
What's very interesting is that the gene led to the
understanding of what we call the molecular pathway that causes
the disease. Understanding that molecular pathway then led to a
search for new therapeutics that perhaps you're familiar with,
and that search has now come up with two compounds, we call
them small molecules, that are in clinical testing which
directly affect the molecular pathway and, indeed, you probably
saw Dr. Rootman's article in the New Yorker a couple of weeks
ago and the remarkable report by several individuals who were
enrolled in those trials saying how well they feel while taking
these new drugs.
So that is, I think, a terrific example of how gene
discovery leads to understanding, the molecular pathway leads
to the detection of new therapeutics that are now being tested.
Can we do more in this area? Absolutely, absolutely. We're
hoping to increasingly fund translational research and new
clinical research in this area. The NHLBI currently has a
specialized center for clinically oriented research in cystic
fibrosis that's analogous to the CF Clinical Networks that you
described and so many of those investigators are really the
same community of folks.
But we look forward to really building and augmenting this
research effort going forward.
Senator Shelby. Well, I appreciate this. I know you have to
start in the lab, but then you've got to move from the lab to
the clinics to prove what's going on. So we have to have both,
do we not?
Dr. Nabel. Absolutely.
Senator Shelby. Well, I look forward to working with you,
not just on cystic fibrosis, this is my attention for the
moment, but in a lot of other diseases, and with Chairman
Harkin in this regard.
Mr. Chairman, thank you for taking me out of order, but you
know from chairing the subcommittee and being on other
subcommittees, we sometimes meet at the same time.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

SUCCESS RATE OF ARRA

Senator Harkin. Thank you, Senator Shelby, and thanks for
all your involvement in this subcommittee over many, many years
in research, medical research. So thank you very much for that.
Well, Dr. Kington, I want to talk about the Recovery Act
and that money, and our budget. The problem is that the flip
side of having all these requests come in is that most of them
will not be funded. I'm hearing that the success rate for the
Challenge Grants could be less than 5 percent.
So how do you keep up a high level of interest when so few
researchers will actually get these grants? On the one hand
it's a good thing. On the other hand do you discourage a lot of
people when they don't get funded?
Dr. Kington. This is definitely a concern of ours. It's
been interesting to read some of the press coverage which
reporters have gone out speaking to scientists and we were
pretty clear early on that we had a floor for dollars and that
suggested that we would not have our usual success rate because
this was a special program.
In spite of that, the scientists saw this as an
extraordinary opportunity to actually get on paper interesting
ideas in important areas. We believe that even with the
substantial increase, I predict that we'll more than double
that floor of $200 million, we still won't have a high success
rate and there will be many good grants that we won't be able
to fund, and there will be consequences for the agency and for
the scientific community.
We anticipate that many of the scientists will resubmit
those applications within our usual funding sequence. We
suspect that we'll be able to fund some of them but our ability
to fund even the very best of those applications will depend
upon what our budget is in future years.
So it's a concern. I think at the very least it shows this
extraordinary untapped supply of great ideas out there in the
scientific community and I see that as a good thing.

ARRA AND FUTURE SUPPORT

Senator Harkin. It seems to me that concerning the program
you talked about, the Grant Opportunity Program, the GO Grants,
it is my information that the purpose of this program is to
support high-impact ideas that require significant resources
for a discrete period of time to lay the foundation for new
fields of investigation, Yet out of that $10.4 billion, $200
million is designated to GO Grants.
It seems to me that if you put most of the money in the RO1
grants and you do it for 2 years rather than 4 years, what
happens after 2 years? Are you just sort of betting out on the
cow that we're going to be able to keep that funding up?
Because I'm not certain that we can.
I guess my question is, since this was a certain amount of
money for a discrete period of time and you have these grants
as I just defined them, why wouldn't I see more of that money
going to that rather than RO1 grants for 2 years?
Dr. Kington. First of all, I think you'll see across the
Institutes and Centers wide variation in whether or not--in how
the dollars are distributed across these mechanisms and the
numbers that we put forth were a floor.
I anticipate that the number will be higher because many
Institutes, NHLBI and others, are increasing their commitments
already to that stream of dollars and it will depend upon what
ideas we see.
This was again a grand experiment in many ways to put out a
broad call to see what the best ideas were and not restrict it
to dollars, $1 million which was the limit for the Challenge
Grants.
So the bottom line is that we think that we'll ultimately
end up funding more than what we had initially planned. We
believe that it's important to allow flexibility across
Institutes and Centers. For some Institutes and Centers, these
types of programs will be great opportunities. For others,
scientifically it's a stronger case to fund more of the RO1s,
but again even the RO1s, our estimate is that about, I think,
one-third or so of the dollars probably will go to the existing
pool of RO1s, but it varies from Institute to Institute.
Our goal is to make the framework as flexible as possible,
but if we have great ideas, we'll put more resources toward the
GO Grants and we are anxiously awaiting the applications. We
anticipate that we'll get probably--I anticipate probably
around 2,000 or so applications when all is said and done and
if they're great ideas, we'll do our best to fund them.
Senator Harkin. That's the GO Grants? That's what you're
talking about?
Dr. Kington. Yes, the GO Grants, and again we suspect that
many of these ideas that aren't funded but are still good will
be resubmitted and our ability to fund those will depend upon
what our budgets are in the out years.
We'll make the best decisions we possibly can to have the
maximum impact of these dollars for science and public health,
but again I see this in a very positive light, that we have had
this extraordinary energized response by the scientific
community.
It really is amazing, speaking to deans and faculty across
the country, how excited the scientific community is both about
the opportunities, the real opportunities to do work they
otherwise couldn't have done, but perhaps even more
importantly, about what these dollars said as a reflection of a
commitment of the country to invest in biomedical research.
Senator Harkin. Let me ask you this question. If, in the
wisdom of Congress, it was decided that this money was to go
out over 2 years, right?
Dr. Kington. Yes.
Senator Harkin. But that's not to say we can't change our
minds and it happens.
Dr. Kington. Congress can do whatever Congress wants.
Senator Harkin. We can change our minds. It's occurred to
me that, yes, we initially put that out there to be 2 years,
but maybe we might want to think about making an exception for
NIH, that maybe this money should be more than just a 2-year
period of time.
Is that something that you could live with? I mean, would
that help in any way or is it so set now for 2 years that we
ought to just leave it alone? Rather than thinking about maybe
changing it to provide for a longer period of time, say 4
years, to get that money out or something?
Dr. Kington. Well, we certainly made all of our decisions
based thus far on a 2-year time horizon, but I will concede
that having more flexibility probably would be helpful, but we
also recognize the unique intent of these dollars and that is
to stimulate the economy in the short run, and we believe we
can responsibly spend the money in 2 years.
But some flexibility might help us as we sort of work
through the process of spending. We might be able to have a
benefit from more flexibility, but we will make good decisions
even without that flexibility.
Senator Harkin. Well, I might come back to you on that, not
in this hearing but later on, to see if that flexibility might
be the best course of action for us to take. Like I said, I
don't know. It's just something I've thought about because
again I just want to see how we judge the success of the
Recovery Act funding.
I mean $10.4 billion within 2 years, but a lot of the
results of that won't be known for some time. So I assume that
a lot of people say we can judge the success on how many jobs
it's created perhaps, if we're looking at it stimulating the
economy. That's why the amount of money you put out there for
extramural construction is important and getting new equipment
in our labs is important, but I think a lot of the success of
this will be judged, not just on the immediate jobs created but
what's the long-term effect of the money that we provided?
So people say, ``Did we get our money's worth?'' Well,
that's what's led me to think maybe--and I'm not saying this
could happen--but maybe we ought to think about more
flexibility in that 2-year time frame because I'm really
worried. I say this to all of you. I'm really concerned about
the cliff.
What's going to happen in 2011? We've got 2010, what 1.4
percent? 1.4 percent increase. You had it up there on the
screen. But we funded $30.8 billion, but what happens in 2011
when--if all these Recovery Act funds come out? I mean that's
going to be a pretty hard landing, it seems to me, and, you
know, I'm thinking about how do we soften that because I think
we might be in a tough budget situation next year as we are
this year and so since we've already appropriated this money
for the Recovery Act, that we might think about trying to
soften the landing a little bit. If you have any thoughts
beyond that, of how we soften this a little bit, I'd like to
know it, either today or maybe in writing or something later
on.
Dr. Kington. We'd be happy to do that, and actually I'd
welcome any of my colleagues. Just as all politics is local,
all science is sort of local, as well, and many of--all of the
Institute and Center directors are struggling with this exact
same issue of how to responsibly make decisions now,
recognizing the uncertainty about the future streams of
dollars.

SUPPORT OF PROMISING RESEARCH AND FLEXIBILITY

Senator Harkin. This is my chance to ask all of you here
some questions. I'll start with Dr. Fauci.
Can you point to anything that your Institute is able to do
now or can start and finish in 2 years? Is there something that
you're able to do now with this Recovery money that you weren't
able to do?
I'll ask each of you that. Dr. Fauci, any specific examples
of research that you're able to fund that you otherwise might
not have been able to?
Dr. Fauci. Thank you for the question, Mr. Chairman. There
are examples of things that we would not be able to fund if we
didn't have it and there are examples of things that we can
greatly accelerate and we would be able to use monies later on
that we could continue it.
The example that I give is one of about three or four, and
I'll only give one, is the money that we're putting in to
accelerate the process of much more aggressive control of the
HIV pandemic related to some novel and important research
questions that need to be answered, as bold as trying to
develop a functional cure for HIV to accelerating the process
of what we call pre-exposure prophylaxis where you actually
treat individuals who are in high-risk groups before they get
infected.
There is a lot of research--it seems like a very
interesting and important concept, but there are some very
important research questions to be asked--Does it work? What is
the relationship to adherence? Would it lead to resistance? If
we can prove the concept, then that concept could transform how
we prevent HIV infection.
And the last part of that triad is something that we call
test and treat which the money for 2 years will help us
accelerate the research endeavor in that we would not be able
to do as quickly and we're committed to seeing it to fruition
and the test and treat is a very bold concept that was put
forth by a group at the World Health Organization about a half
a year ago and that is to essentially test everybody and those
who are infected, to actually treat them, regardless of where
they are in the stage of the disease, with the thought that if
you get the viral load low enough, they will then not infect
other people.
That is a very bold concept that will require globally a
lot of resources, but the world is looking to the NIH to prove
the feasibility of that concept and we're going to do that in a
much more rapid way by the money that we have decided to use
from the ARRA allotment to get that jumpstarted.
Senator Harkin. You can't complete that in 2 years, surely,
though, can you?
Dr. Fauci. I might echo what Dr. Kington said. Flexibility
in my mind is always something that would be helpful to us, but
we still can get a lot done in the 2 years, but if we had more
flexibility that would be advantageous to the program.
Senator Harkin. Okay. Dr. Nabel.
Dr. Nabel. Thank you, Senator Harkin. I'm going to provide
you one example of something that we couldn't do without the
ARRA money and then another example of things that we can
accelerate.
We will use ARRA monies as one-time money to expand our
understanding of the genetics of complex diseases. I think this
will apply across many of the Institutes but it will certainly
apply to Heart, Lung, and Blood.
For example, over the years you've probably heard from
NHLBI and ARRA, my predecessors, about the many large, what we
call, cohort studies that the NHLBI has studied, the Framingham
Heart Study, the Jackson Heart Study, our Hispanic Heart Study.
We've gathered beautiful clinical data for decades, in the
case of the Framingham Heart Study 60 years. We now can take
that data and combine it with the genetic understanding of the
disease to gain new insights into the causation of blood
pressure, cholesterol, asthma, COPD, and that's what we intend
to do through some of our GO Grants, is to conduct more
extensive genetic analysis of these large cohorts which you
have helped us to support over the years. That's a one-time
activity that we probably could not have afforded to do without
the ARRA monies.
In terms of accelerating medical advances, I think Senator
Shelby really hit the nail on the head. What we can do with the
ARRA money is now begin to accelerate our translational
research program. This infusion of money really helps us to
focus on a number of mechanisms by which we can help our
investigators speed, accelerate the basic advances into
clinical trials and in fact, in terms of the Challenge Grants,
I think our particular Institute, the last I heard, there was
somewhere between 1,900 and 2,000 Challenge Grants just for the
NHLBI.
We will supplement what Dr. Kington will fund from the
Office of the Director, but many of these are focused on
translational research and so we see this as an opportunity now
to jumpstart.
We have one particular clinical trial, we call it SPRINT.
For many years we thought the target for blood pressure
lowering should be 140 over 80 but, you know, that might not be
the right target. Maybe we should go a little lower. Maybe if
we went lower, we could actually reduce some of the age-related
effects of high blood pressure.
So SPRINT is to look at lowering down to 120 over 70, even
120 over 60 as the potential target. We want to look at this in
adults and, importantly, we want to look at this in our
adolescents and our children.
You know one of the complications of obesity, many of our
kids are becoming diabetic and hypertensive at a very young age
and so this ARRA money will help us speed and accelerate the
start of that clinical trial, extend it to a broader
population, but yes, and then we'll need to fund the out years
through appropriated dollars, but that's another example of a
very important public health program that we can jumpstart,
accelerate with ARRA monies.
Thank you.
Senator Harkin. Dr. Niederhuber----
Dr. Niederhuber. Thank you, Senator Harkin.
Senator Harkin [continuing]. Tell us about cancer.

CANCER AND ARRA FUNDS

Dr. Niederhuber. I think I'll echo flexibility. I think
that would be helpful to all of us.
But we have some great opportunities, as you know, in terms
of novel agents that have been developed but have not yet been
able to move into the clinical trials arena, our early phase
translational research, and so we're going to use a significant
amount of these stimulus dollars, Recovery dollars to actually
really jump into the clinic with early phase, first-in-man
studies in a number of these new agents. I think that's going
to have a significant impact.
Perhaps even more importantly than that is we have had a
very successful pilot project that you're aware of, we call it
TCGA, in which we've been actually developing the
infrastructure to do complete sequencing of cancer. We've had
three cancers in that pilot program, glioblastoma, ovarian
cancer, and small cell lung cancer.
We've already found some extremely exciting discoveries in
doing the sequencing, for example, of glioblastoma, genes that
are related to that tumor that we didn't know were related to
that tumor in the past.
I have a group of scientists meeting as we speak, yesterday
and today, in San Francisco, that are analyzing our data on
ovarian cancer and they tell me by phone some very, very
exciting discoveries are coming out of that sequencing project.
So, clearly, this is telling us that the direction that we
need to go in is to scale this up and that's what we're
planning to do and the Recovery dollars will be a great help in
our jumpstarting to do other tumors, to do them on a larger
scale.
Without question, if we're going to repair this problem, we
need to catalog all the defects and the technology is moving so
quickly now that we will be able to do that and do that quite
effectively over the next few years.
So these Recovery dollars are extremely important to our
ability to really scale that up. It's true in cancer but it's
true really in all of the diseases that you see here at the
table and represented behind me.

RESEARCH PRIORITIES

Senator Harkin. Okay. A couple of other areas I just wanted
to cover with you today. Of the $442 million increase proposed
for NIH, $268 million would go for cancer research, $19 million
would go for autism research. That leaves $155 million for
everything else, heart disease, Alzheimer's, diabetes, AIDS,
stroke, Parkinson's, on and on and on. I want to know if that
makes sense.
You know, I know the statistics on cancer. I've fought as
hard as anyone for more money for cancer research, but there
are other devastating diseases, too, and we hear from these
groups almost on a daily basis.
So when we're looking at a small increase, just 1.5
percent, should we put so much of that into just one disease
rather than spreading it out more? So there you go.
Dr. Niederhuber, I don't mean to pick on you, but you're on
the point on this. I'm saying, you've got a lot of the Recovery
monies, but apart from that $442 million, I just question
whether so much of it ought to go to two entities.
Dr. Kington. Why don't I start off?
Senator Harkin. I'll leave that to Dr. Kington. Go ahead.
Did you want to start off?
Dr. Kington. I'll take this one. As you noted, both cancer
and autism are important public health challenges. These were
priorities of the administration and the President and they're
important priorities, and it's also important to note, though,
that science in cancer is funded by every single Institute and
Center. So it's not just Dr. Niederhuber. Every Institute and
Center of the agency funds research related to cancer and we've
initiated a strategic planning process, co-chaired by Dr.
Niederhuber and Dr. Katz, to bring together all of the agency
to think about how to develop a plan for increasing this
investment in cancer.
It's also important to know that advances in cancer can
help us learn more about basic biology in ways that would be
useful for other diseases, as well.
Senator Harkin. Well, that can be true of just about any
disease.
Dr. Kington. That's absolutely true. Your point is well
taken.
Senator Harkin. So again, I'm back to square one. Is this a
fair allotment of money? Any other observations on that? Do we
have to decide ourselves how to allocate this money up here?
I just throw it out there because obviously we're trying to
respond in a way to the legitimate interests of a lot of people
out there suffering from these illnesses and we've made great
advances in a lot of areas.
For instance diabetes, we have made some tremendous
advances in diabetes research and others that I mentioned and
taxpayers obviously have a right to question that we're putting
all of the money in one area.
So I understand that, and I think that those of us here
know that the administration proposed this, but we may have a
different view on that. That's what I have to say about that.

OVERSIGHT OF OBJECTIVITY

Now, there are a couple of other things I wanted to bring
up.
Last year my colleague, Senator Grassley from Iowa on the
Finance Committee, requested some investigations into conflicts
of interest. In fact, I just saw him this morning. We talked
about it again, and he's still looking into that, his staff is
looking into that, and we hear about it periodically. It comes
up in the press or something like that, that some extramural
researcher has gotten large payments from a private company
that could be a potential conflict of interest.
In the fiscal year 2009 omnibus appropriations bill, I
included a provision that required HHS to issue ``an Advanced
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking'' which will start the formal
process of revising the guidelines. The public comment period
for that process started earlier this month.
So I was disturbed to see an article last week in The
Chronicle of Higher Education in which an NIH official, I think
unnamed, is quoted as saying, ``We can't say definitely we
would change the regulations.''
Well, I don't know. Is that an authoritative statement? I
hope not. I don't think that the present situation is working
very well right now. So something has got to be changed here on
this, Dr. Kington.
Dr. Kington. First of all, we absolutely share your
commitment to having the agency playing a central role in
assuring that there's objectivity in the science that we
support which is the key issue here, assuring that first-rate
science of the highest quality, objective science, is funded
and produced.
We also recognize that there have been a number of cases of
investigators that we believe may not have complied with our
regulations and as almost all of the associations that have
looked into this, as well, have concluded, we think that there
are opportunities to strengthen our system of oversight.
The first step in that process is this Advanced Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking and I think that the quote--well, I know
the quote was taken out of context because, technically, the
whole point of starting this process is to ask the question and
for us to presume at the beginning the answer might raise
serious questions about the whole process and so I think it was
a technical response.
I think we've said, I've said personally in a number of
settings, as well, that we believe that there are opportunities
to strengthen our system of oversight. There are things that
we're doing within our current regulation to do just that--
increase training and education and strengthening our reporting
system. There are lots of things that we're doing now to change
fundamentally and improve the way we oversee management of
conflicts of interest.
We're committed to doing that in the future and we will
take seriously all the comments that we anticipate receiving
under this Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and we're
committed to doing the right thing.
Senator Harkin. Well, I appreciate that. I think we have to
be more positive in our approach on this, and on looking at
these potential conflicts of interest.
I've been on this subcommittee a long time and I know how
difficult it is sometimes because a lot of research is paid for
by the private sector, by the private drug companies, and it's
good, valid research, and so how do you divide a researcher
that has an institute--not an nstitute, but has a lab and
they're getting some private money in and--but then they also
qualify for an NIH grant. How you separate that out sometimes
is pretty darn difficult. So I understand that.
I'm more interested in the conflict of interest in which a
person receives monetary income for their own bank account. I'm
not so much interested in the lab itself and that money. I'm
interested in what an individual might get paid by a drug
company or something like that and when they are looking at
certain drugs, for which they then recommend certain courses of
action.
This has to do with, I think, anti-psychotic drugs mostly
and that this individual had been involved in researching it
but also--maybe this is a bad choice of words, but promoting
the use of these anti-psychotic drugs.
I bring this up because I know that my colleague, Senator
Grassley, is going to continue to look at this, as he should,
and we have to. We have to be cognizant of this issue and do
our best to answer those problems.
Dr. Kington. Yes.

H1N1 FLU

Senator Harkin. The other thing I wanted to ask, Dr. Fauci,
and it's sort of a replay of what we went over a couple weeks
ago when you were up here, this H1N1.
Where are we now? What are you seeing? Is it kind of
dwindling now here?
There was some talk that it might move to the Southern
Hemisphere because of wintertime there, then it might come back
here again this winter in a more virulent form. I keep
wrestling with this problem of developing a vaccine because
some of the money that we put in this was to develop a new
vaccine. But again if we develop a new vaccine for the H1N1
strain that we see now, but then it comes back this fall and
it's different, how are we going to be certain that the vaccine
we develop this summer is going to be effective against the
strain of flu that might come back this fall?
I'm still wrestling with that. I still don't understand
that.
Dr. Fauci. Okay. So three questions you asked me.
Senator Harkin. Okay.
Dr. Fauci. The status, vaccine, and does it change?
Senator Harkin. There you go.
Dr. Fauci. Okay. The status of the outbreak right now is
that there's still considerable flu activity with H1N1 in the
United States and worldwide. A recent outbreak that you read
of, I know, in Japan. So there's considerable activity still
going on.
The CDC estimates that even though there are about 6,000
reported cases that are confirmed or probable in the United
States, it's likely that there are close to 100,000 people that
have been infected. You don't pick them up because much of the
illness is mild illness, yet there are some serious cases,
which causes us to have an appropriate amount of attention to
following this.
As I mentioned to you a couple of weeks ago, this is a
brand-new virus. It's an H1N1 but a different kind of an H1N1.
It has swine origin as well as some avian and human origin. It
is brand new. So the inherent unpredictability of influenza is
compounded by the fact that we're dealing with a virus that
we've never had any experience with before.
Fortunately for us, we're going into a summer season when
the conditions, the physical conditions for the spread of an
influenza are minimized, but that doesn't mean that we still
are not going to have some considerable problems.
So the bottom line is that this outbreak is still in a
dynamic stage and it's not over for us yet for the immediate
period of time.
What about the concern of what it might do? The fact that
it's out there and it has already manifested its ability to
spread from human to human here in the United States, Mexico,
Canada, Europe, Japan, et cetera, that the concern is that we
have to watch this very carefully from two standpoints.
What happens in the Southern Hemisphere in the next month
or two when they enter into their fall and winter, and we're
going to watch that very closely because it will tell us what
might happen to us next fall and winter for our seasonal flu
vaccine time. The reason is that what usually happens, not
always but usually is that the Southern Hemisphere flu activity
is generally a good reflection of what might happen to us in
the Northern Hemisphere in the following season. So we're
looking at that very, very carefully.

VACCINES

Vaccine. The process of developing a vaccine has already
begun and as I mentioned to you before but just to reiterate it
very briefly, it's a multistep process and there are points in
that process where there's a decision point, a go or no go.
The first thing you do is you isolate the virus. That's
been done. You start to grow it up as a reference strain or
seed virus. The CDC is very actively involved in this and
should have seeds ready to go out within a reasonable period of
time. The prediction is by the end of this month. Hopefully
that will be on time.
Once that goes to the pharmaceutical companies, then they
make pilot lots for clinical trials which is where the NIH
comes in because then we have to ask the question: is it safe,
does it induce an immune response that would be predictive of
being protective, and what's the right dosage and the number of
doses? At the same time, the companies will then start to, were
the decision to be a go decision, to start to scale up.
Your concern that bothers you is that if we're starting to
make a vaccine for a virus that's circulating now and would
likely return again in the fall and winter, what happens if it
changes?
Senator Harkin. Yes.
Dr. Fauci. That's always a possibility. The likelihood of
it changing so much that a vaccine that we're making now would
be essentially noneffective is small, not zero, but it's small.
That's the reason why the way we set it up in the department
with the CDC, FDA, and the NIH is for multiple decision points
along the way whether to make it, how much to make and whether
to administer it.
I will point out to you that every year when we make a
vaccine for seasonal flu, put aside the pandemic for a moment,
there's always the risk that the vaccine that you decide to
make, that what happens to you the next season, it will change
enough not to make a vaccine as effective as you want.
Historically, most of the time we get it right. So we are
hoping that we will get it right. I think we will. I don't
think there will be that much of a change, but as I mentioned,
influenzas are characterized by their unpredictability, but
you've got to go with the science that you have, and the
science that we have now tells us that this virus that's out
there hasn't really changed much over the months that we've
been following it.
It started off in Mexico, the first detection in Mexico. We
don't know where it started, but the first detection was
somewhere in March or so. So we're now a few months into it and
the virus seems to be pretty much the same as it's been. It's
stayed relatively stable. That doesn't mean it's going to stay
that way over the next year, but it has not drifted a lot.
Senator Harkin. I keep hearing that even the seasonal flu
vaccine may offer some immunity.
Dr. Fauci. No.
Senator Harkin. No?
Dr. Fauci. No. This is good news for you, Senator, and me,
and that is, it doesn't have--the vaccines that have been used
seasonally don't appear to induce antibodies that strongly
cross-react at all with the H1N1 that's the new novel H1N1.
But what we are observing is that in the community this
virus seems to be selectively more preferentially affecting
young people. So the question is, Do old people--older people--
have in their body some antibodies or cell-mediated immunity
that they acquired from previous exposures to H1N1s over the
previous years that are a bit below the radar screen, but that
seem to be giving some protection? That's one of the prevailing
theories, not proven yet, of why we're seeing it much more in
young people.
In fact, when you measure the antibodies in older
individuals, a rather significant percentage of them have some
cross-reactivity with the virus that's circulating now and the
most obvious, though not necessarily proven, but the most
logical reason for that is that they've been exposed over the
last few decades to an H1N1 that has some similarity to the
H1N1 that we're seeing now.

BARKER HYPOTHESIS

Senator Harkin. Well, I'll have to correct some of the ways
I've been saying things then because I've been led to believe
maybe some of the immunities we have comes because we've gotten
the seasonal flu shots over the last few years, but that's not
it. It has to do with our exposures to the influenza virus some
time in the past and we've developed antibodies to it. I'll
have to correct the way I say that now.
There's only one other area I just want to get into.
First, you all know that we've been working very hard on
healthcare reform and the area that I've been involved in, of
course, and I've been harping on this for many years is getting
into prevention and wellness and focusing on that. I think
we're going to have some, I hope, great success in the health
reform bill in moving in that direction, which leads me to this
next question, and it has to do with some of the information my
staff has given me and I've been reading about it, the so-
called Barker Hypothesis.
Dr. Barker of Oregon Health and Science University, who did
a study that was very interesting--no, sorry, he didn't do a
study. He examined other studies and came to some interesting
conclusions, that pre-natal care--how you're taken care of
before you are born may have a great impact on what happens to
you later in life.
My first initial reaction when I read that was, of course,
if you have a low birth weight baby that means you don't get
the right kind of nutrients and support during pregnancy. This
happens sometimes in poorer families. I can understand that.
But then evidently Dr. Barker factored that in and had
accounted for that in his studies. And even accounting for
that, it shows up that if you have a low birth weight baby,
there were certain twins they followed the one that had the low
birth weight had the most problems later on in terms of
diabetes, stroke, hypertension, all kinds of things.
So I guess my question is to maybe any body sitting there
is, are we doing research? I've just come across this in the
last few months and I wonder, are we looking into this? Is NIH
doing any research in this area?
Dr. Kington. Yes, we are. David Barker is a British
physician who in the 1980s began to notice patterns of tracking
of looking geographically at mortality rates in England,
patterns of mortality that tracked adult cardiovascular
mortality with infant birth weight and that was the beginning
of this long line of research that has been supported by the
agency, including by NICHD, and there are a range of evidence,
some--most supported but some not supported, of this hypothesis
that has evolved into a more complicated discussion about
potential ways in which the intrauterine environment sort of
sets trajectories by turning on or off genes or somehow setting
trajectories that actually are manifest in late life but start
off this trajectory.
The hypothesis is that there's something unique going on in
these early stages and it has implications for this entire
continuum of potential causal pathways, from smoking now all
the way back to shortly after conception and what happens in
the intrauterine environment.
It's an interesting hypothesis and generated a great deal
of discussion, both in Europe and in the United States, and we
fund research related to it. I think it's still to be
determined what the implications are for intervention and what
we do clinically, the argument being that if we know more about
what happens in the intrauterine environment, we might
intervene in ways beyond the obvious of good nutrition and
prevention and all the things that you noted, better social
environments and all the things that we know are good for
starting off children beginning healthy lives.
So the jury is still out about what the implications are,
if it's correct, and there's a growing evidence base both in
humans and in animal models, and we're supporting research and
looking forward to seeing more advances in this area and we'd
be happy to sort of synthesize some of the findings that we've
supported and get back to you about that, as well.
[The information follows:]
The Barker Hypothesis
David Barker, an English epidemiologist working at the University
of Southampton, noted that the geographical regions of the British
Isles reporting high rates of death from coronary heart disease were
the same regions that reported high rates of low birth weights. In a
landmark study published in the medical journal Lancet in 1989, Dr.
Barker and his colleagues reported on an analysis of serial data
collected on 5,654 men in Hertfordshire. They found that the men with
the lowest weights at birth had the highest death rates from coronary
artery disease. Those with the lowest birth weights had more than twice
the mortality rate than those with the highest birth weights.
In seeking to explain the remote outcomes of low birth weight, Dr.
Barker developed the Barker Hypothesis, which states: environmental
factors that impair growth and development during fetal life and early
infancy are risk factors for hypertension, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and
coronary disease later in life.
A general explanation for these findings is that birth weight
represents an integral of all events that affect development during
gestation, including nutrient supply, vascular sufficiency, infection
and stress. The key question is to determine mechanistically what
happens to the fetus to alter permanently its physiology and metabolism
throughout later life.
Studies in animal models are useful in revealing the physiological
connections between impaired intrauterine growth and chronic disease
later in life. Dr. Lori Woods at the Oregon University of the Health
Sciences has shown that reduced maternal protein intake in a rat model
impairs the development of the kidney in the offspring, leading to
hypertension later in life. In a baboon model Dr. Peter Nathanielsz at
the University of Texas at San Antonio has shown that nutrient
restriction during fetal life leads to impaired development of insulin
manufacture by the beta cells of the pancreas, predisposing the animals
to type 2 diabetes later in life.
The most widely accepted mechanism that explains these
relationships is the metabolic adaptation that the fetus makes to
survive in an intrauterine environment impaired by nutrient
insufficiency, such as an increased secretion of cortisol. The survival
mechanisms that are useful in the uterus, however, are maladaptive in a
plentiful nutritional environment after birth as reported by Barker and
his colleagues in two articles in the New England Journal of Medicine
in 2004 and 2005. The first showed that low birth weight babies in an
East Indian population who gain weight rapidly after birth are at high
risk of developing type 2 diabetes in their third decade of life. The
second showed that Finnish boys and girls with low birth weight are at
increased risk of coronary artery disease later in life, especially
those whose tempo of weight gain is greatest in the first decade of
life.
The Barker Hypothesis has stimulated new fields of related research
on the effects of inimical environmental influences on the development
of the brain and body during fetal life and early childhood. One line
of investigation suggests that over-nutrition during pregnancy also can
have untoward effects on offspring later in life. The NIH Obesity
Research Task Force has identified this area as a research priority in
regard to the development of type 2 diabetes, lipid disorders, and
other metabolic disease in offspring. Studies in nonhuman primates have
shown that consumption of a high fat-high calorie diet during pregnancy
results in extensive fatty liver disease in the offspring, a disorder
being seen with increasing frequency in obese adolescents. Maternal
obesity has been reported to increase the risk of congenital defects,
particularly neural tube defects, in developing offspring.
Other studies suggest that high levels of blood sugar during
diabetic pregnancies affect an offspring's risk of obesity and type 2
diabetes later in life. NIH intramural investigators have shown in the
Pima population of Arizona that type 2 diabetes in the mother leads to
increased risk for type 2 diabetes and obesity in the offspring.
Adverse effects of intrauterine exposure to diabetes were also shown
recently in a racially and ethnically diverse population of youth; the
NIH- and CDC-supported SEARCH study found that children with type 2
diabetes received their diagnosis at an earlier age if their mothers
had been diagnosed with diabetes prior to pregnancy.
Another interesting line of research stimulated by the Barker
Hypothesis involves the influence of maternal infections and
intrauterine exposure to environmental agents on the development of
disease in the offspring later in life. Dr. Alan Brown and colleagues
at Columbia University have shown that maternal infections with strains
of influenza virus type A and B during the first trimester of pregnancy
increase the risk of schizophrenia spectrum disorders in the offspring
later in life. They also showed a similar effect of maternal infection
with toxoplasmosis. Preliminary, unpublished studies by Cohn and
colleagues of the Public Health Institute in Berkeley, California, show
an association between maternal serum levels of dichlorodiphenyl-
trichloroethane and testicular cancer in male offspring later in life.
The National Children's Study, currently under way, is designed to
assess the effects of such environmental exposures during pregnancy and
early childhood on many other aspects of health and disease later in
life.
In sum, the Barker Hypothesis, now 20 years old, has led to
numerous productive lines of research which have relevance to many NIH
Institutes, including the NICHD, NIDDK, NCI, NINDS, NHLBI, NIEHS, NINR,
NIDA, NIAAA, NIAID and the NIMH.

WELLNESS AND PREVENTION

Senator Harkin. I'm just curious. What Institutes would be
the lead?
Dr. Kington. Child health, I know, has funded. Aging has
funded some, as well, because some of the early studies--the
intriguing idea was that something happening in the uterus
would be manifest in old age and some of the interesting
studies focused on that element of this relationship.
Senator Harkin. Do you have any idea about when we might be
able to really get some body of evidence or something that we
could rely on to say for prevention, we ought to be doing this
and that pre-natal care and pregnant women ought to take
certain factors into account?
I don't know that we have enough to go on right now. I
don't know. Do we?
Dr. Kington. That's the point. I don't think we've resolved
the scientific question enough to translate into a different
way of doing what we're doing now, which is a lot of the things
that you noted, good nutrition, all the prevention things that
we know, pre-natal care, the social environment of pregnant
women, all the things that we know are very important for
having healthy babies.
I don't think that the science is at a point where that
would tell us to do something different or beyond what we know
now as best practice. I think we're still ahead of the curve on
that, but we're funding research and interesting ideas. It's
been bandied about for a couple decades now and the evidence
base was growing, not uniform support, but an evidence base and
an interesting problem and question.
Maybe Dr. Nabel might want to comment, as well.
Dr. Nabel. Yes, I think the Barker Hypothesis raises in a
broader term the concept of when should we begin prevention
measures. I think that's probably one of the points you're
getting to.
From the cardiovascular and from the diabetes and obesity
literature, we do know that the intrauterine environment makes
a distinct difference in terms of predisposition toward
subsequent diabetes and obesity in the newborn, but it also
raises the fact that there's growing recognition among
physicians, healthcare providers, that rather than waiting
until middle age to focus on risk factor detection and
prevention, we've got to shift much earlier and initially we
shifted to the young adulthood but now we're increasingly more
and more shifting to adolescence and childhood.
In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics has put out
guideline recommendations for detection of cardiovascular risk
factors, for example, in pediatric population.
So there's growing recognition. Much of that recognition is
built on the science base, that we're beginning to see,
serendipitously, risk factors appearing in the pediatric
office. When we go back and do natural history studies or
observational studies then we can detect it on a scientific
level.
So yes, we know that these risk factors are appearing much
earlier in life and that now is leading to action programs for
detection and risk factor management.
Senator Harkin. Very good. This is the last one, I promise,
but I did want to get this in.
Dr. Kington. You may ask as many questions as you like.

COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS RESEARCH

Senator Harkin. It has to do with comparative
effectiveness. Dr. Nabel, this is probably to you.
We provided $1.1 billion for comparative effectiveness in
the Recovery Act. I have to admit, I did that and I have a lot
of people asking about that. We put $400 million in there and
that money is going to be used by NIH.
We also created the Federal Coordinating Council for
Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER), which will recommend
priorities for this research and I understand you're a member
of this Council.
Again, can you tell me something about NIH's plans for the
$400 million? What kinds of activities might fall into the
category of comparative effectiveness research as far as NIH is
concerned? What are you looking at and what are you going to
use that money for?
Dr. Nabel. Terrific. Well, thank you, Senator, for the
question.
As you know, the NIH has supported work that now fits the
definition of comparative effectiveness research for many
years, but we're delighted to have this additional money to
again do things that we normally could not do or to jumpstart
or accelerate other programs.
Dr. Richard Hodes, the Director of the Aging Institute, and
I co-direct the NIH Comparative Effectiveness Research
Coordinating Committee. This is a committee that has brought
together senior leadership, Institute Director leadership and
deputy director leadership from across the agency to develop
plans for that $400 million and again we're enormously
grateful.
We are looking at opportunities now that meet the
definition of CER and would allow us to conduct research that
again will either--something that we normally couldn't do or
would jumpstart.
We are looking at several possible mechanisms for
supporting that research. One are payline expansions, so
studies that Institutes have had to leave on the table because
they simply did not have enough funds to initiate it. We're
looking at the possibility of supplements that could accelerate
enrollment in a trial or add an ancillary study or accelerate a
trial in another way.
We anticipate that over the summer we will have a broad
number of Challenge Grants because in fact CER was one of the
Challenge Grant topics. We anticipate we will have applications
in CER, and we also anticipate there may be some GO
applications that also meet the definition of CER.
So we continue to meet on a regular basis. We are
coordinating our work with the work of AHRQ and the Federal
Coordinating Committee. We are working toward one common
definition of CER for the department which we anticipate using
and we are very cognizant of the fact that we want to make good
use of this money. We want to get it right.
We see this as a downpayment toward many CER activities
that we would like to continue in the future.
Senator Harkin. I wanted to get that on the record and
thank you very much for your response on that.
I have no further questions. Do you have anything else that
any of you would like to bring up before we close this down?
Well, let me just say thank you to all of you and to all of
you in the row in the back and to all the Directors of the
Institutes.
Again, NIH is just one of our shining examples, I think, of
good public policy and what we're using taxpayer dollars for
and for all the years I've been privileged to associate with
you, I just think you're doing an outstanding job at NIH, all
of you.
I thank you very much for your commitment to public service
and to public health and to the research that we do at NIH and
I always like to continue to say for the record that this is
the National Institute of Health. It's not the National
Institute of Basic Research. Basic research is important, but
we always have to keep in mind we are looking at increasing the
health of our people and of humankind in general. It's not just
geared toward the American people, and so with all of that
research we have to keep thinking about, what's that
translational research, what's it going to translate into?
Better health for people and I think NIH has done an
outstanding job in that through all its years.
So again, my thanks for your public service. I would again
say, Dr. Kington, that I just repeat what I said earlier, I'm
hopeful that this fall I will have healthcare reform behind us,
maybe a little bit more time. It would be my intention and my
desire and my intention to reprise again what we did a couple
years ago. I'd love to have the Institute Directors down, two
or three at a time, for some in-depth look at what the research
is doing.

ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE QUESTIONS

I think it's not only good for the record but I think it's
good for us to know, me and the staff and the others who are
charged with the responsibility of making some of these
decisions to know exactly where we are and where some of the
new research avenues that are going on in all these different
Institutes. So I hope to be able to do that some time this
fall.
[The following questions were not asked at the hearing, but
were submitted to the Department for response subsequent to the
hearing:]
Questions Submitted by Senator Tom Harkin
pancreatic cancers
Question. Dr. Niederhuber, one of the deadliest forms of cancer--
pancreatic cancer--also seems to be one of lowest priorities of the
National Cancer Institute (NCI). Pancreatic cancer research accounts
for less than 2 percent of the Institute's budget. Last year, the
subcommittee asked for a report on how resources will be used to
address this problem. Would you tell us what, if anything, is being
done to expand the research portfolio for this lethal form of cancer?
Answer. NCI is committed to pursuing a broad research effort for
pancreatic cancer. In 2001, NCI convened a Pancreatic Cancer Progress
Review Group (PRG) to identify priority areas for research. Since that
time, NCI's support for pancreatic cancer research has grown
significantly. Based on the recommendations in the PRG report, NCI
expanded its portfolio of pancreatic cancer research from $21.8 million
in fiscal year 2001 to $87.3 million in fiscal year 2008. Part of this
growth came about through planned actions and funding opportunities
specific to pancreatic cancer, and part grew out of an increasingly
larger pool of pancreatic cancer researchers successfully competing for
general funding opportunities and unsolicited research grants.
In the past 7 years, the number of investigators funded through the
standard principal investigator-funding R01 awards has more than
doubled, increasing from 34 to 93. The total number of research awards
with a pancreatic cancer focus has more than tripled since fiscal year
2000, increasing from 85 projects in fiscal year 2000 to 271 projects
in fiscal year 2007.
NCI has also increased the number of Specialized Program of
Research Excellence (SPORE) grants with pancreatic cancer components,
increasing the investment from one award in fiscal year 2000 to a total
of six in fiscal year 2008. SPORE grants support specialized centers
that promote interdisciplinary research, moving basic research findings
from the laboratory to clinical settings while also bringing clinical
findings back to the laboratory environment. SPORE investigators work
collaboratively to plan, design, and implement research programs that
may impact cancer prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment. Five
of these SPORE grants were initially awarded shortly after the PRG
meetings were held, with the sixth SPORE newly awarded in fiscal year
2008.
NCI continues to support pancreatic cancer research training awards
for graduate students, postdoctoral trainees, clinical researchers, and
junior faculty, as well as career transition and development awards for
established investigators. In fiscal year 2005, an estimated 23
distinct training projects were relevant to pancreatic cancer research
and approximately $2.2 million was spent on these projects. In fiscal
year 2006, an estimated 31 distinct training projects were relevant to
pancreatic cancer research and approximately $2.7 million was spent on
these projects. In fiscal year 2007, an estimated 36 distinct training
projects were relevant to pancreatic cancer research and approximately
$2.8 million was spent on these projects.
NCI implemented a policy in fiscal year 2002 of increasing its
payline (percentage of applications that are funded) for research that
is related to pancreatic cancer. Initially, NCI's policy called for a
50 percent higher payline for investigator-initiated R01 grant
applications with 100 percent relevance to pancreatic cancer. Since
fiscal year 2004, grant applications with 50 percent or greater
pancreatic cancer relevance were given special consideration for
exception funding.
NCI has also developed pancreatic cancer-focused initiatives,
including the Pilot Studies in Pancreatic Cancer and the Pancreatic
Cancer Cohort Consortium. The Pilot Studies promote innovative
multidisciplinary research to increase our understanding of pancreatic
cancer biology, etiology, detection, prevention, and treatment. The
Pancreatic Cancer Cohort Consortium is a group of investigators from 12
prospective epidemiologic cohorts and 1 case-control study who conducts
whole genome scans of common genetic variants in order to identify
markers of susceptibility to pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer
studies have also been funded within the Mouse Models of Human Cancers
Consortium, Novel Technologies for In Vivo Imaging, Cancer
Nanotechnology Platform Partnerships, and the Early Detection Research
Network.
The Pancreatic Cancer Research Map is a Web-based tool developed
for tracking pancreatic cancer research, clinical trials, and
investigators. By providing a way to search the pancreatic research
portfolio for funding opportunities, investigators, and developments in
pancreatic research, the map facilitates and expedites collaborations
and networking among researchers focuses on this disease.
Recently, as part of the restructuring of the NCI Clinical Trials
Enterprise, NCI formed the Gastrointestinal Intergroup. Pancreatic
cancer is one of the gastrointestinal cancers that the group will be
looking at as they harmonize an efficient, cost-effective, science-
driven, and transparent process that will identify and promote the
``Best Science'' in gastrointestinal cancer clinical research by
addressing the design and prioritization of large phase II studies and
phase III trials in these cancers.
progress in treatment and prevention of pancreatic cancer
The number of therapeutic trials that can be conducted in any
cancer type depends upon scientific opportunity, frequency of the
disease, and its outcome. NCI has been able to test a large number of
drugs intended to treat pancreatic cancer in small trials.
Unfortunately, as you know, to date pancreatic cancer has proven to be
unresponsive to most drugs and radiation therapies. Less than 20
percent of patients with pancreatic cancer are candidates for surgery,
because the disease is often detected in the late stages. Gemcitabine
has been a standard treatment for patients with advanced and inoperable
pancreatic cancer for a decade. New findings support use of the
chemotherapy drug in the adjuvant setting, and patients who received
the drug gemcitabine after surgery for pancreatic cancer lived 2 months
longer than patients who had surgery alone. This study shows that this
treatment improves a patient's survival and more than doubles the
overall survival 5 years after treatment.
Another study has shown that a new drug combination tested in mice
may target the cells responsible for driving some pancreatic tumors.
The combination of gemcitabine and the experimental drug tigatuzumab
eliminated populations of cancer stem cells and reduced tumor growth in
a mouse model of pancreatic cancer. The results provide a rationale for
testing the promising combination in patients with this deadly disease.
Tigatuzumab is also being tested in a phase II clinical trial with
patients who have inoperable, untreated pancreatic cancer.
Ultimately, only a better understanding of the genetics and biology
of pancreatic cancer is likely to yield improved therapies. These
fundamental breakthroughs are likely to be produced by basic and
genetic research into the mechanisms of cancer risk, initiation,
growth, and resistance, in which NCI is heavily invested. One such
investment is PanScan, a project made up of 12 cohort and 8 case-
control studies primarily supported by NCI. The goal of PanScan is to
identify the genetic variants that increase the risk of developing
pancreatic cancer and refine our understanding of the interactions of
tobacco and other nongenetic risk factors with the genetic variants
that increase pancreatic cancer risk.
NCI anticipates that these studies will provide fundamental new
insights into the genetic underpinnings of pancreatic cancer similar to
the recent discoveries resulting from the genome-wide scans of prostate
and breast cancers. These findings will inform further biological
research that is likely to have clinical applications, including the
detection of molecular targets for preventive, diagnostic, and
therapeutic interventions. It is expected that the initial findings
this study will be published later this year.
NCI is also involved in the Pancreatic Cancer Genetic Epidemiology
(PACGENE) Consortium which was developed to identify susceptibility
genes in familial pancreatic cancer. The Consortium consists of seven
data collection centers, a statistical genetics core, and a pathology/
archival genotyping core. PACGENE recruits people with two or more
affected blood relatives found through incident pancreatic
adenocarcinoma cases, physician referrals, as well as Internet
recruitment. Accrual to a database containing core clinical,
demographic, lifestyle and family history information from
questionnaires is ongoing, along with biospecimen collection. The
shared goals and methodologies of data collection of this Consortium
will facilitate and accelerate our understanding of the genetic basis
of pancreatic cancer.
In addition to genetic research, NCI is also supporting pancreatic
cancer research that utilizes nanotechnology. Cancer Nanotechnology
Platform Partnerships, a component of NCI's Alliance for Nanotechnology
in Cancer, are developing technologies for new products in such areas
as molecular imaging and early detection. One partnership is studying
the use of nano particles in the diagnosis and therapy of pancreatic
cancer, and developing and testing nano particles that will deliver
imaging and therapeutic agents to pancreatic tumors.
prevention
There are presently no effective ways to detect early signs of
pancreatic cancer. One way to discover susceptibility genes for an
inherited disease is to analyze DNA from large families with many
affected members. But this strategy does not work with inherited forms
of pancreatic cancer, because the disease is so deadly that there are
very few large families with adequate numbers of samples.
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have shown
for the first time that sequencing the genes in both the normal and the
cancer cells of a single patient can reveal genes that are altered in
both types of cells. Some of these changes can help identify
susceptibility genes.
This strategy offers a new way to find hereditary susceptibility
genes, and in the future, these genes could be part of a panel used to
evaluate patients with familial pancreatic cancer. A test for
predisposing mutations could help identify people at high risk of the
disease who could be monitored for precancerous changes, enrolled in
screening programs and potentially prevent them from getting pancreatic
cancer.
Question. In addition to pancreatic cancer, would you tell us how
NCI plans to attack some the other deadly cancers--ones where survival
rates remain low?
Answer. In terms of other deadly cancers, the following are the
ones with the lowest percentage for 5-year relative survival rate (30
percent or lower).
ovarian cancer
The high-mortality rate stems from an overall lack of early
symptoms or screening methods for the disease. As a result, most
ovarian cancer patients are diagnosed with advanced stage disease. For
fiscal year 2009, NCI is funding 5 SPORE program grants, and the
relatively low incidence of this disease, as well as the team concept
of the SPORE program, has resulted in a number of Inter-SPORE
activities aimed at developing much needed early detection, screening,
prevention, and therapeutic tools for ovarian cancer. These
supplemental activities are being performed in collaboration with a
number of other NCI programs, including Avon Progress for Patients
Partnership, the Cancer Genetics Network, the Early Detection Research
Network, the Division of Cancer Prevention's Prostate, Lung, Colon, and
Ovarian Cancer (PLCO) Screening Trial and the NCI Intramural Program.
The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) is assessing the feasibility of
systematically identifying the major genomic changes involved in cancer
using state-of-the-art genomic analysis technologies. Ovarian cancer is
one of the first cancer types to be studied in the TCGA pilot phase.
Early results are revealing genetic changes that could be used to
identify those women who may be at risk for developing ovarian cancer,
as well as pointing to markers for early detection of the disease when
there is a better potential for successful therapy.
NCI's Cancer Nanotechnology Platform Partnerships are developing
technologies for several key areas including studies focused on
developing multifunctional nanoparticles that can deliver light-
activated anticancer compounds specifically to ovarian cancer cells
through a partnership at the Massachusetts General Hospital.
The New Drug Combination for Ovarian and Primary Peritoneal Cancers
clinical trial is testing the combination of cisplatin, a drug
containing platinum, and flavopiridol, which blocks the activity of
proteins that help cancer cells grow and spread, in women with ovarian
or peritoneal cancer resistant to platinum-based chemotherapy.
Flavopiridol can increase the platinum concentrations in cells when
administered with cisplatin, and researchers believe that this may lead
to a reversal of platinum resistance.
The National Ovarian Cancer Early Detection Program.--Screening and
Genetic Study is determining effective screening and genetic testing
methods to identify women at increased risk of ovarian cancer. The
study is also designed to develop markers for early detection and novel
therapies.
liver and bile duct cancer
Primary liver and bile duct cancers are the fifth most common cause
of cancer death in men and the ninth most common cause of cancer death
in women. More than 90 percent of all cases occur in men and women age
45 or older. Liver cancer is closely associated with hepatitis virus
infections, especially hepatitis B.
A clinical trial, Hepatic Arterial Infusion of Melphalan with
Hepatic Perfusion in Treating Patients with Unresectable Liver Cancer,
is evaluating the effectiveness of hepatic arterial infusion
(delivering chemotherapy directly to the liver) of the drug melphalan
combined with hepatic perfusion (delivering chemotherapy to a blood
vessel) in patients with liver cancer
The Etiology, Prevention, and Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
program supports research on the etiology of liver cancer, development
of animal models, novel prevention approaches, identification of
reliable predictors of disease progression, and ways to minimize the
morbidity and mortality associated with this disease.
The Tumor Microenvironment Network is exploring the role of the
microenvironment, the cells and blood vessels that feed a tumor cell,
in tumor initiation and progression. Network investigators are
examining the role of inflammation and the microenvironment in the
development of liver cancer.
esophageal cancer
The Prevention Agents Program provides scientific and
administrative oversight for chemoprevention agent development from
preclinical research to early Phase I studies. The program is currently
supporting research on several agents for potential chemoprevention of
esophageal cancer.
The interdisciplinary scientists of the Network for Translational
Research: Optical Imaging is accelerating translational research in
optical imaging and/or spectroscopy. Current efforts include the
development of techniques to identify molecular markers for detecting
esophageal neoplasia and understanding basic disease mechanisms.
The Cancer Prevention Research Small Grant Program is supporting
several research projects focused on esophageal cancer, including
studies on esophageal cancer biomarkers, a mouse model of esophageal
adenocarcinoma, and the molecular mechanisms involved in the
development of Barrett esophagus. The latter is a condition in which
the cells lining the lower part of the esophagus have changed or been
replaced with abnormal cells that could lead to cancer of the
esophagus. The backing up of stomach contents (reflux) may irritate the
esophagus and, over time, cause Barrett esophagus.
lung cancer
Lung cancer is the second most common cancer and the most common
cause of cancer-related death in both men and women in the United
States.
Seven lung cancer-specific Specialized Programs of Research
Excellence (SPOREs) are promoting interdisciplinary research and moving
basic research results from the laboratory to the clinical setting.
TCGA is assessing the feasibility of systematically identifying the
major genomic changes involved in cancer using state-of-the-art genomic
analysis technologies. Lung cancer is one of the first cancer types to
be studied in the TCGA pilot phase.
PLCO Cancer Screening Trial is determining whether certain cancer
screening tests reduce deaths from prostate, lung, colorectal, and
ovarian cancers.
NCI's Lung Cancer Program supports research on early detection and
treatment. The Lung Cancer Biomarkers Group is developing sets of
specimens that can be used to test biomarkers for the early detection
or diagnosis of lung cancer.
The Mouse Models of Human Cancers Consortium is developing models
of lung cancer to aid in our understanding of lung tumor biology and to
facilitate the development and testing of novel therapeutic approaches
and methods for early diagnosis.
stomach cancer
The overall incidence of stomach cancer in the United States has
declined in the past 75 years. Five gastrointestinal cancer-specific
SPOREs are moving results from the laboratory to the clinical setting.
The Tumor Microenvironment Network is exploring the role of the
microenvironment, the cells and blood vessels that feed a tumor cell,
in tumor initiation and progression. Network investigators are studying
the role of inflammation and the tumor microenvironment in stomach
cancer.
NCI's Infections and Immunoepidemiology Branch conducts high-impact
epidemiologic research on infectious agents and cancer. Researchers are
investigating why stomach cancer risk is low in Africa, despite high
rates of Helicobacter pylori infection, as well as genetic factors
associated with stomach cancer risk.
The Community Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) and the Minority-
Based Community Clinical Oncology Program (MB-CCOP) are comprehensive
clinical trial mechanisms that disseminate the latest cancer prevention
and treatment research findings to the community. Several CCOP and MB-
CCOP groups currently participate in stomach cancer clinical trials.
myeloma
Myeloma, also known as multiple myeloma or plasma cell myeloma is
the second most common blood cancer in the United States. The myeloma-
specific SPORE is moving results from the laboratory to the clinical
setting. This program is studying novel myeloma therapies and
identifying new markers of this disease.
The Multiple Myeloma Prevention Study is evaluating the use of
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to modulate biomarkers associated
with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, a condition
that sometimes precedes the development of myeloma.
The Quick-trials for Novel Cancer Therapies and Prevention.--
Exploratory Grants program expedites clinical translation of basic
research discoveries in cancer biology through the development of novel
anti-cancer drugs, diagnostic tools, treatments, and prevention
strategies. This program currently supports two projects focused on
immunotherapy and on improving the effectiveness of stem cell
transplants in myeloma patients.
Question. Is NCI considering a plan to specifically and
comprehensively address these lethal cancers?
Answer. Nearly half of the over 500,000 expected cancer deaths this
year will be caused by 8 forms of cancer with 5-year relative survival
rates of less than 50 percent-lung, liver, pancreatic, ovarian, brain,
stomach, esophagus cancers and myeloma-and most of these cancers
disproportionately affect minorities and under-served subgroups in the
United States. These cancers are often difficult to diagnose early.
Cancers of high lethality pose a significant research challenge. These
aggressive tumors are usually diagnosed late in their disease course,
making the study of early disease progression and promotion, as well as
the impact of genetic and environmental exposures, especially
difficult.
NCI proposes to increase research on highly lethal cancers by
expanding its investment into molecular epidemiological approaches such
as the Cohort Consortium-of which the Pancreatic Cancer Cohort
Consortium (PanScan) is one component--TCGA and genome-wide association
studies to accelerate a fuller understanding of cancer causation and
provide scientific direction of early detection, prevention and
targeted therapeutic strategies. Molecular interrogation will generate
data that can be used to evaluate profiles across the disease spectrum
as well as among ethnic and racial populations.
nih medline plus
Question. This subcommittee has long supported increased efforts by
the NIH to provide the public important health information based on the
results of the medical research their taxpayer monies support. At my
urging, the NLM has increased its commitment to boost the distribution
of the NIH MedlinePlus magazine. It is my understanding that a new
bilingual version of the magazine, NIH MedlinePlus Salud, has been
tested. What steps can be taken to substantially increase the public's
access to these publications by getting them to all physician offices,
community health clinics, and libraries?
Answer. Distribution of the magazines has increased from 50,000
copies of each issue in 2006 to over 500,000 copies of the English and
Spanish versions in 2008. We estimate that the magazines now enjoy a
readership of approximately 5 million nationwide. In February 2009, NLM
created improved online versions of both magazines, which makes it easy
for people to find, use, and email individual articles from the
complete set of issues.
To increase distribution of the magazines still further, NLM, other
NIH Institutes and Centers, and the Friends of the National Library of
Medicine are forming partnerships with other Government agencies and
private organizations which have an interest in supporting and enabling
distribution of high-quality health information to their respective
audiences. For example, the Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) Coalition
supported the distribution of an additional 250,000 copies of one 2008
issue. In addition, the National Alliance for Hispanic Health is
helping to support the production and distribution of NIH MedlinePlus
Salud, which is an English/Spanish version. The pilot issue featured
Cuban American journalist Cristina Saralegui, who is well known for her
Univision talk show, The Cristina Show, as well as her work on behalf
of health and wellness causes.
Question. Is this something that could be done with stimulus
funding?
Answer. NIH is extremely grateful for the opportunities and funding
provided in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)
to preserve and create jobs and promote economic recovery by spurring
technological advances in science and health. NLM is investigating how
it may best use ARRA dollars to support the spirit of the Recovery Act,
including increasing the distribution of the NIH MedlinePlus and NIH
MedlinePlus Salud magazines.
interstitial cystitis
Question. According to NIH's recently revised methods for
calculating support levels for various disease research areas, the
amount dedicated to interstitial cystitis (IC) is less than half of
what NIH previously believed it to be. (NIH originally estimated the
fiscal year 2007 funding for IC research to be $23 million; new
calculations show that the actual amount was just $10 million.) This is
disappointing, given that this condition afflicts more than 8 million
Americans.
What are the agency's plans to further basic and clinical research
in this area?
Answer. NIH's shift to a new and more consistent process--requested
by the Congress--to report on certain diseases and conditions through
the Research, Condition, and Disease Categorization (RCDC) system, has
indeed led to changes in reported funding levels for a variety of
conditions, including IC. There are a number of reasons for these
differences, including precise ``definitions'' for some disease
reporting categories under the new system. More information is
available on our RCDC Web site, at http://report.nih.gov/rcdc/reasons/.
We began using RCDC to report actual funding levels in fiscal year
2008. To ensure transparency during the transition to RCDC, the NIH
disease funding table provides a side-by-side comparison of the actual
fiscal year 2007 levels produced using the prior method and the levels
that would have resulted if RCDC had been implemented that year--
thereby illustrating the effect of the RCDC methodology and clarifying
the changes between fiscal year 2007 and fiscal year 2008 resulting
from use of this new process. For example, while the actual amount of
funding reported for IC in fiscal year 2007 was $23 million, the RCDC
analysis of the fiscal year 2007 portfolio reflected annual funding
support of $10 million. The actual funding level reported for fiscal
year 2008 of $10 million is comparable with the amount identified for
fiscal year 2007 using the new RCDC methodology. While the impact of
this change has in some instances resulted in significant one-time
adjustments, it is important to note that they do not reflect a change
in the NIH's commitment to research on IC and other conditions, and
will ultimately result in more accurate, consistent reporting across
NIH. Research that can lead to improved detection, treatment, or cure
for IC remains a high priority for NIH.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Daniel K. Inouye
pharmacy program
Question. Dr. Sidney McNairy, Director of the Division of Research
Infrastructure, met with the University of Hawaii at Hilo faculty and
administrative staff in December 2008. What are we doing or should we
be doing to help the new University of Hawaii at Hilo's new pharmacy
program meet the objectives set by Dr. McNairy's site visit?
Answer. One of the objectives set forth during Dr. McNairy's visit
was to facilitate an expanded role of the University of Hawaii at Hilo
in the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Program's IDeA Networks
of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) initiative within National
Center for Research Resources (NCRR), a component of the National
Institutes of Health (NIH). The long-term objective is to facilitate
the development of the research infrastructure in the School of
Pharmacy at Hilo and foster collaboration with the Manoa campus.
Subsequent to this visit, Dr. McNairy and his staff set up several
teleconferences with the Dean of the School of Medicine at the Manoa
campus and the Dean of the School of Pharmacy at Hilo to discuss plans
for the development of a joint application to compete for support via
the INBRE initiative. As a result, these institutions are developing an
application that includes core research facilities and instrumentation
at the Hilo campus; support for research projects for junior faculty
investigators at Hilo aimed at transitioning them to independent
research support; and alterations and renovations at the Hilo campus.
The Hawaii INBRE application will also include collaborations with
several community colleges and 4-year institutions. Interactions with
these latter institutions will provide the School of Pharmacy with an
expanded pool of potential candidates for entry into the pharmacy
program.
Question. What is being done to anchor these activities and help
assure success?
Answer. NCRR staff participates in teleconferences with the
Principal Investigator of the proposed Hawaii INBRE to review the
details of the funding opportunity announcement (PAR-08-150), answer
questions, and provide programmatic advice during the development of
the application. The institutions are working toward the submission of
this application in fiscal year 2009.
Question. Many initiatives and programs that have recently been
launched by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) appear to be based on
mechanisms that utilize center-based models. Large awards or
cooperative agreements are made to large, well-established institutions
and individual researchers. One criticism of such a model has been that
it detracts from an already depleted investigator-initiated pool of
grants for funding cancer and biomedical research. What steps is the
NCI taking to ensure that adequate resources in the form of
investigator-initiated research project grants continue to be made
available to not only individual investigators but to young and/or new
investigators?
Answer. The allocation to investigator-initiated research continues
to represent the largest component of the NCI budget. That is a strong
demonstration of the commitment the Institute has to investigator-
initiated research. Equally strong is the Institute's commitment to
first-time investigators. NCI allocated $74 million to pay new
competing grant applications from first time investigators in fiscal
year 2007 and raised that to $82 million in fiscal year 2008. Research
Project Grants (RPGs) represent 44 percent of NCI's fiscal year 2009
budget. NCI intends to increase the number of first-time investigators
in fiscal year 2009 using additional American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act funds to support the first 2 years of their research project and
then continuing their support in years 3-5 with appropriated funds.
innovative approaches and novice researchers
Question. What efforts are currently underway to stimulate and
support new, novel, and innovative approaches to the detection,
treatment, and diagnosis of cancer?
Answer. NIH supports innovative approaches to the detection,
treatment, and diagnosis of cancer. NCI established the Innovative
Molecular Analysis Technologies (IMAT) program to support the
development, technical maturation, and dissemination of novel and
potentially transformative next-generation technologies through an
approach of balanced, but targeted innovation. The IMAT program
utilizes a variety of investigator-initiated research project grant
mechanisms while retaining a strong commitment to diversity and to the
training of scientists and clinicians in cross-cutting, research-
enabling disciplines.
Nanotechnology represents a large number of advanced technologies
that promise to change all aspects of 21st century medicine, especially
cancer medicine. This is an area that brings scientists from physics,
chemistry, mathematics, and engineering together with cancer biologists
and oncologists to develop new cancer interventions. NCI launched the
Alliance for Nanotechnology for Cancer program in 2004 to capitalize on
these technologies. These centers are developing and translating novel
nanotechnology-enabled diagnostic, imaging, and therapeutic platforms
into clinical practice--which is required to capitalize on our prior
investments in the molecular sciences. The original program produced
several nano platforms that are currently in preclinical evaluation
with a few already in clinical trials. The Alliance is a magnet for
young creative scientists. Trained in the molecular sciences,
bioinformatics, and physics, these centers have attracted the best--
bringing Nobel Prize winners together with scientists that are early in
their careers. Together they are creating new training and research
opportunities that are driving this emerging field.
Question. Through what mechanisms are such programs funded, and is
there a percentage or grant category designated to support the
development of novice researchers?
Answer. NCI allocated 17 percent of the competing RPG budget to
select grant applications that were identified as filling gaps in the
research portfolio or representing novel approaches to research
problems. We often refer to the grants funded with that pool as
``exceptions'' to the regular payline. One-third of that exception pool
was allocated to supporting first-time investigators. Those exceptions
are used across the portfolio, including in the areas of detection,
treatment, and diagnosis.
The NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer program, for example,
utilizes several mechanisms, including the U54 center mechanism, R25
training center mechanism, K99/R00 fellowships mechanism, and U01
investigator-initiated research project mechanism. Based on comparison
of landscape before and after the initial program, there is a clear
trend of increased interest in cancer nanotechnology training as NIH
fellowship applications supported by the original program (F32/F33)
increased significantly since the program began. Postdoctoral students
are the largest group participating in the alliance and, in fact,
dominate the annual meeting where their research is presented. A
similar increasing trend for NCI is seen in both individual training
awards (K99) and institutional training awards (T32, R25). When the
Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer began, the Institute supported a
total of 4 individual-initiated grants in the field; that number has
increased to 48 (excluding Alliance awardees) during the 5 years that
the Alliance has been in place, and the Alliance shows signs of further
expansion as more young people enter this new field.
military researchers
Question. The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) lists
(1) Integrating Biological and Behavioral Science for Better Health;
(2) Adopting, Adapting and Generating New Technologies for Better
Health Care; (3) Improving Methods for Future Scientific Discoveries;
and (4) Developing Scientists for Today and Tomorrow as its 2006-2010
Strategic Goals, with a research emphasis on Promoting Health and
Preventing Disease, Improving Quality of Life, Eliminating Health
Disparities, and Setting Directions for End-of-Life Research.
Historically, military nurse researchers have been unable to compete
for funds due to the uniqueness of the population they serve.
Considering the ongoing status of conflict in the Middle East and other
countries, what efforts are being taken to allow military nurse
researchers to actively compete for these funds?
Answer. The NINR strongly encourages all scientists to apply for
funding within the NINR areas of research emphasis. There are no
funding exclusions based on military status. Currently, the NINR is
sponsoring a research initiative entitled, ``Improving Quality of Life
of Patients and Family Following a War-Related Traumatic Injury'' to
develop and test personalized interventions to prevent complications in
persons with war-related traumatic injuries during the post
hospitalization transition period, with the ultimate goal of improving
the health and quality of life of individuals and families following a
war-related traumatic injury. NINR is actively involved in the
collaboration between the NIH and the Center for Neuroscience and
Regenerative Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the
Health Sciences (USHUS) to answer difficult research questions and
improve medical care for service members with brain injuries and Post-
Traumatic Stress Disorder. Through this collaboration, there are
valuable training opportunities for nurse scientists. Other Federal
partners collaborating in this effort are the Defense Centers of
Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, Army
Medical Research Command labs, Navy labs, and the Walter Reed National
Military Medical Center.
NINR also has a long-standing relationship with the TriService
Nursing Research Program at USHUS to facilitate collaboration and to
consult on matters relevant to military nursing research. One of the
members of the National Advisory Council for Nursing Research (NACNR)
is Capt. Maggie Richard, Ph.D., MSN, NC, USN. Captain Richard is the
director of the Human Research Protection Program in the Bureau of
Medicine and Surgery, the Department of the Navy. She has served more
than 20 years in the Navy Nurse Corps, and is the former head of the
Nursing Research Service at the Bethesda National Naval Medical Center.
As a member of the NACNR, Captain Richard provides the second level of
review of grant applications, and recommends to the Institute Director
which applications should be approved and considered for funding.
NINR remains dedicated to supporting clinical and basis research to
help improve the health of the Nation, including members of the
military service.
nci and cis
Question. While the NCI intends to retain the information service
arm of the Cancer Information Service (CIS) (i.e., 1-800-4CANCER
service, the Internet, and instant messaging), NCI leadership has
decided not to continue funding the CIS Partnership Program beyond the
current contract period, ending January 15, 2010. What is NCI's plan
for responding to the cancer information, training and technical
assistance needs of remote, medically underserved communities and the
organizations that serve them, such as those located in Hawaii and the
U.S.-Associated Pacific Island jurisdictions?
Answer. Rather than renew the Partnership Program, we have
reassessed how NCI can most effectively and efficiently disseminate
important cancer information, and engage communities in order to
realize an impact in the lives of those we serve. NCI will actively
align its community outreach with its community-based research programs
and build capacity in communities for the effective delivery of cancer
information to their members. Building on the success of projects such
as the Imi Hale-Native Hawaiian Cancer Network and the American Samoa
Community Cancer Network, as well as the partnership between the
University of Hawaii and the University of Guam, NCI will support
community-based research programs that will build capacity to meet the
needs of the underserved populations.
Beginning in January 2010, NCI will augment community-based
research projects to include a community outreach structure that will
specifically employ community outreach staff. While it is expected that
these staff members will service the outreach needs for those funded
projects, NCI is also expecting them to perform activities to address a
broader area of needs identified by NCI. The funded projects that will
initiate this new model of outreach include the Community Networks
Program-II (CNP-II), the Minority Institution/Cancer Center Partnership
(MI/CCP), and the NCI Community Cancer Center's Program (NCCCP),
representing a total of 66 sites initially.
The establishment of a coordinated outreach network that works
within established NCI-supported research programs will provide
national geographic coverage for outreach to all populations. The
proposed Community Outreach Core within the CNP-II concept will employ
health education/community outreach staff to foster activities
supporting the community and community partners. A similar approach
within the MI/CCP and NCCCP would further augment and reinforce this
national outreach network. Within the MI/CCP, for example, all
partnerships are encouraged to have outreach programs and activities
linking scientific discoveries and implementation of scientific
breakthroughs in high-risk populations, and some partnerships are also
increasing enrollment of racial/ethnic minorities in clinical trials.
The outreach and partnership components of the CIS partnerships can be
successfully integrated and absorbed within the existing community
outreach cores of NCI funded research initiatives to enhance and
strengthen NCI's ability to educate and engage communities in
addressing cancer health disparities within diverse, high-risk
populations. NCI will also examine the feasibility of expanding this
model to other NCI-funded programs.
NCI already has an outreach and dissemination infrastructure within
its Office of Communications and Education that will provide these
grantees the necessary technical assistance for communication,
dissemination, and outreach. This infrastructure supports the current
CIS Partnership Program. They are prepared to provide this national
outreach network guidance in the use of best practices, the development
of shared resources and tools, and the provision of training and
technical assistance to community outreach coordinators in
comprehensive cancer control and the delivery of evidence-based
outreach activities.
In addition to the establishment of this national outreach network
through NCI-funded programs, NCI is already in the process of planning
a concept for dissemination, community outreach, and communication.
This process, which has been described in responses to previous
inquiries on this matter, utilizes a public health planning approach
which examines the scientific evidence across areas of cancer control
and engages the community throughout the process in feedback loops, and
will ultimately yield a concept that aims to reduce the impact of
cancer in the most vulnerable communities. Greater details on the
planning process for this can be provided upon request.
______

Question Submitted by Senator Herb Kohl
increasing funding and greater number of awards
Question. Dr. Kington, I was pleased to see that funding sources
for the National Institutes of Health Clinical and Translational
Science Awards (CTSA) were increased this year, through both the fiscal
year 2009 omnibus appropriations bill and the American Reinvestment and
Recovery Act. I am aware that several institutions applying for awards
this year, including applicants in my home State of Wisconsin, have
received ``outstanding'' application ratings. Will this increase in
funding allow for a greater number of awards to be distributed?
Answer. The funding provided in the Omnibus Appropriations Act,
2009, will support new CTSAs in fiscal year 2009 as the program moves
closer to a goal of 60 CTSAs.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding is being
used to allow existing CTSAs to compete for resources to supplement
their current activity, plus support other researchers who may apply to
leverage current CTSA activities. However, since normal CTSA funding is
for 5 years and ARRA funds are limited to 2 years the funding is not
able to support new awards.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Mary L. Landrieu
small business innovation research (sbir) and small business technology
transfer (sttr) programs
Question. When the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)
passed in February, it contained a short sentence that directly hurt
small businesses by exempting two important small business programs.
The provision, which provided $8.2 billion to the National Institutes
of Health's (NIH), exempted the NIH from the statutory requirement that
2.8 percent of extramural research and development (R&D) money be used
for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and the Small
Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. As the chair of the
Senate Small Business Committee, and as a member of this appropriations
subcommittee, I was never consulted or notified about the exemption
language which was added in conference. My staff has been told by NIH
officials and others that NIH directly requested the exemption. As a
result of the exemption, the NIH is not required to award up to $200
million from the ARRA funds to small businesses for research and
development. This exemption went directly counter to the principles and
goals of ARRA. The recovery effort was supposed to be about creating
high-quality jobs, spurring innovation, and giving a boost to
businesses across the board. Instead, this language singled out small
businesses and slashed the relatively tiny amount they are normally
guaranteed. I have several questions for Dr. Kington regarding NIH's
request and the exemption: Specifically, who at the NIH requested that
ARRA be exempt from funding the SBIR and STTR programs? Was this
request first cleared through you?
Answer. NIH was concerned about the decreasing number of SBIR
applications. We had seen nearly a 40 percent decrease in applications
during the fiscal years 2004 through 2008. Although the NIH is not
required by this law to provide a set amount of ARRA funds toward the
SBIR/STTR programs, it is important to note that small businesses are
able to apply for and will receive funds. NIH remains committed to the
small business community and has been encouraging small businesses to
apply for stimulus funds through various funding opportunity
announcements that have been released.
Question. From your experience at NIH, would you agree that the
SBIR and STTR programs play a vital role in NIH's extramural R&D
because of the high levels of innovation that come out of these two
programs?
Answer. NIH has supported and continues to support small business
and efforts to bring innovations from biomedical research to the
taxpayer. NIH research is driving a vibrant community of American small
businesses and entrepreneurs in the health enterprise. NIH-funded
research leads to patents and spin-off companies across the Nation.
Through the SBIR and STTR programs, the NIH helps nurture entrepreneurs
as they bring products to the international market that improve health
and well-being. Small businesses supported by NIH grants help maintain
American economic leadership.
For example, Kinetic Muscles, a small business in Arizona, has
developed the Hand Mentor ProT, which is a device designed for
neurological rehabilitation of the hand and wrist for people who have
suffered strokes or other brain injuries. In partnership with their
exclusive distributor, Columbia Scientific, the Hand Mentor ProT is now
being used in select HealthSouth rehabilitation hospitals.
Biopsy Sciences of Florida has developed the Bio-SealT and recently
sold the technology to Angiotech Pharmaceutics, Inc. (a global
specialty pharmaceutical and medical device company). This novel
technology was designed to reduce the incidence of postoperative
pneumothorax (collapsed lung) in patients who undergo lung biopsy
procedures. The technology involves placement of an expanding hydrogel
plug along the biopsy needle track during the procedure, closing off
the track to subsequent influx of air into the chest during respiration
after the biopsy needle is withdrawn. The seal is airtight and the plug
is absorbed into the body after healing of the puncture site has
occurred.
These are only a few examples of the high level of innovation and
the many products that have been developed with NIH SBIR/STTR funding.
Question. From your experience at NIH, would you agree that small
businesses doing extramural R&D for the NIH have a proven record of
creating jobs?
Answer. Small businesses have long been the engine of U.S. economic
growth, generating a significant proportion of new jobs annually, and
we believe NIH's SBIR/STTR programs assist with the creation of high-
quality jobs. NIH has invested in excess of $5 billion in more than
19,000 projects to over 5,000 small businesses. Past studies of the
SBIR program conducted by the NIH and the National Research Council
(NRC) have shown small businesses are seen as sources of economic
vitality and are especially important as a source of new employment.
Question. Could you please provide, in detail, the steps NIH is
taking to make sure small businesses receive an adequate share of ARRA
funds?
Answer. NIH has taken several steps to ensure small businesses
receive an adequate share of the ARRA funds appropriated to NIH.
Outreach efforts have been stepped up to alert small companies of ARRA
opportunities. In the last few months, eight SBIR/STTR presentations
have been given throughout the country at life science or SBIR/STTR
conferences in New Jersey, Indiana, Kentucky, New York, Maryland,
Washington, DC, and California. NIH's 11th Annual SBIR/STTR Conference
was held at the end of June 2009 in Omaha, Nebraska, and with
attendance typically in the hundreds, this was another excellent
opportunity to disseminate information about specifically targeted ARRA
opportunities to this small business audience.
During the past few months, NIH has strongly encouraged small
businesses to apply for several of its funding opportunity
announcements (FOAs) that were supported by ARRA, including:
--The NIH Challenge Grants in Health and Science Research or
``Challenge Grants'' http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-
files/RFA-OD-09-003.html
This opportunity focuses on specific knowledge gaps, new
technologies, data generation, or research methods that would benefit
from an influx of funds to quickly advance the area in significant
ways.
--Research and Research Infrastructure ``Grand Opportunities'' or
``GO Grants'' http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-
OD-09-004.html
This opportunity focuses on developing and implementing critical
research innovations to advance their research enterprises, stimulate
future growth and investments, and advance public health and health
care delivery.
In June, NIH released two additional announcements that explicitly
targeted the private sector commercial research community. These
included:
--Recovery Act Limited Competition: Biomedical Research, Development,
and Growth to Spur the Acceleration of New Technologies (BRDG-
SPAN) Pilot Program, http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-
files/RFA-OD-09-008.html
This FOA is a pilot program that focuses on the funding gap between
promising research and development and transitioning to the market by
contributing to the critical funding needed to pursue the next
appropriate milestone(s) toward ultimate commercialization. Any U.S.-
owned, for-profit enterprise/commercial organization is encouraged to
apply for this funding. Please note that applications received under
this FOA may be given funding priority if the applicant is associated
with an enterprise or commercial organization that is of small size
and/or has limited resources.
--Recovery Act Limited Competition: Small Business Catalyst Awards
for Accelerating Innovative Research, http://grants.nih.gov/
grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-OD-09-009.html
This opportunity specifically targets the SBIR research community
and focuses on accelerating innovation through high- risk, high-reward
research and development that has commercial potential and is relevant
to the NIH mission. It seeks to encourage fresh research perspectives
and approaches and focuses on early-stage ideas that promise to lead to
major leaps forward rather than incremental improvements of existing
technologies. Only U.S. small business concerns are eligible to submit
Phase I SBIR applications, and first-time applicants to NIH may receive
funding priority.
In addition to releasing these funding opportunity announcements,
the pay-lines at various NIH Institutes and Centers have been extended
to reach more meritorious research grants, including those submitted by
small businesses. Finally, in March 2009, NIH offered three
administrative supplement and competitive revision opportunities for
those with active research project grants (including SBIR and STTR).
The supplements provided additional funding to accelerate the tempo of
scientific research on active grants. Revision awards support a
significant expansion of the scope or research protocol of approved and
funded projects. Administrative supplements were also offered to
provide summer research experiences for students and science educators.
SBIR and STTR projects successfully competed. At this time, over 20
SBIR/STTR grantees have been selected to receive administrative
supplements to provide summer research experiences for students and/or
science educators.
Question. My staff has been told by NIH officials that you are
setting up a Pilot program for small businesses with your discretionary
ARRA funds. Can you please report to the Senate Small Business
Committee on the nature and progress of this Pilot program?
Answer. You are correct, NIH recently announced the ARRA-funded
BRDG-SPAN Pilot Program to focus on the gap between research and
development and transitioning to the market.
Only U.S.-owned for-profit enterprise/commercial organizations may
apply, and although not explicitly limited to small businesses, most of
the applications are expected to be submitted by small businesses.
Applications received under this funding opportunity may be given
funding priority if the applicant is associated with an enterprise/
commercial organization that is of small size and/or of limited
resources.
In addition, we have another ARRA-funded small business program
called the Catalyst Awards, and only U.S. small business concerns are
eligible to submit SBIR applications.
Question. I have looked at a number of legislative vehicles,
including the fiscal year 2010 Labor HHS Appropriations bill, to make
up for the loss of money to small businesses that was created by the
small business exemption in ARRA. Can you give me your thoughts on how
this money can be made up, whether it be legislatively or through
proactive actions by the NIH?
Answer. NIH's current commitments to small business research
instill confidence that this research community will receive a fair
portion of NIH's extramural funding. This is already in evidence, since
a large number of applications were received from small businesses in
response to our initial ARRA-supported FOAs, and applications are still
being received from small businesses in response to ARRA FOAs that
remain open.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Arlen Specter
maternal fetal medicine research network
Question. I am aware of the critical research conducted by the
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Maternal Fetal Medicine Research Network in the area of preterm birth
and maternal complications. What are your plans for this Network in the
fiscal year 2010 budget?
Answer. The Maternal Fetal Medicine Units Network (MFMU) is one of
the landmark research networks within NICHD. Conducting research that
may affect pregnant women and their offspring can present some critical
health and ethical issues. Yet improvements in clinical practice and
care are dependent on evidence-based research, and the Network was
created in response to this need. This research mechanism permits
large-scale clinical studies that provide the necessary information to
allow healthcare professionals to translate the findings into everyday
clinical practice.Specifically, the MFMU Network conducts clinical
trials and observational studies in obstetrics to improve maternal and
neonatal outcomes. It is essential for each Network participant to
conduct this work in the same manner (i.e. following the same protocol)
in order to have comparable results that can be applied across the
Nation and for different population groups. In addition, preventive
measures and interventions can be tested to find out if they work, or
just as important, if they do not.
NICHD has spent approximately $170 million since the MFMU Network's
inception in 1986. It is re-competed every 5 years to ensure that only
the best scientists are funded to do this work. The existing network
will expire in fiscal year 2011. The networks scientific success
supports considering a new competition in fiscal year 2011. As is
typical, decisions regarding extending the Network will be made during
development of the 2011 budget. Current projections for fiscal year
2010 are $12.6 million in NICHD funding. Along with a projected
$700,000 contribution from NINDS in fiscal year 2010, the total support
level comes to $13.3 million.
salivary diagnostics
Question. Dental schools, and I have one in my State, are doing
some rather exciting research in the area of saliva as a diagnostic
tool. Where does this research stand at this point?
Answer. Saliva is a complex mixture of water, antibodies, and other
specialized protective proteins, important for maintaining oral health,
function, and comfort. It has long been recognized that saliva acts as
a mirror of the body's health, in that it contains the full repertoire
of proteins, hormones, antibodies, and other substances that are
frequently measured in standard blood tests to monitor health and
disease. Saliva is easy to collect, even repeatedly if needed, and
poses none of the risks, fears, or invasiveness of blood tests.
Saliva has already been used reliably to detect a number of
diseases, including HIV, as well as viral hepatitis A, B, and C. It
also can be used to monitor a variety of drug levels, including those
of marijuana, cocaine, and alcohol. The National Institute of Dental
and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) is supporting efforts to identify and
validate biomarkers, and to also support technology to overcome
barriers to the widespread use of salivary diagnostics. For example
researchers are focused on developing microchip assays for point-of-
care delivery, and are making impressive progress at achieving high-
sensitivity, high-specificity, miniaturization, automation,
portability, low cost, speed, and the ability to assay a large number
of samples and biomarkers concurrently.
Last year, scientists funded by NIDCR completed the first full
catalogue of proteins present in saliva. This protein dictionary will
serve as an essential reference point as scientists continue to
validate saliva as a diagnostic fluid. This resource also complements
our growing ability to leverage DNA and RNA as biomarkers. For example,
in October 2008, NIDCR-supported scientists reported that they could
use a panel of 5 RNA biomarkers to accurately detect oral squamous cell
carcinoma, a form of oral cancer, more than 90 percent of the time.
Question. Is progress being made?
Answer. Yes, progress is being made. The field of salivary
diagnostics combines the power of mathematics, biology, genomics,
proteomics, engineering, computer science, and other areas, with the
goal of using saliva as a diagnostic fluid for a variety of conditions,
from AIDS to cancer to diabetes. Several NIDCR grantees are now working
to develop and assemble tiny ``labs on a chip'' that can precisely
measure levels of the various antibodies, antigens, and nucleic acids
present in saliva, all of which may indicate a developing disease or
condition. In contrast to existing blood tests which require painful
needle sticks, salivary tests could be performed on the spot and
rapidly scan oral fluids for the presence or absence of multiple
proteins linked to various systemic diseases and conditions. NIDCR is
currently supporting the development of devices that will detect
infectious diseases, cancer, renal diseases, steroid hormones, and
inflammatory markers for cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. The
technologies being developed also will be effective for tracking new,
as-yet unidentified biomarkers.
As an illustration of progress in this area, NIDCR scientists
recently reported clinical success in detecting C-reactive protein in
human saliva with an ultrasensitive microchip assay system. C-reactive
protein, a serum protein indicative of inflammation, is elevated in
people with periodontal disease and may be predictive of developing
heart disease.
Question. Will we be able to go to our dentist and undergo this
noninvasive diagnostic test to detect early markers of diseases, such
as Alzheimer's disease, pancreatic, and breast cancer?
Answer. This is part of our vision for the future; saliva is easy
to collect and poses none of the risks, fears, or invasiveness of blood
tests. The miniaturization of detection devices may allow placement of
the sentinel device directly in the mouth, yielding real-time
surveillance of hundreds of biomarkers that could alert individuals to
consult with their health professionals at the earliest moment of
disease, or to monitor the progression and recurrence of diseases in
patients undergoing treatment. This will enable oral healthcare
professionals to assume a more prominent role in primary care and
disease prevention that will assume increasing importance as the
American population ages. NIDCR will continue to support ongoing
studies, as well as new studies including those made possible by
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding, that will examine the
feasibility of developing salivary diagnostic testing for the early
markers of a number of diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and
several cancers. The recent success of NIDCR-supported researchers in
identifying salivary markers for primary Sjogren's syndrome, a chronic
autoimmune condition of the salivary and tear glands that affects about
2 million Americans, mainly women, is another example of progress in
this area.
Salivary diagnostics could have benefits far beyond medicine and
dentistry as well. For example, law enforcement agencies could employ
saliva tests both forensically and in the field to determine rapidly
whether a person is intoxicated or has recently used illegal drugs.
These tests may also be beneficial in determining exposures to
environmental, occupational, and biological substances, such as
anthrax.
nih budget with presidential initiatives
Question. The budget presented provides an increase of $174 million
for all research except cancer. Will this essentially flat budget
funding be sufficient to meet the important research work being
conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)?
Answer. We believe that the fiscal year 2010 NIH funding priorities
are sound and will ensure the rapid translation of science from the
laboratory to the bedside. The budget supports more than 9,800
competing Research Project Grants in addition to exponentially funding
cancer as an initiative.
NIH's research categories are not mutually exclusive and individual
research projects can be included in multiple categories as in cancer
research; we have seen progress in one disease often comes from
unrelated areas of investigation, and through the mutual synergy of
such research that transformational findings occur. NIH will continue
to fund high-quality research in all areas of its portfolio and will
continue to effectively use every resource we receive in support of
biomedical research.
stem cells
Question. What do you think is necessary in terms of time and
funding to make research breakthroughs in stem cell research?
Answer. The NIH has been clear that the best way to make
breakthroughs in stem cell research is to pursue all avenues of stem
cell research simultaneously as: (1) it is impossible to predict which
type of stem cell research (e.g., adult or human embryonic) will
ultimately yield the most successful approach in any given stem cell
application; and (2) work in both adult and embryonic stem cells
continues to inform and facilitate progress in stem cell research.
It is difficult to predict a timeline for scientific breakthroughs
or determine a budget that will achieve these breakthroughs for stem
cell research or any other type of research. Since 2001, NIH has been
the lead Federal agency supporting and conducting human embryonic stem
cell (hESC) research, spending over $262 million on hESC research
during this period. This research has significantly enhanced our
understanding of the basic biology of these unique cells. For example,
the genes required for maintaining pluripotency were determined by
studying hESCs which led in 2007 to the breakthrough discovery of
human-induced pluripotent stem cells. These cells are now being studied
along with adult and hESCs to elucidate the unique characteristics and
potential uses of each cell type.
As you are aware, President Barack Obama signed Executive Order
13505 on March 9, 2009, which requires NIH to establish new guidelines
for Federal funding of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research. NIH
will issue the final guidelines by July 7, 2009. These new guidelines
should increase ethical oversight and the number of responsibly derived
hESC lines eligible for Federal funding. We anticipate that NIH will be
able to provide support for research using many new hESC lines that
were not previously eligible for Federal funding. It is our expectation
that the expansion of the number of human embryonic stem cell lines
available to scientists funded by NIH will hasten stem cell
breakthroughs.
As you know, there has never been a cap on how much NIH could
potentially spend on stem cell research, adult or embryonic. Instead,
the amount spent depends on the number of highly meritorious stem cell
grants that are submitted by the scientific community. The scientific
community has told us about additional research that will be enabled by
the increase in the number of human embryonic stem cell lines eligible
for Federal funding that will result from the new policy. Once the new
Guidelines are in place, NIH will assess the research needs and
opportunities in stem cell biology and will develop initiatives that
meet those needs to capitalize on these opportunities.
lower lp(a)
Question. Several years ago, I asked Dr. L'Enfant about your
research for a medication to lower Lp(a). Is there anything new that
you can tell me about the status of research toward a medication that
lowers Lp(a)?
Answer. Of all the drugs we currently use to treat abnormal
lipoproteins, the one that most consistently lowers Lp(a) levels is a
drug that has been around quite a while--niacin. Although the National
Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) does not ordinarily sponsor
drug development, as that is the province of the pharmaceutical
companies, we are currently supporting a very important randomized
clinical trial called AIM-HIGH. The trial is testing whether an
extended release form of niacin (Niaspanr) will improve outcomes in
3,300 patients who have cardiovascular disease and ``atherogenic
dyslipidemia,'' a fairly common constellation of lipoprotein
abnormalities associated with high cardiovascular risk that often
includes high Lp(a) levels. We have funded an ancillary study to the
AIM-HIGH trial specifically to learn more about how niacin affects
lipoproteins, including Lp(a), and to determine the extent to which the
effects may explain any observed improvement in cardiovascular
outcomes. The information this study will provide about the role of
Lp(a)in cardiovascular disease may help inform subsequent drug
development efforts.
curing cancer
Question. The cancer community has indicated that $335 billion over
the next 15 years is necessary to make real progress toward cancer
cures. What do you think is necessary in terms of time, funding, and
research breakthroughs to make a real difference in curing cancer?
Answer. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is currently working
with the other Institutes and Centers at NIH to develop an NIH cancer
research strategic plan for the proposed plan by President Obama to
double cancer research funding over the next 8 years. The strategic
plan recognizes that most advances in the field will be made because of
the knowledge that cancer is a disease of genomic alterations and of
tumor cell evolution.
The NCI is developing a personalized cancer care platform--based
upon the knowledge that cancer is a disease of altered genes--that will
encompass and enable a drug development platform, from discovery of
genetic changes to translation to man. Advanced genome sequencing
technology will soon make it possible to completely sequence both
normal and disease tissue of individual patients. NCI is developing a
comprehensive approach to translate raw genetic information into an
intimate understanding of the function of the genetic pathways which
can then be used to clearly define targets for manipulating those
pathways to inform the development of new targeted interventions. NCI
is taking steps to create the first of a small national network of
tumor characterization centers that will match a genetically
characterized patient's tumor to appropriate and optimal therapeutic
solutions. This 21st century vision for personalized medicine will
connect individuals, organizations, institutions, and the concomitant
information in a cycle of discovery, development, and clinical care.
As the leader of the National Cancer Program, NCI is building on
its history of research success and wisely spending every dollar it
receives in a continual effort to foster the best research and to
connect the public, private, and academic sectors for effective
translation of these discoveries. With the significant funding
increases proposed by the President, NCI could realize the promise of
personalized cancer care more rapidly by significantly shortening the
path between making an innovative discovery in the laboratory to having
an effective impact on a patient in the clinic.
In this new era of post-human-genome science, it is clear that
multiple new agents will be necessary to target multiple cancer
pathways in each unique patient. Small molecules will penetrate cancer
cells. New agents will energize the body's immune system to fight
tumors. Still other agents will target the seemingly normal tissue of
the tumor microenvironment or the tumor initiator cells with ``stem-
like'' characteristics that may lead to cancer's deadly spread.
Consequently, we will need to continue to expand discovery of the
underlying genetic signatures of cancer and to develop individual
recipes of therapy, often using multiple drugs from multiple
manufacturers.
It is in the area of developing orphan drugs or combination
therapies where industry--concerned about marketability, intellectual
property, competition, and liability issues--often fears to tread. NCI
must fill that void:
--Through increased funding of the Developmental Therapeutics Program
and other allied programs, NCI could greatly expand a cohesive
effort to produce small quantities of new agents and begin
first-in-human testing, which would, in turn, lead to
commercialization at a more rapid pace.
--Through a well-financed, coordinated plan, NCI could importantly
restructure how it conducts clinical trials, creating an
electronically connected system capable of bringing early phase
clinical research to millions more patients, in their home
communities.
--Through strategically placed characterization centers, NCI could
conduct the intensely technological and specialized testing
necessary in an era of targeted agents. This effort could
create the standards of tumor analysis required in this new
age, and could more effectively address the demands of rapidly
changing technology. Examples of needed programs include early
phase pharmacodynamic studies, a U.S. oncology tissue bank and
certified centralized tumor characterization laboratories.
--Additional development of advanced technologies will allow us
further develop nanoparticles designed to penetrate tumors and
conduct greater research into the telltale proteins in the body
that could be used to enhance early diagnosis. Enhancing
technology development in clinical proteomics, systems biology,
and increasing our biomedical computing capabilities would
accelerate progress against cancer, but could also be applied
to understanding other diseases.
--Through greater development of imaging, science could refine and
improve the capacity to look inside cells, revealing biological
processes in real time. This effort could develop the next
generation of tools for early diagnosis, at a time when there
are only a few million cancer cells in a patient's body.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Thad Cochran
sarcoidosis
Question. Sarcoidosis is a systemic inflammatory disease and one of
the most common causes of fibrotic lung disease in the United States.
Sarcoidosis can cause chronic debilitating or life-threatening heart,
neurological, and internal organ disease and has no safe, effective
treatments. In North America, African Americans are about five times
more likely to have sarcoidosis than whites, representing a significant
national health disparity. Despite the substantial burden of this
illness on many (tens of) thousands of Americans of all races, and
significant recent progress in our understanding of the illness, the
National Institutes of Health (NIH) has supported disproportionately
little research for this disease relative to its burden of disease, a
disparity that has been increasing over the past decade. What do you
believe are the reasons for this disparity and how can it be corrected?
Answer. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has
had a long-standing commitment to funding research on the causes and
treatment of sarcoidosis and on genetic predisposition to developing
it. In recent years the Institute developed several new initiatives
specifically addressing sarcoidosis, including a solicitation on
granulomatous inflammation in sarcoidosis that resulted in funding of
11 new research projects. The Institute currently supports exciting
programs in genomics of sarcoidosis and a new clinical trial on
atorvastatin as a disease-modifying agent in pulmonary sarcoidosis. One
reason for the funding disparity may be the small numbers of
investigators in the country who are interested in conducting research
in this complex and multi-organ disease. In addition, applications
submitted have not competed well. Some steps we are taking to address
this disparity include increasing visibility of sarcoidosis through
activities such as radio spots on the disease; developing new research
initiatives to address specific aspects of the disease; and working
with the Trans NIH Sarcoidosis Working Group, which coordinates
sarcoidosis research activities across the NIH. One of its recent
activities has been promotion of a workshop on the genetics of
sarcoidosis that was held last summer. Workshop recommendations, which
have been posted on the NHLBI Web site, include initiation of a
community-based study of sarcoidosis that would develop a registry of
clinical information about the disease and might also include
collection of patient samples for genetic studies. Other
recommendations were to promote collaboration on sarcoidosis with
NHLBI-funded investigators and the scientific community in Europe and
other parts of the world, and to launch a genome-wide association study
(GWAS) based on available samples from ACCESS and other existing
cohorts. NHLBI staff are following up on these recommendations. Via the
NIH solicitation for Challenge grants under the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the NHLBI requested GWAS on rare lung
diseases, including sarcoidosis.
Question. What are the plans of the NHLBI for closing this gap and
improving the clinical care and treatment for patients with
sarcoidosis?
Answer. Our plan is to support ongoing and new meritorious research
through both ARRA and traditional investigator-initiated applications;
re-issue an NIH-wide sarcoidosis program announcement, which seeks to
stimulate research on the multi-organ manifestations of the disease;
continue support of the NHLBI atorvastatin clinical trial; and consider
future initiatives based on the NHLBI workshop on genetics of
sarcoidosis that was held last summer. A new initiative under
consideration addresses cardiac dysfunction associated with
sarcoidosis. We are optimistic that these efforts will lead to advances
in understanding the origin and pathogenesis of this disease and will
improve our ability to diagnose and treat affected individuals.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Richard C. Shelby
clinical and transational awards
Question. The Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) is
designed to transform how clinical and translational research is
conducted, ultimately enabling researchers to provide new treatments
more efficiently to patients. Tremendous effort has brought
institutions together to rally around this program, yet current funding
levels make it difficult for the programs to succeed. Key to the
success of the CTSA is the development of cost sharing for use of
infrastructure services. An example of this mechanism is the General
Clinical Research Centers (GCRC), which allowed institutes to reduce
their research budgets by having investigators use the GCRC when
clinical care such as inpatient stays, lab tests, and nursing staff was
made available at no additional cost. Today, individual investigators
must provide funds for clinical care cost sharing from grants funded
from other National Institutes of Health (NIH) Institutes. As research
becomes more expensive and private capital dries up, it becomes even
more critical to ensure support for translational research, that is,
research that moves a potential therapy from development to the market.
Will the NIH provide the financial resources necessary to maximize the
potential of this critical program?
Answer. The CTSA program is providing substantially more funding
for clinical research than was available under the GCRC program. The
CTSA allows the institution to continue activities that were conducted
in the GCRC and add new activities. With a minimum total funding level
of $4 million per year, all CTSAs will be able to offer clinical
investigators a substantial diversity of resources. The prioritization
of resources offered within an institution is determined locally, as
are any needs for cost sharing to ensure adequate support for a wide
range of activities.
National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) expects to fulfill
the charge to transform clinical and translational research within the
current overall budget for the program. At $500 million per year when
fully implemented, the CTSA program represents a significant increase
in infrastructure support over the $340 million allocated to pre-
existing NIH clinical research resources (i.e., NCRR K12, GCRC M01, NIH
K30, and Roadmap T32 and K12 programs). To reach the critical mass
necessary to transform clinical and translational research, NCRR
projects that 60 CTSAs are needed throughout the United States.
Diversity in the size, scope, and geographic location of participating
institutions will strengthen the CTSA consortium and enhance its
national and regional collaborations

CONCLUSION OF HEARING

Senator Harkin. So again, I thank you all very much, and
with that the subcommittee will stand recessed.
Dr. Kington. Thank you.
[Whereupon, at 11:49 a.m., Thursday, May 21, the
subcommittee was recessed, to reconvene subject to the call of
the Chair.]

DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND
RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2010

----------

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2009

U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met at 9:30 a.m., in room SD-124, Dirksen
Senate Office Building, Hon. Tom Harkin (chairman) presiding.
Present: Senators Kohl, Murray, Landrieu, Reed, Pryor,
Specter, and Cochran.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of the Secretary

STATEMENT OF HON. ARNE DUNCAN, SECRETARY
ACCOMPANIED BY THOMAS SKELLY, DIRECTOR, BUDGET SERVICE

OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR TOM HARKIN

Senator Harkin. Good Morning. The Labor, Health and Human
Services Education Appropriations Subcommittee will come to
order. I want to start by welcoming Secretary Duncan. I was
honored to chair the confirmation hearing on the other
committee on which I sit. But this is his first appearance
before this subcommittee, so he's here to talk about money, the
taxpayers' money.

AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT

Every year when Congress considers the President's budget
it hears people say it is a critical moment in the Nation's
history. In hindsight, some of those moments were probably more
important than others, but I would submit when it comes to
education, this is truly one of those historic moments. The
Recovery Act will add almost $100 billion to the Nation's
education system. The largest one-time investment in education
in our history, and that's on top of the more than $60 billion
in the regular 2009 bill. There has never been this much
funding in the Nation's schools before in our history. So we in
Congress, especially on this subcommittee, and the Education
Department have a special responsibility to make sure that the
money is used wisely.
Funding of this scale brings in opportunities both to help
to pull our economy out of the recession and to encourage new
innovations in the way we educate our students. But if we are
not careful, the money can also be squandered. Therefore, we
will spend part of today's hearing talking about the
implementation of the Recovery Act so far, what the Department
plans to do with the rest of the money for the months ahead.

POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

We will so consider the President's request for the fiscal
year 2010 budget. I think there is much to admire in his
proposal, and am especially pleased by his plan to end
entitlements for financial institutions that have processed
Federal student loans and switch to direct lending, instead.
This plan will save billions of dollars a year that can be re-
invested, to help middle- and low-income students get a college
education.
The President's budget also puts real money behind efforts
to improve our Nation's high schools. And the other end of the
education spectrum, the budget request makes a strong
investment in early learning.

SCHOOL FACILITIES

One area that is not addressed in the President's budget is
school repair: renovations, repair, and construction. A last-
minute decision to remove funding designated to that purpose in
the Recovery Act was, in my opinion, a grave mistake. This
money would have created jobs, met a pressing educational need
and avoided long out-year funding commitments.
But even though the funding was pulled from the Recovery
Act, the need for better school facilities grows with each
passing day. I recently introduced the School Building Act of
2009, and I intend to include money for this purpose in the
regular fiscal year 2010 appropriations bill.
So, Mr. Secretary, I look forward to hearing your testimony
about the President's budget, also the Recovery Act and other
items that will come up here.
First, I would yield to Senator Cochran. Thank you.

STATEMENT OF SENATOR THAD COCHRAN

Senator Cochran. Mr. Chairman, thank you. I am pleased to
join you in welcoming this distinguished Secretary to our
subcommittee to review the budget for the next fiscal year. We
appreciate your cooperation and look forward to working with
you through the year. As we proceed with our deliberations on
the budget request, the budget the President has submitted, I
would ask, Mr. Chairman, that the balance of my remarks be
printed in the record.
Senator Harkin. Thank you, Senator Cochran. Senator Murray.

STATEMENT OF SENATOR PATTY MURRAY

Senator Murray. Thank you very much. Mr. Chairman, Senator
Cochran, thank you so much for having this hearing. Secretary
Duncan, welcome. I am looking forward to hearing you talk today
about the budget request and a wide range of educational
challenges that you are addressing, both opportunities and
priorities. These are issues that I have been focused on a very
long time, both as an educator and as a member of this
subcommittee. So I was very pleased to see that you and the
President are preparing to tackle or more appropriately, put a
full-court press on a lot of the large issues facing us in
education today.

POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

The budget takes some exciting steps forward. I was very
happy to see the College Access and Completion Fund, that will
help our students enter and succeed in college. I think that's
a promising idea. I look forward to hearing more about that.
That's been a long-time issue of mine, especially for
disadvantaged students, and Washington State has some
innovative work in this area, so I'm looking forward to hearing
some comments on that.
I am also very encouraged by the President's goal that
every student will complete at least 1 year of postsecondary
education. I share that goal, and as a long-time advocate for
job training and education programs, it's great to have a
strong partner in the White House on that.
I discussed with you earlier one of my innovations to 21st
century careers, and looking forward to your work in that area
as well.

PROPOSED BUDGET INCREASES

I am pleased that your budget proposal has some significant
increases in Pell grants, teacher quality, State grants, school
leadership for principals, and literacy efforts. Those are all
very important in our work today.
This is a very ambitious education agenda and it comes at a
very difficult time. At home, every weekend I go home and I see
more headlines about teachers being laid off and the challenges
in our educational system. I can tell you that teachers in my
home State and across the country are not only worried about
their own job security, but the impact on their students, as a
lot of our States are facing some very tough times.

PREPARED STATEMENT

So our work on the Recovery package to support our schools
is very important, and I look forward to what you have to say
about that as well today. And Mr. Chairman, just as a note of
personal privilege, I want to just mention, I've got some
students from one of our high schools in Washington State,
Meadowdale. If you guys could just stand up? They are here all
the way across the county and I remind all of us, this is what
we are talking about today. So thank you for being here.
Senator Harkin. Welcome. Where do you say they are from?
Senator Murray. Meadowdale High School, Lynnwood,
Washington.
And, I would like to quickly mention their names for the
record: here with us today is: Joshua Gregory; Aaron Feldhaus;
Andy Nguyen; Morgan Buckingham; Samuel Triece; Evan Primm;
Robert Baldridge; Matthew Genetiano; Dalia Mendoza; Andrew
Prichard; Anwar Bible; Noah Beardsley; and Jacob Grund.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Senator Patty Murray
Thank you Chairman Harkin and Senator Cochran for holding today's
hearing to discuss the need to invest in education and prepare our
young people to succeed in school and beyond.
I also want to thank Secretary Duncan for joining us today to
present the Department's budget request and discuss our wide-range of
education challenges, opportunities, and priorities.
I have been focused on these issues for years--both as an educator
and as a member of this subcommittee.
And I'm pleased to see that you and the President are preparing to
tackle--or maybe more appropriately--put a full-court press on so many
of the large, tough issues facing our education system. And this budget
certainly takes steps forward on some very exciting education programs.
The College Access and Completion Fund to help students enter and
succeed in college is a promising idea. College access and completion,
especially for disadvantaged students, has long been a goal of mine,
and my home State of Washington has done some particularly innovative
work in this area.
Specifically, they have focused on partnerships with State and
nonprofit programs to follow up with students throughout college to
ensure their success.
I look forward to working with you on the College Access and
Completion Fund and keeping in touch as this process moves forward.
I am also encouraged by the President's clear goal to that every
student will complete at least 1 year of post-secondary education. I
share President Obama's goals, and as a long-time advocate for job
training and education programs for our workers, I am glad to have a
strong partner in the White House.
To address this goal, I will be re-introducing my bill, the
Promoting Innovations to 21st Century Careers Act, that works to bridge
the skills gap between what students need to know to be successful and
what skills employers, colleges, and communities are looking for.
I am pleased that your budget proposal has significant increases in
Pell grants; Teacher Quality State Grants; The School Leadership
Program for principals; and literacy efforts.
These are all going to help ensure that our students have access to
high-quality education--from early childhood all the way through
college.
You and President Obama have taken on an ambitious education
agenda, and we know that it comes at a difficult time. Every day there
is another front page story somewhere in my state about teachers being
laid off or education programs being cut or cancelled.
Teachers are worried about job security and parents are worried
about quality or how to pay to send their kids to college.
I am proud that our work together to pass a strong Recovery package
is beginning to help States like Washington keep more teachers in their
jobs and continue our national commitment to ensuring a quality
education for all students.
But as you know well, our long-term economic recovery is going to
depend on sustained investments and new and innovative programs that
will give our kids the skills to succeed in higher education and
careers in the 21st century economy.
I look forward to asking you questions on efforts to build those
skills and on the investments proposed in your budget.
Thank you.

Senator Harkin. Welcome to Washington. Thank you, Senator
Murray. Senator Reed.

STATEMENT OF SENATOR JACK REED

Senator Reed. Mr. Chairman, I simply want to welcome the
Secretary, and also underscore what Senator Murray said about
the College Access and Completion Fund, much of which is built
on the work that we advised them on last year, and I look
forward to the Secretary's comments on how he is going to use
the, I believe, gap provisions, and bolster this particular
fund. Thank you.
Senator Harkin. Thank you, very much, Senator Reed. Senator
Landrieu.

STATEMENT OF SENATOR MARY L. LANDRIEU

Senator Landrieu. Thank you, Mr. Secretary, just briefly, I
want to thank you for your early visit right after your
confirmation to New Orleans, to see their continued effort to
rebuild their school system, not just in the city, but in the
region. And most excitingly, Mr. Chairman, to build a brand new
school system that's based on large measure on some of the work
that has been done in this subcommittee and in our full
Appropriations Committee, but now being led by Secretary Duncan
and President Obama.
And I just want to comment that some of the same principles
about our rebuilding a new, revitalized public school system,
we can take from that, and give options and opportunities for
the rest of the country, particularly, Mr. Chairman, the focus
on expanding our commitment to quality charter schools, which
are independent public schools, to some degree, that are
showing extraordinary promise across the country. And I want to
thank the Secretary for his leadership and just say that this
budget is not only a commitment to bold reform, but I am also
excited about your commitment to funding and the President's
commitment to that goal of reform. Because that didn't happen
in the last administration, and I'm very excited that the
commitment to funding and the commitment to excellence have
been put together, and under your extraordinary leadership, I
think we can get it accomplished.
Thank you.
Senator Harkin. Thank you, Senator Landrieu. Now, Secretary
Duncan, welcome. Your statement is being made part of the
record in its entirety, and please proceed as you so desire.

SUMMARY STATEMENT OF HON. ARNE DUNCAN

Secretary Duncan. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your
leadership. I have gotten a chance to spend time with many of
the subcommittee members and I haven't seen more passion and
commitment to education anywhere. So I am very excited at the
opportunity to work with you and try and do something
dramatically better for the children of our country.

FISCAL YEAR 2010 EDUCATION BUDGET PRIORITIES

Thank you so much for the opportunity to be here today to
talk with you about President Obama's fiscal year 2010 budget
request.
Senator Harkin. Mr. Secretary, is your mike on or if it is,
can you pull yourself a little bit closer?
Secretary Duncan. This budget makes important choices to
continue and expand programs that will support our children
from cradle to career. It provides the resources necessary to
expand access to high quality early childhood programs, to
ensure that K-12 schools are preparing their students for
success in college and the workplace, and to provide college
students with the money they need to pay for college and an
assurance that the Federal Government will be there to help
them. Together, all of these policies will help our country
reach the President's ambitious goal, that by 2020 the United
States will once again have the largest proportion of college
graduates in the world.

IMPACT OF RECOVERY ACT FUNDS ON EDUCATION

I am extremely grateful for the work you have already done
to help our Nation's schools. I look forward to working with
you in the future. As you know, in the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA), you provided $100 billion to schools
and to students. The law provides a great, great start in
addressing the needs at every point along the cradle to career
spectrum. Thanks to your support, we are able to stave off an
education catastrophe and save a generation of children.
As you know, the ARRA had two goals in education: to create
and preserve jobs, and to promote school reforms. Even though
the Department of Education hasn't yet distributed all of the
money provided in the stimulus bill, we are seeing signs that
we are meeting the goal of preserving the jobs of teachers and
other educators.
We are collecting data on the number of jobs preserved, and
can point to several districts where the stimulus funding has
made a significant difference.
Because of ARRA, the Los Angeles Unified School District
averted almost 3,800 layoffs. In New York City, that number is
14,000 layoffs averted, 139 teachers kept their jobs in
Seminole County, Florida, and in Boston, teacher union leaders
say the stimulus money ensures that the city won't lay off any
teachers. Alabama's State superintendent has said that the
stimulus money will help avert all layoffs in his State as
well.
I am confident that in just about all our 14,000 districts
around the country, the stimulus money will be used to preserve
jobs that otherwise would have been lost, or to create jobs
they'd never have been able to add if they didn't receive money
from the ARRA.

EDUCATIONAL ASSURANCES FOR EDUCATION REFORM

Before this stimulus, we were heading for an educational
disaster. With it, we have largely avoided that catastrophe,
and now must also work to continue to improve student
achievement. I am convinced we have to educate our way to a
better economy.
Through ARRA, States are promising to make commitments on
policies that we consider to be essential for reform. They will
improve the effectiveness of teachers, and work to make sure
the best teachers are in the schools that need them the most.
They will improve the quality of their academic standards, so
that they will lead students down a path that truly prepares
them for college, the work force and global competitiveness.
These standards need to be aligned with strong assessments.
I am particularly concerned that these assessments accurately
measure the achievement of English language learners and
students with disabilities. Under the third assurance, States
will commit to fixing the lowest performing schools. Finally,
they will build or enhance data systems that track student
performance from one year to the next, from one school to
another, so that those students and their parents know when
they are making progress, and when they need extra help. This
information must also be put in the hands of educators, so they
can use it to improve instruction.

INCREASING INSTRUCTIONAL TIME

Another key ingredient of reform is to add more time for
instruction. I grew up in my mother's after-school program in
Chicago, so I know firsthand the importance of after-school and
summer programs. That is why we are asking districts to
consider using Recovery Act funding, as well as title I
funding, to extend the school day and the school year. In
places like Cincinnati, we are already seeing such innovation
taking place. Cincinnati is adding what they are calling a
fifth quarter, where students must spend an extra month in
school this summer.
This is also a key component of our school turnaround
strategy, because we know that kids who are struggling
absolutely need more time in order to catch up.

RACE TO THE TOP FUND

Through ARRA, we will be rewarding States, districts, and
nonprofit leaders who are dedicating themselves to moving
forward in each of these areas of reform. The $4.35 billion
``Race To The Top'' Fund will reward States that are making
commitments to reforms, so they can push forward and provide an
example for the rest of the country to follow.

WHAT WORKS AND INNOVATION FUND

The $650 million What Works and Innovation Fund will
provide grants to districts and nonprofits to scale up
successful programs and evaluate promising practices.
My department expects to issue invitations for applications
this summer and start awarding grants in the late fall. With
ARRA as a foundation, we have submitted a fiscal year 2010
budget that will build on the Recovery Act and advance all of
the President's priorities.

FISCAL YEAR 2010 DISCRETIONARY FUNDING REQUEST

Overall, President Obama is asking for $46.7 billion in
discretionary funding for the Department, an increase of $1.3
billion over the comparable 2009 level.

EDUCATION PRIORITIES

I want to highlight our request in several important areas:
early childhood education, improving the pay and professional
development of teachers, turning around low-performing schools,
and ensuring that college students have financial aid and
student loans. They need not just to enter college, but to
complete. Again, the goal is not just access, it's attainment.

IMPROVING TEACHER QUALITY

In K-12 education, we are requesting two important
investments in the key priorities identified under the
stimulus: improving the quality of our teachers and turning
around low-performing schools. In other countries, the top one-
third of college graduates enter the teaching force.
Unfortunately, too often here in the United States, our best
college graduates choose other professions. We need to change
the way we promote and compensate teachers, so that we can
attract the best and brightest into the profession by rewarding
excellence and providing supports that enable success.

TURNING AROUND LOW-PERFORMING SCHOOLS

As for turning around low-performing schools, we all know
that too many of our schools are actually letting our children
down. In too many places, achievement is low and not improving.
For example, in approximately 2,000 high schools, 60 percent of
the entering freshmen class will drop out by the time they are
supposed to be seniors. That collective loss of human potential
and the long-term negative impact on our economy are both
staggering.
Under ARRA, we have asked States to identify the bottom 5
percent of their schools. In our fiscal year 2010 budget
request, we want to give them the resources to fix them, with a
strong focus on dropout prevention in these so-called dropout
factories.

ECONOMIC IMPACT OF HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUTS

And just to pause for a moment, our dropout rate for our
country--for the Nation is approximately 30 percent. So it's a
problem that plagues every community: urban, rural, and
suburban. Recently the Alliance for Excellent Education came
out with a study on the cost to the economy of the dropouts of
the class of 2008; had they graduated and not dropped out, that
would have added an additional $319 billion in income over
their lifetimes. And if we don't do something about this
dropout crisis, over the next decade the loss to our country
will be $3 trillion. So the economic impact, beyond the lost
human potential, is something we absolutely have to come to
grips with.

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

Our budget includes $1.5 billion for the Title I School
Improvement Program. That's almost a $1 billion increase over
last year. When that amount is added to the $3 billion the
program received in the ARRA, and the $545 million in fiscal
year 2009, we will have more than $5 billion to help turn
around low-performing schools.
I am talking about dramatic changes here. I will not be
investing in the status quo or in changes around the margins. I
want States and districts to take bold actions that will lead
directly to improving student learning.
I want superintendents to be aggressive and take the
difficult step of shutting down a failing school and replacing
it with one that will work.

TEACHER INCENTIVE FUND

To improve both the quality of teachers and the critically
important support they receive, we are requesting $517 million
for the Teacher Incentive Fund, including $30 million for a
national teacher recruitment campaign. This program is designed
to improve the quality of the teaching workforce, using
innovative professional development and compensation systems as
a core strategy.
I want to be clear, I want the grants awarded under this
program to be a cooperative effort between districts and
teachers. The President has often said that he believes changes
to the teaching profession should be made by working with
teachers and not by doing things to teachers. The chance for
real collaboration here is remarkable.
Chicago was one of the first 34 projects to receive a grant
from this program. Like many others, we worked closely with our
teachers to create the program. In fact, a team of our best
teachers actually gave the program shape, and designed the
framework that became our foundation.
Together we created a program which emphasized improving
professional practices of teachers, identifying what it takes
to make teachers better, and rewarding those who improve.
One important change that we are requesting to the Teacher
Incentive Fund would allow districts to reward all of the
employees of a school for helping that school to improve
student achievement. Students excel and thrive when all adults
in the school work together. The janitors, the custodians, the
cafeteria workers, the security guards also need to be rewarded
when students in their school succeed.
I have seen throughout my life, that when every adult in
the school building collaborates to create a culture of high
expectations, magic happens for children.

READING PROGRAMS

In addition, we are seeking $370 million for the Striving
Readers Program. The program now works to improve the literacy
skills of adolescent students who are reading below grade
level. We will dedicate $70.4 million for that purpose, almost
double the amount in the fiscal year 2009 budget.
With the remaining $300 million, we will create a
competitive grant program to support districts to create
comprehensive and coherent programs that address the needs of
our young readers. These programs would ensure that students
learn all of the skills they need to become good readers,
teaching them everything from awareness to reading
comprehension.
We intend to build upon the successes and the lessons of
the Reading First Program, while simultaneously fixing the
problems.

RECOVERY FUNDS FOR TITLE I AND SPECIAL EDUCATION

I would like to say a word or two about the largest
programs that have been entrusted to us: the title I program
and the Special Education State Grants program under the
Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, that Senator
Harkin, you worked so hard on. Both programs received dramatic
funding through ARRA.
Title I received $10 billion in funding for grants to
districts, in addition to the $3 billion for school improvement
program, while Special Education State Grants received $11.3
billion. That's almost as must as it received in fiscal year
2009. We are working closely with districts to ensure that they
spend this money wisely, and not put it into programs that they
won't be able to sustain when that money runs out.
I would also like to note that both of these programs
didn't receive the increases they otherwise might have in the
fiscal year 2010 request because of the amount of money
provided in the Recovery Act and the period of availability.
We hope to resume our commitment to funding the increases
for the programs, once the stimulus money has expired. In the
short term, we need increased funding for school turnaround
efforts. The students attending these schools cannot afford to
wait. We are in crisis.
More of the same in our dropout factories will not help
children succeed and beat the odds. That would only ensure that
we, as educators, actually perpetuate poverty and social
failure. We have too many examples of what does work and what
is possible around the country to continue to allow devastating
failure to exist.

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

In fiscal year 2010, we will also be making important
investments in early childhood programs. Under title I, we are
requesting $500 million to encourage districts to use the
program's money to expand preschool programs. This money will
help build one piece of the comprehensive early childhood
programs that President Obama has proposed. It is necessary to
schools serving the title I population, which will benefit the
most from early childhood education.

EARLY LEARNING CHALLENGE FUND

The budget also includes $300 million to start the Early
Learning Challenge Fund. The program's initial goal is to help
States build a network of services that will maximize the
investment in early childhood education. Expanding access to
high quality early childhood programs is one of the best
investments we can make.

ARRA FUNDING FOR POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

All of those changes will help push school reform in K-12
schools. We also have significant, important policy changes for
higher education. The Recovery Act made an important down
payment on our plans to expand student aid. And in addition to
more aid, we want to make sure that more students are not just
attending college, but also graduating.

BUDGET PROPOSAL TO MAKE PELL FUNDS MANDATORY

The stimulus bill provided $17.1 billion so we could raise
the maximum Pell award from $4,850 to $5,350. In the fiscal
year 2010 budget, we propose important and permanent changes to
ensure students will have access to Federal grant aid and
loans. The first thing we propose is to move the Pell Grant
program from a discretionary to a mandatory appropriated
entitlement. Second, we propose to link the increase in the
maximum grant to the consumer price index (CPI), plus 1
percent, every year, which will allow the maximum grant to grow
at a rate higher than inflation, so we can keep up with the
rising cost of college.
I am grateful for all of the work that the appropriators
have done to fund annual increases for Pell grants,
particularly in the last 4 years. But even with that
dedication, the maximum grant has not kept up with the rising
cost of college tuition.
By making the Pell Grant program mandatory, and indexing
annual increases to the CPI, we are ensuring that students will
know that their Pell Grant will increase at the same rate as
their tuition. This will give them the assurances that they
will have the assistance they need to make it through college.
This is, of course, a major financial commitment.

PROPOSAL FOR ALL NEW LOANS TO BE DIRECT LOANS

We are able to pay for this change, in part, by
streamlining and improving the student loan program. We will
move all loans over time from the Federal Family Education Loan
Program to the Direct Loan Program, making loans more efficient
for taxpayers, and freeing up money for Pell grants. In doing
so, we can dramatically expand access to college without going
back to taxpayers and asking them for one additional dollar.

PROPOSED BUDGET SAVINGS AND PROGRAM ELIMINATIONS

In closing, I would like to note that this budget makes
tough decisions. President Obama asked all Cabinet agencies to
examine their budgets, line by line, to identify programs that
are ineffective and too small to have a significant impact.
Our student loan proposal saves more than $64 billion per
year. In addition, we are proposing to eliminate 12 programs,
creating an additional savings of $550 million. Even though we
recommend cutting these programs, we remain committed to their
goals. We are eliminating the $294 million State program under
the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Program because
several research studies have found that the program is
ineffective. But we absolutely remain committed to fighting
drug use and stopping violence in our schools, which is why we
are recommending a $100 million increase in spending for the
national activities under the Safe and Drug-Free Schools
Program.
Also, we are proposing to eliminate the Even Start Program;
we will continue to support the program's focus on
comprehensive literacy programs through the expanded Striving
Readers Program and Early Reading First.
These program eliminations show that our fiscal year 2010
budget is a responsible one. It is investing in our country's
future economic security, and also making tough decisions to
eliminate programs that are not working.

PREPARED STATEMENT

I appreciate the opportunity to discuss our fiscal year
2010 budget and look forward to your questions. Thank you so
much.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Arne Duncan
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: Thank you for this
opportunity to testify on behalf of President Obama's fiscal year 2010
budget for the Department of Education, and to talk with you about how
together we can lay the foundation for a generation of reform that can
restore American leadership in education.
President Obama is asking for $46.7 billion in discretionary
funding for the Department in fiscal year 2010, an increase of $1.3
billion over the comparable 2009 level, that would build on the
historic increases provided for education in the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act).
The combined resources of the Recovery Act and the 2010 request
demonstrate the President's strong belief that improving education is
the best way to ensure our long-term economic prosperity and security.
Moreover, education is the civil rights issue of our generation, and
the only truly effective weapon in our Nation's long war on poverty.
And it's not just more money that has created this unprecedented
opportunity to dramatically improve the quality of our education
system, but also broad, bipartisan agreement on what needs to be done
to achieve this goal.
We need college-ready, career-ready, internationally benchmarked
academic standards that reflect the fact that our kids today are not
competing against children down the block or even across the country,
but across the globe in countries like India and China. And to make
sure all of our kids can meet those standards, especially those poor
and minority children that currently suffer from the achievement gap,
we need to invest more in quality early childhood education.
We also must do everything we can to get a great teacher in front
of every classroom in the Nation. Everyone knows the difference that a
good teacher can make, but we have far too few good teachers in our
most challenging, lowest-performing schools. We need to change the
incentives to encourage our best teachers and principals to work in the
toughest schools.
And we need to be much more thoughtful about supporting reform and
innovation that have been proven to increase student achievement. We
need to identify and scale up best practices and promote effective
strategies like expanding the number of charter schools and extending
learning time to help turn around low-performing schools.
All of these priorities--higher standards, early childhood
education, better teaching, and promoting effective innovation--will
help more students enter and graduate from college. There is no
question that one key to success in the global economy is a college
education, and President Obama has set a national goal of ensuring that
America is number one in graduating young people from college by 2020.
Today roughly 40 percent of 25-34 year-old Americans hold college
degrees, and we want to raise that to 60 percent.
The Recovery Act put significant resources--almost $100 billion--
behind each of these strategies for ensuring that every child has the
opportunity to obtain a quality education. Our 2010 request was
developed in the context of Recovery Act funding, much of which will
continue to be available to States and school districts in fiscal year
2010, and reflects our effort to build on and make the most of that
historic investment in education.
early childhood education
We know from decades of research that investment in high-quality
early childhood education and services leads to better outcomes in both
school and the working world. President Obama is drawing on this
research for his comprehensive Zero-to-Five initiative to expand access
to quality childcare and education. The 2010 request would jump-start
this initiative by helping to improve readiness for school,
particularly in the area of early literacy and reading skills. For
example, the request includes $500 million for Title I Early Childhood
Grants, which would provide incentives for school districts to use a
larger share of Title I Grants to local educational agencies (LEAs)
funding--including the $10 billion provided by the Recovery Act--to
establish or expand title I preschool programs. We also are asking for
$300 million to launch the Early Learning Challenge Fund, which would
lay the groundwork for future investments in early childhood education
by helping to build State capacity to measure and improve the quality
of early childhood programs.
In addition, the 2010 request would strengthen early literacy
through a $335 million increase that would expand the Striving Readers
program to support comprehensive approaches to reading instruction for
children in the elementary grades that are grounded in scientifically
based reading research. A portion of the Striving Readers funds would
continue to support interventions and whole-school efforts in secondary
schools to help students who read significantly below grade level.
new incentives for effective teaching
President Obama believes strongly that ``America's future depends
on its teachers.'' We need more effective teachers, and we need them
most in our lowest-performing schools. Our request supports both of
these goals. For example, we are asking for a $420 million increase for
the Teacher Incentive Fund to significantly expand programs developed
with local stakeholders to reward effective teachers and principals and
to expand incentives for teachers, principals, and other school staff
to work in our most challenging schools. The request also includes
$29.2 million for the School Leadership program, an increase of $10
million, or 52 percent, to encourage effective principals to work in
high-need schools and to train effective teachers to become principals
or assistant principals in those schools.
promoting innovation in struggling schools
Creating new incentives for teachers and principals is part of a
broader effort in our 2010 budget to promote innovation and reform in
low-performing schools. If you look on our website, at www.ed.gov, you
will see that as part of our Recovery Act guidance we have posted a
list of almost 13,000 schools that are identified for improvement
during the current school year. That number is up by more than 1,000
schools, or 9 percent, from the previous year. And more than one-third
of these schools, or almost 5,000 schools, currently are in
restructuring status--the final stage of improvement for chronically
low-performing schools that demands fundamental changes in instruction
and school governance to break the cycle of educational failure.
Congress recognized the challenges that these schools create for
States and school districts and provided $3 billion for Title I School
Improvement Grants in the Recovery Act. The Department is working to
maximize the impact of these funds on efforts to build State and local
capacity to support school improvement, and the 2010 request would
build on those efforts by seeking $1.5 billion for School Improvement
Grants, a $1 billion increase over the regular 2009 level. The request
would help intensify efforts to identify and adopt effective turn-
around strategies. The request also would begin to help take on the
dropout crisis by requiring States to ensure that 40 percent of School
Improvement Grant allocations are spent in low-performing middle and
high schools.
In addition to school improvement funding, we are launching a major
push to identify and scale-up best practices through our What Works and
Innovation Fund, which received $650 million under the Recovery Act. We
would add $100 million to this program in 2010, to support competitive
grants to LEAs and partnerships between nonprofit organizations and
LEAs that have made significant gains in improving student outcomes to
expand or evaluate their work and serve as models of best practices. In
many ways, this program is the linchpin of everything we are working on
at the Department, because there is a huge need for effective, scalable
strategies that can improve student achievement in high-poverty, high-
need schools. Further, we request $72 million more for the Institute
for Education Sciences, so we can identify what works based on rigorous
research.
Our 2010 request also would begin to make good on President Obama's
promise to increase support for one innovation that we know can improve
student achievement--charter schools. We are seeking a $52 million
increase as part of a commitment to double funding for Charter Schools
Grants over 4 years. Other activities in our 2010 budget to promote
innovation include $50 million for a High School Graduation Initiative
to fund innovative and effective strategies designed to increase the
high school graduation rate, and $10 million for a Promise
Neighborhoods initiative that would promote comprehensive programs that
provide the support children need to achieve success from birth through
college and beyond.
helping more kids go to college
We announced most of our 2010 proposals for postsecondary education
in February as part of the 2010 President's budget overview, so I will
just summarize them briefly here. I do think we have an extraordinary
story to tell about the Federal student aid programs. Under the
President's request, the Department of Education would administer over
$129 billion in new grants, loans, and work-study assistance in 2010--a
32 percent increase over the amount available in 2008--to help more
than 14 million students and their families pay for college. Our
proposals to make Pell grants a mandatory, appropriated entitlement,
raise the maximum Pell award from $5,350 to $5,550, and index the
maximum award to inflation plus 1 percentage point, would result in a
$10.4 billion or 57 percent increase in Pell Grant assistance from the
2008-09 school year to the 2010-2011 school year. And the number of
Pell Grant recipients would rise by nearly 1.5 million, or 24 percent,
over the same period.
We would be able to provide these dramatic increases in student aid
in part because our proposal to use Federal capital to make all new
loans through the Direct Loan program, along with our proposed
restructuring of the Perkins Loans program, would save an estimated
$24.3 billion over the next 5 years. This is an extraordinary
opportunity to reform obsolete programs; increase aid available to
students; and simplify the administration of student loans for
students, families, schools, and the Department. In short, it is an
opportunity that should not be missed.
Finally, our 2010 request would launch a 5-year $2.5 billion Access
and Completion Incentive Fund that would support innovative State
efforts to improve college completion rates for low-income students.
This Federal-State partnership builds on ideas Congress included in the
Higher Education Opportunity Act, such as the State Grants for Access
and Persistence program designed to complement LEAP. A key goal of this
program is to learn more about what works, and what doesn't work, in
improving student persistence to degree. The administration also
intends to reach out to the philanthropic community as potential
partners, and expects to make use of the Experimental Sites authority
that we already have, to issue regulatory waivers for the purpose of
research on programs to improve persistence.
conclusion
The Recovery Act provided unprecedented levels of Federal support
for our schools in return for a commitment to meaningful reform
strategies. President Obama and I believe that the Recovery Act has
created a historic opportunity to improve the quality of our education
system, and we are determined to make the most of that opportunity. Our
2010 budget request would build on the resources and reforms in the
Recovery Act to help create a public school system that prepares more
students for the opportunities provided by a college education and
helps ensure that they can afford to take advantage of those
opportunities. As I said at the beginning of my testimony, I believe
these are goals we all can agree on, and I urge you to support the
President's fiscal year 2010 request for education.
I will be happy to take any questions you may have.

PELL GRANTS AND COLLEGE ACCESSIBILITY

Senator Harkin. Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary. That's
a pretty awesome list of investments that you're making in
education. I just, off the top, might say that on the issue of
the Pell grants, well, I guess we are just going to have to
discuss that further. I think there may be a little bit of
concern here on this subcommittee and others about making that
a mandatory program, but it's open for discussion. I don't have
a closed mind on it, but I think there are reasons on both
sides.
Secretary Duncan. I look forward to the discussion, and we
are open to that. The thing, just, that I worry about a lot,
Mr. Chairman, is that I worry about fifth and sixth and seventh
graders who are really smart, and who because dad or mom is
losing their job, or taking a huge pay cut, start to think
college is not for them, and that they won't be able to afford
it. And what I really want is for those young students to know
that regardless of how tough things are at home, that they are
going to have an opportunity down the road, if they work hard.
I worry about the psychological impact, where families are
under tremendous financial stress, of children just thinking,
``College is not for me.'' And those dreams start to die at an
early age.
So whatever we can do to signal to young children that
whatever stress your family is under, if you work hard and you
are committed, you're going to have an opportunity to go to
college--that's what is important to me.
Senator Harkin. Well, I am glad to hear you say that.
That's true. And you are saying that by making it mandatory
that they have heard that. But there are a lot of other ways
that we could be looking at, perhaps, making sure that students
have access to college at any early age, as long as they study
and get good grades. I am sure you have some ideas of your own
about changing that system--about providing incentives to kids
early on so that they can keep up their grades and keep up the
work, that they get scholarships and they get access to
college. But we will discuss that. As I said, I don't have a
closed mind on it, but there are arguments on both sides of
that.

TITLE I FUNDING GAP

I want to cover my time a little bit on a couple issues you
raised. One, on the Title I Program. Of course, we did put a
lot in there, as you mentioned, in the Recovery Act, $10
billion. So for this year and next year, things are fine. But
obviously we are looking at what happens when the Recovery
funds are spent--now in your budget, you requested about a $1.5
billion cut.
Well, you can say that's okay since we have all this money
in the Recovery Act. But the problem with that is you cut the
base. And you said that we are going to resume a commitment to
this funding after the Recovery Act money runs out.
But if we cut the base this year, then as we move into next
year, you've got to make that up, plus an increase. And that's
what I am concerned about is cutting the baseline.

TARGETING TITLE I FUNDS TO LOWER THE DROPOUT RATE

Secretary Duncan. Yes. I hear the concern. And what we are
trying to do is really focus that title I money on title I
children, particularly those schools that have historically
struggled.
As I mentioned in the beginning, I worry tremendously about
our national dropout rate. It's a 30 percent dropout rate. And
there was a time in our country, you know, a couple decades
ago, when that was an acceptable dropout rate. There were jobs
out there for students who didn't have a high school diploma.
But as all of you know so well, today there are no good jobs
out there for people without a minimum of a high school
diploma.
When we look at the high school dropout problem, it's
fascinating. Again, a 30 percent rate. We have these 2,000
dropout factories, about half are in urban areas, 20 percent in
rural, 30 percent in suburban. So this is a national issue.
This isn't one or the other. And we can identify 2,000 high
schools that are producing half of our Nation's dropouts. Half
the total, and 75 percent are minority students who drop out
from 2,000 high schools.
And the cost to our economy is just absolutely devastating,
as is the loss of human potential. So what I want to do is
target that title I money to really take this challenge on and
not just keep perpetuating the status quo.
Senator Harkin. And that's fine. I am concerned about
making up the gap for next year. Now you've got to come back
here again next year with the budget for fiscal year 2011, and
I am concerned how you make up that $1.5 billion--I don't know
that we are going to have any better allocation next year than
we have had this year, and how do we make up that gap of $1.5
billion, because we cut the base. So we are in a bit of a
quandary there, and I just--when you say resume, would you look
next year at bringing it back up to the 2009 level or would it
go higher than that? I mean, I am just trying to figure out
where we are headed on this.
Secretary Duncan. Well, I think those commitments are
really important to me, so how we do it is obviously not the
question. I don't know yet, but I want to get those numbers
back up and keep them up.
Senator Harkin. Fair enough. We are concerned about that
cut in the base.
Secretary Duncan. Yes.

IMPROVING EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Senator Harkin. Students with disabilities, this is one
that we pay special attention to. And we have done well, of
course, in the Recovery Act with this money. It's an historic
increase. But I am concerned about something that predates you.
In 2004, reauthorization of IDEA, there was an allowance that a
school district could reduce its special education expenditures
by 50 percent of the increase--whatever the increase they got,
they could reduce it by 50 percent over what they received in
the prior year and spend those funds on any other purpose
authorized in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
Now, if a school has fulfilled all of its responsibilities
to kids with disabilities and is meeting their needs, then I
could see that might be fine for them to do that. But in all of
the information that we have received, and the things that we
have looked at, obviously some schools have done that, but a
lot of schools haven't. And if they haven't met the basic needs
of kids with disabilities, then I am concerned that if they
take that money out, the students won't get the services they
need.
So I guess I would just say how--tell me again how your
Department is supporting the effective use of the Recovery Act
money to improve the education outcomes of students with
disabilities and will you ensure the school districts are
effectively meeting the needs of these kids before they are
allowed to shift that IDEA money?
Secretary Duncan. Very simply, I am in absolute agreement
with you. And so where States or districts are in compliance,
we will give them flexibility. Where States are out of
compliance, we will not give them that flexibility.

DROP OUT RATE OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Senator Harkin. Right on. Thank you very much. I appreciate
that very much. Again, when we talk about dropout rates, kids
with disabilities, right now, are dropping out at a much higher
rate, and a lot of this for just lack of supporting services
for these kids at school. Almost 34 percent leave school early,
and 52 percent of kids with disabilities complete high school.
So again, I appreciate your response on that.
I see that my time is out.

EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS

Senator Cochran. Mr. Chairman, thank you very much. Mr.
Secretary, the budget requests $300 million for the new early
challenge program, providing grants for the development of
statewide programs for children from birth through age 5. Some
States don't have pre-school programs in place, like my State.
Would States like Mississippi be eligible for funding under
this program in some fashion?
Secretary Duncan. They would be and let me explain how, and
obviously, we think this investment in early childhood is--you
could make a pretty good case that it is the best investment
any of us can make, so we are strongly encouraging it.
So what we are looking for from States like Mississippi,
that haven't historically invested, is they can use the
stimulus dollars, and they can use title I dollars to do that,
and then we can match those resources. So with all the
resources coming Mississippi's way, if they invest that in
early childhood, that would count as a match.
So there is an absolute opportunity there, but we want the
States to start to invest in early childhood. The State needs
it, the country needs it.

INCREASING THE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATE

Senator Cochran. In some States, dropout rates are
declining. I think in our State they are coming down. But most
recent statistics seem to indicate that too many students still
do not complete high school.
At what age was your program, again, under the new High
School Graduation Initiative?
Secretary Duncan. That's a great question. I would argue
that it's not one age. The folks in early childhood are helping
to prevent that, but that's long term. So I don't think there
is one magical age to stop. If you can start with 1 and 2 and 3
and 4-year-olds, that's the best. You know, prevention is a lot
better than addressing the back end.
So I would argue that every investment that we are making
helps, from early childhood to getting the best teachers to
work in the toughest communities, to thinking about turning
around schools, to making college more accessible and
affordable, and we haven't talked about raising standards that
we are pushing very hard on.
I would argue that everything that we are trying to do is
with a single-minded goal of having more students graduate from
high school, and having more of those graduates prepare to be
successful, both in college and in the world of work.
So I wouldn't give you one age, because I think you have to
have a comprehensive approach.

PROPOSED MOVE TO ALL DIRECT LENDING

Senator Cochran. The budget also proposes that all new
postsecondary student loans originate and be serviced through
the direct lending program. How do we pay for this entitlement
program and ensure that students will not have their maximum
grant reduced?
Secretary Duncan. This is one that I think, again, we can
pay for without asking for any more money from taxpayers
because we will basically--again, this is controversial and not
everyone agrees--but we will get out of the business of
subsidizing banks. We are going to put all of that money into
students who are in high school and going on to higher
education.
So this is a program that would generate savings,
conservatively estimated at more than $4 billion annually,
every single year.
And so this is one where we can dramatically increase
access for students, and do it without going back to taxpayers,
and do it more efficiently. And this is not, sort of, a big
Government idea. We want and we have to have dramatic private
sector involvement on the servicing of those loans. We don't
want to be in that business. We can't be in that business. So
this is a real chance for the private sector to play, and we
will reward those players who do a great job in servicing those
loans.
Senator Cochran. Let me wish you well and assure you that
on both sides of the aisle on this subcommittee, we are
interested in improving opportunities in education for all
students, whatever their financial situation is, or whatever
State they come from. And like States like mine, where we have
had to struggle over the years to meet the educational needs of
elementary and secondary students, that still is an area that
cries out for support and assistance from the Federal
Government. And I can remember, we used to in my State, it was
kind of you didn't want the Federal Government coming in and
taking over our schools, and telling us how to teach and all
the rest, but the fact of the matter is, a lot of these
programs have been very valuable.
My mother spent a career in title I mathematics education,
and was a supervisor for schools. My father was a county
superintendent of education in the largest elementary and
secondary school district in the State of Mississippi. I have
observed at close range all of the challenges that face
educators and students, alike, in States where there just
doesn't seem to be enough money to go around and meet all of
the needs that exist.
So we appreciate your efforts and your support for States
like mine.

SAVINGS FROM ALL DIRECT LENDING

Secretary Duncan. I appreciate your comments. I look
forward to working with you.
Senator Harkin. Thank you, Senator. I might just add, CBO
gave an estimate of $96 billion over 10 years, so you might
want to talk to Mr. Orzag.
Secretary Duncan. I will try to--I was talking to Tom
Skelly----
Senator Harkin. There is Mr. Skelly here.
Secretary Duncan. Again, I talked about a minimum of $4
billion and maybe well north of that.
Senator Harkin. I should have introduced for the record,
Thomas Skelly, your Budget Director for the Department of
Education. Welcome back to the subcommittee, again, Mr. Skelly.
Secretary Duncan. He is the brains of the organization.
Senator Harkin. Yes. We have met him before. Senator
Murray.

PARTNERING SCHOOL PROGRAMS WITH BUSINESS NEEDS

Senator Murray. Thank you, very much, Mr. Chairman. I
mentioned in my opening remarks my focus on making sure that
the skills that we are teaching in our schools actually match
what our businesses need. And I often hear from employers in my
State, whether it's our high-tech, clean-energy companies or
whether it's our boat builders and our construction workers,
that the skills don't match between what our students are
learning and what they need in their jobs. And I think we have
to bridge that gap and as I told you, I will be shortly
introducing legislation, again, to bring together all the
players: the employers to the schools to the community; leaders
to labor; and business workforce experts to design programs for
their own communities, to focus on the employers and the skills
that are needed in their own communities.
And I wanted to ask you if you see a place in your budget
for promoting those kinds of partnerships for the local level?

COMMUNITY COLLEGE ROLE--ACADEMIC AND JOB SKILLS

Secretary Duncan. That's hugely important. I would also
say, which we didn't talk enough about, I think the community
colleges play a huge role in this, sort of, trajectory of
education continuum and I think that's been a really
underutilized, undervalued resource. And whether it's high tech
jobs or green jobs or healthcare jobs or jobs specific to your
area--such as boat building. I was in Miami, and there's a
fashion industry there. There is a huge player that I am
actually trying to bring in, my under secretary, she was a
phenomenal junior college president. I understand there's never
been a community college president at that level of our
organization. We think that's strategic. I think it's so
important that we begin preparing our students for real jobs
and building those pipelines and working very closely with
those multiple partnerships. In some places you see great,
great progress and in some places you don't. But whatever we
can do to make sure that those employers are actually helping
to shape the curriculum and helping to shape the opportunities
that our high school students, as well as our community college
students, have. We can't do enough of that. We have to tie
education to the real world.

PERKINS LOANS

Senator Murray. And we have to look at funding programs
that are already there. Then you've got Carl Perkins loans that
were level-funded in your budget. Is there any chance for
improving funding in that?

SCALING UP WHAT WORKS

Secretary Duncan. Again, we have an opportunity not just
to--this is a real chance for folks to be creative. In the $4.3
billion Race To The Top Fund, it's all about investing and
scaling up what works. The $650 million What Works and
Innovation Fund is a chance for nonprofits and local players
that partner with districts. So there is a huge chance that
where we have demonstrated partnerships that will lead to
higher student achievement, for us to invest in them at
unprecedented levels and do more of what's working, that's with
those pools of money.

TEACHER INCENTIVE FUND

Senator Murray. I look forward to further conversations
with you on that. You mentioned in your remarks to literacy and
Striving Readers Act, which I introduced with Senator Sessions
and I wanted to make sure that--I am not sure about my time. I
want to ask you another question. But I would like to have an
opportunity to talk to you in the future about that, and how
you are going to include both adolescent and early literacy
grants in the proposal, but with the few minutes I have left, I
did want to ask you about the proposal for the Teacher
Incentive Fund.
It's a very large increase that you've asked for and it's
going to grow the program five times the funding it currently
receives to about $520 million. That program already received
an additional $200 million this year in stimulus funds.
Now this administration often has stressed to us the
importance to implementing reforms that we know and can prove
are effective. So can you tell me what the research base is,
where it shows the effectiveness for the incentives for
teachers, that justify an expanse for growth in that program at
such a high rate?
Secretary Duncan. It's a great question. There are two
themes that I am going to keep coming back to. One I talked
about is time. We need more time with our students. The school
day, the school week, the school year is too short.
The second one I fundamentally believe is we have to invest
more in our teachers. And there is a tremendous body of
research that great teachers, great principals matter
tremendously. And there are studies that I have seen that talk
about where the average student has three great teachers in a
row, that child is a 1 \1/2\ to 2 years ahead of grade level.
The average child that has three poor teachers in a row can be
so far behind that it's hard for them to catch up.

FOCUS OF TEACHER INCENTIVE FUND

So I worry a lot about--we talk a lot about the achievement
gap. I am more interested in what I call the opportunity gap,
of how we get the best and brightest educators.
Senator Murray. Yes. I don't think anybody at all disagrees
with the goal. I am just asking if you can provide us with some
studies that show that the incentives actually are what makes
those core teachers better.
Secretary Duncan. I would be happy to do that. It's not
just making core teachers better. That's why I was trying to go
to the next step. What it does is, we want to create incentives
for the best teachers to go into the most underserved
communities.
Senator Murray. So that's the focus of the program?
Secretary Duncan. That's a piece of it. It's both
developing talent and creating incentives. And I can just say
from personal experience, in Chicago, where we did this, we
only put this program in hard-to-staff schools that had
significant turnover, and we only put the program into schools
where 75 percent or more of the teachers asked for it.
Senator Murray. Okay. Can you explain to me that you put a
significant amount of money forward that has not been through
authorization, can you tell me what safeguards are going to be
in there against some subjective awards, or awards that are
only based on test scores since you are putting this money out
there?
Secretary Duncan. Absolutely. We can sit down and walk
through it very, very carefully with you. And in any good
program, test scores are never the only thing you evaluate.

TEACHER INCENTIVE FUND COMPETITIVE GRANTS

Senator Murray. My concern is that the program that goes
out to the States, so it sounds good when you say it to us, I
just want to know how it's going to be implemented?
Secretary Duncan. Let me be clear. The money is not going
out to the States. This is going out on a competitive grant
basis, so folks are going to have to apply to us. So we can
walk through with you what our request for proposal is going to
look like and what our criteria will be for evaluating those
proposals.
So this is not money that is going to go out willy-nilly.
We want to invest in those places that we think are doing this
the right way. We would be happy to sort of walk through----
Senator Murray [continuing]. It's not just going to be test
scores and----
Secretary Duncan [continuing]. Again, that never--let me be
clear on two things. One, it can never just be about test
scores. Second, it cannot pit teachers against each other.
Senator Murray. Okay. So I would like to, at some point,
work through it with you so I understand how that is going to
work.
Secretary Duncan. Absolutely.
Senator Harkin. Senator Landrieu.

SCHOOL REFORM

Senator Landrieu. Thank you. Mr. Secretary, I just can't
tell you how encouraged I am by what I have heard this morning.
I just really believe you are the right person to lead this
effort, and I am so encouraged with President Obama's continued
focus, amidst all the other things that he's got to do, but he
comes across to me and to many of us as just unrelenting, which
is the way I think he should be, and obviously you are, on
reforming a school system in crisis. And reforming a school
system that is in such a state right now that is it unable to
support the economic growth of this Nation. And the bold vision
that you have outlined, I generally support, and I want to let
you know that.

CHARTER SCHOOLS

I have a comment though, if you could take a minute to
explain to me and to the subcommittee a little bit about why
the President's and First Lady's first visit, they stopped at
charter schools. What is it that they see that we need to know
about? Because there are some questions, as you know, about
this issue around the country. We have had very good
experiences with what we call independent public schools. But
tell us for a minute about why you and the President feel so
strongly about this direction.
Secretary Duncan. It's a piece of the answer. It's not the
answer. This budget, we didn't mention, includes an additional
$52 million for charter schools. Let me tell you what we need.
We don't need more charters, we need more good schools in this
country. And for charters to be good, I think three things have
to happen.
First, you have to have a very high barrier to entry. This
is not let 1,000 flowers bloom. And if you do that, you just
perpetuate the status quo. So, you only pick the best of the
best to open schools. That's like a sacred obligation, a chance
to educate children. That should not go to everybody. That
should go to the small percentage, the absolute best.
Second, after you set that high bar, you need to give these
educators real autonomy. These are by definition entrepreneurs
and innovators. And you need to give them room and freedom from
bureaucracy.
Finally, you need to tie that real autonomy with real
accountability. You have to have performance contracts.
Obviously I am a big fan of charter schools, but I closed three
for academic failure.
And so I think if you have just autonomy without
accountability, you don't get there. If you just have the
accountability without the autonomy, nobody would want to play.
So you need to get those three conditions, and that doesn't
happen that way all around the country. I think you guys are
doing a great job of it in Louisiana and New Orleans. But when
those three things happen, you generally have some very high-
performing schools in some of the most underserved communities
in our country--inner city, urban, and rural.
And so I think that it is not, by any means, the answer,
but when done well and when done right, thoughtfully and
strategically, it is a piece of the answer. And I think what is
going on in your State, and New Orleans, specifically, is a
fascinating example of what's possible when things are done the
right way.

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND SPECIAL EDUCATION

Senator Landrieu. Thank you. My second question is about
the disability issue and program, and Senator Harkin is such an
extraordinary leader, and I try to be supportive where I can
be, but I want to just share from my experience, Mr. Chairman,
as the chairman of the D.C. subcommittee at some point. We
looked into the disability, the cost of the disability program
here in the District. And my staff is going to be getting me
some specific numbers for the record, but I believe, if my
memory serves me correctly, that the cost per student here is
somewhere between $20,000 and $40,000 a year. Is that your
understanding of the students in the District that are going to
outside of the public system? And Mr. Skelly, do you know what
the numbers are?
Mr. Skelly. Senator, those numbers sound about right, but I
am not aware of them specifically.
Senator Landrieu. I am going to ask the staff to get those
numbers on the record, because the point that I am making here
is that if we don't get on the front end of this situation,
which is, I think, what your budget is attempting to do, which
is investing in early childhood education, keeping children,
Mr. Chairman, from getting an inappropriate and unnecessary
label as dysfunctional just because they can't read. And then
they get into a trap that is actually unsustainable for any
budget to continue. It's a totally different issue than trying
to provide basic services, which the Chairman on our committee
will insist be given.
So I just want to lay the record down that we need to find
those numbers out, because it's unsustainable at the $20,000 to
$25,000 a year.

READING SKILLS AND SPECIAL EDUCATION

Secretary Duncan. I would argue that in many places, it's
much higher than that. And as you know, so many children go
into special education because they are labeled LD, learning
disabled----
Senator Landrieu [continuing]. A lot of times they can't
read----
Secretary Duncan [continuing]. And that means they can't
read. So if we teach our children to read, they don't go into
special education. And what's amazing to me is you almost never
see anyone exit special education. Once you go in, in many
cases, you are there forever. And so the right thing to do is
to do a much better job on the front end, and it is right for
multiple reasons, but if we could have--if we could reduce over
time the numbers who are going into special education because
they can't read, we will be doing those children a tremendous
service.
Senator Landrieu. Thank you, Mr. Secretary.
Senator Harkin. Thank you, Senator. Senator Kohl.

HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUTS

Senator Kohl. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Secretary, as
you sit here this morning, one of the most urgent crises that
we face is the epidemic of high school dropouts and the fact
that No Child Left Behind did not do very much to address this
problem.

DUAL ENROLLMENT PROGRAMS AND DROPOUTS

Many ideas are proposed to increase high school graduation
rates and better prepare our students for college. I have been
talking about additional Federal support for what they call
dual enrollment programs to help low-income students get on a
fast track to get a high school as well as a college degree.
As you know, these programs help students. They save time
and money on college courses while building the skills and
confidence they need to succeed in the college environment. The
President has expressed his efforts to help high school
students begin earning college credits.
Do you anticipate increased support for early college and
dual enrollment programs?

BENEFITS OF DUAL ENROLLMENT PROGRAMS

Secretary Duncan. Senator Kohl, I am very familiar with
that work under your leadership, and I want you to know how
much I appreciate it. It does a couple things for students, and
I will tell you how we will support it, but let me tell you why
I think it's so important.
First of all, in these tough economic times, having
students get that college credit in their back pocket before
they go on to college will save the high school student
significant money.
The second thing it does, which I think is probably more
important, particularly for children who might be first
generation going to college, and English language learners, it
helps them really understand in their heart, that they can be
successful at the college level. They really can do it. Some of
these children reach a psychological barrier, that they are
academically prepared, but because they don't have family
members who have taken that step, they don't believe they can
do it. And when they have that dual enrollment or dual credit
system as a 10th, 11th, 12th grader, they know they can be
successful at that collegiate level.
So there is a huge opportunity in both the $4.35 billion
Race to the Top Fund for States, as well as the $650 million
Innovation Fund for districts, community colleges,
universities, cities, whatever it might be, to come together
and expand upon those programs that are working. I think that's
a very significant investment.
Senator Kohl. In terms of priority, the program seems to me
should have a very high priority, if we talk about encouraging
our high school students that aspire to going to college, and
to more than talk about it, to give them a way in which they
can start down that path.
What kind of a priority do you have on that?
Secretary Duncan. Dual enrollment is one of our FIPSE
competitive priorities in fiscal year 2010.

INCENTIVE PAY FOR TEACHERS

Senator Kohl. Thank you. On the teacher incentive fund and
merit pay, during your time in Chicago, how did you work with
teachers and unions to get this kind of a system up and going
and implemented? What did you learn?
Secretary Duncan. As I said, the only way--I know Senator
Murray has some concerns, so I should have addressed this more
clearly while she was here, the only way this works is when you
do it in collaboration. And actually what we did in Chicago, is
we had a set of the best teachers in the system who started an
advisory council for me, they actually set the program up. So
it was absolutely teacher led.
They figured it out. They went out and met with schools
around the city and they applied for the grant through the
Department of Education and did a phenomenal job. I think we
were awarded the largest grant in the country.
And it's interesting. You do all this hard work, and you
think you have a good idea, but at the end of the day, you
don't know if anyone is going to be interested. We had 120
schools show interest and we would only go to schools where 75
percent of the teachers wanted the program. And at most of the
schools we picked, 95, 98, 100 percent of the teachers asked
for it.
So this is driven by great, great teachers. They want to be
rewarded. They want that excellence, to shine a spotlight on
that, and they want to get more great teachers into underserved
communities. So this is a perfect opportunity for
collaboration. And there can be tough conversations or
differences of opinion, and that's part of the process. But the
program we did in Chicago was created and established and led
by a set of the best teachers in the city.

ADDRESSING IMMEDIATE FISCAL NEEDS AND SUSTAINABLE REFORM

Senator Kohl. Good. As you know, the Recovery Act passed by
Congress contains billions of dollars for one-time funding for
public schools. In many States, such as my own State, they are
facing serious budget constraints and struggling just to
preserve jobs and maintain existing education services. As you
administer the funds provided in the Recovery package, how will
you help States invest in sustainable improvements while also
addressing their immediate fiscal concerns?
Secretary Duncan. Right, and sometimes people can see that
as a tension, and I think this is a real test of leadership and
creativity. So it is, you know, times of crisis that provide us
a huge opportunity. We have to be thinking about both. Let me
give you an example, on the IDEA funding, unprecedented
resources, how can you spend that money wisely? I would argue
that one of the best things that we can do is invest a massive
amount of money and train all teachers how to better work with
special education teachers. I think we have had this divide
between special education teachers and regular teachers, and
the fact of the matter is so many of our regular education
teachers have special education students in their classroom,
and don't know how to do a good job with them. And so I think
that's one area where the benefits for those teachers and
school systems will far outlast the availability of those
funds.
And so we want to work very, very hard. You see, again, I
talk a lot about time. You know, thinking differently about
time. You see lots of school districts trying to figure out how
to do more over the summer, more on the weekends, more on
Saturdays, and bring in nonprofit partners and build
sustainable programs, where schools are open 12, 13, 14 hours a
day. Where the money can be a catalyst by bringing in all these
outside partners, you have a huge leverage on those resources.
So we are going to continue to provide guidance. We are
going to highlight examples of success, like Cincinnati, that
added what they call a fifth quarter, this summer, now, for
their students, keeping them a month longer after the school
year ends. We are going to continue to provide those kinds of
best practices as examples for folks around the country.

PREPARED STATEMENT

And, you will see some real innovation. And you will see
some folks that are paralyzed by the crisis, and this will be a
real test of how leadership handles a tough situation and an
opportunity, and I would argue that the nexus of crisis and
opportunity gives a huge chance to push for the kind of
dramatic change we need.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Senator Herb Kohl
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Duncan, I join my colleagues in
welcoming you here today. I appreciate the difficult task you face in
improving our public education system, particularly in light of the
fiscal constraints we face during this recession. As we seek to
maintain America's competitiveness in the global economy and guarantee
our children their chance at the American Dream, I believe your task is
more important than ever.
As you know, one of the first orders of business must be to reform
and reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, currently
known as No Child Left Behind. I initially supported this legislation
because it guaranteed increased Federal funding and flexibility in
exchange for real accountability from schools. However, over the years,
funding levels have fallen billions short of what was authorized, and
schools are struggling to meet the law's requirements without the
necessary resources and evidence-based solutions to meet ongoing
challenges. To make matters worse, Congress also has not provided the
funding promised to States for special education under the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act. This chronic underfunding of our
public schools has caused serious hardships nationwide and makes it
extremely difficult for teachers and students to meet their goals.
I am hopeful that President Obama and this Congress will make
school funding one of our Nation's highest priorities. Although the
current economic crisis requires fiscal prudence, I believe education
is one of the best investments our Nation can make to ensure future
economic growth and stability. I am also hopeful that, under your new
leadership, the Department of Education will use Federal funding to
foster innovative ideas and new policy solutions to ensure that all
students have the opportunity to fulfill their potential--regardless of
the State or neighborhood in which they live. I look forward to working
with you and the President as we work toward these important goals.

Senator Kohl. Thank you so much. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Harkin. Thank you Senator Kohl. We call Senator
Pryor.

STATEMENT OF SENATOR MARK PRYOR

Senator Pryor. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And Mr. Secretary,
thank you for being here. I first want to start on the stimulus
spending and say that the feedback from the Arkansas Department
of Education and educators in our State are very positive on
that and we appreciate your help and your Department's
cooperation and assistance. And I am sure a lot of other States
have had that same experience, and we want to thank you for
that.
Secretary Duncan. We will try and keep it that way. Just
one plug for our staff. They have done a phenomenal job. Folks
are applying, and we are committed to turning around the
applications in 14 days, and we have been doing it in 6. Our
staff is working nights and weekends and I couldn't be more
proud of their collective effort.
Senator Pryor. That's very un-Federal and un-Government
like, and that's good.
Let me also mention just one concern, and that is, our
State Department of Education has put a lot of requirements and
very stringent guidelines on the money to make sure it is going
to the right places and doing the right things. And we
understand that there is going to be an audit of that, and
that's great. Everybody should welcome that. But the only thing
is that I would ask, that your Department coordinate with our
State departments around the country to make sure that we are
auditing the same things, and that we are focused on the same
things.
Secretary Duncan. I would be happy to go over that with
you. With unprecedented resources you want to have
unprecedented transparency and real clarity and visibility to
see how every single dollar is being spent.
Senator Pryor. Right.
Secretary Duncan. And as much as we coordinate and work
together, and not waste and not overload and not duplicate
resources, that makes a lot of sense.

ADDRESSING THE DROPOUT PROBLEM

Senator Pryor. Exactly. Thank you very much for that. I
also want to follow up on something that Senator Cochran
mentioned earlier about dropouts and how that has been a real
challenge for the Nation, and you mentioned about the drag on
the economy and problems that that causes long term. I think
you guys have set aside, what, $50 million for a new high
school graduation initiative, and how did you arrive at that
figure and how do you envision that money being spent on that?
Secretary Duncan. That is a piece of the money, again, I
would mention the $5 billion school improvement entitlement
money that we really want to focus on this. And I think as a
country, we have shied away from the complexity of this and the
difficulties of this, and I think we do that at great detriment
to those children, and at great harm to our Nation's economy
long term. So I want to confront this front and center.
And again, when you look at the data, it's fascinating. The
economic costs are staggering. When we think about 2,000 high
schools producing half the Nation's dropouts, and 75 percent of
the dropouts are minority children, that's a number you can get
your hands around. You can't tackle every school tomorrow, but
if we could systemically, year after year, come back and do
something dramatically better, not just for those high schools,
but those feeder elementaries as well, I think we could turn
this around.
And what we have, why I am optimistic, is we have in every
rural community that's poor, and any inner city urban
community, while we have these ``dropout factories'' we also
have schools where 95 percent of students are graduating, and
90 percent of those that graduated are going on to college. So
we know what works. We know what is successful out there. There
are more good examples out there today than ever before, and
what we want to do is scale those up, invest in those best
practices, and give more students those kinds of opportunities.
So this is a tough battle, but it's absolutely the battle I
think we need to fight and I am committed to being in it for
the long haul.
Senator Pryor. And it's another example of where the public
schools, the apparent demographics of the population that we
are serving presents a lot of unique challenges and
circumstances around the country.

THE GRADUATES ACT

Let me just let you know about something, if you don't
already, and that is, last year, Senator Harry Reid and I had a
bill, we called the Graduates Act, and basically what we were
trying to do is come up with a way to incentivize and reward,
innovative partnerships to try and keep people in school with
the public and private sector. Are you familiar with that?

RAISING COLLEGE GRADUATION BY 2020

Secretary Duncan. Yeah, and we want to build upon all
those--everything we can do to have students not just graduate
from high school, but go to college; but not just go, but
graduate from college. We have to. That's what this work is
about at the end of the day, to try to dramatically drive up
our college graduates by 2020. We have to take steps every
single year, and I appreciate your leadership in that effort.
Senator Pryor. Well, I just--that was a little bit before
your time, before you got here, and I just wanted to make sure
you were aware of it.

SAFE AND DRUG-FREE SCHOOLS STATE GRANTS

There are some grants that serve at-risk populations that
the administration has eliminated or has proposed elimination
of that deal with safe and drug-free schools. Could you talk a
little bit about that?
Secretary Duncan. I did. I talked about it in my statement.
That what we saw was that money we put out--obviously those are
big issues for me, both trying to keep our schools drug-free,
but also dramatically reduce violence. We found through
research and doing evaluation of this money that we put through
the States, there wasn't much effectiveness there. But money we
put out directly to districts and schools, we saw more
effectiveness. So we basically eliminated the State grants and
put an additional $100 million into a national program.
So I was trying to be more strategic: same goals, same
commitment. We are trying to be much more targeted in getting
those resources where it needs to happen.
Money was dribbling out to States, and we just weren't
seeing in objective research, in evaluative studies, we weren't
seeing the impact we want.
Senator Pryor. Do you feel like you have good ways to
measure that? Are you confident in your ability to measure
that?
Secretary Duncan. Yes, I am pretty confident we can measure
that.
Senator Pryor. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Harkin. Thank you, Senator Pryor. Senator Specter.
Senator Specter. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I join my
colleagues, Secretary Duncan, in welcoming you here. You have
taken on a tough job. I have had the opportunity to work on
this subcommittee for many years, and it's very, very
difficult.

PROPOSAL TO MOVE FFEL TO ALL DIRECT LOANS

I would like to start by asking you about the Federal
Family Education Loan Program, where the proposal has been made
to have direct loans as of July 1, 2010 and questions have been
raised in my State by the folks in the Pennsylvania Higher
Education Assistance Agency as to whether that can be
implemented in that length of time, and whether the allocation
of funding set at $500 million per year would be adequate to
take on the services which are currently provided, including
early awareness, financial literacy training and counseling
programs; and what will happen to the very substantial number
of employees who are working for not-for-profit in public
agencies in their State. So it is a sweeping change. No doubt
this is a very important program, and necessary to keep young
people in school, especially given the economic problems of
today.
How do you propose to address those very serious
considerations?

SAVINGS FROM MOVE TO DIRECT LOANS

Secretary Duncan. Yeah, so there are a couple pieces. First
is by making that switch from FFEL to direct lending, we can
dramatically increase the amount of money going out to students
directly, you know, in Pell grants. So we are anticipating
savings of over $4 billion a year, and at a time when going to
college has never been more important, as you know, it's never
been more expensive and families have never been under more
financial duress.
So we can sustain indefinitely, dramatically higher levels
of funding for students without going back to taxpayers for
another dollar. The $2.5 billion over 5 years, to help work on
not just access, but on completion, actually significantly
increases the amount of resources that will go out to
nonprofits. It will help keep those students in school and
build a culture at universities where it's not just about
access, but it's about attainment, making sure students know
what the opportunities are and in making sure they graduate.

LOAN SERVICING UNDER DIRECT LOANS

So we think these are the right investments to make. On the
servicing of loans, we don't want to get into that business.
That is all going to be done by the private sector. We don't
want to get into that. We have no expertise in it.

PROGRAMS PROVIDING TRANSITION TO COLLEGE SERVICES

Senator Specter. Mr. Secretary, how about programs that I
stated and enumerated on: early awareness, financial literacy
training, counseling programs, will they be maintained under
the changed program?
Secretary Duncan. I think more than maintain, we want to
actually enhance. We want to do more than that.
Senator Specter. Do you have more than the $500 million,
which is currently allocated here?
Secretary Duncan. Well, that's a starting point. I think
that's a very significant investment and to be able to do that
every year over the next 5 years gives us a huge opportunity to
better inform and better help students understand what their
options are.

IMPACT ON EMPLOYMENT

Senator Specter. How about the large number of employees?
Would there be some effort made to transition and accommodate
the 2,200 employees who are in my State, and who are of great
concern to me?
Secretary Duncan. Well, again, it depends what business
they're in--on that side, we think there will be a growing
market. We are going to need more folks doing this work and we
think we are actually going to increase the market share for
the folks working on the servicing of loans. And so we are
hopeful that the job loss will be minimal and we're actually
going to create jobs in those two areas.

GEAR UP PROGRAM

Senator Specter. Mr. Secretary, shifting to another
program. There has been an operation called GEAR UP, which was
originated by Congressman Fattah on the House side. And this
subcommittee has provided very substantial funding of $300
million a year and the program has been in existence for 7 or 8
years now. So it has really taken off. And these are at-risk
students, and they tie into efforts which this subcommittee has
taken the lead on mentoring. So many single parent families,
working mothers, children at loose ends, not afterschool care,
and efforts have been made to find adult mentors in the
community, this ties into many facets of their lives: the
learning program, the delinquency issue, the crime problems,
and I would be interested to know what thought you might have
of your Department supplementing efforts now being undertaken.
Secretary Duncan. I am a big fan of the GEAR UP program. We
were a large beneficiary of that program in Chicago, and for
all of the reasons you said, these are students who desperately
need that help and need the chance to be supported in that
transition from high school to college, and so we are going to
support those efforts going forward.

IMPORTANCE OF MENTORING

Senator Specter. How about the mentoring aspect?
Secretary Duncan. That's hugely important. Our children
need adults in their lives to help them to understand what
their options are, and doing the hard work with them every
single day to stay on track.
Senator Specter. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. I'd appreciate
it if I could have your commitment to take a personal look at
how the Direct Loan program is going to go, to accommodate as
best you can the kinds of concerns I have raised.
Secretary Duncan. You have that, and I would be happy to
sit down with you further and discuss exactly what's going on
in your State.
Senator Specter. Thank you.

BASIS FOR AWARDING LOAN SERVICING CONTRACTS

Senator Harkin. I just want to echo a little bit what
Senator Specter just said here. The last thing I want to see
happen is to see Mr. Lord get more money to buy--to build more
private golf courses for himself. You know, this whole scandal
that happened at Sallie Mae was awful. If someone can make that
much money off the back of students, that just shouldn't be
allowed. Now again, because Sallie Mae has gotten so big,
because of the subsidies that we have given to Sallie Mae over
the years, now they are able to undercut everybody else. So, it
does require some more looking into.
If just the cost is the only basis on which we are going to
award these service contracts, then Sallie Mae can undercut
everybody. But, my gosh, we are the ones who gave them all
these subsidies all these years so they could get that big.
Secretary Duncan. It just can't be cost. It is going to be
cost and ability to help those students.
Senator Harkin. Exactly. I appreciate it.
Secretary Duncan. You have to look at both.
Senator Harkin. I appreciate that.
Secretary Duncan. You have to look at outcomes.

SUSTAINING RECOVERY FUND INITIATIVES

Senator Harkin. And outcomes, exactly right. Exactly, Mr.
Secretary. Mr. Secretary, you mentioned Cincinnati has
increased the school year by a month?
Secretary Duncan. Yes.
Senator Harkin. Well, that's pretty good. My question is
where does the money come from?
Secretary Duncan. The stimulus.
Senator Harkin. Stimulus money? So what are they going to
do when the stimulus money runs out?
Secretary Duncan. Well, we will cross that bridge when we
get there. But, this is the right thing to do for children now
and it keeps students at-risk in school. It keeps teachers
teaching. And what I would argue is that every dollar,
historically, hasn't always been used really wisely, and you
are going to see some innovation with stimulus dollars, and if
these things work--I am very optimistic. Obviously we don't
have any data yet, but what I would argue is if districts and
States start to do some creative things with stimulus dollars,
that might change their allocation and their strategic use of
their dollars once that money is gone.

LONGER SCHOOL YEAR

Senator Harkin. Don't misunderstand me. I happen to be one
of those in favor of a longer school year. I think the school
year ought to be 11 months.
Secretary Duncan. Twelve.
Senator Harkin. Well, I am all for giving them the month of
August, 3 or 4 weeks in August, that would be fine. But I do
believe that it should be longer. And we have got to get to
that point. It is just not right what we are doing with these
kids today.
Secretary Duncan. And again, I think this is one bit where
we have not had as much creativity as we need. And more and
more, the data is showing this. And if we can use stimulus
dollars as sort of the impetus to get this gain, I think folks
will start to think about how they are using other resources
and start to allocate more funding in this direction. But this
opens that door, which I think is so important.
Senator Harkin. Well, let's open the door further. I would,
both on this subcommittee, as Chair of the subcommittee, but
also on the authorizing committee, we ought to be saying what
we can do over the next few years to expand that school year?
We have got to do this. We just can't keep on like we are.
Secretary Duncan. I appreciate your leadership on this
issue. I think it's a big, big deal.
Senator Harkin. I don't know if I am much leadership, but I
got a lot of support for you. I can put you out there on the
point, Mr. Secretary. We'll be right there backing you up.

RECOVERY ACT DISCRETIONARY EDUCATION FUNDS

Let me ask you a little bit more about the Recovery Act. It
provides that you get more money for discretion than any
Secretary of Education has ever had. This is your money and you
can just sort of do with it as you wish, $4.35 billion for the
Race To The Top Fund, $650 million for What Works and
Innovation Fund.

RACE TO THE TOP FUND GOALS

Again, this can be powerful incentives. Again, we don't
really have many details on what you plan to do with it. On the
Race To The Top Fund, I mean, let's fast forward a few years. I
mean, if we go ahead 5 years, what will you hope to have
achieved, and how will we know if it has worked? What will be
different in terms of what districts and States do in
education?
Give me some idea about this Race To The Top.
Secretary Duncan. What we want to do--what I think,
historically, what we have a bit is the race to the bottom. And
that has really hurt our country and hurt our economy and hurt
our children, and we want to fundamentally use these dollars to
reverse that. And the Race To The Top means it's not by
accident.
What we want to do, let me take the $4.35 billion first and
I will come back to the $650 million. On the $4.35 billion, we
want to work with a set of States that are willing to lead the
country where we believe we need to go. There are four areas we
are looking at.

SETTING HIGHER STANDARDS

One is we want to see higher standards. I have been arguing
pretty vociferously that in too many States, due to political
pressures, standards have been dummied down and watered down,
and that in fact, we have been lying to children. Let me take 1
minute on why I say that.
When you tell a child that they are ``meeting a State
standard,'' the logical assumption by that child and that
parent is that child is on track to be successful.
In far too many places, including the State I am from, from
Illinois, those children who are ``meeting the standards'' are
barely able to graduate from high school, and absolutely
inadequately prepared to go to a competitive university, let
alone graduate.
So we want to talk about common, college-ready, career-
ready, internationally benchmarked standards. Really raising
the bar there.

DEVELOPING COMPREHENSIVE DATA SYSTEMS

Second, we want to talk about comprehensive data systems,
so that you can't lose children throughout the educational
trajectory. You have to know how they are performing. You want
to be able to track students to their teachers, to know which
teachers are making the biggest difference in their students'
lives, and you want to be able to track teachers back to their
schools of education, so you can know which schools of
education are producing the teachers, who are producing the
students that are learning the most.

INVESTING IN TALENT

Third, we want to invest deeply in talent. Great teaching,
great principals matter tremendously. And how do we think about
getting the best and the brightest to work in the communities
that have been historically underserved--rural, inner city, and
urban?
We have had a shortage of math and science teachers for how
long? A couple of decades? I would like to pay math and science
teachers more. Some people disagree with me. I think we need to
end that. And how can we create the next generation of
engineers and mathematicians and people who are going to create
the breakthrough technologies if they are not being taught by
the teachers who know the content?
So really working with States that are willing to think
differently about talent, getting the best and the brightest
where we need them, awarding excellence, thinking about areas
of critical need.

HELPING STRUGGLING SCHOOLS

And then finally, I keep coming back to this idea of
struggling schools, and I want to take just 1 second on this.
We have about 95,000 schools in our country. Let's call it
100,000. What if we took the bottom 1 percent, the bottom 1
percent of schools each year----
Senator Harkin. You mean bottom in what way?
Secretary Duncan. One thousand schools, dropout factories,
low gain, students not learning, basically just simply not
working; and we can figure out State-by-State what that would
look like. What if we took their bottom 1 percent every year
and just fundamentally turned them around? Stop tweaking around
the edges, stop looking at incremental change, but really
trying to attack this dropout program full, square on, at both
the high school, middle school, and at the elementary level.
What we want to do is look at those four reforms and work
with a set of States and invest hundreds of millions of dollars
in those States that are willing to lead the country where we
need to go. This is really about having courage, and having the
will to challenge the status quo in some areas.

RACE TO THE TOP--REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

So in the next 2 months or so, we will issue a request for
proposal to States. We will look at how they are making
progress against these things, and we want to have a set of
States, again, lead the country and set an example of what is
possible.
On the $650 million, the Innovation Fund, investing in what
works----
Senator Harkin. Let me interrupt. So the request for
proposals, when you put those out, and you are going to do that
within the next month?
Secretary Duncan. Two to three months. We want to be very
thoughtful about it, so we are spending lots of time thinking
about it now.
Senator Harkin. Okay. So they will include specific areas
of focus in the requests?
Secretary Duncan. Yeah, and these echo and mirror the
assurances we look for on the stimulus dollars, under the
Recovery Act. These are the same areas. We are trying to be
very, very consistent in our message. We ask States to make a
series of assurances to receive stimulus dollars, and this RFP,
this request for proposal, will mirror those same assurances.
So we are trying, again, to be laser-like focused on those
things that we think will make the biggest difference.

INVESTING IN INNOVATION

Senator Harkin. Now the $650 million?
Secretary Duncan. The $650 million is not focused on
States. It's focused on districts and nonprofits. So this is
trying to--again, we have so many districts and we have so many
schools and we have so many nonprofits that are making huge
differences in students' lives.
For me, what's so helpful is that I don't think I have to
come up with any great ideas. I think all of the great ideas
are out there. We need to listen. We need to learn. We need to
invest in what works and scale it up.
And what our challenge is and opportunity, I think, Mr.
Chairman, is this. We have these huge pockets of excellence. We
have these islands of excellence. I want to take those to
scale. If something is working, I want to give more students,
more teachers, more communities the opportunity to benefit from
that.
We are seeing this flourishing of innovation in education
over the past 10, 15 years. We have wonderful examples of what
is happening, but they are all constrained by resources. If we
can significantly invest in those and give more students, more
teachers and more schools, more districts, more communities
those kinds of opportunities, I just simply want to invest in
what in those programs have demonstrated an ability to make a
difference in students' lives. That's the purpose of this $650
million.
Senator Harkin. Thank you very much. I will come back to
that, but first I want to yield to Senator Reed.

ACCESS AND COMPLETION INCENTIVE FUND

Senator Reed. Thank you, very much, Mr. Chairman, and
welcome Mr. Secretary. And let me first raise a question that I
suggested in my opening comments. That is that the Access and
Completion Incentive Fund is something that we are all excited
about. In your own statement, you suggest that it is going to
be built on some form of the LEAP and GAP program that we
passed last year. And I wonder if you might go into some of the
details, Mr. Secretary?
Secretary Duncan. Yes. I think these are really
complementary. What the LEAP--and this is your baby, so you
well know that LEAP can help some States do more to create
need-based aid, not just merit based, so really helping those
students who are poor. And again, what I want to do is not just
help give them access, I want to drive up completion rates. I
want to work on attainment. So what these resources will do, it
will go through States to universities, to really build a
culture that helps those--probably help those very same
students that your program is supporting--those students who
come in, who may not have had family members who have gone to
college, who might be English language learners, and so for me,
the goal is not just about access. It's about completion. I
think that these two, could actually be very, very
complementary and mutually reinforcing.
Senator Reed. Well, part of this whole process is making
children aware, really, of their potential to go onto higher
education, and also, to try and incentivize the State to put
more money in what are very difficult times. So anything you
could do to coordinate those programs, make them work in
tandem, not just to get them there, as you said, both
financially and academically.
Secretary Duncan. It's really interesting, not to belabor
the point, but as you well know, universities are actually, to
me, a lot like high school. You have some high schools that do
a great job on graduation rates, and some that don't. There are
some colleges that do a great job in working with at-risk
students and help them to graduate, and some don't. Again, we
have to scale up those best practices. And I will tell you
honestly, that we tracked this data very closely in Chicago,
and we started to steer our graduates away from some
universities, and towards others. Because as we looked at the
data, we saw that some universities that would have--you know
this type of population, this GPA, this class rank, this SAT
score; 90 percent of those students were graduating, and at
another university, 50 percent were. I mean, huge disparities
from very similar populations.
And so the more we can share those best practices, and get
more universities thinking about this--you know, we have done
very little to incentivize universities to graduate students.
We give them lots of money to get students in the door, but we
haven't done enough on the completion side. And that's where I
want to continue to focus every single year.
Senator Reed. Thank you. Let me turn the page literally to
another issue, and that is I commend you for the economic
recovery package, getting money out. As you pointed out in your
opening statement, preserving employment and preserving
opportunity for students in thousands of communities, both
large and small, across the country.
The first round was, essentially, to get the money out to
plug gaps. And the second round, though, I think you are going
to have to look closely at how that money has been spent, so
that it is truly honed in on the objectives and the outcomes
and the reform that you emphasized.
Can you give us an indication of how you are going to look
at the second round of funding, and tell what judgments you
will make?
Secretary Duncan. Sure. And it's a great question. We
intentionally did not put out 100 percent of the money. We put
out a lot because there was desperate need and we wanted to
stave off this educational catastrophe. And again, coming from
my previous job, you want to give States and districts the
opportunity to plan for the upcoming school year and not have
that uncertainty.
You are exactly right. As we go into the second round, let
me be clear, where States are doing the right thing, and being
creative and innovative, that's right. And we will continue to
support them.
Where States have acted in bad faith, or are playing shell
games or doing nothing, we have the ability to withhold that
money.
And further beyond that--so that's the stick. And we are
prepared--don't want to use it--but we are prepared to use it
if need be.
And the second part of that--the carrot, as Mr. Chairman
brought out, is that we have these unprecedented discretionary
resources, you know, $4.35 billion Race To The Top, $650
million Invest in What Works Innovation Fund. And I will tell
you, States that are trying to game the system or are playing
shell games or act in bad faith, they will basically eliminate
themselves from those further competitions, and deprive their
States of unprecedented new resources coming in.
And so we are trying to work with both carrots and sticks
to encourage States to do the right thing by their children.
Senator Reed. Well, I think that's a very important message
to get out today because States are under excruciating fiscal
pressure. And the pressure to just get through the day is so
excruciating that unless you lay down clear guidance and clear
markers, from what you said today, I think that they will
succumb to that.
Secretary Duncan. Yeah. We are trying to be absolutely,
explicitly clear. We will continue to do that, and again, we
are not looking for a fight. But we are prepared to have that,
if need be.
This is too big of an opportunity for our Nation's school
children to mess around.

IMPROVING LITERACY THROUGH SCHOOL LIBRARIES

Senator Reed. Let me raise another issue, Mr. Secretary,
and that is that with my colleagues, we work to improve school
libraries, and not only just for the sake of the library, but
for improving literacy. And we have had some very impressive
results in terms of demonstrating increases in literacy. I know
that the budget is rather slim, about $19 million, I think. The
grants that have been put out, I think they were roughly 496
applicants and only 60 were filled because of the budget
limitations.
And the other aspect to the legislation is that if we ever
reach the $100 million mark, and it's a formula in every State,
but a few States, the District of Columbia has never yet
received a grant. So again, a difficult set of priorities. I
would like to work with you to see if we can put some more
resources on the program.
And also, to validate the effectiveness of this proposal.
Secretary Duncan. Yes. I appreciate that and we can look at
that line item again, I would--I am happy to work with you in
that, but with stimulus dollars, with Race To The Top dollars,
it's a huge opportunity for States and districts to invest in
creative ways. They have title I dollars, an unprecedented
resource on the table, if folks can think about--not just line
items, but how they can strategically use all of these
resources to arrive at a common agenda. And that's a huge
potential avenue for schools to improve.
Senator Reed. I think just your sort of emphasis on school
libraries and their role in literacy, together with those other
resources might be a very important ingredient in this program.
Secretary Duncan. I appreciate that.
Senator Reed. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

RACE TO THE TOP FUND COMPETITION

Senator Harkin. Back to the RFP, the request for proposals,
how many do you expect to award; do you have any ball park idea
at all?
Secretary Duncan. I really don't. Again, we are going to
set a high bar, and so this is not--we are going to say ``No''
to some folks and that is going to create some pressure--but
when we say a race to the top, we literally mean that. So we
will set a high bar, and States that hit it, that's great. And
what we may do is we may come back with a second round, you
know, down the road. So States that don't hit the bar now will
come back and we will say you have another opportunity if you
make these changes.
We will be very, very clear to States, this is where you
hit it and this is where you didn't. And you know, I would love
it if at the end of the day, when we are done with this, if we
had all 50 States doing these things, that would be phenomenal.
I mean, our children would be in great, great shape. But this
is going to be--we are going to be very, very clear about our
expectations and give folks a chance to hit it now, and give
folks a chance to come back, and where they are a little short
or not doing something that we think is important, they will
have the opportunity to address that, to correct it and come
back down the road.
We will also put all of this out for public comment. So
before anything goes out, we are going to put out a draft and
give folks feedback and go through that process before we
finalize it.

OBLIGATION PERIOD OF RECOVERY ACT FUNDS

Senator Harkin. Well, you are really going to have to move
rapidly. That money is--you don't--that money expires, if I am
not mistaken, September 30 of next year, right?
Secretary Duncan. No, it can be used beyond.
Senator Harkin. It has to be obligated. No?
Secretary Duncan. We have to use it by 2010.
Senator Harkin. That's what I mean. You have to get it out
by 2010?
Secretary Duncan. They have time beyond that.
Senator Harkin. But it has to be obligated by then? Yes.
Secretary Duncan. Yes. So we will get that out, I promise
you.

RACE TO THE TOP FUND AND CHARTER SCHOOLS

Senator Harkin. Okay. Let me ask you a question about the
statement that said, ``States will hurt their chances to
compete for millions of Federal stimulus dollars if they fail
to embrace innovations, like charter schools, Secretary of
Education Duncan said Thursday.''
Is that it? If States have a cap on the number of charter
schools, that they would have a harder time of winning one of
these awards? So are charter schools a litmus test?
Secretary Duncan. It's not a litmus test. It may be one
factor--we are going to ask a series of questions around those
four assurances, and so that may be a piece of that. And again,
we haven't finalized the RFP, but it may be one of the
questions that we ask in those topics.
And again, let me be clear, I am not just for more
charters, I am for more good charters. And so it's not just
about a cap. It's much more complex than that. It's about
having accountability, autonomy, and a high barrier to entry.
Senator Harkin. I'm glad to hear you say that----
Secretary Duncan [continuing]. We want to address all of
those things.
Senator Harkin. Yes. Because there seems to be some thought
that you are focusing so much on charter schools, that every
charter school is great, no matter what.
Secretary Duncan. I try to be explicitly clear. I have
never said that, and again, if you look at my record, I closed
three charter schools for failure, and so I am for good schools
of every stripe and every ilk.

WHAT WORKS AND INNOVATION FUND

Senator Harkin. I am glad to clear that up and make that
clear, that it's not necessarily a litmus test.
There's one other thing I wanted to ask you about here, and
that was in this What Works and Innovation Fund, I just don't
know where this might fall. But it's been my view after all
these years of looking at schools, and finding schools that
work, that there are a lot of different reasons why a school
might be successful and one year why it won't. You have to look
at a lot of factors.

IMPORTANCE OF A GOOD PRINCIPAL

But the one element that always seems to be present is
whether or not they have a good principal.
Secretary Duncan. Very true.
Senator Harkin. A principal who is smart, who is dedicated,
who knows how to organize, how to motivate teachers, it's just
invaluable. But we haven't really had a good program for
training principals. You are a teacher and then you become a
principal. Well, sometimes the best teacher may not be the best
principal. The skill set may be different.

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

So we have this school leadership program, and quite
frankly, you, in your request, in your budget, you bumped it up
a lot, $19 million. We bumped it up quite a bit from 2008 to
2009, and then you asked for about $10 million increase, up to
$29.2 million for 2010.
I guess my question has to do with these RFPs that go out.
Are you going to be looking at things like that, too?
Secretary Duncan. Absolutely. That's exactly right--whether
it's districts, whether it's States, whether it's universities,
whether it's nonprofits, there are lots of folks that are
training principals. Some are doing a great job of it and some
aren't. We can look at the data at how those principals have
been trained, that have done a lot in terms of driving up
student achievement.
Senator Harkin. Good.
Secretary Duncan. In those places, again, districts,
universities, nonprofits, States, whatever players might be
doing a great job of this, there is a huge chance to do more of
that, and I absolutely concur with you. I don't think there is
a good school in this country without a good principal.
I've seen quite the inverse. I have seen a school that
struggled that had a great principal, that took 10 or 12 years
to improve. And without the right succession plan, that good
principal leaves, and within 6 months the place is a disaster.
It is much, much harder to build this thing up than it is to
tear it down.
And just as in your business, and in any of the business,
leadership matters tremendously. Good principals keep good
teachers. They help good teachers improve. They work with the
community. And so there is a huge opportunity here to invest in
leadership, and that would cure many of the problems that ail
us. When you see these high-performing schools in tough
neighborhoods, every single one has a dynamic principal driving
that change. It can't happen without it.
Senator Harkin. I am really glad to hear you say that. So
when I am looking at that request for the $29.2 million that
you are requesting, but then there might be more than that in
the----
Secretary Duncan [continuing]. The $650 million is
absolutely eligible for that. That's the kind of thing we want
to invest in.

STATE LONGITUDINAL DATA SYSTEMS

Senator Harkin. I am really glad to hear that. Let's see
what else? Let me be just a bit more general.
One of the four elements you mentioned on what you are
looking at in these RFPs, comprehensive data systems on
tracking students?
Secretary Duncan. The assurances? Yes.
Senator Harkin. There are some systems that are out there
that do this. I don't know which are good enough, but I am sure
you are looking at those that are existing already?
Secretary Duncan. Yes. You bet.
Senator Harkin. I don't know which ones are good enough,
but I know there are some out there.
Secretary Duncan. Again, and this is where there is huge
variation. Some States are doing a phenomenal job of this now,
and other States are, you know, just sort of starting off. And
what we are saying is, we're saying that this is important. You
need to know where your students are, you need to know how your
teachers are doing, and you need to know how the schools of
education are producing the teachers that are helping.
And you have to have this fundamental basis of fact or
otherwise we are just guessing. You can't guess at what is
important. You need to know what is happening, and we have to
track students throughout their educational career. You can't
be losing students through the cracks. This is not right.

DATA QUALITY CAMPAIGN

Senator Harkin. So you have already tasked someone in your
organization to start gathering the information on this?
Secretary Duncan. Yes, it actually goes well beyond this.
There is an outside group, called the Data Quality Campaign,
DQC, that has done extensive work for years in this. They have
ranked every State. They have 10 requirements. They have a set
of States that make all 10. They have a set of States that make
9, 8, 7, 6, 5, and our goal would be to have every State to hit
all 10 of those benchmarks.
So this goes far beyond our Department. This is really a
national movement with some clear bars and clear, objective
criteria, and every State knows exactly where they stand. And
we have money in the budget for data systems, and we just want
to help every State get where they need to go.
I think there are 6 States now that hit all 10 of those
criteria, so we have got some work to do.
Senator Harkin. We have a system that started in Iowa just
a few years ago. It's not complete in the State yet, but my
information from the school board says that they really like
this tracking system that they have. I will have to get more
information on it. Objectively, I don't know, how well it's
working, but from what I hear from people, they said they are
doing a great job of tracking students and making sure they
know what each student--where each student is and each teacher
knows where the student is, and where they are weak, and where
they are strong, what happened to them last year, that type of
thing.
Secretary Duncan. That sounds like exactly what we are
looking for.

TRANSITION AFTER RECOVERY ACT FUNDS ARE EXPENDED

Senator Harkin. Yeah. Okay. Lastly, and I don't mean to
keep you any longer, but on the Recovery Act funding, you
mentioned some of the guiding principles that we would be
doing. You said that they could spend money quickly and save
and create jobs, implement school reform, minimize the funding
cliff that we are going to be facing. And that is a big concern
of all of us here. But what is going to happen when we get past
next year? Some school districts are confused how to balance
all of this. They say, ``How do we create jobs without creating
this funding cliff?'' How do we implement school reform if we
just focus on creating jobs?
I don't know that I have a real pointed question on that,
it's just there is--and I am hearing back that there is some
confusion from school districts out there. What am I supposed
to do? Which is the priority: am I supposed to save some jobs,
or am I supposed to hire some new employees, some new people?
But then what is going to happen next year when the money runs
out? What will happen to them?
I keep getting input on this all the time. I just want to
explore that with you a little bit.

TARGETING RECOVERY RESOURCES--A TEST OF LEADERSHIP

Secretary Duncan. It's a really, really fair question, and
what I would really urge is, first of all, I see these things
not as contradictory, but you need to do both--let me be clear
on saving jobs. With the stimulus, you know, we think we are
going to save or create well north of 300,000 jobs.
Senator Harkin. Saving? Otherwise, it would have been more?
Secretary Duncan. Yeah, if class size would have gone from
25 to 40, we would have laid off librarians and social workers
and counselors. That would have been an absolute disaster.
Obviously, I am pushing for us to get dramatically better. If
we would have taken a step backwards, that would have been a
catastrophe for the country.
So you have to do that. Simultaneously, I would push very
hard, that if all we do is invest in the status quo, that's not
going to get us where we need to go either. And we have to
attack this 30 percent national dropout rate. We have to attack
these dropout factories. We have to think differently about
time. We have to think differently about talent. And we can do
these things at the same time. And you are seeing real
innovation, real creativity happen in some places, and you are
seeing other folks that are a little bit paralyzed. And this is
hard. This is a lot of folks under huge financial pressure.
This is not just about principles. This is a real test of
leadership and you are going to see some States and some
districts and some schools do a phenomenal job of this, and
also you are going to see some places get paralyzed, and they
won't be able to handle the pressure.
And I would argue, you know, Rahm Emmanuel has this
little--the President's Chief of Staff has this great line,
``Never waste a good crisis.'' I really believe that. That
sometimes it's in times of crisis, this intersection of crisis
and opportunity, that you can sort of push this kind of
fundamental reform. So I would argue, that if we could now,
with existing resources, and the additional title I money that
schools are requesting, that if we could fundamentally
challenge some of these dropout factories and fix them, we
would fix them forever, and we would stop this pouring out of
kids onto the streets that have no ability to compete in
today's economy and hold a good job, and support a family and
own their own home.
You know, if we train a generation of teachers to work
better with special education students and teach those students
to read early, we would prevent a whole other generation of
students being labeled special ed, a label they never escape.
So there are things that we can do now. The early childhood
investment, if we do that well, these children are going to be
better prepared for work and for life, you know, 20 years from
now. So if we do the right thing now, on both fronts, we have
this chance to fundamentally change education in our country. I
really believe that.
And so these things aren't in conflict. I think they can be
absolutely complementary. But it is going to take leadership
and vision. And we want to share best practices. So there are
no secrets in this. We are all in this together. Because as we
see States and districts doing innovative things, we are going
to try to continue to highlight those best practices, so that
other folks can steal some ideas, and we are all in this
together. We are all in this together.

PROPER USE OF RECOVERY ACT FUNDS

Senator Harkin. Well, that's very encouraging. I read
something from the States, that they might try to siphon some
of this money off into other areas. I hope that we are being
diligent in trying to check that.
Secretary Duncan. We are going to check it. And again, I am
not looking for a fight, but we put out tens of billions of
dollars, but we withheld tens of billions of dollars. We did
that for a reason. That's exactly the reason. So that's, again,
that's the stick side. The carrot side is unprecedented
discretionary resources. And if States are gaming things, they
are basically going to walk away and eliminate themselves from
the hundreds of millions of dollars in additional resources
coming to their State. So we are trying to push very hard on
both sides, carrots and sticks, to get States to do the right
thing.
I know the pressure they are under. I know the difficulties
and I don't imagine--and it varies. Some States are in
disastrous situations, but everyone is under stress. But again,
this is a test of leadership. When you are under stress, what
do you do?
This is a real test of leadership right now.

RECOVERY ACT INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION

Senator Harkin. Well, it is a real test and I think that
the President was very bold in the Recovery Act, and I think
that he met that by putting that money in there for education.
I think the total was about $100 billion.
Secretary Duncan. North of that. It is a phenomenal
investment and I appreciate your tremendous leadership in this.
Senator Harkin. Now we just want to make sure that we use
it well and wisely. I can't tell you how much I like everything
I hear coming from you, and from the President on this, and
that we are going to make some real changes and just get us
really in a new direction on education. So whatever--we will
look at these budgets and these numbers and we will obviously
will be consulting with you and your people on this as we go
through our appropriations cycle here.

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND AND NARROWING OF CURRICULUM

The last thing I just wanted to mention. This is not very
appropriate probably for this year, it would be probably more
appropriate in my other hat on the authorizing committee, but
what the heck, you are here and I am here.
I can't tell you how many times I met with your
predecessor, Margaret Spellings, on the issue of No Child Left
Behind. And that what we had seen is because of these AYPs, and
the focus on schools to do more on math and science, that what
we found is that schools under this pressure were trying to
pour money into that, and the first people to go were their art
teachers and music teachers and physical education teachers.

IMPORTANCE OF ARTS AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION COURSES

So there are two areas: one, the physical health of our
kids in school. When you build an elementary school without a
playground, I don't know what statement you are making about
the health of our kids. I had this quote from this one
principal that said that, ``We are in the business of teaching
kids, not letting them play around on monkey bars'', when asked
about the fact that they had built a school without a
playground. And so the health of our kids is important in those
early years.
But also Wynton Marsalis just gave a great 1 hour discourse
on culture at the Kennedy Center, about a month or so ago. It
was one of the most fantastic discourses on American culture,
and the history of culture as it is interwoven with the arts
and music. And it just seems that we do ourselves a disservice
if we don't have, again, a school education for those kids
where they learn about art and music, and what music means. And
not every kid is talented enough to be in math or science, but
they may have other talents. They may have talents in artistic
fields, and we have to engender that. And I just think we are
falling way behind on that. We are just getting it short
shrift, as though it's not important. I would submit it is
vitally important, and so again, with all this pressure from No
Child Left Behind, I hope we think about those other two
things. And don't leave them behind in terms of their health,
and don't leave them behind in terms of their culture, and
their appreciation for culture and the arts, music, and that
type of thing.
I just wanted to state that to you.
Secretary Duncan. I couldn't agree with you more. I worry a
lot about the narrowing of the curriculum. I think our students
desperately need arts and music and dance and drama. They need
health. They need PE. I think we have to give students multiple
opportunities to develop their unique skills and passions and
talents and give them a reason to be excited about coming to
school every single day.
For me, it was sports. For another kid, it might be debate
or chess or dance, or drama. We have to provide those
opportunities. Our students have to be healthy. They have to be
physically active.
You and I went to a phenomenal school that I will never
forget in your State that has an absolutely state-of-the-art PE
program. But, guess what? I am convinced that students are
going to do better academically because of what is going on
there and the lessons that are being learned.
So, again, it's so funny when people always talk about
these things being contradictory. Monkey bars, if they spent
some time on the monkey bars, I think they will learn more. I
was one of those young kids that couldn't sit still all day.
This is a long time, frankly, for me to sit still here. It's
still a challenge; I need some monkey bars. But kids need to
get up, to get some fresh air and run around a little bit. I
worry a lot about our young kids that don't have those kinds of
opportunities.

IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPING ALL SKILL SETS IN SCHOOL

So these things to me aren't contradictory. They absolutely
need to--do you want to improve math scores? Do some music.
There is actually a lot of data about that. And so I go back to
the narrowing of the curriculum, that's a problem. The school
day being too short, we can't pack all this stuff in. We have
got to get some more time. So this could be before school,
after school----
Senator Harkin. A longer school year.
Secretary Duncan [continuing]. At lunch time, a longer
school year, summer enrichment, so if a kid is great at the
piano or violin or dancing, drama, it's not just more of the
same, but for somebody to have the chance to build upon those
skills.
And so I think we have a real chance to be creative and to
stop those sort of false dichotomies and false battles, and say
that every kid needs these kinds of opportunities and let them
figure out what the right path is for them. So, this is one
that we want to spend a lot of time and thought on and try and
get it right.
Senator Harkin. Well, how can we be helpful both on the
authorizing end, but also on this end, the Appropriations
Committee, if there are things that we need to pilot or we need
to look at in terms of boosting some funds some place, to
enhance that, I would like to know your thoughts on that. We
may have some of our own, but we would like to hear your
thoughts.
Secretary Duncan. I look forward to that.

ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE QUESTIONS

Senator Harkin. Mr. Secretary, thank you very much. You
have been very generous with your time and input and I'm sure
that we will be dealing with your people and others as we move
ahead on this appropriations process.
Secretary Duncan. Thank you so much for your leadership. I
really appreciate it.
[The following questions were not asked at the hearing, but
were submitted to the Department for response subsequent to the
hearing:]
Questions Submitted by Senator Tom Harkin
data on lea reduction of expenditures for special education under the
individuals with disabilities education act (idea)
Question. The Recovery Act provided $11.3 billion under IDEA Part B
(section 611) Special Education State grants program. These funds were
intended to save jobs and improve student achievement through
investments in evidence-based practices with the potential for long-
term benefits. A provision in the IDEA allows States or school
districts meeting requirements under IDEA to use funding increases
received over the prior year to reduce levels of special education
expenditures by up to 50 percent of the prior-year amount. What
information has the Department collected on the number of districts and
States using this provision up through the current academic year?
Answer. IDEA, section 613(a)(2)(C), permits (local education
agencies (LEAs) that meet certain conditions to reduce their required
level of local, or State and local, expenditures on special education
by up to 50 percent of any increase in the LEA's allocation under IDEA,
section 611. The Department does not have any data on the numbers of
districts that have taken advantage of the flexibility available to
LEAs under this provision in prior years. We do not currently have a
data collection in place to collect this information; moreover, we have
not learned of any districts that have taken advantage of this
flexibility.
While we suspect that many more LEAs will be interested in taking
advantage of this flexibility during the current fiscal year, it is
worth noting that only certain LEAs will be eligible to do so. For
example, pursuant to section 616(f), State educational agencies (SEAs)
must prohibit any LEA that does not currently meet the requirements of
the Act from taking advantage of this local maintenance of effort
flexibility.
data collection on lea reduction of maintenance of effort
Question. Will the Department collect for the current academic year
and future academic years the number of districts and States reducing
maintenance of effort under current law; the amount of IDEA funds being
used for purposes authorized under the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act (ESEA); and the major categories of ESEA expenditures
made using these IDEA resources?
Answer. The Department is currently developing a data collection
instrument that will be used to obtain information on the extent to
which LEAs reduce their special education expenditures under IDEA,
section 613(a)(2)(C), or use funds for coordinated early intervening
services under section 613(f). While this data collection package has
not yet been formally approved, the agency is working to implement this
collection in time to obtain data for the 2009 fiscal year.
data on states ineligible to use maintenance of effort reduction
authority
Question. What information does the Department have available on
the number of States and districts ineligible to utilize the
maintenance of effort (MOE) reduction authority for reasons of:
mandatory early intervening services, State not meeting requirements
under IDEA or districts not meeting requirements under IDEA?
Answer. The Department does not currently have complete data on the
number of LEAs that may be ineligible to utilize the MOE flexibility
under section 613(a)(2)(C), either because those LEAs do not meet
requirements or because they are required to spend the full mandatory
15 percent on coordinated early intervening services due a finding of
significant disproportionality based on race and ethnicity. However, we
do have information for particular States.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of LEAs Number of LEAs
not in meets identified with
State Number of LEAs requirements significant
status (in disproportionality
2007 or 2008) (in 2007 or 2008)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arizona..................................................... 590 296 ( \1\ )
Arkansas.................................................... 244 ( \1\ ) 23
California.................................................. 980 85 ( \1\ )
Connecticut................................................. 180 66 ( \1\ )
Florida..................................................... 67 16 ( \1\ )
Georgia..................................................... 180 ( \1\ ) 72
Hawaii...................................................... 1 .............. ( \1\ )
Idaho....................................................... 129 ( \1\ ) 6
Indiana..................................................... 338 ( \1\ ) 7
Kentucky.................................................... 176 ( \1\ ) 4
Louisiana................................................... 96 56 ( \1\ )
Maine....................................................... 154 51 ( \1\ )
Massachusetts............................................... 391 ( \1\ ) ..................
New York.................................................... 683 51 5
Ohio........................................................ 941 542 ( \1\ )
Rhode Island................................................ 52 14 29
South Carolina.............................................. 86 ( \1\ ) 4
Tennessee................................................... 136 131 21
Texas....................................................... 1,230 523 ( \1\ )
Virgin Islands.............................................. 2 2 ( \1\ )
Wisconsin................................................... 471 137 ( \1\ )
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Not known.

long-term impact of recovery act idea funds
Question. Lastly, what is the Department's view of the long-term
impact of Recovery Act IDEA dollars being used to reduce special
education expenditures?
Answer. It is not yet clear what the long-term impact of Recovery
Act IDEA dollars will be, but the Department's goal is to ensure that
LEAs use these emergency one-time funds to avoid teacher layoffs and
support essential services, in addition to making investments in
improving student outcomes and advancing reforms that will have a
positive long-term impact.
technical assistance for special education state data collection
Question. The budget request assumes that $15 million of part B
Special Education State grants will be used for special education
technical assistance related to data collection for State Performance
Plans and Annual Performance Reports, as well as ensuring that LEAs are
meeting the requirements of IDEA. How will requested funds be used to
support these activities?
Answer. Under technical assistance for the State Data Collection
program, established under section 616(i)(2) of IDEA, the Department
makes competitive awards to provide technical assistance to improve the
capacity of States to meet the section 616 data collection
requirements. During fiscal year 2010, the Department expects to make
approximately $13 million in new awards to States, but the focus of
this upcoming competition has not yet been determined.
Technical Assistance Center on IDEA Accountability Data
The request would also support one $2 million continuation award to
support a Technical Assistance Center on IDEA Accountability Data
(called the Data Accountability Center). This project provides
assistance and information to States to help them improve data
collection infrastructures and to implement the requirements under
section 616. This on-going project focuses on the following three
areas: assessment of State needs; strategic planning and evaluation;
and provision of technical assistance to States.
additional support for states related to data collection
Question. What other Department of Education resources are being
used currently and are requested in the fiscal year 2010 budget to
assist States in carrying out their responsibilities in these areas?
Answer. The Department has not yet decided the focus areas for
upcoming competitions during fiscal year 2010. The primary source of
additional support to States on activities related to data collection
comes from centers funded through the IDEA Technical Assistance and
Dissemination program, including the Regional Resource Centers (for
which $7.8 million was awarded in fiscal year 2009 to support
approximately 4 new awards) and the Post-School Outcomes Center (which
receives approximately $800,000 per year, over 5 years, beginning in
fiscal year 2008).
special education grants to states program improvement strategies
Question. The Congressional Budget Justification indicates that one
of the Program Improvement Efforts under Special Education part B
Grants to States is ``identifying strategies in key topic areas that
have the potential for improving results for children with
disabilities.'' Specifically, what strategies has the Department
identified and on what basis has it targeted these particular
strategies?
Answer. The Department has identified strategies in a variety of
areas, including: supporting on-going, formative, school-wide
strategies such as multi-tiered interventions and Positive Behavioral
Intervention Strategies (PBIS); enhancing general education and special
education teacher effectiveness by supporting professional development
and more effective pre-service training for teachers and school
leaders; requiring all special educators to be highly qualified;
improving the curricula of pre-service teacher training programs;
supporting formal induction and mentoring programs, and incorporating
assistive technology into classroom teaching practices; establishing
coordinated data systems and using data to improve student outcomes;
incorporating universal design for learning principles as widely as
possible, and; encouraging States to adopt rigorous standards,
curricula, and assessments and ensuring that students with disabilities
have an opportunity to participate alongside their general education
peers to the greatest extent possible.
The Department targets these areas by making them the topical focus
of competitions under special education discretionary grant programs,
and by encouraging States to use funds available through the grants to
states, preschool grants, and grants for infants and families formula
programs to support authorized activities related to these strategies.
funding sources for program improvement strategies
Question. How much funding (and what funding sources) is dedicated
to implementing these strategies in the current fiscal year and how
much is included in the fiscal year 2010 budget request to continue
and/or expand on these efforts?
Answer. The Department has not yet decided the focus areas for
upcoming competitions during fiscal year 2010. However, special
education discretionary grants programs are the primary source of
funding used to support strategies in key topic areas that have the
potential for improving results for children with disabilities.
Special Education Pre-service Training, Professional Development, and
In-service Training
For example, the Personnel Preparation Program is the key source of
funding used to support key strategies related to pre-service training,
professional development, and in-service training for special educators
and school leaders. In fiscal year 2009, in additional to several new
competitions, the Department is supporting continuation awards that
target a wide range of strategies that are likely to improve results
for children with disabilities.
For example, Personnel Preparation Program investments in fiscal
year 2009 include:
--A new award to a consortium of universities that will produce at
least 30 new doctoral candidates in the area of low-incidence
sensory disabilities, including visual and hearing impairments
($5 million over 5 years beginning in fiscal year 2009).
--Up to 15 new Paraprofessional Pre-Service Training Improvement
grants. These grants will focus on improving pre-service
training programs for paraprofessionals who serve children ages
birth through 5, and children in grades kindergarten through
grade 12, by enhancing or redesigning curricula to adequately
train these paraprofessionals to address the needs of infants
and toddlers with disabilities and their families.
--A single continuation award to support the Center to Improve the
Recruitment and Retention of Special Educators ($2.5 million
over 5 years).
--Preparation of Leadership Personnel Grants.--The Department will
make approximately $5 million in new awards (to 23 grantees)
and $12.3 million in continuations (to 68 grantees) in fiscal
year 2009 to train personnel at the pre-service doctoral or
postdoctoral level in early intervention, special education, or
related services, and at the advanced graduate level (masters
and specialists).
--Pre-service Improvement Grants.--The Department will make
approximately $1.5 million in new awards (to 12 grantees) and
$4.1 million (to support 48 continuation awards) in fiscal year
2009 to institutions of higher education to ensure that pre-
service training programs and curricula are aligned with the
highly qualified teacher requirements.
special education technical assistance and dissemination program
Question. The Congressional Budget Justification under the
Technical Assistance and Dissemination Program narrative indicates that
the Department will be collecting performance and other information to
adjust issue coverage and reallocate resources for this program. Please
provide the information being used in this process and identify
specifically how funding would be reallocated under the budget request.
Answer. On an on-going basis the Office of Special Education
Programs (OSEP) works to ensure that resources available under this
program are invested in critical areas of need. In identifying new
topics for funding priorities and allocating resources OSEP considers:
Institute for Education Sciences (IES) research findings; information
on the needs of SEAs and LEAs and other important customers and
constituencies; results from formal program evaluations; and, other
relevant materials. OSEP has also established an internal Technical
Assistance and Dissemination (TA & D) workgroup. This group maps all
current TA & D investments, identifies discrepancies and emerging
trends, proposes modifications to the scope of work in current
investments, recommends projects that should be phased-out, and
recommends new priorities.
The Department has not yet decided the focus areas for upcoming
fiscal year 2010 competitions.
recruiting and retaining special education teachers
Question. The Teacher Quality Under No Child Left Behind.--Final
report documents the particular challenge that high-poverty schools
face in recruiting and retaining special education teachers. What
specific activities (and funding sources) will be undertaken to address
this issue in fiscal year 2009 and under the fiscal year 2010 budget
request?
Answer. Severe shortages in the supply of special education
teachers have been documented for at least 15 years, and the problem is
particularly acute in high-poverty districts. The Department has
adopted a number of strategies to alleviate on-going shortages of
special education teachers, including:
--Supporting initiatives that are designed to improve the overall
quality of special education training programs, to ensure that
all special educators are highly qualified, and consequently to
reduce the high turnover-rate of new and veteran special
educators teachers. For example, since fiscal year 2007 the
Department has made approximately 56 Special Education Pre-
Service Training Improvement grants to institutions of higher
education for the purpose of restructuring or redesigning
preparation programs for special educators who teach grades K
through 12 to ensure that training program curricula are
aligned with evidence-based practices and that all graduates
meet the highly qualified teacher requirements upon program
completion. During fiscal year 2009, the Department is using
$1.4 million in Personnel Preparation funds to make
approximately 12 new awards in this activity area.
--Focusing limited Federal resources for scholarship support in areas
where such investments are likely to have the greatest impact
on supply (e.g., supporting scholarships in programs that
prepare teachers of children with low-incidence disabilities
and leadership personnel). During fiscal year 2009, the
Department is using $4.5 million to support approximately 23
new awards in this area.
--Supporting novel strategies to attract and retain special education
teachers, such as alternative teacher certification programs,
high-quality professional development, partnerships between
institutions of higher education and LEAs (particularly with
high-poverty LEAs/schools), and mentoring programs for recent
graduates from training programs. For example, the Department
supports the National Center to Improve the Recruitment and
Retention of Qualified Personnel for Children with Disabilities
to help States develop and implement strategies to recruit and
retain sufficient numbers of highly or fully qualified
personnel.
Fiscal Year 2009 State Personnel Development Grant Focus on Promising
Strategies
Section 14005(d)(2) of the Recovery Act requires each State, as a
condition of receiving State Fiscal Stabilization Funds (SFSF), to
commit to taking ``actions to improve teacher effectiveness and comply
with section 1111(b)(8)(C) of the ESEA . . . in order to address
inequities in the distribution of highly qualified teachers between
high- and low-poverty schools, and to ensure that low-income and
minority children are not taught at higher rates than other children by
inexperienced, unqualified, or out-of-field teachers.'' Consistent with
the requirements of section 14005(d)(2), in fiscal year 2009 the
Department is encouraging competitive applicants under the State
Personnel Development Program to address these challenges by awarding
additional points to applicants who propose promising strategies.
The Department has not yet decided on priorities for upcoming
fiscal year 2010 competitions.
educational materials in accessible formats
Question. Under the Technology and Media Services Program, funds
are included for a competition for State System Improvement Grants
which are intended to support the development or improvement of State
systems for providing to students with disabilities educational
materials in accessible formats. The Congressional Budget Justification
describes initial awards made under this program as ``very
successful.'' What information enabled the Department to come to this
conclusion about these awards?
Answer. In September 2007, the Department made awards under the
``Educational Media Activities to Improve State Systems for Providing
Educational Materials in Accessible Formats'' priority to two
consortia:
--The Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) Consortium, which
represents 15 States serving more than 1.3 million students
under IDEA, of whom more than one-half million are estimated to
have print disabilities; and
--The Pacific Consortium for Instructional Materials Accessibility
Project (CIMAP). The Pacific CIMAP facilitates the
collaborative efforts of the six Pacific Basin entities to
build local and regional capacity for implementation of the
National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS)
and National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC)
requirements, as well as all other accessibility requirements.
Educational Media Activities To Improve State Systems for Providing
Educational Materials in Accessible Formats
The goals of the educational media activities to improve State
systems in accessible formats are to:
--Facilitate the development of State systems for increasing the
awareness and timely provision of accessible instructional
materials via NIMAS/NIMAC for qualifying students and other
means for nonqualifying students;
--Ensure that State systems for the identification, acquisition, and
use of accessible instructional materials employ high-quality
procedures and practices; and
--Produce related products and services that are scalable and can be
made available to all States, Outlying Areas (OAs), and Freely
Associated States (FAS), thus contributing to improving
outcomes for all students with disabilities.
Making available appropriate accessible materials in a timely
manner is key to improving outcomes for children and youth who are
blind or have print disabilities. Every State and Pacific entity has
indicated that it has made significant progress in implementing high-
quality sustainable systems that ensure the provision of textbooks and
related instructional materials in specialized formats in a timely
manner to students with disabilities. The information that follows
indicates that the participants in these projects are significantly
ahead of where they were 18 months ago in leveraging local, State, and
national resources so that students with print disabilities receive
appropriate, accessible, and accurate core curriculum materials in a
timely manner. State leaders involved in the consortia unanimously
attribute much of their ability to move forward to the work of the
consortia.
Educational materials obtained through source files provided by the
NIMAC only may be provided to students who meet the eligibility
requirements of the Act to Provide Books for the Adult Blind of March
3, 1931. However, the definition of eligibility promulgated to meet the
requirements of this Act does not cover many students who are eligible
under IDEA or students eligible under section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973. The consortia have addressed the needs of both students
who are eligible for materials created from NIMAS sources files and
those who are not eligible for instructional materials produced from
this source, but who have been determined to require accessible
educational materials.
AIM Consortium
Regarding the AIM Consortium, data indicate that there are 1.3
million students with disabilities served under IDEA in the 15 States
participating in the project. It is estimated that 500,000 of those
students require accessible instructional materials of some sort. This
number does not include students with learning disabilities who do not
meet the eligibility requirements for materials produced from NIMAC
source files or children with disabilities who receive services under
section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
Throughout the grant period, the AIM Consortium and its independent
evaluator have collected baseline data, periodic formative data, and
summative data to determine progress and the potential impact of the
work of the Consortium. To ensure that high- quality procedures and
practices are used by the AIM Consortium, the Consortium's Steering
Committee, made up of leaders from each of the 15 States, developed 7
Quality Indicators for the Provision of Accessible Instructional
Materials to guide the development of high-quality, sustainable
systems. Those quality indicators have been the basis of information-
gathering on the status of State delivery systems, public awareness
efforts, and targeted technical assistance. Data gathered in the fall
of 2008 indicate that the current status of State systems on each of
the indicators is markedly improved from the baseline obtained at the
beginning of the grant period.
Progress of AIM Consortium States in Developing Systems To Provide
Accessible Instructional Materials
The following table provides data on the progress the AIM
Consortium States have made toward the development of individualized
systems that align to the critical elements of high- quality systems
for the provision of accessible instructional materials. The rating
scale used to gather these data was: 1=Emerging; 2=Planning stages;
3=Under development; 4=Partly implemented; and 5=Fully implemented. The
first number in the table is the mean rating that was reported by the
AIM State Leaders at the beginning of the grant period. The second
number represents the mean rating for the most recent data collection
in February 2009, and the third number indicates the change between the
baseline and the most recent data collection.

MEAN PROGRESS RATINGS IN DEVELOPING DELIVERY SYSTEMS FOR DELIVERY OF ACCESSIBLE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mean rating-- Mean rating--
Quality indicator October February Change
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The education agency supports the provision of appropriate, 2.5 4.1 +1.6
high-quality instructional materials in specialized formats
to all students with print disabilities who require them....
The education agency supports the provision of appropriate 2.5 4.0 +1.5
specialized formats in a timely manner......................
The education agency develops and implements written 1.9 3.7 +1.8
guidelines to define the responsibilities and actions needed
for effective and efficient provision of specialized formats
The education agency supports learning opportunities and 2.1 4.2 +2.1
technical assistance (e.g., professional development,
training, and support) to facilitate the identification of
students with print disabilities, as well as the selection,
acquisition, and use of appropriate specialized formats.....
The education agency develops and implements a systematic 1.3 3.1 +1.8
process to monitor and evaluate the equitable, timely
provision of appropriate, high-quality materials in
specialized formats.........................................
The education agency uses data to guide changes that support 1.3 2.7 +1.4
continuous improvement in the selection, acquisition, and
use of accessible instructional materials...................
The education agency allocates resources sufficient to ensure 1.9 3.8 +0.9
the delivery and sustainability of quality services to
students with print disabilities............................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Educational Materials in Accessible Formats--Other Accomplishments
State leaders have also provided information on the following
accomplishments:
--Formulation of definitions of ``timely manner.'' (Each State has to
develop its own definition.)
--Coordination with the NIMAC and designation of authorized users. (A
recent NIMAC report indicates that AIM States were responsible
for 34 percent of the files that have been drawn down or
assigned to date.)
--Establishment of relationships with other federally funded NIMAS-
related projects such as Bookshare for Education, Recording for
the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D), and the American Printing House
for the Blind (APH). (The Pacific entities did not have
relationships with these programs prior to the grant.)
--Collaboration with State assistive technology service providers.
Web Links to Overview of Three State Systems for Educational Materials
in Accessible Formats
Although every AIM State has developed a system specifically
focused on the needs of that State and its students, three systems are
included here as examples. URLs shown below provide access to overviews
of those systems: Iowa at http://trueaim.iowa.gov/; Maine at http://
aim.mainecite.org/; and Louisiana at http://www.atanswers.com/aim/
downloads.html.
AIM Consortium Products
Based on input from the AIM Steering Committee, the AIM Consortium
is also developing a suite of best practices products and Services that
addresses critical areas of decisionmaking, which will be made readily
available to all States, FASs, and OAs by the fall of 2009. Each of the
products in the suite is designed to support high-quality collaborative
decisionmaking by school personnel, families, and students about the
selection, acquisition, and use of specialized formats of textbooks and
related core materials. The primary means of distribution will be via
the fully accessible AIM website.
AIM Consortium products include:
--The AIM DVD includes a variety of topics important to the
selection, acquisition, and use of accessible instructional
materials. The DVDs are expected to be accompanied by resource
materials, possible sample lesson plans, and other training
supports that would make the videos useful across multiple
environments.
--The AIM Decision Making Guidelines provides a suite of tools
(procedures/supports/materials) that increase awareness,
knowledge, and skills related to AIM for IEP team members (the
primary target group), policymakers, curriculum committee
members, materials procurement personnel, publishers, and
members of organizations with interest in and/or
responsibilities related to the education of students with
disabilities.
--The AIM Demonstration Software project provides training and
support to educators and parents involved with the selection,
conversion, and use of student-ready accessible instructional
materials. The primary product in this project is a dual-
platform laptop computer for each of the participating AIM
Consortium States, on which will be loaded an extensive suite
of assistive technology applications that support the use of
AIM.
--The User's Guide to Federally-Funded Accessible Media Producers
will provide an overview of federally funded Accessible Media
Producers, the resources available from each, who can use them,
and detailed step-by-step instructions on how to access the
resources.
--The online graduate level course entitled, ``AIM 102'' is designed
to provide practical, hands on experience in the acquisition
and creation of student-ready specialized format versions of
print instructional materials. This course is the second in the
AIM online course series (prerequisite: AIM 101: Accessible
Instructional Materials). The course will cover the creation/
acquisition of digital materials (DAISY book, html, etc.), scan
and read systems, supported reading software, large print,
Braille, and tactile graphics.
--A toolkit for implementation entitled ``Using AIM in the Classroom:
A Model for Implementation and Efficacy'' consists of a suite
of materials that can be used by SEAs and LEAs interested in
supporting the use of AIM with text-to-speech technology and to
measure efficacy in achieving successful outcomes. Model
materials for classroom implementation including a text-to-
speech training module, overview DVD, pre- and postdata
collection elements/forms, and a project planning
implementation checklist.
Provision of professional development and training to key
stakeholders is a major part of the work of the AIM Consortium. Data on
professional development and training reported by AIM State Leaders
indicate that more than 6,250 participants received training in more
than 215 sessions conducted across the 15 AIM States during the grant
period to date. Responses to a recent informal query sent to the Aim
State Contacts Listserv indicate that before the start of the AIM
Consortium, training related to the provision of accessible
instructional materials either did not occur or was limited to
awareness of NIMAS and NIMAC, and the creation of accessible formats
via assistive technology.
Pacific Consortium for Instructional Materials Accessibility Project
(CIMAP) Project Accomplishments
Some specific accomplishments of the CIMAP include connecting
consortium members with available resources, such as the American
Printing House for the Blind and Bookshare for Education; helping them,
after the determination was made that the areas are not covered by the
exemptions to the U.S. copyright law, to find other sources they can
use to obtain accessible versions of educational materials; and
providing appropriate forms and materials for the entities to use in
making direct requests to publishers for permission to make accessible
copies of educational materials. In addition, the members made
improvements in how they identify students with print disabilities,
established a database for children with print disabilities, and
provided training on how to identify and select materials and use them
in instruction.
Accessible Educational Materials Competition
Question. How will the fiscal year 2010 competition be structured
to build on what was learned through the initial competition?
Answer. We have learned a lot from these projects. They have acted
as a laboratory for identifying barriers to the provision of accessible
materials in a timely manner and creative solutions to these problems.
In addition to working directly with the 15 States and pacific
entities, the grantees have worked closely with the NIMAC, the NIMAS
Technical Assistance Center, Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic,
Bookshare for Education, the American Printing House for the Blind,
publishers, and publishing association representatives to ensure that
issues identified by the States and findings, creative solutions, and
model practices developed by the projects are disseminated to all of
the States.
Challenges to Timely Provision of Accessible Instructional Materials
Despite the progress made by the two consortia, there are a number
of major areas where continued support of the initiative to provide
accessible instructional materials to students who require them is
critically needed. Some of the challenges to timely provision of
accessible instructional materials that remain include, but are not
limited to:
--Ambiguity related to the term ``print disability'';
--Differing interpretations of who can determine that a student meets
eligibility criteria for accessible instructional materials
produced from source files obtained through the NIMAC;
--The provision of materials to students who are ineligible for
accessible instructional materials produced from source files
obtained through the NIMAC;
--Systematic quality control across the distribution process: file
creation, storage, retrieval and transformation; and
--Efficiency and the elimination of redundant effort.
In addition, while much progress has been made, many States are
still struggling. Only 15 States and the 6 Pacific Basin entities have
had opportunities for direct support and collaboration through these
projects. However, a majority of the States wanted to participate in
this program. We believe that many other States could benefit from the
opportunity to participate in the program.
Fiscal Year 2010 Proposal for new Consortium
The current projects end in September 2009. In fiscal year 2010 we
would propose to support a new consortium of States that have not
participated in the AIM Consortium or Pacific CIMAP, but that would
benefit from support and collaboration as they implement systems to
address the needs of students with disabilities, regardless of where
they are located or their eligibility for materials produced from NIMAC
source files. These States also would be expected to work closely with
the NIMAS technical assistance center and other entities involved with
the production of accessible materials to ensure that effective systems
that address the needs of all students are implemented in all of the
States.
video description grant competition
Question. The Congressional Budget Justification indicates that
$2.5 million is included for new projects and $1.1 million for
continuation projects for support of video description and closed-
captioning of educational programming that would otherwise not be
required to be described or captioned. How many projects and how much
funding would be dedicated to a video description grant competition in
2010?
Answer. The entire $2.5 million would be dedicated to the video
description grant competition in fiscal year 2010. We estimate that
approximately five new projects would be funded through this
competition.
video description performance assessment
Question. What has been the Department's evaluation/assessment of
projects funded previously?
Answer. The Department has not conducted any formal evaluations or
assessments of the video description projects. However, as part of the
Department's annual Government Performance and Results Act process, we
annually select a sample of Technology and Media Services projects to
evaluate. For example, in fiscal year 2008, a panel of six special
education experts reviewed a sample of projects that produced products
in the previous fiscal year. This included four projects that produced
described video or a combination of described video and captioning. The
products were assessed, using a nine-point scale, along three
dimensions: quality, relevance, and usefulness. Successful products are
defined as those scoring 6.0 or above. These products scored an average
of 6.5 on the quality dimension, 8.06 for relevance, and 7.81 for
usefulness. The Department also attempts to assess the efficiency of
the program by looking at the number of hours of captioning and video
description obtained from its products in relation to its expenditures.
For fiscal year 2008, the average cost for the captioning and
descriptive video products that were reviewed was $89.41 per hour.
rehabilitation services and disability research--vocational
rehabilitation state grants program
Question. In May 2009, the percent of people with disabilities in
the labor force was 22.9 compared with 71.1 for persons with no
disability. The unemployment rate for those with disabilities was 13.7
percent, compared with 8.9 percent for persons with no disability. The
fiscal year 2010 budget includes more than $3.5 billion under this
account to support programs of vocational rehabilitation (VR) and
independent living for individuals with disabilities.
What actions is the Department taking currently (or planning for
fiscal year 2010) to assist State Vocational Rehabilitation agencies in
increasing the number of individuals achieving and sustaining
employment and how does the current budget and 2010 budget request
support these actions; and lastly, what resources are available in the
current year and included in the fiscal year 2010 budget request to
support improved outcomes at State VR agencies?
Answer. The Department has undertaken three major initiatives in
its effort to improve the performance of the VR State Grants program.
These include implementing a new monitoring process that focuses on the
performance of State VR agencies, enhancing the Rehabilitation Services
Administration's (RSA) capacity to provide technical assistance, and
developing a strategic performance plan for the VR program.
As you are aware, in fiscal year 2005, the Department redesigned
its monitoring and technical assist activities to focus on performance
and assist State VR agencies in increasing the number of individuals
achieving and sustaining employment. Monitoring was centralized to
ensure more uniform procedures, and a new organizational structure
integrated RSA's data collection with monitoring activities so that the
process of review and improvement is continuous and reduces the time
period between assessing performance and conducting reviews. As
performance and other issues are identified, RSA provides technical
assistance directly to State VR agencies through the RSA monitoring
team.
Monitoring and Technical Assistance Puts Performance Improvement at
Forefront of RSA Activities
Investments in developing information from RSA databases for
monitoring and technical assistance purposes has put performance
improvement at the forefront of RSA activities. Current monitoring
efforts are facilitated by several tools that provide information
essential for the focus on performance. An enhanced RSA Management
Information System (MIS) includes various data sets developed for
performance monitoring purposes that allow RSA and State VR agency
staff to perform ad hoc queries on RSA databases and download data in
MS Excel format from the RSA-2 Cost Report and the RSA-113 Quarterly
Caseload Report data bases. Various sets of data tables are developed
annually for use by RSA monitoring teams and State VR agencies for
performance monitoring purposes. These data tables are a central
beginning point for each State VR monitoring activity, and are used by
RSA staff and State VR agency staff to discuss and identify program
areas in need of improvement or in need of further discussion and
investigation during on-site reviews. Performance information is
presented and discussed in each on-site monitoring review. These data
are also used to prepare annual review reports that include information
about each State VR agency's program outcomes, use of resources, and
performance on standards and indicators.
Technical Assistance and Continuing Education (TACE) Centers
A range of activities to assess and improve the performance of the
VR program are also being conducted with support from other resources
within RSA and the National Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation
Research (NIDRR). The Department also recently established 10 new
regional TACE Centers under the training program to provide technical
assistance and continuing education to State VR agencies and other
entities involved in the provision of vocational rehabilitation and
independent living services. The TACE Centers assess the performance
and compliance needs of agencies in their regions, including needs
identified through RSA's review process, and work with RSA and State VR
agencies to develop plans for addressing those needs. The TACE Centers
are supported by a Technical Assistance (TA) Network consisting of
other RSA- and NIDRR-funded projects focused on VR and employment.
Program Improvement Funds Projects Supporting Technical Assistance to
State VR Agencies
Program Improvement funds provided under section 12 of the
Rehabilitation Act are being used to support technical assistance
activities, including a National Vocational Rehabilitation Technical
Assistance Center (NTAC) that coordinates the activities of a TA
Network that supports technical assistance and continuing education
activities for State VR agencies. Nearly half (47 percent) of the funds
would be used to continue support for the NTAC. Program improvement
funds will also be used to increase service delivery capacity by
providing forums for sharing promising practices, and by enhancing the
capacity of grantees to fulfill their responsibilities more effectively
and efficiently. Timely training and technical assistance will be
delivered to RSA grantees and stakeholders using state-of-the-art
communication methods as the primary means of dissemination, including
web-based seminars (webinars), and RSA's new Dissemination and
Technical Assistance Resource web-based resource. These strategies will
allow RSA to reach a broader population of grantees and stakeholders
without convening face-to-face meetings, greatly improving the cost
effectiveness of providing ongoing training and technical assistance.
Evaluation Funds Support Studies To Improve Program Performance
Evaluation funds provided under section 14 of the act are also
being used to conduct studies that will assist the Department to
improve program performance. Additional information on these and other
related projects and activities are provided on pages J-80 to 89 of
Volume I of the Department of Education fiscal year 2010 Justification
of Appropriation Estimates to Congress.
Improving Quality of Program Employment Outcomes
State VR agencies are serving more individuals with particularly
challenging disabilities and personal histories, including, but not
limited to, more individuals who are autistic, experience chronic
mental illness, battle substance abuse, or have criminal records. New,
innovative, and effective approaches are needed in order for VR
agencies to improve the quality and quantity of the program's
employment outcomes. Through NIDRR, the Department is supporting
employment-related centers and projects that will identify and develop
evidence-based practices that have been proven effective in improving
employment outcomes for these and other challenging and emerging
populations. The results of these investments will be disseminated to
VR counselors and VR service providers to assist in their efforts to
increase the number of individuals with disabilities that achieve and
sustain employment.
Fiscal year 2010 Support for Projects on Employment and Vocational
Rehabilitation of Individuals With Disabilities
The fiscal year 2010 budget request would support research centers
and projects initiated in previous years and new projects that focus on
employment and vocational rehabilitation of individuals with
disabilities.
NIDRR will continue support for the following employment research
centers and projects:
--Center on Demand-Side Employment Placement Models (fiscal year
2006).
--Center for Vocational Rehabilitation Research (fiscal year 2007).
--Vocational Rehabilitation Service Models for Serving Individuals
with Autism Spectrum Disorders (fiscal year 2008).
--Center on Vocational Rehabilitation Program Management (fiscal year
2009).
--Center on Effective Delivery of Rehabilitation Technology by
Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies (fiscal year 2009).
--Center on Improved Employment Outcomes for Individuals with
Psychiatric Disabilities (fiscal year 2009).
Examples of new employment-related topics that are under
consideration for NIDRR support in fiscal year 2010 include:
--Individual-level Characteristics Related to Employment Among People
with Disabilities.
--Transition to Employment.
--Knowledge Translation of Employment Research Findings.
--Employer Practices Related to Employment Outcomes.
--Employment Measurement and Policy.
--Employment Outcomes for Individuals with Blindness and Low Vision.
Vocational Rehabilitation Strategic Performance Plan
Finally, RSA is developing a Vocational Rehabilitation Strategic
Performance Plan, including goals, objectives, and outcome-oriented
performance measures, to ensure a long-term strategic focus on program
performance, performance improvement, and outcomes for individuals with
significant disabilities. The plan will assist the Department in
directing its resources (monitoring, technical assistance, training,
demonstration, and evaluation) toward the implementation of policies
and practices that are known to have a positive effect on increasing
high-quality employment outcomes. RSA will use this plan to guide the
administration of the VR program and address program challenges. The
plan will assist RSA in monitoring progress of the VR program and to
provide appropriate, targeted technical assistance to State agencies
toward the achievement of desired outcomes.
findings from monitoring reviews of state vr agencies
Question. What are the major categories of findings from State VR
reviews and the technical assistance provided to help State VR agencies
implement corrective action plans?
Answer. Many of the findings from the reviews of State VR agencies
often center on fiscal management, implementation of an order of
selection for services (if a State agency does not have sufficient
resources to serve all eligible individuals), and delays in service
provision. When findings are identified, State VR agencies develop a
corrective action plan (CAP) describing how they will address the
findings. RSA then monitors the implementation of the plan until it is
complete. If the compliance finding relates to a failure to meet one of
the standards and indicators, the VR agency develops a program
improvement plan (PIP) and RSA monitors the agency's progress toward
improving its performance. In addition to compliance findings, RSA
makes observations and recommendations to improve the performance of
State VR agencies. Recommendations often focus on such issues as
improving the VR agencies employment outcome rate, increasing the
number of individuals applying for the program, improving the agency's
case management system, strengthening the agency's management of data,
implementing a comprehensive strategic planning process, improving
internal and external communications, and developing and implementing a
quality assurance system. RSA also provides technical assistance both
during and after monitoring visits to assist State agencies in
addressing compliance findings or to implement a recommendation.
Furthermore, the TACE Centers provide additional technical assistance
upon request.
delivery of technical assistance
Question. On average, how long does it take to complete delivery of
technical assistance to address State needs?
Answer. The duration of technical assistance depends on the type
and complexity of the need as well as when, how, and by whom the
technical assistance is delivered. RSA offers on-site technical
assistance during its reviews of State agencies, so that the delivery
of some technical assistance is immediate or completed in a few days.
RSA also has used annual fiscal and data management meetings to deliver
technical assistance directly to agency personnel over the course of 2
days. If a State agency has a PIP or CAP, the plan includes timelines
for its completion and RSA may provide technical assistance at any
point during that timeline.
The TACE Centers program provides longer-term and more systemic
technical assistance. The TACE program was recently implemented and RSA
does not yet have data on how long it takes the Centers to complete the
delivery of technical assistance to States. The Centers submitted plans
to RSA at the beginning of fiscal year 2009 describing the needs to be
addressed and the activities the TACE will conduct to address them,
including projected timelines for completion. The projected time for
TACE Centers to complete technical assistance varies based on the
complexity of the need or intervention. For example, assisting a State
agency to create and launch a quality assurance system where none
existed may take significantly longer than assisting a State agency to
create a strategic plan for addressing personnel shortages. As such,
according to TACE Center plans, the range of duration for technical
assistance is anywhere from a few months to 2 years depending on the
need.
improvement of deficiencies identified in state monitoring reviews
Question. Has the technical assistance, at least in part, led to
improvement of the deficiencies identified in VR reviews?
Answer. Yes. Over the past 3 years, State VR agencies have made
steady progress in completing corrective actions and taking steps to
improve their performance as a result of RSA's technical assistance
efforts. RSA provides technical assistance during and following its
State monitoring reviews. RSA tracks State VR agency progress and
completion of corrective actions outlined in either a CAP or a PIP.
They also track a State agency's progress toward implementing
recommendations aimed at improving performance. As of this time, RSA's
technical assistance efforts have produced the following results:
--60 agencies have completed all of their required corrective actions
that resulted from previous monitoring reviews, and 20 State VR
agencies are implementing approved corrective actions plans
resulting from fiscal year 2007 and fiscal year 2008 reviews;
--During the on-site portion of RSA's reviews, agencies have
corrected a significant number of deficiencies relating to
reporting and fiscal management requirements; and
--RSA received 84 requests for technical assistance from State VR
agencies to address performance and compliance deficiencies
identified during its fiscal year 2008 reviews of 19 State
agencies. RSA is either providing that TA directly or is
working with the TACE Centers to provide agencies with the
technical assistance they requested.
RSA has also developed an informal evaluation survey that State VR
agencies and other stakeholders are requested to complete after a
monitoring review. The vast majority of comments received indicate that
the reviews are helpful and that the technical assistance is timely and
consistent.
resources for reviews of centers for independent living
Question. Are sufficient resources available in the current year
and fiscal year 2010 budget request to conduct the 20 compliance
reviews of Centers for Independent Living (CILs) required by the
Rehabilitation Act?
Answer. The RSA has sufficient resources to conduct 20 on-site
compliance reviews of the CILs in 2009 and in 2010. In addition, RSA
uses performance information that is collected annually to monitor CIL
performance and compliance with established standards and indicators.
technical assistance for centers for independent living
Question. What resources are available in the current year and
under the fiscal year 2010 budget request to provide technical
assistance to CILs?
Answer. In accordance with section 721(b) of the Rehabilitation
Act, RSA is setting aside $2,965,788 of the funds appropriated for
fiscal year 2009 under title VII, chapter 1, part C of the
Rehabilitation Act, including $1,575,000 in Recovery Act funds, for
training and technical assistance to CILs and statewide independent
living councils (SILCs). Of this amount, $1,465,485 will be used to
provide continuation funding for three grants, two of which provide
training and technical assistance to CILs and one of which provides
these services for SILCs. Funds remaining after funding the
continuation awards will be used for new competitive awards, an
estimated $1,325,000 of which would be used to support training and
technical assistance to CILs. Under the budget request for fiscal year
2010, $1,444,788 would be set aside for training and technical
assistance to CILs and SILCs. The CILs are also eligible to receive
technical assistance from the Technical Assistance and Continuing
Education centers.
Question. Are these resources sufficient to meet the requirement
under the Rehabilitation Act?
Answer. The allocations outlined above are sufficient to comply
with the requirement in section 721(b) of the Rehabilitation Act that
RSA reserve no less than 1.8 percent and no more than 2 percent of
funds appropriated under title VII, chapter 1, part C of the Act for
CIL and SILC training and technical assistance.
career and technical education
Question. A 2005 National Research Center for Career and Technical
Education report found that a ratio of 1 CTE class for every 2 academic
classes minimizes the risk of students dropping out of school. What
role does the Department believe career and technical education courses
funded under the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act have in
working to support the administration's goal of decreasing the dropout
rate, and contributing to the administration's high school reform
efforts?
Answer. We know that many youth drop out of high school because
they are not challenged and they do not feel their courses are relevant
to their future careers and ambitions. Career and technical education
(CTE) courses provide students with the information, training, and
skills that are relevant to future careers, thus potentially making all
of their classes more meaningful. As you have noted, we know that CTE
courses can provide students, particularly those at risk of dropping
out of school, with the motivation and justification for staying in
school. According to the NCES report CTE in the United States: 1990 to
2005, students who take CTE courses in high school are likely to pursue
postsecondary education. The 2006 reauthorization of the Perkins Act
increased the Act's emphasis on the rigor of CTE courses and created
the requirement that States create at least one ``program of study,''
which, among other things, must include coherent and rigorous content
aligned with challenging academic standards and must incorporate
secondary and postsecondary elements. As such, the CTE program will
continue to support the Administration's goal of decreasing the dropout
rate by supporting high school reform efforts that make coursework more
coherent, challenging, and relevant to postsecondary education,
training, and the workforce.
intergovernmental job training programs review
Question. The Congressional Budget Justification indicates that the
administration is conducting a comprehensive review of job training
programs to assess their effectiveness. What is the Department's
timeline for completing action on this review?
Answer. In preparation for the upcoming reauthorization of the
Workforce Investment Act (WIA), the Department has been working with
the Department of Labor, Domestic Policy Council, and Office of
Management and Budget to review job training programs administered by
both agencies. The goal is to ensure that education and labor programs
work together effectively at the local level to provide seamless career
advancement services for low-skilled adults, at-risk youth, and others
needing employment and training. The review will inform the
administration's policies on reauthorization of the WIA as well as
budget policies in the President's 2011 budget request.
Question. What actions (and associated findings) have been
completed to date?
Answer. The Office of Management and Budget has convened meetings
with the Department of Education, Department of Labor, and the Domestic
Policy Council to discuss the existing job training programs and the
process for developing a reauthorization proposal.
national institute for literacy
Question. The fiscal year 2010 budget request proposes to eliminate
funding for the National Institute for Literacy (NIFL). The
Congressional Budget Justification indicates that the NIFL resources
would be absorbed by the Department, which would continue NIFL
activities that are of value to the field. How will the Department
determine which activities to continue?
Answer. The Department has begun to organize meetings in order to
learn more about the needs of the adult literacy and adult education
communities. Once we have completed that process, we will review the
existing NIFL activities and determine which of them still meet a
current need and, of those, which could be subsumed within existing
projects in the Department and which need to be continued regardless of
the vehicle. NIFL's current system of delivery, LINCS, will be part of
this review. In addition, the Department has already heard from the
adult literacy and adult education field that there is a desire to
create a new center on adult literacy and education. The center could
provide many of the services that are authorized for NIFL under the
WIA.
Question. Which National Institute for Literacy activities are
continued with resources available in the fiscal year 2010 budget
request?
Answer. The Department will need to complete a review of NIFL's
existing activities in order to determine which activities should be
continued. The funds appropriated for NIFL are multi-year funds. NIFL
has not yet begun to expend its fiscal year 2009 funds and will have
access to its fiscal year 2009 appropriation through September 30,
2010. This provides the Department with ample time to review the fiscal
year 2010 appropriations and make decisions about the activities to
continue, initiate, or terminate.
research on adult education and literacy
Question. Roughly 30 million adults have educational issues that
make difficult their pursuit of education, occupational training, and
securing or retaining a job. Specifically, how much research,
development, and dissemination funding has IES previously dedicated to
specific funding opportunities to support rigorous research on programs
and strategies designed to help adults develop the reading and writing
skills they need to be successful in school and/or work?
Answer. The following chart includes grants and cooperative
agreements, including award amounts, awarded by the IES for research
projects that focus on the development of reading and writing skills in
adult students. IES would have made additional awards on this topic if
more applications had been judged to be of higher quality by peer
reviewers. Approximately 30 percent of the funding of the National
Center on Postsecondary Research is devoted to research related to
helping adults develop reading and writing skills. Other grants shown
are exclusively on this topic.

RESEARCH ON ADULT EDUCATION AND LITERACY
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Title of research project Grantee Year Amount
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Improving Adults' Reading Outcomes with Daryl Mellard/University of 2007....................... $1,991,961
Strategic Tutoring and Content Kansas.
Enhancement Routines
Postsecondary Content-Area Reading- Dolores Perin/Teachers 2006....................... 1,168,758
Writing Intervention: Development and College, Columbia
Determination of Potential Efficacy University.
The Writing Pal: An Intelligent Tutoring Danielle McNamara/ 2008....................... 2,015,456
System that Provides Interactive Writing University of Memphis.
Strategy Training
Assessing Reading Comprehension with Joseph Magliano/Northern 2004....................... 1,560,506
Verbal Protocols and Latent Semantic Illinois University.
Analysis
Developing Reading Comprehension John Sabatini/Educational 2004....................... 1,572,635
Assessments Targeting Struggling Readers Testing Service.
Developing a Program of Postsecondary Stephen Steurer/ 2007....................... 1,997,936
Academic Instruction Over the Correctional Education
Corrections Learning Network Association.
The Effects of College Remediation on Isaac McFarlin/University 2007....................... 301,687
Students' Academic and Labor Market of Texas, Dallas.
Outcomes
National Center for the Study of Adult John Comings............... 1996 (to 2007)............. 30,191,490
Learning and Literacy (http://
www.ncsall.net/?id=1)
National Center for Postsecondary Thomas Bailey.............. 2006....................... 9,813,619
Research (http://
www.postsecondaryresearch.org)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

major findings of research on adult reading and writing
Question. What have been the major activities/findings supported by
this funding?
Answer. Research on programs and practices to help adults develop
their reading and writing skills has been funded through three
mechanisms: (a) reading and writing research programs, (b) the
postsecondary education research program, and (c) the national research
and development center program.
Reading and Writing Research Programs for Adult Learners
IES has solicited applications for research on improving reading
outcomes for adult learners through its research programs on reading
and writing since 2002, but it has received relatively few applications
for research on this topic despite the need for flexible and
appropriate interventions for adult learners and for materials that
enable adult education instructors to teach reading to underprepared
adults. In order to stimulate more interest in research on this topic,
in 2007, IES created a separate research program called ``Interventions
for Struggling Adolescent and Adult Readers and Writers.''
To date, five research projects on adult literacy have been
awarded. IES-funded researchers at the University of Kansas are
developing interventions for Job Corps participants that focus both on
mastering literacy skills and on developing the knowledge and skills
needed to pass the vocational certification tests. A team at Teachers
College is working to improve interventions for community college
students in remedial reading classes. University of Memphis researchers
are developing a computer tutor that adults can use to support their
mastery of writing. The remaining grant on this topic supports the
development of assessments for use with adult readers and writers. The
assessment of adults has provided ongoing challenges, both because the
content of typical reading assessments is inappropriate for adults, and
because current assessments do not provide sufficient discrimination at
the low ability end. IES is supporting the development of two new sets
of assessments to address these issues.
Improving Reading Outcomes for Adults Underprepared for Postsecondary
Education
IES has funded research on improving reading outcomes for adults
who are underprepared for postsecondary education through its
postsecondary education research program. The researchers on one of the
grants are evaluating the impact of a satellite-based distance learning
program for prisoners aged 18-25 on the adults' academic achievement,
progress toward a degree, recidivism, and subsequent workforce
participation. The results of this evaluation are not yet available. A
second project examines the effects of remediation courses on
postsecondary students in Texas and Florida. Initial results have found
existing remedial education programs to have no benefits for Texas
students attending 2- or 4-year institutions in regards to academic
credits attempted, likelihood of completing 1 year of college, degree
completion, transferring to a 4-year college, or labor market earnings.
national research and development centers research on adult literacy
Through grants from IES, two national research and development
centers, the National Center on Postsecondary Research and the National
Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy, have addressed
adult literacy challenges. From 1996 to 2007, the Department of
Education, through Office of Educational Research and Improvement and
then IES, supported the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning
and Literacy (NCSALL). NCSALL conducted primarily descriptive research
highlighting the diversity of individuals being served by adult
literacy instruction, characteristics of adult basic education
teachers, and social and instructional processes that occur in adult
education classes. In addition, NCSALL engaged in dissemination of
information to practitioners.
The National Center for Postsecondary Research (NCPR) is measuring
the effectiveness of programs designed to help students master the
basic skills needed to advance to a degree. Their broad program of
research includes two projects that specifically target reading skills
for underprepared postsecondary students. The first study examines the
impact of remedial English courses in community and 4-year colleges and
has found that remediation improved persistence among Florida community
college students but did not increase the likelihood of course
completion, transfer to a 4-year school, or degree completion. The
other project (no findings yet) focuses on the use of learning
communities (some specifically target reading or English) in community
colleges.
Although there is a great need for additional rigorous research in
this area, the current capacity of the field to carry out this research
is limited. In order to rectify this, IES continues to reach out to the
adult education research community and to stimulate interest in adult
education research on the part of researchers who have conducted
rigorous research on K-12 students.
funding for research on adult reading and writing
Question. How much funding is allocated to adult reading and
writing research in the current year, as well as under the budget
request?
Answer. The number of grants IES awards in any year depends on the
number of high-quality applications received under a specific program,
such as the research program on Interventions for Struggling Adolescent
and Adult Readers and Writers. No new applications for research on
adult reading and writing were awarded in 2009 because IES did not
receive any applications in 2009 that peer reviewers determined
warranted support. Ongoing projects are receiving support. IES is
unable to predict how much funding will be allocated to adult reading
and writing research in 2010, but the budget request for 2010 is
sufficient to fund all applications on this topic that peer reviewers
judge to be of high quality.
what works clearinghouse
Question. Last year, in response to concerns raised about the
operation of the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), the National Board on
Education Sciences convened an expert panel to perform a focused study
addressing the fundamental question of whether the Clearinghouse's
evidence review process and reports are scientifically valid. The panel
report found that is generally the case, but made a number of
recommendations, including that the Department of Education commission
a comprehensive review of the full range of WWC activities and
procedures, with a timeframe to allow a complete consideration of a
number of issues that could not be fully evaluated in the Expert Panel
report. What action is IES taking in and/or planning for the current
fiscal year and fiscal year 2010 to address these recommendations?
Answer. The WWC and its statistical team are currently considering
how the WWC standards should take into account study size and other
issues noted by the expert panel. The WWC released a Procedures and
Standards Handbook [Version 2.0] in December 2008 as a result of the
panel's report. A comprehensive review of the full range of WWC
activities and procedures and of its other dissemination activities
will be a high priority for IES and its new leadership as it begins to
consider reauthorization of the Education Sciences Reform Act and the
development of a statement of work for the next competition for the WWC
contract.
program administration staff increases
Question. The fiscal year 2010 budget proposes a net increase of 58
full-time equivalent staff (FTEs) above the 2009 level for key
positions not staffed in 2009 due to funding constraints and to
implement the Recovery Act. The Congressional Budget Justification
identifies 7 FTEs in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
needed for Recovery Act implementation. Please identify the positions
not staffed in 2009 due to funding constraints, as well as the impact
of not staffing these positions in 2009 and in 2010.
Answer. The additional staff requested in fiscal year 2010 are
necessary to perform several key functions not performed at optimal
levels in 2009 due to funding constraints. These functions are grouped
into the four areas listed below.
The first function requiring additional staff is monitoring grants
awarded by the Department in a variety of areas including elementary
education, postsecondary education, and in programs grants focusing on
providing services to individuals with disabilities. Additional
monitoring is needed to ensure that Department programs are both
improving the quality of education and are fiscally sound.
Additional staff are also needed to work on increasing college
access and student success by restructuring and dramatically expanding
Federal financial aid, while making programs simpler, more reliable,
and more efficient. A key component of this effort is to simplify the
Federal application for student aid--Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA)--making it easier to complete and more effective
for students.
Increased staff will also work on the administration's priorities
related to reauthorization of the ESEA and the WIA.
Finally, staff are needed for the Department's staff offices to
work on activities including budgeting, legislative affairs, public
outreach, and policy formulation.
recovery act administrative activities
Question. The Recovery Act required Department staff to take many
actions this budget year, including developing and issuing guidance
documents, allocating funds, and writing requests for proposals,
without additional resources. What specific activities would be
undertaken with these requested funds?
Answer. For several Recovery Act programs, such as the State Fiscal
Stabilization Fund, Teacher Incentive Fund, and Impact Aid, the
Department received appropriated funds for the purpose of
administration and oversight. For Recovery Act programs without any
administration and oversight funds, the Department has included funds
necessary for this purpose in its fiscal year 2010 program
administration budget request. ARRA-specific administration and
oversight activities include policy development, grant award (either
through allocation or grant competition), technical assistance--
ensuring that grantees effectively and properly use their funds, grant
reporting, and grant monitoring. In many cases, the Department assumed
these activities would be covered with existing resources and staff
time.
compliance and technical assistance activities in the office for civil
rights
Question. Over the last decade, more than half of the Office for
Civil Rights' (OCR) complaint receipts have alleged disability
discrimination. Please explain the compliance and technical assistance
activities that OCR is taking currently or planning to undertake in the
current budget year and fiscal year 2010.
Answer. Shown below is a list of the 29 fiscal year 2009 compliance
reviews conducted by OCR. Also shown below is a list of the fiscal year
2009 planned technical assistance activities. More than 100 technical
assistance presentations have already been done by OCR on the issues
listed, some initiated by OCR and others requested by recipients or
interested other parties such as parent groups or students. In
addition, OCR does other technical assistance as requested.
Concerning the compliance reviews and technical assistance
activities that OCR plans to conduct in fiscal year 2010, those plans
are being developed now.
Fiscal year 2009 OCR Compliance Reviews
Fiscal year 2009 OCR Compliance Reviews:
--Providence Public Schools (RI)
Title VI: English Language Learners services, Limited English
Proficient parent communication
--Sachem Central School District (NY)
Section 504/ADA: Coordinator, grievance procedures
--Hempstead Union Free School District (NY)
Section 504/ADA: Coordinator, grievance procedures
--New York City Department of Education, P.S. K396 (NY)
Section 504/ADA: Implementation of individual education programs
--New York City Department of Education, P.S. M094 (NY)
Section 504/ADA: Implementation of individual education programs
--College of Notre Dame (MD)
Title IX, Section 504/ADA: Coordinator, grievance procedures
--Hood College (MD)
Title IX, Section 504/ADA; Coordinator, grievance procedures
--Cleveland County (SC)
Title IX: Athletics
--Hillsborough County School District (FL)
Title IX: Sexual harassment policies and procedures
--St. Lucie County School District (FL)
Section 504/ADA: Disparate discipline
--Painesville City Local School District (OH)
Title VI: English Language Learners services
--Notre Dame College (OH)
Title IX: Sexual harassment policies and procedures
--Eastern Michigan University (MI)
Title IX: Sexual harassment policies and procedures
--Moline School District (IL)
Title VI: English Language Learners services, Limited English
Proficient parent communication
--Ball State University (IN)
Title IX: Athletics
--Bayless School District (MO)
English Language Learners services
--Cape Girardeau #63 School District (MO)
Section 504/ADA: Physical accessibility
--South Brown County U.S.D. #430 (KS)
Title VI: National origin-based harassment, different treatment
--Jenks Public Schools (OK)
Section 504/ADA: Implementation of individual education programs
--Texas A & M University (TX)
Title IX, Section 504/ADA, Grievance procedures
--Campbell County School District (WY)
Section 504/ADA: Coordinator, grievance procedures
--Churchill County School District (WA)
Title IX: Athletics
--Idaho Falls School District 91 (ID)
Title IX: Athletics
--Seattle School District No. 1 (WA)
Title VI: School closings
--University of Montana (MT)
Section 504/ADA: Physical accessibility
--University of Montana-Western (MT)
Section 504/ADA: Physical accessibility
--Mt. Diablo Unified School District (CA)
Title VI: English language learners services
--Ontario-Montclair Elementary School District (CA)
Title VI, Section 504/ADA: Placement of English Language Learners
in special education
--Vallejo Unified School District (CA)
Title VI: Race-based disparate discipline
Fiscal year 2009 Planned OCR Technical Assistance Activities
Fiscal year 2009 Planned OCR Technical Assistance Activities:
The list that follows is only the list of subjects that OCR planned
to address in fiscal year 2009.
Section 504 /ADA:
--Identification and evaluation of students;
--TA to postsecondary institutions whose Web sites are inaccessible
to individuals with disabilities;
--Transition of students with disabilities from high school to
postsecondary institutions;
--Training to elementary and secondary special education directors
and 504 coordinators;
--TA to postsecondary institutions and veterans concerning services
for disabled veterans;
--Procedural safeguards and impartial hearing process;
--Academic adjustments and auxiliary aids; and
--Students with disabilities in college.
Title IX:
--Grievance procedures and responsibilities of Title IX coordinators;
and
--Sexual harassment.
Title IX: Athletics (postsecondary)
Title VI:
--Limited English proficiency
Early Complaint Resolution:
--TA to promote the use of ECR by complainants and recipients.
proposed organizational placement of office of civil rights staff
increases
Question. How will the additional 19 FTEs in the fiscal year 2010
budget request be deployed with respect to its organization and
mission?
Answer. The 19 FTE will restore OCR's staff to a level necessary to
fulfill its mission, and ensure successful management of OCR programs
and priorities. Sixteen FTE will be assigned to OCR's regional offices
for resolving complaints and compliance reviews, and three FTE will be
used in headquarters for developing policy guidance and technical
assistance materials.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Patty Murray
early childhood education
Question. President Obama included $7.2 billion for Head Start in
his budget, which is actually a decrease from the fiscal year 2009
regular appropriations level, not including stimulus funding. While I
am pleased that the significant recovery funding for Head Start
programs is starting to help our State and local communities who are
struggling, I know that a strong, sustained investment in Head Start is
the only way that this program can continue to be effective,
particularly in light of the improvement and coordination tasks we have
asked Head Start programs to take on as part of reauthorization. Do you
plan to increase funding for Head Start programs in future years, when
stimulus funding has ended?
Answer. Since the Head Start program is administered by the
Department of Health and Human Services, Secretary Sebelius would be
better suited to answer your question.
early learning challenge fund
Question. How does your $300 million early learning challenge grant
proposal connect to existing Federal and State funding streams such as
Head Start, child care, pre-K, and their K-12 systems?
Answer. The new Early Learning Challenge Fund would serve to
improve the quality of existing and proposed Federal investments in
early childhood programs, including Head Start, by funding State
efforts to develop a statewide infrastructure of integrated early
learning supports and services for children. With this framework in
place, States would be able to compare the quality of services for
children from birth through age 5 without regard to funding source,
which would also inform Federal and State decisionmaking regarding
investments in early learning.
Question. How will the grants encourage recipient States to take
high-quality pre-K to a larger scale and build an early childhood
system around a strong and successful program?
Answer. The grants would support State efforts to improve the
quality of existing early childhood services by holding all publicly
funded programs to a common set of State-developed standards. The
administration expects that this effort would build a pathway for
increased Federal, State, and local investments in high-quality early
childhood programs in the coming years.
literacy--early reading programs
Question. I was excited to see that the President included funding
for early and adolescent literacy grants in the fiscal year 2010 budget
proposal. In the last session of Congress, I introduced a literacy
bill, called the Striving Readers Act, along with my colleague Senator
Sessions. A companion bill passed on the House side last year. There is
clearly bipartisan interest here in Congress for creating an improved
adolescent literacy program, hopefully as part of a comprehensive
literacy program for young children all the way through grade 12.
Can you tell us a little bit more about what this literacy program
would look like and why the administration chose to include both
adolescent and early literacy grants in the proposal?
Answer. The administration's request for the Striving Readers Act
included an increase both to build on the success of the current
Striving Readers program, which focuses on adolescent literacy, and to
enable schools to implement innovative and effective strategies for
improving the reading comprehension of students in low-income
elementary schools. We structured the request to emphasize the
importance of continued investment in high-quality literacy programs
from elementary school through high school, and also to invoke an
existing authority to request funds for early reading services that
would draw lessons from and addresses the deficiencies of Reading First
and other literacy efforts. Applicants would be required, at a minimum,
to serve students in grades kindergarten to third grade and would be
encouraged to extend services to children in pre-kindergarten and in
the fourth or fifth grades. Applicants would also be required to
demonstrate how they would coordinate their reading programs from
preschool through fifth grade, including with activities supported with
funds from other Federal, State, or local sources. The Department would
require participating schools to incorporate proven practices into
their programs, including by providing a significant amount of time
focused exclusively on reading instruction as well as integrating
reading instruction into other content areas across the curriculum.
federal support for early learning literacy programs
Question. Do you see a strong continued role for Federal support of
kindergarten through grade three literacy programs in States?
Answer. Research shows that early reading skills are a major
predictor of future success in school. We do believe that the Federal
funds should be used support high-quality literacy programs. This is
why the administration included $300 million for early reading in the
budget request.
Question. Do I have your commitment to work together on this
literacy proposal to ensure that we have the best continuum of literacy
supports possible for our youth?
Answer. I look forward to having these discussions with you in the
coming months.
adult literacy programs and reauthorization of the workforce investment
act
Question. What is your vision for adult literacy, for those who may
not yet have gained the skills they need to be successful in the
workforce?
Answer. The reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA)
provides an opportunity for the administration to look carefully at the
needs of low-literate adults. The Departments of Education and Labor
envision a modernized service delivery system that provides seamless
support for adults who seek employment, regardless of their needs. This
system would provide integrated solutions to meet the needs of both
workers and employers. The Department of Education currently envisions
a reauthorized WIA that leads to all States having adult education
standards that are aligned with standards for college and career
readiness. Finally, the Department of Education believes that the adult
education and adult literacy communities must identify successful
practices for meeting the needs of the diverse groups of adult
learners, such as adults with limited English proficiency, youth at
risk of dropping out of school, and adults who have not attained the
requisite skills needed for jobs that will enable them to support
themselves and their families.
data collection and the sdfsc program
Question. Secretary Duncan, as you know the administration has
proposed to move all of the SDFSC State Grant funding into national
programs.
It is my understanding that the Department of Education under the
last administration did very little to collect data under the SDFSC
program, although these data collection efforts are specifically
required by law. Why is the administration not taking the first step of
fully honoring data collection and accountability requirements and
examining the new data on whether this program works as a State grant
before moving all of the funding to national efforts?
Answer. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 requires
that each State participating in the SDFSC State Grants program
implement a Uniform Management Information and Reporting System (UMIRS)
and make information about drug and violence prevention programs
available to the public. Specifically, the UMIRS provisions require
that States report information about truancy rates and drug- and
violence-related offenses resulting in suspensions or expulsions. These
data are required to be reported at the school-building level.
Additionally, States must also report information about types of
curricula, programs, and services provided with SDFSC State Grants
program funds, and information about incidence and prevalence, age of
onset, perception of health risk and perception of social disapproval
of drug use and violence. We have monitored State implementation of the
UMIRS requirements during the past several years and have not
identified significant instances of noncompliance.
The SDFSC program also requires that States provide reports about
their implementation and outcomes of programs supported with State
Grants program funds, as well as information about their progress in
attaining identified performance measures, and on the State's efforts
to inform parents of and include parents in drug and violence
prevention efforts.
We have collected some of this information from States as part of
the Consolidated State Performance Report (CSPR). In an effort to
minimize data collection and reporting burden for the States, we
requested data from States only about truancy and suspensions and
expulsions for drug- or violence-related offenses--information that
States are required by the UMIRS provisions. States have also reported
their progress toward meeting the performance measures they identified
for the program.
The statute does not create a unified system of data collection and
reporting; rather it requires that each State create its own, uniform
system. Because we believe that it would be valuable for States to
collect and report the required data in a manner that is more uniform
across the States, we have worked with States to identify a uniform
data set that includes common definitions and collection protocols for
data required by the UMIRS requirements. We are beginning to use those
definitions and protocols in CSPR collections, but the definitions and
protocols are voluntary.
statutory funding requirements under sdfsc state grants program
We believe that we have implemented the statutory requirements of
the current authorization, but continuing concerns about the SDFSC
State Grants program stem not just from the challenges involved in
collecting and aggregating meaningful outcomes data for the program.
The most significant concern is the current structure of the program,
which requires that funding be distributed to any local school
districts that wish to participate. Even when program funding levels
were significantly greater than they are now, such as in fiscal year
2004 (2004-2005 school year), fully two-thirds of participating school
districts (67 percent) received less than $10,000 under the program.
Realistically, grants of this size are not sufficient to permit
districts to adopt and implement high-quality programs for even a small
proportion of their students.
funding support for drug and alcohol abuse prevention and violence
prevention programs
Question. With State and local budgets strained or massively cut
back across the Nation, if a local educational agency (LEA) does not
receive funding under the proposed new funding for the national
program, how does the administration expect that this district will
continue their efforts to prevent drug and alcohol abuse and prevent
violence among students? I believe this question is particularly
important in a time of economic crisis when we tend to see an increase
in concerning activities among youth and families.
Answer. As your question suggests, many States and localities are
experiencing the most significant economic challenges in memory, and
the result is that policy makers at all levels of government are being
forced to make very painful choices about where to spend a declining
pool of revenues. Just as State and local officials are reviewing
expenditures very closely and establishing priority uses for limited
available funding, the administration engaged in a similar process in
developing the President's fiscal year 2010 budget request. Ultimately,
we had to identify program terminations or consolidations in order to
reduce spending. Part of the process for formulating the fiscal year
2010 budget included reviewing available information about program
effectiveness or other analyses that point to problems that may limit a
program's capacity to produce desired outcomes. Findings from recent
assessments of the program and from the Rand study suggested that the
SDFSC program is not currently structured in a way that is likely to be
able to demonstrate significant student outcomes.
I share your concern about the importance of preventing drug and
alcohol use and violent behavior among students and know both of these
behaviors not only imperil students, but also pose significant barriers
to student academic achievement. We are anxious to make the best
investments we can in order to address these problems, and believe that
the new $100 million initiative to improve school culture and climate
(included in the fiscal year 2010 budget request under SDFSC national
programs) provides the best opportunity in the current economic climate
to make a meaningful difference in a significant number of schools and
communities.
Support provided under the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF),
part of funding appropriated under the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009, may also be a potential source of support for
drug and violence prevention programs and activities. Monies available
to States under either component of the SFSF program--the Education
Stabilization Fund or the Government Services Fund--may be used to
support a broad range of educational services and activities, including
prevention programming, in elementary and secondary school settings.
technical assistance for leas for sdfsc programs
Question. How will technical assistance and training be
consistently provided to LEAs without the State assisting with that
role, and does the Department of Education have the capacity to take on
this role?
Answer. The Department will continue to provide some technical
assistance to States relating to safe and drug-free schools, but lacks
both the funding and staffing to become a primary provider of technical
assistance directly to schools, school districts, and communities
across the country. Several States have developed and maintain school
safety centers or other technical assistance infrastructure. While some
support for some of these centers has been provided by SDFSC State
Grants funds, in other cases support for technical assistance has been
provided with State monies. I encourage States to continue to make this
kind of activity a priority.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Mary L. Landrieu
even start
Question. The President's budget request does not include funding
for Even Start, the national early childhood and parenting program. I
understand that some Even Start programs in the country have not been
effective. However, in my State of Louisiana, we have some excellent
Even Start programs that will be devastated by this loss. Could you
explain the decision to eliminate Even Start and propose options for
the 60,000 participants who will be left without services?
Answer. Based on the results of three national evaluations, the
administration believes that the Even Start program has not yielded
meaningful benefits for children and families. For example, the most
recent evaluation concluded that, while Even Start participants
demonstrated small improvements in some outcomes, they did not perform
better than the comparison group that did not receive Even Start
services. As a result, the administration chose to direct the resources
to other efforts that would better address the needs of children and
families. Specifically, the administration has requested almost $1
billion for early childhood programs at the Department of Education,
including $500 million for the new Title I Early Childhood Grants, $300
million for the new Early Learning Challenge Fund, and $162.5 million
for Early Reading First, in addition to more than $6.5 billion in
funding for Head Start at the Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS). Further, the Department has requested more than $628 million for
Adult Basic and Literacy Education State Grants, a program that
supports activities similar to some of the components of Even Start,
such as English literacy, adult basic education, and family literacy
services. We believe that these programs will serve the same types of
children and adults as are served by Even Start.
early learning challenge fund
Question. Your budget request includes $300 million to launch the
Early Learning Challenge Fund. How will this fund be administered and
how does it fit into the administration's overall vision for early
childhood education?
Answer. The Department will be working closely with HHS to
administer the new Early Learning Challenge Fund program. This new
program would support statewide systems of early learning and support
that apply a standard set of expectations in both the educational and
the social-emotional domains in order to provide children with the
preparation they need to enter kindergarten ready for success while
empowering parents to seek and select the care that best serves their
children. The administration's overall vision is for children to come
to school socially and cognitively prepared to learn, and we expect
that the quality improvement efforts supported by the Early Learning
Challenge Fund would build a pathway to improvements in early learning
program quality and, in future years, increased investment in high-
quality early childhood services.
teacher incentive fund (tif)
Question. The administration requests the TIF increase to $517
million. How does the administration plan to encourage these States and
local educational agencies (LEAs) to develop and use innovative and
effective teacher compensation systems?
Answer. With the requested fiscal year 2010 funds, the Department
will hold a grant competition for up to 100 new awards to LEAs,
including charter schools that are LEAs, or States (or partnerships of:
an LEA, a State, or both; and at least one nonprofit organization) to
develop and implement performance-based compensation systems for
teachers, principals, and other personnel in high-need schools.
In an fiscal year 2010 competition, the Department will place a
priority on the support of comprehensive, aligned approaches that: (1)
support improved teacher and principal effectiveness and help ensure an
equitable distribution of effective educators; (2) actively involve
teachers (including special education teachers) and principals in the
design of human capital and compensation systems; and (3) use data from
emerging State and local longitudinal data systems to track outcomes
and associate those outcomes with educator performance.
priorities in use of funds from american recovery and reinvestment act
(arra) and the teacher incentive fund
Question. How will the TIF work in conjunction with funds from the
ARRA?
Answer. The Department expects to use approximately $140 million of
the ARRA appropriation for about 60 new awards, $50 million for
continuation awards, and up to $10 million for the mandated national
evaluation. With ARRA funds, and in response to lessons learned from
the first two rounds of TIF grants and from other efforts around the
country to improve educator effectiveness, the Department will place a
priority on the support of: comprehensive, aligned approaches that
support improved teacher and principal effectiveness and help ensure an
equitable distribution of effective educators; that actively involve
teachers (including special education teachers) and principals in the
design of human capital and compensation systems; and that use data
from emerging State and local longitudinal data systems to track
outcomes and associate those outcomes with educator performance.
With the funds requested for TIF in fiscal year 2010, the
Department would launch a grant competition--for up to 100 new awards--
encompassing the new strategies and emphases being implemented with the
ARRA funding. This new competition will support the ARRA objectives of
improving teacher effectiveness, reducing disparities in the access of
students to effective teachers, and turning around persistently low-
performing schools. Funds requested for fiscal year 2010 would also
support 94 continuation awards.
Priorities for an fiscal year 2010 competition would be similar to
those for the ARRA competition; however, the Department has requested
appropriations language that would also allow fiscal year 2010 grantees
to use TIF funds to reward all staff in a school, as opposed to only
teachers and principals.
federal facilities funding for charter schools
Question. I was pleased to see that your budget request follows on
President Obama's promise to increase support for charter schools. Your
request includes a $52 million increase for Charter Schools Grants. How
does the administration plan to address the challenges charter schools
face in securing facilities funding?
Answer. The administration understands that access to public
facilities or funding for facilities is one of the major challenges
confronting charter school operators, and we are committed to helping
charter schools secure facilities funding. This issue will certainly be
one that we plan to address during reauthorization. In the meantime,
there are a number of Federal programs that support facilities
financing for charter schools, including the State Charter School
Facilities Incentive Grants, Credit Enhancement for Charter School
Facilities, Qualified Zone Academy Bonds (QZABs), Qualified School
Construction Bonds (QSCBs), Build America Bonds (BABs), and one-time
funding under the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF).
The primary Federal funding sources for charter school facilities
are the Department's State Charter School Facilities Incentive Grants
and Credit Enhancement for Charter School Facilities programs. The
State Charter School Facilities Incentive program provides 5-year
grants to States with per-pupil facilities aid programs to assist
charter schools in the purchase or acquisition of facilities. In the
past 5 years, the Department has awarded more than $90 million to 4
States that, by combining Federal grant funds with State matching
funds, have provided facilities funding to more than 600 charter
schools. The administration is committed to maintaining the momentum of
this program and plans to award more than $12.7 million this summer to
a new cohort of State Facilities Incentive grantees. Similarly, the
Department's Credit Enhancement for Charter School Facilities program
provides grants to support charter schools in the acquisition or
renovation of facilities. The Credit Enhancement grants are awarded on
a competitive basis to public and nonprofit entities to assist charter
schools in securing facilities financing, through loan guarantees,
lease guarantees, and other credit enhancement methods. These grants
operate until the Federal funds and earnings on those funds have been
expended for the grant purposes or until financing facilitated by the
grant has been retired. Since 2001, the Department has awarded more
than $214 million in grants, with another $8.3 million requested in
fiscal year 2010, to provide charter schools with access to financing
to help them acquire, build, or renovate school facilities.
Charter schools may also benefit from other Federal subsidies for
public school improvement and modernization activities, including
QZABs, QSCBs, and BABs. The ARRA authorized tax-credit bonds for school
construction by expanding QZABs from $400 million annually to $1.4
billion for each of calendar years 2009 and 2010, and authorizing $11.2
billion in the new QSCBs for each of those 2 years. QZABs provide
funding for school repairs and renovation and certain other activities
for eligible schools and may not be used for new construction, while
QSCBs and BABs provide funding for new construction as well as
renovation.
use of sfsf for charter school facilities funding
The SFSF, a one-time appropriation of $53.6 billion under ARRA,
provides funds to States that also may be used to assist charter
schools with their facilities challenges. By the end of 2009, the
Department plans to award approximately $48.6 billion to governors
under the SFSF program in exchange for a commitment to support
essential education reforms, including reforms involving charter
schools. Under the SFSF program, governors are required to use 81.8
percent of the SFSF State grant funds to support public elementary,
secondary, and higher education programs and 18.2 percent for public
safety and other government services, including the modernization,
renovation, or repair of public schools and facilities. Therefore, a
charter school LEA should receive stabilization funding on the same
basis as other LEAs in the State. State educational agencies (SEAs) are
also required to take necessary steps to ensure that a newly opened or
expanded charter school LEA receives all of the Federal formula funds
to which it is entitled. These additional funds should help address the
challenges many charter schools face in securing facilities funding.
expansion and replication of promising charter school models
Question. Currently, the Charter Schools Program funds can only go
to new school creation and schools cannot receive more than one grant
because of a statutory limitation. President Obama has called for
replicating and expanding our most successful charter schools. What are
ways in which the administration proposes to achieve this goal?
Answer. The replication and expansion of high-quality charter
schools will play a central role in the administration's education
reform agenda. Since 1995, the Charter School Program (CSP) has
provided more than $2.2 billion in financial assistance to SEAs to
support planning, development, and initial implementation activities
for approximately 1,200 charter schools per year, as well as fund
dissemination activities by schools with a demonstrated history of
success. Under the program, SEAs also may reserve up to 10 percent of
their grant for dissemination sub-grants to share lessons learned about
how to create, sustain, replicate, and expand high-quality, accountable
charter schools.
In the President's fiscal year 2010 budget request, the
administration has proposed new appropriations language and the use of
available waiver authority to help expand or replicate successful
charter school models or networks. The proposed appropriations language
would allow the Department to make direct grants to Charter Management
Organizations or other entities for replication and expansion of
effective charter school models, which should significantly expand the
reach of the program. The administration also plans to strengthen
program capacity by waiving, in appropriate circumstances, the one-
grant limitation and the 18-month planning limitation to allow grantees
additional time within the 36-month grant period for planning and
implementation.
The administration intends to use a portion of the $8 million
available under the CSP national activities set-aside to support
activities that promote the expansion and replication of promising
charter school models. In fiscal year 2010, the Department plans to
hold a new National Charter School Leadership grant competition to
support projects of national significance that are designed to build
State capacity and assist in the expansion of high-quality charter
schools. The Department also will launch a new National Charter School
Resource Center, which will provide technical assistance and resources
to State and national charter stakeholders to expand the number of
high-quality charter schools and increase the national understanding of
the charter school model as a key reform strategy.
The administration is also calling on States to reform their
charter laws and lift caps that limit growth among excellent high-
quality charter schools. We plan to structure the Race to the Top
competition in such a way as to create a financial incentive for States
to lift their charter school caps and promote accountability and high
academic standards in all charter schools. This, in turn, would allow
for more rapid expansion and replication of successful charter school
models nationwide.
arra innovation fund
Question. In the Innovation Fund section of ARRA, Congress included
a special rule allowing nonprofits to apply for grants in partnership
with LEAs. This rule says that the eligibility will be determined based
on the track record of the nonprofit in improving student achievement.
The intent of this language was to ensure that high-quality nonprofits
like the ones leading reform efforts in Louisiana could compete for
funding to grow their programs. What kind of guidance will the
Department issue to facilitate the application process for nonprofits?
Answer. I can assure you that we are focused on providing funds to
LEA and nonprofits that have demonstrated results to expand their work
and serve as models for others. The Department is working on proposed
requirements for the Innovation Fund, which we will release shortly for
public comment.
Question. How will nonprofits have to show their impact on student
achievement?
Answer. We are working on establishing the parameters of the
competition now and will publish the Notice of Proposed Priorities
later this summer. The notice will include more detail on how we intend
to run the competition, including how nonprofits can demonstrate the
impact they have had on student achievement. We encourage the public to
review and comment on the Notice.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Mark Pryor
safe and drug-free schools and communities
Question. Some concerns were raised during the hearing regarding
the State grant and mentoring grant programs under the Safe and Drug-
Free Schools and Communities (SDFSC) program. Can you direct me to the
studies which determined that the State grant and mentoring grant
programs under the SDFSC program are ineffective or not as effective as
they were envisioned?
Answer. For the mentoring program, the study I referred to is the
Institute of Education Sciences (IES) ``Impact Evaluation of the U.S.
Department of Education's Student Mentoring Program,'' which IES
released in March 2009.
For the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities State Grant
program, there are two studies: (1) ``Options for Restructuring the
Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act,'' which was released by
the RAND Corporation in 2001; and (2) ``Prevalence and Implementation
Fidelity of Research-Based Prevention Programs in Public Schools, which
was conducted by Westat and covered the 2004-2005 schools year.
measuring the effectiveness of the sdfsc state grant program and
mentoring program
Question. What standards did the Department of Education use when
measuring the effectiveness of these grant programs?
Answer. The answer follows separately for each study.
Impact Evaluation of the U.S. Department of Education's Student
Mentoring Program
The mentoring program evaluation used an experimental design where
students were randomly assigned either to receive or not to receive
school-based mentoring from one of the Department's grantees. The
evaluation assessed the effectiveness of the program by estimating
impacts at the end of one school year on the intended program outcomes,
as stated in the authorizing legislation, for students who were offered
program services versus those who were not.
Outcomes were collected through administration of a student survey
and collection of student schools records, and included measures of
``prosocial'' behavior, absenteeism, school engagement, reading and
math scores on State assessments, grades, future orientation, and
delinquency (including gang membership). Promiscuous behavior was the
only intended program outcome listed in the legislation that was not
measured because in the initial phases of instrument development the
study team found that questions regarding sexual behaviors or attitudes
were not acceptable to principals or parents.
Outcomes were measured at the end of one school year because this
provided the most policy-relevant information. Prior research has found
that about half of the students in school-based mentoring programs do
not receive mentoring after the first school year and that any benefits
from a single year of school-based mentoring do not persist beyond the
end of the school year.
The evaluation found that for the full sample of students, the
program did not lead to statistically significant impacts on any of the
measures. The full report and an executive summary are available online
at: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20094047/
Options for Restructuring the SDFSC Act
To help inform deliberations on the SDFSC Act reauthorization in
2001, the Department awarded a grant to the RAND Corporation's Drug
Policy Research Center to conduct an examination of the program and
assess options for improving it. Under the scope of the resulting
study, RAND commissioned three analyses of school drug and violence
prevention and prepared a background paper describing the history and
development of the SDFSC Act program. RAND also conducted two focus
groups with teachers and practitioners on the drug and violence
problems in their schools and on their experiences with the program in
their districts. These activities were preparatory to a 2-day
conference held in July 1999, which was attended by programmatic and
policy leadership from the Department, classroom teachers, and local
program operators, high-level representatives with drug and violence
prevention responsibilities in the Departments of Justice and Health
and Human Services, and prominent researchers and policy analysts.
The entire study is summarized in one report, and the commissioned
papers, a summary of the focus groups, and the background paper are
contained in a companion volume. Each can be found on-line at:

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph--reports/MR1328/

and

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph--reports/MR1328.1/

As the Department's fiscal year 2010 budget justification for the
SDFSC State Grant program indicates, the study found that the program
does not adequately target schools most needing help and generally
spreads funding too thinly at the local level to support quality
interventions.
Prevalence and Implementation Fidelity of Research-based Prevention
Programs in Public Schools
This study examined, for the 2004-2005 school year: (1) the
prevalence of research-based drug and violence prevention programs in
schools; and (2) the extent to which research-based drug and violence
prevention programs implemented in schools adhered to the program
features on which they are based (i.e., were implemented with fidelity
to the program design that was validated as effective by the research).
In conducting this study more than 300 programs were screened and
reviewed by Westat to determine the level of research rigor behind the
programs' literature base. The study identified 21 school-based
prevention programs that demonstrated evidence of effectiveness through
this systematic review of literature.
The study then used national probability sample surveys of
districts and schools to estimate program prevalence, and national
probability sample surveys of schools and research-based prevention
programs to estimate fidelity of implementation. The surveys used both
mail- and Web-based approaches to gather information on prevention
programs and on the factors that may be associated with the adoption of
research-based programs. Univariate analyses (e.g., percentage of
schools with a research-based program) and bivariate analyses (e.g.,
percentage of schools with a research-based program by the number of
students enrolled) were conducted. Tests of statistical significance
were conducted. Because the surveys undertaken had a complex multistage
sample design, a replication methodology was used to establish variance
strata and primary sampling units, and create replicate weights for
each specific subsample of the full sample.
The two main findings of the study were as follows: (1) only 7.8
percent of drug and violence prevention programs and practices
supported with SDFSC State Grant funds in 2004-05 were research-based
(i.e., the 21 research-based prevention programs comprised only 7.8
percent of all prevention programs implemented in schools); and (2)
44.3 percent of SDFSC-funded researched drug and violence prevention
curriculum programs were implemented with fidelity (i.e., met minimum
standards for overall fidelity of implementation). The report of the
study is expected to be completed later this year.
safe and drug-free schools and communities national programs
Question. How will you alter the SDFSC national program to meet the
needs of the individual populations that are currently served through
the State and mentoring grant programs?
Answer. No alteration of the national programs is needed.
Generally, under the various national programs grant competitions,
applicants have the opportunity to select target populations and design
and implement projects based on locally identified needs, existing
programming, or other unique local conditions.
Please also know that for the mentoring program, at our national
conference in August we will be having a special grantee meeting
focused on sustainability, to assist grantees in their transitions to
no funding next year. We are also having discussions with
organizations, such as Big Brothers, Big Sisters, which are active in
mentoring, about possible assistance to grantees once the Federal
funding ends.
mentoring resource center
Finally, SDFSC mentoring program funds will support the operation
of the Mentoring Resource Center (MRC) through the end of this fiscal
year. The MRC has served as the Department's training and technical
assistance provider to grantees and provided them with training,
publications, site visits, online learning, and other opportunities for
program and staff development. When the MRC contract ends in October we
are considering maintaining the significant body of resources it has
developed on an archival site, or transferring the assets to another
Federal agency where they can be a continued resource for mentoring
grantees and for others involved in creating mentoring programs.
updated guidance on title i waivers
Question. With regard to stimulus funding, are there plans for
additional or updated guidance pertaining to title I waivers, and if
so, when do you anticipate this guidance to be available?
Answer. The Department expects to release guidance on title I
waivers related to funding provided under the Recovery Act in July
2009.
students and the loan process
Question. The fiscal year 2010 budget proposes to eliminate the
Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) and make certain that all
Federal student loans are handled through the Direct Loan Program (DLP)
by July 2010. One concern regarding this proposal is the potential loss
of local services currently provided to students including loan default
prevention, financial counseling and discounting interest rates for
students that choose to enter high demand fields. Students can walk
into their local bank or our State lending agency and receive personal
guidance on making wise financial choices for their future.
How will students navigate the student loan process if they are
calling the Department of Education (DOE) rather than their local bank
or lending agency?
Answer. Students and families will see very little difference in
the student loan process under the President's proposal. Consistent
with current practice, initial interactions for most students will be
with their school's financial aid office. Under either FFELP or direct
loans, the loan process is highly automated, with applications,
entrance and exit counseling, and other information available
electronically through the school Website. Extensive guidance for
students and parents is also available from the Department.
In addition, relatively few students interact with their local bank
for a student loan. The FFELP is highly concentrated among large
national lenders; the 25 largest lenders account for more than 80
percent of total volume. Local lenders that do participate in the
program typically sell the loans before a borrower enters repayment.
Loan servicing--which involves interactions with borrowers after they
have left school--is even more concentrated among a small number of
companies. Since the most efficient of these companies will be retained
by the Department to service direct loans, with loan volume awarded
based on performance, borrower service should be as good or better than
that available in FFELP. The Department already provides loan default
prevention and financial counseling services for DLP borrowers; these
services will be expanded as the program grows.
role of local student loan infrastructure
Question. Do you intend for this proposal to utilize the existing
local infrastructure and experienced workforce currently in place or
will the proposal rely on the larger student lending institutions?
Answer. The President recognizes that local student loan agencies
provide many valuable services to students and parents, and has
specifically included those activities among those that could be funded
under the proposed $2.5 billion College Access and Completion Fund.
More broadly, the Department has not made a final decision regarding
loan servicing arrangements; a procurement was just completed, however,
that does include the requirement that the selected vendors be able to
service all title IV federally held loans, including direct loans.
Allocations of types and volume to any one vendor will be determined
based upon servicer capabilities and performance. The current
contractors have committed to sufficient capacity for the expansion of
direct lending, and we expect they will consider subcontracting with
other current participants in FFELP in order to more efficiently meet
their commitments.
technical assistance for rural institutions
Question. How will the Department provide assistance and training
to 2-year colleges and technical schools in remote areas such as Black
River Technical College in Pocahontas, Arkansas, or Phillips County
Community College in Helena, Arkansas?
Answer. Schools have recently transitioned to direct lending with
little or no problem. To ensure that all schools are prepared, however,
the Department has created a Direct Loan Transition Team to assist
schools such as those you mention that may have unique requirements or
need additional support. Department staff is working with those schools
to answer questions and to offer assistance. Initial efforts have
focused on HBCUs, HSIs, and Tribally Controlled institutions. Direct
loan webinars have been held for community colleges and independent
private colleges.
The transition to direct loans should be seamless for schools of
all sizes. The Department system that originates direct loans is called
the Common Origination and Disbursement (COD), the same system that
schools use to originate title IV grants (Pell Grant, ACG, National
SMART, and TEACH). Most schools (and their computer systems) already
interact with the system they will use for direct loans.
estimated savings from shift to direct loans
Question. The Department expects to save $4 billion a year by
switching from FFELP to DLP. What factors were used to calculate the
estimated savings?
Answer. Direct Loans produce savings primarily because, under
current interest rate assumptions, borrower repayments exceed other
program costs, including the cost of Government borrowing to finance
loans. This results in net revenues to the Government.
increased federal administrative costs
Question. Does the $4 billion include anticipated increases in
administrative costs for the Federal Government to increase loan volume
or for the costs associated with contracting out student lending
services?
Answer. Consistent with the requirements of the Federal Credit
Reform Act, the projected savings do not include Federal administrative
costs. Even with the addition of these costs, however, the President's
proposal to shift to 100 percent Direct Loans produces substantial
savings.
steps to increase direct loan capacity
Question. Transitioning the student loan volume of DLP from around
30 percent of all Federal student lending to 100 percent is a
considerable change, and the DOE has been preparing to increase DLP
volume. Can you explain what steps the Department is taking to prepare
for a potential increase in DLP loan volume?
Answer. The Department is expanding capacity for both loan
origination and loan servicing. For loan origination, Direct Loans uses
the COD system, which also disburses funds for the Pell Grant program,
making the proposed expansion relatively simple for both the Department
and participating schools. The Department has also increased its call
center capacity to handle additional. On loan servicing, the Department
has recently completed a procurement to substantially increase its loan
servicing capacity. Loan volume will be allocated among the new vendors
based on servicer capabilities and performance.
replacement of ffelp loan volume
Question. Currently, the FFELP provides Federal funds to private
lending institutions to keep interest rates on FFELP loans low and to
reduce risks associated with providing loans to students with little or
no credit history. Can you provide the amount of total loan volume that
this Federal investment leverages through FFELP?
Answer. In fiscal year 2009, the Department estimates the FFELP
would provide $64 billion in new student loans, as well as an
additional $1 billion in consolidations of existing loans.
direct loan capacity
Question. Can the Department replicate this total loan volume in
addition to the current volume of loans provided through the DLP solely
through DLP?
Answer. Yes, the Department will have the capacity to originate and
service 100 percent of new loan volume for the 2010-2011 award year.
student loan volume
Question. If the President's proposal were adopted, what level of
total loan volume do you expect to be able to fund through the DLP in
fiscal year 2010?
Answer. Under current estimates, the Department would award $53.4
billion in new loans in fiscal year 2010. Because the FFELP would
continue to originate loans until July 1, 2010, an additional $38.3
billion would be awarded through FFELP in fiscal year 2010, for total
new loan volume of $91.7 billion. In fiscal year 2011, the first fiscal
year in which direct loans would award 100 percent of new loan volume,
total awards are estimated at $96.7 billion.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Lamar Alexander
teacher incentive fund
Question. I am very encouraged by the administration's proposal to
increase the Teacher Incentive Fund to $487.3 million this year, and I
strongly support your request. While Congress works on the
reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act,
including the Teacher Incentive Fund, do you plan on making any changes
to the program administratively?
Answer. The Department is requesting the inclusion of
appropriations language permitting support for approaches that provide
performance-based compensation to all staff in a school, because
research indicates that this type of strategy can be effective in
raising performance across a variety of organizations. This proposed
language would replace language permitting the funding of performance-
based compensation only for teachers and principals.
The Department would hold a new competition with the requested
fiscal year 2010 funds, in addition to an upcoming Recovery Act
competition. In both of these grant competitions, the Department will
place a priority on the support of comprehensive, aligned approaches
that: (1) support improved teacher and principal effectiveness and help
ensure an equitable distribution of effective educators; (2) actively
involve teachers (including special education teachers) and principals
in the design of human capital and compensation systems; and (3) use
data from emerging State and local longitudinal data systems to track
outcomes and associate those outcomes with educator performance.
charter school program
Question. I am very encouraged by the administration's proposal for
a $52 million increase to the Charter School Program (CSP) for a total
of $268 million this year, and I strongly support your request. I would
have liked to see more funds reserved for charter school facilities,
and hope that we can work to find resources for that purpose in the
future.
While Congress works on the reauthorization of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act, including the CSP, do you plan on making any
changes to the program administratively?
Answer. The administration is committed to supporting successful
models of school reform, including high-quality charter schools. As you
noted, the President's fiscal year 2010 budget has proposed an increase
of $52 million for the CSP. We view this request as the first step in
our effort to double support for charter schools over the next 4 years
and to help drive reform strategies and innovation in our schools. The
administration has proposed new appropriations language and the use of
available waiver authority to help expand or replicate successful
charter school models or networks. The proposed appropriations language
would allow the Department to make direct grants to Charter Management
Organizations or other entities for the replication and expansion of
effective charter school models, which should significantly expand the
reach of the program. The administration also plans to strengthen
program capacity by waiving, in appropriate circumstances, the one-
grant limitation and the 18-month planning limitation to allow grantees
additional time within the 36-month grant period for planning and
implementation.
presidential and congressional academies for history and civics
Question. I was very disappointed to see that the Presidential and
Congressional Academies for History and Civics are proposed for
elimination. I gave my maiden speech in the Senate about the importance
of putting the teaching and learning of U.S. history back in our
classrooms, which resulted in the creation of these academies, with the
support of Senator Reid, Senator Byrd, and Senator Kennedy. While it is
a small program, teachers and students each summer have benefited
greatly which is why I recently introduced legislation to expand the
program and why I hope that the Appropriations Committee will continue
to fund these programs.
What can I do over the course of the next year to convince you of
the merit of the Presidential and Congressional Academies?
Answer. The teaching of history in our classrooms is important to
the administration and will continue to receive significant Federal
funding. We proposed to eliminate the Presidential and Congressional
Academies for History and Civics because we feel the program is too
small to have a substantial national impact. Furthermore, the level of
effort required to administer and monitor the program on behalf of the
Department, in addition to the effort required of applicants to apply
for support, provides compelling reasons to put resources into larger
programs with a greater chance of having a national impact. Instead of
the academies, we are proposing the creation of a competitive grant
program of more significant size called ``History, Civics, and
Government'' that will ``scale-up'' effective practices and encourage
wider adoption of successful programs in these subject areas. In
addition to the new initiative, the administration continues to support
the Teaching American History and Teacher Quality State Grants
programs, which make substantial funding available for the professional
development of history teachers nationwide.
The Department is looking closely at the effectiveness of all our
programs, and in the coming years will make a greater and greater
effort to request funding only for programs that can demonstrate
evidence of effectiveness. If we are able to determine that the
Presidential and Congressional Academies program had clear evidence of
effectiveness (for instance, that the teachers who participate in the
Presidential academies were raising the level of student achievement in
their classrooms, or that the high school students attending the
congressional academies were receiving a clear benefit that was somehow
being extended to a wider population of students), we would likely look
at the program differently. This evidence would need to be more than
past survey results showing that the teachers and students enjoyed
participating and liked the programs, which is frequently the type of
``evaluations'' that teacher in-service training and similar programs
produce.
choice in student loans
Question. I have repeatedly expressed my concerns about the
administration's proposal to convert the entire student loan program
into the Government-run Direct Loan program. The Senate has agreed that
parents, students, and schools should be able to make their own choices
of student loan providers, as the current programs allow.
How does your proposal seek to retain the power of the competitive
marketplace where parents, students, and schools can choose the best
providers to help them afford their college tuition?
Answer. The competitive marketplace will play a key role in the
Department's plans to ensure that students, parents, and schools
continue to receive high-quality service. We have already contracted
with a number of private-sector firms with extensive experience in the
Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFEL) to expand our loan
servicing capabilities. Work will be allocated among these vendors
based on their performance; customer satisfaction will be among the key
criteria used in determining these allocations. Private-sector vendors,
chosen through competitive procurements, will also provide default
aversion and collection services and borrower counseling.
administrative cost of originating all federal student loans through
direct loan program
Question. I am also concerned about the estimated costs of
administering this new program. The administration budget only asks for
an increase of $117 million from $753 million to take over the FFEL
Program. Could you provide the Appropriations Committee with estimates
of what those total annual discretionary costs would be for the next 5
years to originate and administer all loans under the Direct Loan
program?
Answer. Estimated costs for Student Aid Administration depend on
many factors, most significantly origination and servicing volume.
Recently, this volume has proven to be quite volatile, due in large
part to loan purchase programs authorized by the Ensuring Continued
Access to Student Loans Act of 2008. The recent introduction of
multiple servicer contracts has also introduced a level of uncertainty.
However, given current conditions, it is estimated that total Student
Aid Administration costs will total approximately $5.5 billion to $6.5
billion over the next 5 years.
funding for pell grants
Question. I agree that we should not charge students more for their
student loans in order to generate profits for lenders. That's why I
supported the College Cost Reduction Act which reduced the Special
Allowance Payment for lenders and generated savings for students.
However, I am concerned about the administration's proposal to
convert the entire student loan program into the Government-run Direct
Loan program and use the profits made from charging students an
artificially high interest rate on their loans to provide generous
increases to the Pell Grant.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, the majority of
savings generated by the administration's proposal comes from charging
most students on most loans 6.8 percent in interest when it costs the
Government much less to originate and service the loan.
Why shouldn't students be charged a lower interest rate to cover
the actual costs of the loan instead of asking them to pay more in
interest over the course of the life of their loan to generate revenue
for the Federal Government to pay for the Pell Grant increases?
Answer. The administration strongly believes Federal student aid
resources should be focused on broadening access to higher education
for all Americans. Particularly in today's economically challenging
times, the need-based Pell Grant program is the best vehicle for
helping disadvantaged students and families attend colleges and other
postsecondary institutions.

SUBCOMMITTEE RECESS

Senator Harkin. Thank you for your leadership. Thank you,
Mr. Secretary. Well, the subcommittee will stand adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 11:36 a.m., June 3, the subcommittee was
recessed, to reconvene subject to the call of the Chair.]

DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND
RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2010

----------

TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 2009

U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met at 2:30 p.m., in room SD-124, Dirksen
Senate Office Building, Hon. Tom Harkin (chairman) presiding.
Present: Senators Harkin, Kohl, Pryor, Specter, Cochran,
and Alexander.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of the Secretary

STATEMENT OF HON. KATHLEEN SEBELIUS, SECRETARY

OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR TOM HARKIN

Senator Harkin. The Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human
Services, Education, and related agencies will come to order.
Madam Secretary, I welcome you to your first hearing with
this Appropriations subcommittee. You have a challenging job
ahead of you, I believe the most challenging job, I think, in
the Cabinet, but also I think the best job in the Cabinet.
Your responsibilities include not only comprehensive
healthcare reform, preparing for a possible pandemic influenza,
addressing costs of entitlements, but also biomedical research,
substance abuse, drug safety, and quite a few others.
I certainly look forward to working with you in any way
that I can. This hearing will focus of your discretionary
budget, but I would just like to mention what we're doing on
comprehensive healthcare reform.
I know that you feel very strongly that prevention in
public health must be at the heart of any serious reform of the
healthcare system and I commend you for your work in that area.
I also believe that any reform of the healthcare system must
address the injustice of people with severe disabilities, who
are being forced to spend their lives in nursing homes because
we do not provide the option of home-based services for the
severely disabled. That's why I've introduced the Community
Choice Act of 2009 (S. 683), which President Obama strongly
supported during the campaign and which he co-sponsored when he
was here as a member of this subcommittee. So, I look forward
to working with you on this issue.
Today, we want to talk about the fiscal year 2010 budget
and also about the funding included in the Recovery Act of the
stimulus that we passed. That bill included $10 billion for the
National Institutes of Health (NIH), $1.1 billion for
comparative effectiveness research, $700 million for prevention
activities and $2 billion for discretionary health information
technology activities, as well as funds for Head Start, child
care, Community Services Block Grant, and health professions.
So, we will cover as much as we can. Again, we welcome you
to the subcommittee. I will leave the record open for a
statement by Senator Cochran and I would then recognize you,
Madam Secretary, and your statement will be made a part of the
record in its entirety.

HEALTHCARE WASTE AND HOSPITAL-ACQUIRED INFECTIONS

And, as a matter of introduction, Kathleen Sebelius became
the 21st Secretary of the Department of Health and Human
Services on April 29, 2009. In 2003, she was elected as
Governor of Kansas. And I thank you for coming up to Iowa many
times. I always enjoyed seeing you in Iowa and working with
you. She served in that capacity until her appointment as
Secretary.
Prior to her election as Governor, she served as the Kansas
State Insurance Commissioner and is a graduate of Trinity,
Washington University, and the University of Kansas.
Madam Secretary, Mr. Cochran.
Senator Cochran. Mr. Chairman, I am happy to join you in
welcoming the Secretary to the hearing. Thank you very much.
Senator Harkin. Thank you, Senator. I left the record open
for your statement.
Madam Secretary, welcome. And please proceed as you so
desire.

SUMMARY STATEMENT OF HON. KATHLEEN SEBELIUS

Secretary Sebelius. Well, thank you Chairman Harkin,
Senator Cochran, and members of the subcommittee. I want to
thank you for the invitation to come and discuss the 2010
budget.

HEALTHCARE REFORM

I want to first start by thanking you for your hard work
and leadership on a whole variety of health issues. We
certainly face great challenges in the country today and I look
forward to working with you to tackle those challenges
together. Healthcare reform is one of the issues I know that is
front and center in the Senate and the House right now and I
think that there is great agreement that we can't continue with
the status quo. The President is committed to healthcare
reform. I think we're seeing businesses and Government and
families and providers come together to acknowledge that the
crushing costs are influencing family's bottom-line, the
competitiveness of our businesses, and we have to find a way to
deliver higher quality healthcare for all Americans.
I do agree with you, Senator, that prevention and wellness
are an essential component of that transformational health
policy. And some of those building blocks, as you say, have
already been provided. But I look forward to being part of that
discussion as it moves forward, in terms of healthcare reform.
Now, I think the budget we're considering today puts us on
the path to healthcare reform and adheres to the principles
outlined by the President, building on the investments in a
21st century healthcare system. The American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act funded some priority areas, including making a
substantial down-payment on healthcare reform.
There's a focus on fraud, which is costing taxpayers
billions of dollars each year. And we intend to do more to
crack down on individuals who currently cheat the system. So,
the Attorney General and I, first time ever at a Cabinet level,
announced an interagency effort to fight Medicare and Medicaid
fraud through improved data sharing, real-time information that
would be available, and increase the number of strike forces
that have been successful in a couple of areas and we would
like to see them increase their operations. And the budget
includes some recommended increase to help Health and Human
Services achieve our part of the bargain.
We also have initiatives in the budget to move toward a
central goal of healthcare reform, improving the quality of
care. The patient-centered research that is funded in this
budget helps give doctors and patients access to better
information and better treatments, helps empower consumers and
providers. So we hope that, not only would we be looking at
some cost-saving strategies, but improving the quality of
healthcare for everyone.

HEALTHCARE DISPARITIES

The budget invests $354 million in target activities to
combat health disparities. Senators, I just came from a
dialogue with close to 30 stakeholders representing various
minority populations and communities who are very interested in
working on closing the gap on quality of healthcare delivered
across America. The gap that exists for higher income Americans
versus lower income Americans and certainly the gap that we see
persistent in ethnic minorities and low income and
disadvantaged populations and that is a continued priority with
the Department.
We have included more than $1 billion in the Health
Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to support a wide
range of programs dealing with the workforce issues. Clearly a
critical component of healthcare reform is having enough
providers to deliver the care to all Americans. So, the funding
will enhance the number of nurses and doctors, the number of
dentists and mental health professionals, and particularly also
targets minority and low-income students to encourage more
access to the medical profession. And an increased emphasis to
make sure seniors get the care and treatment they need.

PANDEMIC FLU

And finally, the budget will support our work at the
Department to protect public health and the safety of our
citizens. As the chairman has recognized, we are not only
dealing with an ongoing presentation of the H1N1 flu virus, but
also the ongoing preparedness and operations to respond to
whatever outbreaks may strike next and threaten the health of
the American people.
There's no question that the investments made in pandemic
planning and preparation by this subcommittee and Congress over
the years has allowed our Department to respond efficiently,
but we need to continue those efforts and make sure that we are
well-prepared. We don't know what the next depths of this virus
might be when it comes back in the fall in this country or what
will happen exactly this summer, when it presents itself in the
Southern Hemisphere in conjunction with their flu season. So,
the President has submitted a supplemental request to support
the Federal response to the recent outbreak. So the funds, in
addition to those provided in the 2010 budget, will allow our
Department to continue to be the primary health agency
responding to this outbreak and remain prepared to protect the
American people.
So Mr. Chairman, the President is committed to a safer,
healthier, and more prosperous America and we feel this budget
will help achieve those goals, investing in reform, improving
on the quality of care, and continuing to provide essential
services that so many families depend on.

PREPARED STATEMENT

So, I look forward to taking your questions and those from
other subcommittee members and, more importantly, to work with
you on these important goals.
Senator Harkin. Madam Secretary, thank you very much for
your summation and, as I said, your full statement will be made
a part of the record in its entirety.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Kathleen Sebelius
Chairman Harkin, Senator Cochran, and members of the subcommittee,
thank you for the invitation to discuss the President's fiscal year
2010 budget for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
In these times of economic uncertainty, we at HHS are even more
cognizant of the healthcare needs of American citizens. It is during
times like these that we must be especially mindful to answer the call
as public servants to protect the health of the American people as well
as ensure the availability of healthcare resources. At HHS, we are
dedicated to the continued improvement and accessibility of healthcare
in the United States and committed to providing essential human
services that families depend on, particularly in times of economic
crisis.
The HHS fiscal year 2010 budget reflects a dedication to focus
resources in the areas of health reform, improving the quality and
accessibility of healthcare, delivering human services to vulnerable
populations, securing and promoting public health, investing in
scientific research and development, and ensuring the successful
implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
The President's fiscal year 2010 budget for HHS totals $879 billion
in outlays. The budget proposes $78 billion in discretionary budget
authority for fiscal year 2010, of which $72 billion is within the
jurisdiction of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and
related agencies Subcommittee.
Health Reform
I would like to begin my comments by addressing our efforts in the
area of health reform.
One of the biggest drains on American family budgets and the
performance of the economy is the high cost of healthcare. American
families and small businesses are being crushed by sky-rocketing
healthcare costs and they are losing the very choices they value most.
Health insurance premiums have doubled since 2000, rising four
times faster than wage growth. This increase strains both families and
the businesses that struggle to sustain health benefits for their
employees. At the same time, healthcare costs are consuming a rapidly
growing share of Federal and State government budgets.
The United States spends more than $2.2 trillion on healthcare each
year, a number that represents about 16 percent of the total economy.
Experts predict that by 2018, 20 percent of the economy will be spent
on healthcare.
Despite this record spending, about 46 million Americans lack
healthcare coverage. The President is committed to reform that assures
quality, affordable healthcare for all Americans. Covering all
Americans is not only a moral imperative, but it is also essential to a
more effective and efficient healthcare system.
HHS has already made major strides towards this goal.
We have supported efforts at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services such as the Children's Health Insurance Program, which has
provided healthcare for millions of previously uninsured children.
The administration is using Recovery Act dollars wisely to protect
coverage for families and help strengthen our healthcare system. The
funds this subcommittee provided are protecting Medicaid coverage and
improving health services to low-income Americans. The Recovery Act
temporarily lowers the cost of COBRA coverage by 65 percent for some
workers and their families, helping workers who lost their jobs hold
onto the coverage they need.
The Recovery Act advances the President's health IT initiative and
accelerates the adoption of health information technology--an essential
tool to modernize the healthcare system--and the utilization of
electronic health records. We are striving to improve care and give
patients and doctors more information by devoting $1.1 billion to
comparative effectiveness research. In addition, we are working to
improve the health of all Americans by investing $1 billion in
prevention and wellness.
These are important first steps, but there is much more work to be
done to ensure all Americans have the high-quality, affordable coverage
they deserve.
Consistent with the President's vision for a reformed healthcare
system that offers affordable, quality healthcare to all Americans, the
HHS budget invests in key priority areas and puts us on the path to
health reform.
The budget sends a clear message that we can't afford to wait any
longer if we want to get healthcare costs under control and improve our
fiscal outlook. Investing in health reform today will help bring down
costs tomorrow and ensure all Americans have access to the quality care
they need and deserve.
Consistent with these principles, the budget takes a significant
step towards comprehensive reform and establishes a healthcare reserve
fund of $635 billion over 10 years to finance health reform that brings
down costs, improves quality, and assures coverage for all Americans.
The reserve will be funded by new revenue and by savings from Medicare
and Medicaid. While the reserve fund is a significant commitment, we
are aware that this amount is not sufficient to fully fund
comprehensive reform, and we look forward to working with the Congress
to identify additional resources.
This saving proposal is supported by the following initiatives:
Aligning Incentives Toward Quality.--The budget includes proposals
intended to improve incentives to provide high quality care in
Medicare, including quality incentive payments to hospitals and
voluntary physician groups and reduced payments to hospitals with high
readmission rates.
Promoting Efficiency and Accountability.--The budget includes
savings resulting from increased efficiency and accountability in
Medicare and Medicaid, including reducing Medicare payments to private
insurers by encouraging competition, implementing policies to decrease
Medicaid costs for prescription drugs, improving Medicare and Medicaid
payment accuracy, and bundling Medicare payments for inpatient hospital
and certain post-acute care.
Encouraging Shared Responsibility.--The budget recognizes that
successfully moving toward a reformed healthcare system will require
all stakeholders to contribute a proportionate share. The budget
includes a proposal to require certain higher-income Medicare
beneficiaries enrolled in Part D to pay higher premiums, as is
currently required for physician and outpatient services.
New Revenues.--Among other changes, the budget includes a proposal
to limit the rate at which high-income taxpayers can take itemized
deductions against revenues dedicated to health reform. This will help
provide the savings needed to fund comprehensive health reform.
Improving Quality and Access to Health Care
At HHS, we continue to strive to find ways to better serve the
American public, especially those citizens less able to help
themselves. We are working to improve the quality of and access to
healthcare for all Americans by supporting programs intended to enhance
the healthcare workforce as well as the quality of health care
information and treatments through the advancement of health
information technology (IT) and the modernization of the healthcare
system.
The budget includes more than $1 billion within the Health
Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to support a wide range of
programs to strengthen and support our Nation's healthcare workforce.
This funding will enhance the capacity of nursing schools, increase
access to oral healthcare through dental workforce development grants,
target minority and low-income students, and place an increased
emphasis on ensuring that America's senior population gets the care and
treatment it needs.
The budget also supports HHS-wide comparative effectiveness
research, including $50 million within the Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality. This research will improve healthcare quality by
providing patients and physicians with state-of-the-science information
about which medical treatments work best for a given clinical
condition.
The budget advances the President's health IT initiative and
accelerates the adoption of health information technology--an essential
tool to modernize the healthcare system--and the utilization of
electronic health records (EHR). The Office of the National Coordinator
for Health Information Technology will continue its current efforts as
the Federal health IT leader and coordinator. During fiscal year 2010,
HHS will prepare to provide Recovery Act Medicare and Medicaid
incentive payments to physicians and hospitals who demonstrate
meaningful use of certified EHRs.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Program
Management account increases by $235 million in fiscal year 2010 to
cover statutory and policy workloads in claims processing and in
healthcare facility survey frequencies to adequately protect
beneficiary quality of care and safety. CMS Program Management funding
increases will also go to important initiatives such as ICD-10
implementation and additional funding for Medicare Improvements for
Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA) implementation as well as
the necessary increase in staff to administer new workloads from MIPPA
and other recent legislation. CMS will also expand its research efforts
to lay the groundwork for long-term reforms of CMS' programs and the
Nation's healthcare system.
Delivering Human Services to Vulnerable Populations
HHS shares the President's belief in increasing access to critical
services and healthcare for citizens most in need of assistance. HHS
takes seriously our responsibility to reach out to those Americans
least able to provide for themselves such as children and senior
citizens as well as those in rural areas where quality, affordable
healthcare and services are less accessible.
Due chiefly to Recovery Act funding, the Head Start program run by
the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), will serve 978,000
children in fiscal year 2009, an increase of approximately 70,000 over
fiscal year 2008. Approximately 115,000 infants and toddlers, nearly
twice as many as in fiscal year 2008, will have access to Early Head
Start services in fiscal year 2009 and fiscal year 2010. The budget
includes an additional $122 million to enable Head Start to sustain the
historic increase in children served.
The budget includes $178 million in funds to support evidence-based
teen pregnancy prevention programs. To improve outcomes for women and
children, the President's budget also assumes $124 million for a new
mandatory Home Visitation program to establish and expand home
visitation programs for low-income families.
The budget includes $3.2 billion for the ACF Low Income Home Energy
Assistance Program (LIHEAP), one of the largest LIHEAP funding requests
ever. Energy prices are volatile, making it difficult to match funding
to the needs of low income families. For this reason, the budget
includes a legislative proposal to provide additional mandatory LIHEAP
funding if energy prices increase significantly.
The budget includes $59 million, an increase of $35 million, within
the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to expand
the treatment capacity of drug courts. Within this increased funding
for drug courts, $5 million will support families affected by
methamphetamine abuse. The budget also includes $986 million, an
increase of $17 million, for the prevention and treatment of mental
illnesses.
Securing and Promoting Public Health
Whether it's responding to the H1N1 flu virus or the recent recall
of peanuts, HHS is responsible for keeping Americans healthy and safe,
and we take that responsibility seriously.
The budget will help ensure we remain prepared to protect the
American people. The investments we made in pandemic planning and
preparation allowed us to respond quickly and efficiently to the H1N1
virus in this country and helped get Americans the information and
resources they needed early on during the outbreak.
The administration has requested supplemental funding to support
the Federal response to the recent outbreak of 2009 H1N1 influenza.
Resources will be vital to support the immediate response and to
support potential longer term needs as determined by the severity of
the virus in the Southern Hemisphere. It is important that we take
steps now to ensure resources are available on a contingency basis in
case they are needed. These funds, in addition to the fiscal year 2010
budget of $584 million, will allow HHS to develop and produce vaccines
as well as distribute antivirals, personal protective equipment, and
other medical countermeasures. This funding will also support public
health surveillance and response efforts in the face of the current
outbreak.
HHS has been working diligently to ensure that the public will be
protected from this H1N1 virus and has created an H1N1 virus reference
strain that has been distributed to the manufacturers to create a virus
master seed. HHS recently committed $1.1 billion, through new orders on
existing manufacturer contracts, to develop and test bulk supply of
vaccine antigen and adjuvant for the production of pilot lots of an
H1N1 vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Food
and Drug Administration, and NIH are working together to develop a
commercial-scale vaccine production strategy, as well as working on the
development of vaccine candidates.
HHS has also declared a nationwide Public Health Emergency;
deployed teams to affected States according to the CDC Incident Action
Plan; released 25 percent, or 11 million treatment courses of the
antivirals in the Strategic National Stockpile for distribution to
States; issued Emergency Use Authorization of diagnostic laboratory
tests and to treat children under the age of 1 year with Tamiflu;
issued regularly updated guidance for healthcare providers, public
health officials, and the public on recommendations on antivirals,
symptoms and reducing spread of the virus; and continued surveillance
activities, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere to monitor the H1N1
virus.
People living with HIV disease are, on average, poorer than the
general population, and Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program clients are poorer
still. For them, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program is the payor of last
resort because they are uninsured or have inadequate insurance and
cannot cover the costs of care on their own, and because no other
source of payment for services, public or private, is available. The
budget includes more than $3 billion in CDC and HRSA to enhance HIV/
AIDS prevention, care, and treatment. Within HRSA, an additional $54
million is included for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program to increase
access to healthcare among uninsured and underinsured individuals
living with HIV/AIDS and to help reduce HIV/AIDS-related health
disparities. Within CDC, an additional $53 million is included to
enhance testing and other HIV/AIDS prevention efforts.
The President's request also includes $354 million for combating
health disparities and will help improve the health of racial and
ethnic minorities and low-income and disadvantaged populations. This
proposal includes $143 million for the Minority AIDS Initiative under
the Ryan White Act, $116 million for Health Professions and Nursing
Training Diversity Programs, $56 million for the Office of Minority
Health, and $40 million for the REACH program administered by the CDC.
Rural Americans also often receive substandard care and the fiscal
year 2010 budget includes $73 million for a new ``Improve Rural Health
Care'' initiative, which increases access and improves the quality of
care in rural areas.
Investing in Scientific Research and Development
HHS is dedicated to finding better ways to treat and prevent
illnesses such as cancer through the support of programs dedicated to
advancing medical research and development. The HHS budget includes
nearly $31 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to
continue support of biomedical research. These funds build on the
unprecedented $10.4 billion in total provided to NIH in the Recovery
Act. Within the budget total, more than $6 billion will support cancer
research across NIH. This funding is central to the President's
sustained plan to double NIH cancer research over 8 years. In fiscal
year 2010, NIH estimates it will support a total of 38,042 research
project grants, including 9,849 new and competing awards.
Recovery Act
The Department's portion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act of 2009 addresses and responds to critical challenges in our
healthcare system and enhances human services through investments that
immediately impact the lives of Americans.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes an estimated
$167 billion over 10 years for programs at HHS. HHS mandatory budget
authority is increased by an estimated $144 billion, which includes
$113 billion for Medicaid, $23 billion for Medicare, $7 billion for the
ACF entitlement programs, and $1 billion for administration. Most of
the increase in this funding will take place in fiscal year 2009 and
fiscal year 2010.
HHS also received $22 billion in discretionary budget authority.
The majority of these funds will be obligated by September 2010 to
achieve the most rapid impact for citizens and States affected by the
current economic downturn.
HHS Recovery Act activities support efforts to increase access to
healthcare, protect those in greatest need, expand educational
opportunities, and modernize the Nation's infrastructure. HHS is
committed to quickly and carefully distributing Recovery Act funds in
an open and transparent manner that will achieve the objectives of the
Recovery Act. HHS released over $16 billion in Recovery Act funds
within the first 30 days of enactment, including crucial fiscal relief
to States through increased Medicaid funding, funds for health centers,
and funds for foster care and adoption assistance. Overall, HHS will
distribute more than 90 percent of its increased discretionary funding,
and approximately two-thirds of its increased mandatory spending,
within 2 years of enactment.
Consistent with the President's call for accountability and
responsible management in the Federal Government, HHS has established
new policy and technical processes to review spending plans and to
implement the Recovery Act requirements for transparency and
accountability. To coordinate and manage the complexity of HHS' role
and processes in the Recovery Act, HHS established an Office of
Recovery Act Coordination run out of the Office of the Secretary. The
Recovery Act also provides $48 million for the Office of Inspector
General to enhance accountability and enforcement activities to prevent
waste, fraud, and abuse.
In Closing
Consistent with the President's vision for a safer, healthier, and
more prosperous America, HHS will continue to seek improvements and
strive to exceed expectations in areas such as securing and promoting
public health, delivering human services to vulnerable populations, and
improving quality of and access to healthcare. HHS will continue to
make investments that will improve the lives of children, families, and
seniors by creating a healthy foundation for everyone to fully
participate in the American community.
Again, I would like to thank the subcommittee for this opportunity
to offer my comments and I look forward to working with you to advance
the health, safety, and well-being of the American people.

HEALTHCARE WASTE AND HOSPITAL-ACQUIRED INFECTIONS

Senator Harkin. Madam Secretary, thank you very much for
your summation and, as I said, your full statement will be made
a part of the record in its entirety. Madam Secretary, there is
an article in The Washington Post this morning on healthcare.
It pointed out two important things. It says here, ``The
pockets of medical excellence dot the landscape, but at least
100,000 people die each year from infections they acquired in
the hospital. While 1.5 million are harmed by medication
errors.'' And down here, ``yet The Institute of Medicine
estimates that one-third of all medical care is pure waste such
as duplicate X-rays, repeat lab tests, and procedures to fix
mistakes.''
[The information follows:]

[From The Washington Post, June 9, 2009]

Decision Makers Differ on How to Mend Broken Health System
(By Ceci Connolly)
Nowhere else in the world is so much money spent with such poor
results.
On that point there is rare unanimity among Washington decision
makers: The U.S. health system needs a major overhaul.
For more than a decade, researchers have documented the inequities,
shortcomings, waste and even dangers in the hodgepodge of uncoordinated
medical services that consume nearly one-fifth of the nation's economy.
Exorbitant medical bills thrust too many families into bankruptcy,
hinder the global competitiveness of U.S. companies and threaten the
government's long-term solvency.
But the consensus breaks down on the question of how best to create
a coordinated, high-performing, evidence-based system that provides the
right care at the right time to the right people.
During eight years in office, President George W. Bush took an
incremental approach, adding prescription drug benefits to the Medicare
program for seniors and the disabled and expanding the number of
community clinics nationwide. President Obama, like the last Democrat
to occupy the White House, contends that was insufficient and is
pushing for an ambitious reworking of the entire $2.3 trillion system.
Framed by President Bill Clinton 16 years ago as a moral imperative
to deliver health care to all, this summer's historic debate comes
against a more urgent backdrop. As the national unemployment rate nears
10 percent and giants such as General Motors crumble, the expensive,
inefficient health system has deepened the country's economic woes.
By virtually every measure, the situation has worsened.
Today, about 46 million Americans have no health insurance, so they
go without or wait in emergency rooms for expensive, belated care.
Everyone else helps pay for that Band-Aid fix in the form of higher
taxes and an extra $1,000 a year in insurance premiums.
Pockets of medical excellence dot the landscape, but at least
100,000 people die each year from infections they acquired in the
hospital, while 1.5 million are harmed by medication errors. Of 37
industrialized nations, the United States ranks 29th in infant
mortality and among the world's worst on measures such as obesity,
heart disease and preventable deaths.
Bright young physicians trained at prestigious and expensive
universities enter a profession built on perverse financial rewards.
They, like assembly-line workers of the past, are paid on a piecemeal
basis, earning more money not by doing better but simply by doing more.
Yet more care rarely translates into better health. Extensive
research by Dartmouth College has found the exact opposite: Health
outcomes are often best in communities that spend less compared with
cities such as Boston and Miami where the medical arms race of
specialists and high-tech gadgets often leads to greater risks and
injuries.
The Institute of Medicine estimates that one-third of all medical
care is pure waste, such as duplicate X-rays, repeat lab tests and
procedures to fix mistakes.
``Most Americans don't understand how bad health care in the United
States is,'' said Michael F. Cannon, head of health policy at the
libertarian Cato Institute. ``We need big reforms.''
Across the ideological spectrum, the diagnosis is remarkably
consistent.
``Sure, some people here have the best health care in the world,
but the average American is paying too much and not getting enough in
return,'' said John D. Podesta, who led Obama's transition team and
heads the Center for American Progress, a think tank.
Said Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.): ``What's tragic is that so much of
this spending is on duplicative or unnecessary care that doesn't
improve health outcomes.''
Simply put, the goal of health reform is to finally get our money's
worth, say industry leaders, policymakers, consumers and business
executives.
They envision a health-care system that guarantees a basic level of
care for everyone, shifts the emphasis to wellness and prevention,
minimizes errors, and reduces unnecessary and unproved treatment. Such
a system would coordinate care, track patients and doctor performance
electronically, and reward good results. The high-value system of the
future would be organized ``so that people get the care they need and
need the care they get,'' said Elizabeth A. McGlynn, associate director
of the health research division of Rand Corp.
Nowadays, that is often not the case.
On average, Americans receive the recommended, proven care 55
percent of the time, according to Rand studies. Sometimes, doctors or
nurses overlook a basic but critical step, such as prescribing a beta
blocker medication to patients after a heart attack, a therapy shown to
significantly reduce the risk of a fatal attack. At other times,
patients undergo procedures when there is no evidence that they are any
better than a simpler, cheaper alternative.
Ten years ago, in its landmark report ``To Err is Human,'' the
Institute of Medicine estimated that 44,000 to 98,000 people die each
year from medical mistakes, highlighting the need for improvement.
Since then, the tally has risen, said Janet Corrigan, president of the
National Quality Forum, a nonprofit membership organization that
promotes quality standards.
``We now know estimates of those who die from hospital-acquired
infections is upwards of 100,000,'' she said. ``Many of those, if not
most, are avoidable and preventable.''
Sen. Robert C. Byrd's recent hospital stay, for example, has been
extended because the West Virginia Democrat developed a staph
infection.
``Everyone agrees that hospitals are hazardous to your health,''
said Mitchell Seltzer, a consultant who advises large medical
institutions. ``For every day a patient is in a bed, they are subjected
to a higher probability of medical errors, hospital-acquired
infections, inappropriate tests that do not have a direct bearing on
the medical condition being treated.''
Part of the problem is cultural, said Rand's McGlynn.
``People tend to demand the new thing even if there's not much
evidence it will make a difference in the length or quality of life,''
she said.
Few patients or physicians have any idea who delivers good, or bad,
care, because few organizations track results. Consumers have more
information to evaluate their cars than they do their surgeons. ``It's
like a doctor flying the plane without instruments,'' said James N.
Weinstein, a spine surgeon who directs the Dartmouth Institute for
Health Policy and Clinical Practice.
Obama set aside $19 billion in his economic stimulus package to
promote the use of digital records, on the belief that they reduce
duplication, produce more consistent care and cut down on errors.
Because the fee-for-service payment system rewards quantity over
quality, there is little incentive--and there are even disincentives--
for doctors, nurses and hospitals to improve, Corrigan said.
``Is it a surprise we have lots of extra imaging tests and lab
tests?'' she said. ``Not at all.''
The consequences are especially glaring in regions with larger
numbers of specialists and pricey technology, the Dartmouth data show.
Take the case of Miami vs. La Crosse, Wis. In 2006, using
inflation-adjusted figures, Medicare spent $5,812 on the average
beneficiary in La Crosse, compared with $16,351 in Miami. Yet an
examination of health status in both places, adjusted for age, finds no
evidence that the extra spending resulted in better care, Weinstein
said.
``That's the enigma here,'' he said. ``Less is more, and more isn't
better.''
Physician behavior and spending patterns in Medicare have been good
indicators of broader trends across the nation, Dartmouth has found.
Even the best physicians cannot stay current with all of the drugs,
tests and treatments available today--another reason to digitize modern
medicine, Corrigan said.
Many fear that the push to contain costs will result in rationing.
In today's system, ``we don't ration care, we ration people,'' said
Donald M. Berwick, president of the independent Massachusetts-based
Institute for Healthcare Improvement. ``We know that if you are black
and poor or a woman, there are all sorts of effective interventions you
are not going to get.''
Though the transition would be painful and the politics
treacherous, Berwick said it is possible to spend less on medical care
and have a healthier nation.
``If we could just become La Crosse, think of how much better off
we would be,'' he said.

Senator Harkin. Madam Secretary, thank you very much for
your summation and, as I said, your full statement will be made
a part of the record in its entirety. So, as we look ahead for
healthcare reform, people wonder how we are going to pay for
all this. Well, if one-third, according to the Institute of
Medicine, is pure waste, that comes out to be about $700
billion a year. I don't know if that's right or not, but even
if it's half of that, it seems to me that's an area where we
could work together and, with the IGs office and others, to
begin a really concentrated, concerted effort to look at where
it is that we might make changes.
You, in your capacity as the Secretary, and where we might
be able to work with you, should find those areas where we can
cut down on the waste, and also determine what we can do to cut
down on the number of infections that people acquire in the
hospitals. It is becoming dangerous to go to the hospital. More
and more people are getting sicker in hospitals.
And so I just throw that out as saying that I hope you will
be looking at this. You've just come on board, I know you've
been there, what, a month-and-a-half now? Two months?
Secretary Sebelius. Six weeks, but who's counting?
Senator Harkin. Six weeks, okay. Something like that. But I
would hope that you and your staff would get together and look
at this and see what it is that you can do, or what we can do
together, to go after both of those elements.
Secretary Sebelius. Well, Mr. Chairman, let me just say
that I appreciate the concern and share it. We have already
issued a challenge to the American hospitals to work in
conjunction with our Department to reduce, by two-thirds, the
number of hospital-related infections. It has been proven that
using a fairly simple hospital checklist has a dramatic impact
on hospital infections. So, we are using some of the funding
provided by Congress in the Recovery Act to do just that. To
challenge hospitals, and also to increase the State capacity to
do inspections. That's one area.
I don't think there is any question that we know where
there are, as you say, pockets of high-quality, lower-cost
medical care being delivered day in and day out, but they
haven't been scaled across the country and there's a lot of
excessive and redundant care right now that is probably not
only costly, but doesn't really add anything to the health
outcome. So that's another area of concern.
The comparative effectiveness research will help promote
the best practices and share that patient-centered research
about what helps and what is most cost-effective. But I can
guarantee you that, in the Department, we are very focused on
trying to identify what does work in a cost-effective manner
and what drives the best health outcomes and hopefully share
that across the country.
Health information and technology, again, funded in the
Recovery Act will have, I think, a dramatic impact on lowering
medical errors and sharing best protocols and putting some
transparency behind what is effective or not.
So, you've already started down the pathway with the
funding provided in the Recovery Act and there are some more
investments in this budget that we hope move forward.

PREVENTION AND WELLNESS

Senator Harkin. Madam Secretary, thank you for that
response. As long as we are talking about the Recovery bill, a
top priority for me was the Prevention and Wellness Fund. You
mentioned some of it. Actually, we got $5.8 billion in the
Senate bill, the final amount was $1 billion, but that's okay.
We got it. $650 million was dedicated to improve strategies to
reduce chronic diseases. And we could have, obviously,
specified exactly where we wanted all of this to go, but we
left it sort of open, expecting that your Department, and the
Appropriations Committee, would have an ongoing dialogue about
what was the best strategy.
I've heard vague plans about a national media campaign. I
don't know what diseases or conditions are being considered. I
understand there might be community grants, but I don't know
what's being targeted. I guess what I'm saying is that we need
some more specifics about how you're planning to allocate the
Prevention and Wellness Fund. And I would like to have your
assurance that you would consult with us, and have an
opportunity for us to have meaningful input into this before it
goes to OMB.
Secretary Sebelius. Well, Mr. Chairman, you have my
assurance of that. As you know, Tom Frieden, who was named as
the new Director of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, came on board on Monday, yesterday.
Senator Harkin. Yes.
Secretary Sebelius. And I think that this is one of the
significant investments in the Recovery bill and the most
significant investment in prevention, granted significantly
under where you hope it would end up, but still the most
significant investment in prevention and wellness, I think in
the history of the United States.
So, the leadership at the Department felt it was very
important to collect a broad array of ideas and input and I can
assure you that no final plans have been made. We wanted to get
the leadership on board and we would be absolutely, not only
willing, but delighted to consult with you as we move forward.
Because sharing your expertise, I know this is an area that you
are passionate about and have a lot of expertise to share, so
we would very much look forward to coming back to you before a
plan is finalized.
Senator Harkin. Outstanding. Look forward to it. Thank you,
Madam Secretary.
Senator Cochran.
Senator Cochran. Mr. Chairman, thank you. Madam Secretary,
you know, one of the other responsibilities that I've had since
being in the Senate is to chair the Agriculture Committee, in
addition to this Appropriations Committee. And it occurs to me
as we look at things that are done in the rural areas of the
country, your Department, and the Department of Agriculture,
share a lot or have some overlapping responsibilities. I wonder
if you've thought about how maybe these can be coordinated and
improved efficiencies or, in other ways, make available needed
benefits like health screening, vaccinations, feeding programs.
I just thought of those, the WIC program administration, for
example.
In the case of a flu virus outbreak, it would be an
important resource making available vaccinations. Do you have
any thoughts about whether we need to improve the efficiencies
of these programs by maybe combining that into one Department
rather than having a division of responsibility between the two
departments now?
Secretary Sebelius. Well, Senator, I can tell you that, in
my short tenure here at the Department, I have already had a
number of conversations with the Secretary of Agriculture, Tom
Vilsack, who I served with as Governors in neighboring States.
In Senator Harkin's home State, Tom Vilsack was the two-term
Governor and he was actually Governor when I got elected,
helped me get elected, and I have learned a lot from him.
So, there is a lot of collaborative discussion underway.
Everything from food safety issues, as we redesign the food
safety initiatives under the Food and Drug Administration, to
looking at the obesity, food and nutrition in classrooms. A
couple of the programs that you mentioned we haven't had on our
radar screen yet, but I think we definitely need to add those.
The President is very interested and committed to having
Cabinet secretaries work in a very interagency fashion,
leveraging the assets of the agencies and not replicating or
duplicating programs that work well in one area, but borrowing
good ideas and trying to work together in a collaborative
fashion.
So, I think you've made some important suggestions and I
will certainly circle back with those with the Secretary of
Agriculture.

LIHEAP FUNDING DISPARITIES

Senator Cochran. The President's budget request creates a,
or suggests that there should be created, a new mandatory
LIHEAP program with a trigger mechanism for automatic increases
in energy assistance. Under the current formula, these funds
are distributed more to cold weather States than they are warm
weather States, at least that's my observation.
When the new LIHEAP program is designed, how do you intend
to address the funding disparity that endangers lower income
residents in rural States in the South?
Secretary Sebelius. Well, Senator, I have to tell you that
I wasn't aware of the disparity until I began some of the
visits in preparation for my confirmation hearing. And it was
raised by a number of warm weather Senators that the money runs
out before it gets hot in the summertime.
And what I said at that point, and I intend to continue to
do, is to take a look at the way that the funds are
distributed. Because I agree with you, people are in jeopardy
if they're sitting in 100 degree homes, the same way they are
if they are in 30 degree homes. And the same kind of impact is
had on vulnerable populations.
So, I can assure you that we would not only appreciate your
input, but that I will certainly take into consideration, and
ask the folks who are administering the program, if we are
looking at the issues of warm weather States, because I think
it is of concern.
Senator Cochran. Thank you. I have a couple more questions,
but I am going to yield to other senators who are here.
Senator Harkin. Senator Kohl.
Senator Kohl. Thank you so much. Secretary Sebelius,
welcome.
Secretary Sebelius. Thank you.
Senator Kohl. As you know, the waiver for Wisconsin's
Senior Care Program is scheduled to end on December 31 of this
year. Currently, this program provides over 100,000 seniors in
my State with high-quality, cost-effective prescription drug
coverage, as I presume you are aware. According to the CBO, it
does so while achieving ongoing savings for the Federal
Government at the same time.
I understand that Governor Jim Doyle, who I know you are
very familiar with has applied for a waiver to extend senior
care through 2012, which should allow this very successful
program to continue. Can you tell me the status of the waiver
application and whether or not we can hope to achieve that
waiver?
Secretary Sebelius. Well, Senator, as you know, that 1115
Program is the only one left in the country where the State-
only drug program is being conducted. And I know it's wildly
popular and I know it's been enormously successful. You'll be
pleased to hear that not only did my good friend, Jim Doyle,
apply for the waiver of continuation before I got to the
office, but he was in my office 3 days ago amplifying that
request, to make sure that I did not forget. And, as you might
be aware, the President is going to Green Bay, Wisconsin on
Thursday to talk about healthcare reform and I don't doubt that
he's going to hear a little bit of something about this popular
program.
It is my understanding that we're in the final stages of
review, that people in the Agency are aware of not only how
popular it is, but how successful it's been. And I'm hopeful
that we will be able to give you news in the very near future.
Senator Kohl. Well, I'll take that as a somewhat positive
indication.
Secretary Sebelius. I just don't have the definitive answer
today. I'd hoped I'd have it by today, but close.
Senator Kohl. Okay. I happen to have given a speech on
Monday in Wisconsin to 400 people who are involved in issues
that apply to seniors all across our State and I had something
like a dozen applause lines written into my speech. The only
one that got any applause----
Secretary Sebelius. Was this program.
Senator Kohl [continuing]. Was my reference to the senior
care program and how effective it's been.
Secretary Sebelius. Well, I can tell you in the discussions
that I've been involved in healthcare reform, I have asked our
folks, just because before I came to this position, as a
Governor and as someone who shared ideas with other governors,
not only did I have our State looking at how successful
Wisconsin had been and what kinds of things we could do to
mirror it, but the healthcare reform team has the whole program
and we want to look at it as a possibility to include as one of
the options.
So, it definitely has caught the attention of lots of folks
outside of Wisconsin.

QUALITY OF HEALTHCARE

Senator Kohl. Thank you.
Secretary Sebelius, lately, as I'm sure you're very much
aware, there's been much media attention on how it costs two to
three times as much to fund a Medicare recipient in some
locales across our country than it does in others. We've seen
articles in several publications come to the conclusion that
healthcare quality does not increase with higher spending. In
fact, The Washington Post reports that healthcare costs in a
place in my State, Lacrosse, are much lower than the national
average and yet quality is much better than the national
average.
I'm sure this is one of the toughest, one of the toughest
problems that you are going to be confronting in your time as
Secretary. Do you have some initial thoughts on what we can do
to take advantage of those areas that are doing a great job in
controlling costs and extend it across the country to those
areas that are not?
Secretary Sebelius. Well, Senator, I think you've just very
adeptly defined the challenge as how to take what is happening
in pockets, as Senator Harkin said earlier, across the country
and sort of scale up. So not only do we reduce overall costs,
but we increase quality.
Someone said to me the other day that, you know, there's a
lot of discussion about rationing healthcare. And this expert
said that he thought what we were doing currently in America
was rationing quality, which I thought was an interesting lens.
I think the comparative effectiveness research that was funded,
$1 billion worth in the Recovery Act, is a big step in that
direction. To inform doctors and consumers, patients, what is
happening and what the best practices are. I think there are
certainly NIH studies which can lend to that and CDC is looking
at areas that we can improve quality.
But part of it is learning from the folks who are running
the health systems that have been identified as delivering
high-quality care at a much lower cost. We have some
improvements currently proposed in the budget and some Medicare
demonstration projects. One of the areas we know is very
erratic is what happens to a patient when you get released from
a hospital. Right now, 20 percent are re-admitted. And a lot of
evidence leads to the fact that that's because of a lack of
follow-up care, which is very expensive and certainly not great
for the patient. So, we're trying to expand best practices in
that area.
Looking at bundled payments so providers are more concerned
with ultimate outcome and not with contacts with patients. So
we think that will be an effective strategy. And really
driving, encouraging some voluntary collaboration, with single
practice docs so that they can have a more coordinated care
strategy.
So trying to take what we think is working and encourage
others to follow that practice and use some of the Medicare,
both incentives and payments, to enhance and accelerate quality
care for all Americans.
Senator Kohl. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Mr.
Chair.
Senator Harkin. Thank you, Senator. Senator Alexander.
Senator Alexander. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Madam
Secretary, welcome. I'm glad you're here.
The President sent a letter to Senator Baucus and Senator
Kennedy saying that, on June 2, saying that healthcare reform
must not add to our deficit over the next 10 years and today he
made a speech about pay-go, saying that we should only spend a
dollar if you save, or I might add tax a dollar. Are we to
assume then that so-called pay-go should apply to the
healthcare reform bill that we are considering in Congress.
Secretary Sebelius. Well I think, Senator, certainly the
estimates over a 10-year period of time are a bit difficult to
reach. And I think one of the ongoing concerns, and it is
something that I think the chairman shares, is that currently
there is no scoring, for instance, for any prevention and
wellness strategy. I'm not sure there's an expert who believes
that it won't save money, and yet it is not scored.
So, whether or not the kind of transformational healthcare
reform will actually have a dollar-for-dollar offset on day
one, I can't tell you because I think that----
Senator Alexander. So, pay-go does not apply to the
healthcare reform bill we are considering?
Secretary Sebelius. Senator, I think it does. I haven't
seen the outlines of exactly what the President is proposing to
Congress. I know there was some discussion, about the 10-year
timeline with the healthcare reform bill. Is it 10 years from
the date it starts, is it 10 years from the date it passes? And
there is a lively debate about prevention and wellness
strategies and whether that can be scored at least in out-
years.
Senator Alexander. But would you agree that it might be a
good idea to see the details of the proposal and to hear from
the Congressional Budget Office what the scoring might be
before making a decision about going forward, in light of the
President's concern about pay-go?
Secretary Sebelius. Well, I think certainly it is a
discussion to have. I'm not sure that the Congressional Budget
Office is going to score prevention, although I think they're
dead wrong in not assuming that there will be savings and cost
effectiveness related to shifting a health system to a wellness
prevention system.
Senator Alexander. Well, without being overly redundant, if
the President is going to write us a letter and say don't add
to the deficit and give us a lecture about pay-go, shouldn't it
apply to the healthcare reform bill, which is variously
estimated between $1 to $2 trillion in new costs over the next
year?
Let me ask you this, if it does cost between $1 to $2
trillion, depending upon whether it's the Kennedy bill or the
bill being considered by the Finance Committee, what new taxes
or what new savings would the administration recommend to make
sure that we don't add to the deficit?
Secretary Sebelius. Well, Senator, as you probably know, in
the 2010 budget, the President recommended about $630 billion
worth of both savings and revenue enhancements. And we've also
suggested, after reviewing the overall Medicare programs, that
within the Medicare program, we think another $200 to $250
billion is possible in terms of savings. There's no question
that the additional and enhanced efforts on fraud and abuse
will generate some additional savings. And he has had lively
discussions with members of the House and the Senate about
their ideas for funding the remainder of the program.
But I think the good faith effort by the President, and
it's demonstrated in his budget and moving forward, to come in
with a substantial investment in reform moving forward, and
then hopefully engaging Congress in that very discussion.
Senator Alexander. But you would agree that the investment
is only a beginning of the amount of money that we may need?
Secretary Sebelius. Well, $634 billion plus another $200
billion is $800 billion. And if it is in the $1 trillion to
$1.2 trillion range, that's a pretty good investment moving
forward.
Senator Alexander. That's a pretty good investment, so it
would be important to know the details of the proposal and the
cost of the proposal before we vote on the proposal and act on
the proposal, if we are to take, show respect to the
President's desire for pay-go and not adding to the deficit.
Secretary Sebelius. Well, and hopefully as Members of
Congress engage in this discussion, as the bill is written by
the Finance Committee and the HELP Committee, the three
committees dealing with it in the House will engage in those
conversations about paying for healthcare reform, which will be
a critical part of this dialogue moving forward.

A PUBLIC HEALTH INSURANCE OPTION

Senator Alexander. Does the President or the administration
support the Government-run insurance plan proposed by Senator
Kennedy in his legislation? I note that the President, in his
letter, said that he wanted to see a public or Government-run
option as a part of a plan.
Secretary Sebelius. Well, I think that the President has
maintained from the outset, during the course of the campaign
and in the letter that you received, that in the Health
Insurance Exchange, a marketplace where consumers would have
choices and options for coverage if they want to choose new
coverage, that a public option is very important. In many parts
of the country, there is not a choice of private plans. There
is a dominant carrier, a monopoly----
Senator Alexander. Excuse me, but does he support or not
support Senator Kennedy's----
Secretary Sebelius. I have not seen the specific language
that you are referring to----
Senator Alexander. So, he would want to read it and
understand it and understand it and maybe see the cost of it
before he made that decision.
Secretary Sebelius. You'd have to ask the President about
that.
Senator Alexander. Well, I'm asking--you represent him,
would you want to read it and understand it?
Secretary Sebelius. And I will.
Senator Alexander. And know the cost of it before you
decided whether you supported it.
Secretary Sebelius. I'm sure we'll have that dialogue.
Senator Alexander. Does that mean you would or you
wouldn't?
Secretary Sebelius. I said I would read it, yes sir.
Senator Alexander. So, you would want to read it and
understand the cost before you decided whether to support it.
Secretary Sebelius. Yes, I will read it.
Senator Alexander. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Harkin. I just want to make sure my colleague from
Tennessee, who is also a member of the authorizing committee, I
believe, right?
Senator Alexander. Yes.
Senator Harkin. That we're going to have a walk-through
with our bill starting tomorrow, both Republicans and
Democrats, that the Senator will have every opportunity to
amend, offer, discuss these different things. I can tell you to
right now that we're on this public option plan, that we're
leaving it blank, because we want to have a discussion on it.
And we want to have ideas that come forward, and see where the
votes are. I think that's the fair and honest way to do that.
So, we're not coming out with anything and saying here is,
take it or leave it. We are kind of leaving it open for
discussion and then I we'll see where the votes are on it. I
think that's the best way to proceed.
And then, after that, whatever we decide to do, then the
administration can tell us what they think, but that's our deal
and we have to do it.
Senator Alexander. I thank the chairman. I just wanted to
establish the principle that it is usually a good idea to read
and understand know the cost of a proposal before we are asked
to make a decision about it.
Senator Harkin. Oh, I think that will happen in the next
couple months. Senator Pryor.
Senator Pryor. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you,
Madam Secretary, for being here.
Let me start, if I may, with the issue of Comparative
Effectiveness Research. And my understanding is that this
research has great potential to empower patients and physicians
to choose treatments that offer the most benefit; however, some
have attacked this initiative, claiming that it could be used
to ration care.
Do you mind talking to the subcommittee for a few minutes
about Comparative Effectiveness Research and why you think that
the Department is in a better position than the private sector
to ensure this research is performed?
Secretary Sebelius. Well Senator, I think that, first of
all, to the point you made citing detractors who are fearful
that this will lead to rationing care, there is a provision in
the funding of the research that prohibits Medicare from using
Comparative Effectiveness Research to make cost decisions. I
think that is clear in the law and certainly the folks at the
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) intend to
follow the law.
We are very encouraged by the opportunity to learn from
what's happening in this rapidly evolving area of medical care
and certainly what is happening to produce high-quality, low-
cost care in various parts of the country. And to help drive
those best practices across the country, so all Americans have
access to that care. And I think that the investment that
Congress wisely made in Comparative Effectiveness Research
gives us the opportunity to do that, to tie in what strategies
lead to better health outcomes and lower cost which are, again,
in places in pockets around the country, but not everywhere.
And I think the fear is that somehow this will drive
rationing of care. I will suggest it will raise quality of care
in a very effective manner.

HEALTHCARE ACCESS IN RURAL AMERICA

Senator Pryor. Let me ask another question, something that
I know is important to you, being from a rural State like I am.
And that is that we have a real challenge in our State, as well
as other senators do in their home States, where we just don't
have enough doctors in rural America.
And my sense is that, you know, one reason is because a
rural setting and the challenges for a rural practice just
isn't that appealing for a lot of people coming out of medical
school. But also, I think that there is a practical part of
this and that is that the Medicare reimbursement rates are
often much lower in a State like Arkansas, and may be your home
State, and elsewhere than they would be otherwise.
Secretary Sebelius. We like to call you ``Our Kansas''
but----
Senator Pryor. I understand, I understand. We get that a
lot by the way. But we do share that, so my question for you
is, what is the best way to ensure that people in rural America
have, not access to coverage, but actually access to care in
their home communities?
Secretary Sebelius. Well, I think it's a great question and
certainly one that I worked on as Governor in Kansas, and I
share your concerns about the distribution of healthcare
providers and the incentive to stay in practice in a rural
community.
Certainly continuing to examine the pay differentials of
Medicare is a piece of the puzzle and one that I take seriously
and will make sure that we continue to look at. Whether or not
that provides disincentives for all kinds of things. There are
people who suggest that there are also disincentives for lower-
cost care to be delivered in some areas because then they turn
around and get penalized with lower reimbursement rates.
I think there's a lot that the investment that you made in
health technology can also do to enhance rural practitioners by
connecting with telemedicine to specialists and consultation
experts who may be hundreds or even thousands of miles away,
but can be very much part of their practice on an ongoing
basis. And certainly the investment in the Expanded Commission
Corps to look at underserved areas is a help, as well as the
money--we just announced a couple of days ago, pushing out the
door some of the Recovery Act money which will help pay student
loans. And I know, at least in our State and I'm sure in
Arkansas, the payment strategy for underserved areas has been
particularly effective in having young providers locate. And
once they are there, they don't leave, that has been our
experience.
So, I think we've got to use a whole variety of incentives,
loan repayment, telemedicine, to make sure that all Americans
have high-quality care.
Senator Pryor. Well, and I do appreciate the President and
you putting into the budget the Improved Rural Health Care
Initiatives. So, I think that's a step in the right direction.
Thank you for your answer.
Mr. Chairman.
Senator Harkin. Thank you, Senator. Senator Specter.
Senator Specter. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Madam Secretary,
thank you for taking on this difficult job and leaving the
beautiful State of Kansas.
Secretary Sebelius. Our home State, I share with the
Senator, yes.
Senator Specter. Today has been a Kansas Day in
appropriations hearings. Secretary Gates testified this
morning. He's from Wichita.
Secretary Sebelius. Yes, indeed.
Senator Specter. And went to a very distinguished grade
school.
Secretary Sebelius. We're talking about Kansas, it's
important.
Senator Specter. He went to a very distinguished grade
school and it's called College Hill. It only went to the sixth
grade. And I went there not quite at the same time, but the
same school. And the Governor is from Kansas in a town not too
far from Russett.

NIH FUNDING

So much for the pleasantries, Governor. Now on to your
budget. To have an NIH budget of $442 million is a sharp
retreat from what the chairman used to insist on, $3.5 billion
a year increases. Senator Harkin wouldn't settle for any less
than that for most of a decade. Well, I guess that's not
entirely true, occasionally he settled for $3 billion. But if
you take a look at the cost-of-living adjustments, the
inflation rate, about 3.3 percent, that's $1 billion.
I know you don't construct the budget all by yourself, OMB,
there are lots of constraints, but I would urge you to take
another look at that figure. We can offer amendments, of
course, to stay within the budget, but I appreciate it if you
would take another look at it.
The $10 billion which was added in the stimulus package has
created an enormous wave of excitement among young people. We
are in jeopardy of losing a generation of young research
scientists and I think we have to maintain the growth rate. We
talk about cutting down the costs of healthcare, what better
way to cut the cost factor than to prevent illness. And during
the period of time when Senator Harkin had his way, increasing
from $12 to $30 billion, the death rate from----
Senator Harkin. Wait a minute, I was ranking member.
Senator Specter. What's that? Now, come to think of it, he
didn't have all that much to do with it. But on a serious note,
we used to trade gavels with some frequency. But on to the
serious note, the death rate from strokes went down, from heart
disease, improvements on cancer. And we just have to find some
way to do better.
And I note that the budget calls for $268 million for
cancer and $19 million for research into autism. That is a
change from what we've always done. We'll have endeavored not
to politicize the allocations by leaving it to the scientists.
And one year the chairman of the Appropriations Committee who
suffered from prostate cancer wanted to add $150 million to
prostate cancer and he was unsuccessful in doing that.
So, I'd like you to take another look. And I know you can't
focus on all of these matters and you don't have a long history
like this subcommittee as to whether you really want to
initiate a policy of picking and choosing.

UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH BIODEFENSE INITIATIVE

My yellow light is on so I will make only one further
comment. I want to express my thanks to you for meeting with a
group by May 20 on the Biodefense Initiative from the
University of Pittsburgh, UPMC. Do you have any initial
thoughts on that subject? I know you haven't had time to go
through it in detail, but any preliminary thinking? I don't get
calls from UPMC more than twice a day, so when I have you here,
I thought I'd ask.
Secretary Sebelius. Well Senator, I thought, first of all,
the presentation was very impressive and certainly the notion
that we should have a facility dedicated to production of a
variety of vaccine lines is also incredibly timely and
something that I think should be part of our preparedness
arsenal.
I think that the issue that we're facing right now, as you
well know, is whether we can adequately prepare for the
uncertainties that still may be confronting us in the very near
future with novel H1N1 strains, and the potential massive
vaccination program, and production costs, and continue with
the preparedness underway. And then add an additional factor to
that. But I don't think there's any doubt about the importance
about that being part of the strategy moving forward, but how
quickly that could be implemented, I can't tell you right now.
Senator Specter. Well, we would appreciate your informing
us at the earliest date you can.
Secretary Sebelius. I will, Senator. Thank you.
Senator Specter. Thank you, Madam Secretary and thank you,
Mr. Chairman.

NIH STIMULUS FUNDING

Secretary Sebelius. And Senator, may I just respond briefly
to the research questions, because I just want to tell you that
I share both the concern that we continue to invest in science
and research. And I have already heard enormously positive
feedback about the investment from the Recovery Act and, as you
say, the excitement of a new generation of researchers that we
are recommitting to research funding.
I do think that, in putting together the 2010 budget, there
was a recognition that the Recovery Act funds really will fund
2010 and some of the 2011 strategies. But working with you,
Senator, not only Senator Specter, but the chairman, who I know
has enormous interest in this research area, on future years I
think will be very important to make sure that we don't reach a
cliff and fall off the edge of the cliff, because we want to
continue this multi-year research investment.
Senator Specter. Well, Madam Secretary, may I suggest that
the stimulus package and that $10 billion ought not to be
looked at for the regular funding. That is extra, designed to
create 70,000 new jobs for the 2-year period, with the specific
target that the President asked for and that Congress responded
to in an affirmative way.
I perhaps, as much as any, under the circumstances casting
the vote I did, that we were looking for that to stimulate the
economy and for jobs. And I couldn't tell you, line by line, on
all the other budget items, but I believe that it was not a
generalization for the stimulus to be used in place of the
future years' funding.
So we'd like to maintain NIH funding on its own, besides
that.
Senator Harkin. Madam Secretary, I just want to say that I
fully concur with Senator Specter's views on this. We have
worked in tandem on this for a long time and I can assure you
that, when it comes to NIH funding, regardless of which side
Senator Specter is on, he is going to be dogged on this and I
am going to be joining with him on it.
Senator Specter is absolutely right. We put that money in
there, in the stimulus, because it was stimulus for the 2
years. And I am concerned about the cliff and the baseline and
what happens to that baseline funding.
Quite frankly, if you really look at it, Senator Specter,
we finished that from about 2005 until now, basically our
funding has been kind of flat. I think that in real dollars we
are about at where we were in 2005, if I'm not mistaken. So, to
only put in $442 million doesn't do much for getting our
baseline up.
Senator Specter. Mr. Chairman.
Senator Harkin. Yes.
Senator Specter. During the period of the last several
years, you and I made the calculation we went down $5.2 billion
in real dollars.
Senator Harkin. Real dollars, yeah.
Senator Specter. As a result of not having a cost-of-living
adjustment for several years and then these tiny across the
board cuts, a percent here and half a percent there, and pretty
soon a $30 billion allocation turns out to be less than $25
billion. So, were playing against that backdrop as well.
Senator Harkin. So, this one thing we can probably concur
on, I don't know about the second, but the $442 million is, I
think, inadequate. We'll see what we can do about that. I don't
know, within our allocation, what we can do. We don't have our
allocation yet, we'll have to see about that. But we have a lot
of demands for this and we'll just have to see what we can come
up with.
But within that $442 million, I am somewhat concerned that
$268 million was designated for cancer, for the National Cancer
Institute, and I think, $19 million for autism. So, over half
of that for two Institutes, for two diseases. And I mentioned
this to the NIH Director, Acting Director, who was up here
looking at their budget, that I don't know if this is a good
way to do things. To put all that money just into those two
programs, when there's a lot of other needs spread across the
entire spectrum of research.
And I'm just thinking that, perhaps, we might look for a
better distribution of the money than just in those two areas.
Let the researchers at NIH decide where that money ought to go.
Secretary Sebelius. I appreciate that.
Senator Harkin. I don't have anything else, Madam
Secretary.

HEALTHCARE FRAUD AND ABUSE

Senator Cochran. Mr. Chairman, I have one other question,
if I may.
Madam Secretary, I've been advised that fraud and abuse are
draining about $60 billion a year from our healthcare system.
This money could be going to patient care and to address other
problems. I've co-sponsored, with other senators, The Seniors
and Tax-payers Obligation Protection Act, as an acronym STOP,
it's known as the STOP Act, which is designed to eliminate the
use of Social Security numbers as the Medicare identifier to
help curb fraudulent services.
I wonder if you agree that something like that is needed
and, in view of the fact that your budget includes only $113
million for Medicare safeguards, do we need to look elsewhere
for ways and means of helping to curb Medicare waste, fraud,
and abuse?
Secretary Sebelius. Well, I certainly share your concern
about waste, fraud, and abuse, Senator. And any dime stolen
from the program is stolen from not only the taxpayers, but
from the delivery of healthcare services. And I think that's
why the President was eager to have the Attorney General and I
join together in a new initiative sharing real data, rather
than following what were sometimes old audits, trying to get
out ahead of some of this effort by monitoring billing.
And I am not familiar specifically with the legislation you
mentioned, but I will certainly share those ideas with our
folks and have them take a look at it. Because I think that
anything we can do to discourage these practices before they
occur and save those resources for the delivery of healthcare
is incredibly important.
People are stealing from the system and we want to make it
more difficult, if not impossible, not easier. So, this is one
strategy that I would love to take back to our CMS folks.
Senator Cochran. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Senator Harkin. Thank you, Senator Cochran.

ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE QUESTIONS

Well, Madam Secretary, thank you very much for your
appearance here and your leadership at the Department. I will
leave the record open for any written questions that the
Senators who couldn't be here might want to propound. And,
again, I look forward to working with you on the recovery money
that we talked about before that's going out for prevention.
Secretary Sebelius. Absolutely. Thank you.
[The following questions were not asked at the hearing, but
were submitted to the Department for response subsequent to the
hearing:]
Questions Submitted by Senator Daniel K. Inouye
occupational safety and health training program
Question. Several years ago, at my request, the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) established a National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health presence at the University of Hawaii at
Hilo. Unfortunately, a now retired faculty member returned the funds.
With new and energetic faculty now present, will you consider re-
establishing a presence back on the island, given our truly unique
rural and environmental needs?
Answer. CDC/NIOSH supported a Training Project Grant at the
University of Hawaii--Hilo (T02-OH008627, entitled ``Occupational
Safety and Health Education--A Behavioral Approach,'' from August 2001
through June 30, 2006. The awarded application was competitively
reviewed and was awarded based on its technical and scientific merit.
The Principal Investigator, Dr. Stephen Worchel, Department of
Psychology, indicated to CDC/NIOSH in August 2005 that the University
did not plan to recompete for support of this project. The grant ended
and was subsequently closed out.
On March 12, 2009, CDC/NIOSH provided a step-by-step process for
submitting a new application to University of Hawaii at Hilo for a
Training Project Grant. University officials indicated that the
University of Hawaii--Hilo planned on submitting a highly competitive
application for the upcoming August 24 deadline in response to NIOSH's
Program Announcement PAR-06-484: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-
files/PAR-06-484.html. The most meritorious applications are expected
to be funded in June 2010.
native hawaiian healthcare
Question. I am very pleased that your department continues to
recognize the unique health needs of the Native Hawaiian population. I
appreciate being kept informed of efforts to improve health outcomes,
especially as they relate to diabetes and cancer in this population.
Answer. The Department of Health And Human Services (HHS) has a
number of initiatives, grants, and partnerships to address the needs
the Native Hawaiian population; attached is a list of some of the
grants provided to organizations serving Native Hawaiians. In 2006, HHS
established the HHS Workgroup on Asian, Native Hawaiian and other
Pacific Islander Issues (WANHOPII). The mission of WANHOPII is to
improve communication, coordination, and agency policies, programs, and
evaluations that impact the health, healthcare, human services, and
well being of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific
Islander (NHOPI) communities. In addition, the Office of Minority
Health is supporting the development of the Native Hawaiian and Other
Pacific Islander Health Agenda, including town hall meetings and
summits that provide a forum for NHOPI community members, community-
based organizations, and others to voice their issues, concerns, and
recommendations, and to mobilize around a health and well-being agenda
to address NHOPI health.
Several HHS offices and agencies have programs to improve health
outcomes, including those related to diabetes and cancer, of the Native
Hawaiian population. Summaries are provided below:
office of minority health
The Office of Minority Health (OMH) supported the development of
the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Health Agenda introduced
by the Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF), and
provided additional funding to APIAHF to explore health issues facing
Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.
In April 2007, OMH supported the California Native Hawaiian and
Pacific Islander Town Hall Meeting to provide a forum for NHOPI
community members, community-based organizations, and others working
with NHOPI populations to voice their issues, concerns, and
recommendations regarding NHOPI health to the HHS. The town hall and
subsequent discussions resulted in the first ever Native Hawaiian and
Pacific Islander Health and Well-Being Summit in October 2007 to
articulate and mobilize around a health agenda. HHS recognizes that
NHOPI communities have unique health needs, and has supported APIAHF in
the formation of the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Alliance. On
January 30, 2008, APIAHF with the NHPI Alliance released the report
``Guidance for the classification of Native Hawaiians and Pacific
Islanders'' that appropriately reflects the disaggregation of Asian
Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.
In April 2009, OMH co-sponsored the Native Hawaiian and Pacific
Islander Health Brain Trust, hosted by the APIAHF. The 2009 Brain Trust
was the first of a two-series conference to learn about pressing health
issues and discuss barriers to data collection and reporting on Native
Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, and to identify strategies for
community and community-based organizations, researchers, funding
agencies, policy makers, and advocates for improving the health and
well-being of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.
OMH also works closely with our community partners, including Papa
Ola Lokahi, to respond to the concerns and needs of the Native Hawaiian
community. Through the Youth Empowerment Program, OMH supports the
Lanakila Learning Center through the University of Hawaii at Hilo. The
Lanakila Learning Center is an alternative learning center of Hilo High
School servicing ``at-risk'' 10th-12th graders, and providing a variety
of wellness workshops in substance abuse prevention/intervention,
social skills training, anger management, health and nutrition, and
fitness classes.
Through the Community Partnerships to Eliminate Health Disparities
grant program, OMH supports the Life Foundation, a program that seeks
to improve the health status of Native Hawaiians, Asians, and Pacific
Islanders through targeted HIV prevention and care services. Life
Foundation partners with Waikiki Health Center and Waianae Coast
comprehensive Health Center.
health resources and services administration
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) provide
funding for the Native Hawaiian Health Care Program, which is funded
through the Health Center appropriation. The focus is to improve the
health status of Native Hawaiians by making health education, health
promotion, and disease prevention services available through the
support of the Native Hawaiian Healthcare Systems. The Native Hawaiian
Healthcare Systems use a combination of outreach, referral, and linkage
mechanisms to provide or arrange services. Services provided include
nutrition programs, screening and control of hypertension and diabetes,
immunizations, and basic primary care services. In fiscal year 2007,
Native Hawaiian Healthcare Systems provided medical and enabling
services to more than 6,500 people. The Native Hawaiian population is
also served by the Health Centers operating more broadly across Hawaii.
niddk's diabetes education in tribal schools (dets) project
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
Diseases (NIDDK) has provided funding to eight tribal colleges and
Universities to develop supplemental curricula on diabetes education
for K-12 schools that educate American Indian and Alaska Native
children. The curricula are completed and the investigators are now
recruiting and training teachers in the K-12 schools. Recently, the
investigators were invited by some schools in Maui to provide
professional education to their teachers so they can also use the DETS
curricula to teach children in their K-12 schools about diabetes and
prevention. You may find more information on the DETS at: http://
www3.niddk.nih.gov/fund/other/dets/index.htm.
hhs national diabetes education program
The HHS National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) is the leading
Federal Government public education program that promotes diabetes
prevention and control. Launched in 1997, NDEP's mission is to reduce
the morbidity and mortality associated with diabetes. More than 200
organizations and many volunteers have joined with NDEP to help develop
critical and effective initiatives. The NDEP Asian American and Pacific
Islander Work Group has led development of tip sheets on comprehensive
diabetes control and the primary prevention of diabetes in 15 Asian and
Pacific Islander languages. Through the CDC, the NDEP supported Papa
Ola Lokahi's Pacific Diabetes Education Program, serving Native
Hawaiians and a diverse population across the Pacific Islands with
culturally appropriate in-language diabetes materials.
The Hawaii Diabetes Prevention and Control Program (HI DPCP) has
received funding from the CDC since 1987. Activities supported by the
DPCP include surveillance, development of the Hawaii Diabetes
Coalition, translation, development and distribution of resource
materials, quality improvement initiatives, and review of the Hawaii
State Practice Recommendations.
centers for medicare and medicaid services
Many of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
activities have focused on the Native Hawaiian healthcare system (Papa
Ola Lokahi is the lead agency) along with grants to various Federally
Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and community health centers. CMS also
funds a Cancer Prevention and Treatment Demonstration for Racial and
Ethnic Minorities (ending in 2010) at Molokai General Hospital. The
demonstration is using a randomized control design to study the impact
of various evidence-based, culturally competent models of patient
navigator programs designed to help minority beneficiaries navigate the
healthcare system in a more timely and informative manner and
facilitate cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment to improve
healthcare access and outcomes as well as potentially lower total costs
to Medicare. Approximately 12,700 Medicare fee-for-service
beneficiaries are eligible to be enrolled in the study during this 4-
year project.
Through CMS-funded grants directed to States, State Health
Insurance Assistance Programs, or SHIPs, provide free counseling and
assistance to people with Medicare and their families. The Hawaii SHIP
provides the following activities:
--Part D/LIS and general Medicare counseling, information and
outreach to beneficiaries and information on how the plans will
coordinate with the unqualified SPAP which will lead to
improved access to medications by beneficiaries. While this is
not specifically targeted to diabetes and cancer health
outcomes, these activities will help improve access to needed
medications for this population.
--Through the Executive Office on Aging of the Department of Health
where the SHIP is housed, the Native Hawaiian programs
participate in the Healthy Aging project.
administration on aging
With funding from the U.S. Administration on Aging, Hawaii's
Executive Office on Aging and Department of Health work together to
offer Healthy Aging Partnership--Empowering Elders (HAP-EE), which
began in September 2006. HAP-EE carries out programs that have been
proven effective in reducing the risk of disease, disability and injury
among the elderly. These include the Chronic Disease Self-Management
Program, Arthritis Self-Management Program, Diabetes Self-Management
Program, and EnhanceFitness. These programs provide seniors with simple
tools and techniques they can use to better manage their chronic
conditions, reduce their risk of falling, and improve their nutrition
and physical health. A pre-poststudy of the Hawaii Chronic Disease
Self-Management Program reported improvements in physical activity;
reductions in pain, fatigue and shortness of breath; and a reduction in
medical care use. Results of pre-poststudy of Enhance Fitness
participants in Hawaii showed improvements in gait and strength,
increased levels of physical activity, and reduction in falls.
centers for disease control and prevention
The Division of Cancer Prevention and Control provides funding to
the Hawaii Department of Health, through a cooperative agreement, to
provide breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services to
underserved women, including Native Hawaiian women. The Division of
Cancer Prevention and Control also provides funding to the Hawaii
Department of Health for the Comprehensive Cancer Control Program.
Hawaii has a comprehensive cancer control plan that was developed by a
coalition that includes a diverse group of stakeholders. Coalition
members include representatives of organizations, such as Papa Ola
Lokahi, that focus on the needs of the Native Hawaiian population.
office on women's health (owh)
Advancing System Improvements to Support Targets for Healthy People
2010 (ASIST2010) is a 3-year cooperative agreement program funded by
the Office on Women's Health. ASIST2010 uses a public health systems
approach to improve performance on objectives that target women and/or
men in the following focus areas: cancer, diabetes, heart disease,
stroke, access to quality health services, educational and community-
based programs, nutrition and overweight physical activity, and
fitness. Two of the 12 funded ASIST2010 programs targeting diabetes
include as their target population Pacific Islanders:
--National Kidney Foundation of Michigan (Ann Arbor, Michigan).--The
site utilizes PATH, Tomando Control de su Salud and Enhance
Fitness programs to provide people with chronic diseases and
those at-risk with the skills and tools needed to improve their
health outcomes and manage their symptoms. To assure that the
programs are culturally appropriate, leaders and programs are
gender-specific as needed to reach certain racial and ethnic
minority populations, including African Americans, Hispanic/
Latinos, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders, Native Americans,
and Arab Americans.
--Wise Woman Program of Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands.--The Wise Woman Village Project (WWVP) of the Northern
Marianas Islands Department of Public Health provides outreach,
health screening, and education. WWVP addresses noncommunicable
diseases (diabetes, mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular
disease, and cervical cancer) in addition to tobacco use
assessment and cessation referral. It addresses physical
activity promotion through a partnership with a faith-based
organization and other community organizations.
--BodyWorks.--Another OWH program, BodyWorks, is designed to help
parents and caregivers of adolescents improve family eating and
activity habits. The program focuses on parents as role models
and provides them with hands-on tools to make small, specific
behavior changes to prevent obesity and help maintain a healthy
weight. The program uses a train-the-trainer model to
distribute the Toolkit through community-based organizations,
State health agencies, nonprofit organizations, health clinics,
hospitals and healthcare systems. There are approximately 20
trainers in Hawaii; a list can be found at: http://
www.womenshealth.gov/BodyWorks/
find.trainers.statedetail.cfm?state=HI.
administration for children and families: office of head start
The Office of Head Start provides grants to various entities
including schools, tribes, and nonprofit and for-profit agencies to
provide comprehensive child development services to economically
disadvantaged children and family. A major focus of services to
enrolled children and their families is towards improving health
outcomes through the provision of educational, nutritional, and health
services. These primary and secondary prevention services are making a
major impact on improving health outcomes for those Native Hawaiian
children and families that are currently served under existing Head
Start grants. Hawaii is served under region 9. The most recent
statewide data (Source: 2008 OHS Program Report Information) shows that
Head Start funds a total of 7 grantees, and 21 percent of the Hawaii
State HS/EHS children served are Native Hawaiian or other Pacific
Islander ethnicity. This includes 1,588 for Head Start and 377 for
Early Head Start.
Head Start's goals include prevention and reduction of childhood
overweight and obesity, to reduce the incidence of Type 2 Diabetes
Mellitus. Obesity is a major risk factor for the development of Type 2
Diabetes Mellitus. The Office of Head Start is conducting a major
initiative to prevent and reduce childhood obesity, through a program
titled ``I Am Moving, I Am Learning''. I Am Moving, I Am Learning
introduces multidisciplinary teams from local Head Start programs to
the science of obesity prevention, and arms them with state-of-the-art
resources and best practices for addressing the growing child obesity
epidemic in an intentional and purposeful manner.
Head Start also works to prevent and reduce tobacco smoke exposure.
The Family and Child Experiences Survey study shows that 45 percent of
Head Start families smoke and 56 percent of Early Head Start families
smoke. The Office of Head Start and the Indoor Environments Division of
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are partnering to improve the
overall health of Head Start children. The partnership aims to reduce
young children's exposure to secondhand smoke and other asthma
triggers. The goal of the partnership is not to get parents to stop
smoking. Rather, the purpose of the toolkit is for Head Start staff to
use the information as a means to educate parents of the many ways to
enhance their children's health.
hhs grants provided to organizations serving native hawaiians
Administration for Children and Families/Administration for Native
Americans (ACF/ANA)
Grantee.--Wai'anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center
Project Title.--Strengthening Families and Promoting Healthy
Lifestyle
Project Funding.--$542,064 (includes anticipated continuation
awards)
Total ANA Funding.--$2,014,024
The Wai'anae community is located on the western side of the island
of Oahu. Its population grew from 3,000 people in 1950 to 45,000 people
today, of which 40 percent are Native Hawaiian and 45 percent are under
the age of 25. The Wai'anae coast is an economically distressed
community ranked highest on the island for: households receiving
financial aid and food stamps; households under the poverty line; and
rates of unemployment, infant mortality and teen births. Health issues
are a major concern in the community as Native Hawaiians have the
highest prevalence of obesity and diabetes in the State. Additionally,
an estimated 1,000 homeless residents, most of whom are Native
Hawaiian, live on the Wai'anae coast.
The Wai'anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center is a Federal Public
Health Service Community Health Center 330(e) grantee that has served
the community for the past 32 years. During this time, the Center has
developed a unique model of healthcare that addresses individual,
family and community needs through a combination of traditional and
modern practices.
The Strengthening Families and Promoting Healthy Lifestyle Project
developed a healthy culinary training program to promote activities to
retain and re-establish traditional foods in the family diet. There
were 939 youth involved in this project. Many Native Hawaiian at-risk
youth demonstrated improved self-esteem and began integrating the
traditional culture into their daily lives. For the youth participants
that were overweight, the project health activities provided a
comforting and encouraging atmosphere to lose weight. The youth were
involved in outreach activities like designing the ``KidFit T-Shirt''
and creating the Health Center's video public service announcements.
For the involved families, the project promoted bonding through
exercise, healthy eating and the revitalization of Kumu Ohana, all of
which contribute to healthy lifestyles that can prevent diabetes and
cancer among Native Hawaiians. In addition, the project created 15 jobs
and leveraged resources were more than $100,000.
Grantee.--Wai'anae Community Re-Development Corporation
Project Title.--The Center for Organic Agriculture and
Sustainability
Project Funding.--$1,152,476 (includes anticipated continuation
awards)
Total ANA Funding.--$1,790,037
According to the project leaders at Ma'o Organic Farms, Wai`anae
youth struggle to achieve their socio-economic goals. The statistics
suggest a bleak future for many Native Hawaiian youth with the State's
highest rates of teen pregnancy, school suspensions, incidents of
substance abuse, and juvenile arrests. In addition, Wai`anae is
recognized as the most food insecure region of Hawaii with Native
Hawaiians having the highest rates of preventable disease including
diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. Despite these statistics,
Wai`anae residents still maintain a rural vision, a willingness to
perpetuate our community's ``country'' values and to offer hope and
validation to our `opio of their personal and cultural identities.
The Center for Organic Agriculture and Sustainability, at Ma'o
Organic Farms, will positively impact the well-being of Wai'anae youth
by promoting healthy lifestyles and decreasing the incidence of
diabetes. The project will engage Native Hawaiian youth in the
development of organic agriculture and will provide a foundation for
economic opportunities for youth participants.
The 3-year project will provide multi-purpose venue for food
production that will increase commercial efforts of organic farms and
develop a working base for social enterprise, organic agriculture and
sustainability that can be replicated in other communities.
Grantee.--Waipa Foundation
Project Title.--Waipa Community Kitchen and Business Incubator
Project
Project Funding.--$709,260
Total ANA Funding.--$867,010
This is a 3-year project to provide a fully-equipped and certified
commercial kitchen facility that will allow farmers, families, and
community members to process crops and grow small businesses. The Waipa
Community Kitchen and Business Incubator will promote a healthy,
diverse, and sustainable local food economy for the Halele'a-Kilauea
communities.
Grantee.--University of Hawaii and Manoa Center (Collaborative
Project)
Project Title.--The Hawaii Demonstration to Maintain Independence
and Employment Project
Project Funding.--$1,539,002
The Hawaii Demonstration to Maintain Independence and Employment
project is a joint endeavor between the Hawaii State Department of
Human Services, the University of Hawaii at Manoa Center on Disability
Studies, the Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH), and the Hawaii
Business Health Council.
These agencies will engage in a collaborative effort with public
and private employers, employee groups, and their healthcare providers
in a comprehensive community-based effort to assist individuals who are
at high risk of becoming disabled/unemployed as a result of diabetes.
The partnership enlists promising and emerging practices to
identify and support persons, ages 18 through 60 years old, with
potentially disabling and medically determinable physical impairments
as a result of diabetes.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Grantee.--Hawaii Families as Allies--Aiea, HI
Program.--Statewide Family Networks SM057920
Congressional District.--HI-01
Fiscal Year 2008 Funding.--$70,000
Project Period.--9/30/2007-9/29/2010
The Hawaii Statewide Transformation and Empowerment Project (STEP)
will conduct training, technical assistance, and networking activities
aimed at substantially increasing the involvement of children and youth
with emotional, behavioral or mental disorders and their families in
all levels of Hawaii's system of care. Family members will be supported
so that they will be able to develop and implement a legislative
advocacy action plan. STEP will also involve key child-serving
agencies, including those responsible for child welfare and juvenile
justice, in an initiative to increase their awareness of and adherence
to the CASSP values and principles. Another set of activities will
focus on youth leadership development, focusing on developing and
implementing a legislative advocacy initiative. HFAA Parent Partners
will also provide peer supports and mentoring for youth and families in
their home communities throughout Hawaii.
Grantee.--Hawaii State Department of Health--Honolulu, HI
Program.--Child Mental Health Initiative SM057063
Congressional District.--HI-01
Fiscal Year 2008 Funding.--$1,257,281
Project Period.--9/30/2005-9/29/2011
Project Ho'omohala (meaning in Hawaiian, ``evolving toward
maturity'') will develop a system of care to meet transitional needs of
youth with emotional and/or behavioral challenges, ages 15-21 in the
Kalihi-Palama community. Culturally and linguistically appropriate
services will utilize the transition to independence process. Families
and youth will be active partners in the governing structure and
evaluation process. The goal of this project is to implement a system
of care encompassing the transition to independence process for youth
with emotional or behavioral challenges between the ages of 15-21,
living in the Kalihi-Palama Community. This goal will be implemented
through the following actions: (1) establish a Youth Community Center;
(2) train and assign transition specialists to each youth; (3) develop
a comprehensive life-skills program; (4) create a range of supportive
services (e.g., vocational, healthcare); and (5) develop peer mentoring
services. The applicant is the Hawai'i Department of Health on behalf
of the governor. Daily management of the grant will be contracted
through the Center on Disability Studies at the University of Hawai'i.
The Youth Community Center will be operated by the Susannah Wesley
Community Center. Wai Aka will provide the young adult support
services; families and youth will guide the development,
implementation, and evaluation of this project.
Grantee.--Hawaii State Department of Health--Honolulu, HI
Program.--State Data Infrastructure Grants SM058093
Congressional District.--HI-01
Fiscal Year 2008 Funding.--$156,000
Project Period.--9/30/2007-09/29/2010
During the project period, AMHD will focus on technical
implementation of the URS measures, verification of data quality, and
increased distribution of reports to its Purchase of Service Provider
network. CAMHD will implement the remaining URS developmental measures,
but emphasizes building capacity in the knowledge, skills, and
abilities of personnel to define and distribute customized reports and
to participate more fully in the DIG network. Upon completion AMHD and
CAMHD should report on all URS measures, increase distribution of
system information to stakeholders including State council, increase
integration of the available information into planning and decision
making.
Grantee.--Hawaii State Department of Health--Honolulu, HI
Program.--Mental Health Transformation State Incentive Grants
SM057457
Congressional District.--HI-01
Fiscal Year 2008 Funding.--$2,190,500
Project Period.--9/30/2006-9/29/2011
The goal of this mental health systems transformation project is to
create a sustainable, fully integrated, comprehensive statewide mental
health plan and to implement a system-wide transformation process over
the course of a 5-year period. Staffing for this grant can be
conceptualized as a model of concentric circles whereby the
transformation work group is at the center surrounded by mental health
stakeholders coming together in different partnerships to breathe life
into the transformation. The next ring supporting these activities is a
technical assistance group and project evaluation team comprised of
grant-funded staff and in-kind University of Hawaii staff who will
assist the transformation work group and stakeholders in tasks such as
planning, implementation, program evaluation and workforce development.
Finally, the outer ring of the model is the community-at-large whose
acceptance of mental health as an integral part of overall well being
is required to bring about full transformation of the system. Hawaii,
because of its diversity, is in a unique position to develop effective
models of service delivery and care that address the needs of the
growing multi-cultural population across the country. Hawaii is
committed to seizing the opportunity created by national and State
strengths and resources; directing and focusing the efforts of all
sectors to address priority mental health needs; building on successes
to move past an era of Federal court mandates; and realizing the vision
of quality mental healthcare across all of Hawaii's communities for the
entire population.
Grantee.--United Self-Help--Honolulu, HI
Program.--Statewide Consumer Network SM056346
Congressional District.--HI-01
Fiscal Year 2008 Funding.--$70,000
Project Period.--9/30/2004-9/29/2010
Bridging Islands will foster and sustain consumer networks within
each neighbor island, collaborate with existing networks and strengthen
pee mentors. Each goal will address county based needs within each area
with specific outcomes. The process will increase State capacity to
support effective mental health services while strengthening peer
mentors and sustaining neighbor island consumer network development.
Collectively, the county and consumers will evaluate lessons learned
and incorporate recommendations into the next iteration of
transformation activities.
Grantee.--Hawaii State Department of Health--Honolulu, HI
Program.--Youth Suicide Prevention and Early Intervention--
Cooperative Agreement State-Sponsored SM058397
Congressional District.--HI-01
Fiscal Year 2008 Funding.--$500,000
Project Period.--9/30/2008-9/29/2011
The Injury Prevention and Control Section (IPCS) of the DOH is
proposing to implement the Hawaii Gatekeeper Training Initiative (HGTI)
to reduce completed and attempted suicides among youth ages 10-24. This
will be accomplished through training adult gatekeepers in key agencies
to recognize and respond to youth who are at risk for suicide. This
will also increase youth access to trained gatekeepers in Hawaii. The
HGTI will use three training curricula: Applied Suicide Intervention
Skills Training (adults), SafeTALK (police officers), and Signs of
Suicide (youth). IPCS will leverage the grant resources by
incorporating gatekeeper training in three systems that already impact
significant numbers of youth in both school and community settings.
These agencies and their programs include: Department of Education
(Peer Education Program), and School-Based Behavioral Health), the
Department of Health Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division (agencies
contracted to provide treatment services in their Adolescent Substance
Outpatient School-Based Treatment Program), and prevention services in
their Youth Substance Prevention Partnerships Initiative), and the
Honolulu Police Department (Emergency Psychological Services/Jail
Diversion Program). The HGTI will accomplish two goals: (1) enhance
State level infrastructure for youth suicide prevention efforts, and
(2) enhance youth suicide prevention efforts in three systems: Public
School, Alcohol/Substance Abuse Treatment and Prevention, and Law
Enforcement.
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP)
Grantee.--Parents and Children Together--Honolulu, HI
Program.--Drug Free Communities SP012968
Congressional District.--HI-01
Fiscal Year 2008 Funding.--$100,000
Project Period.--9/30/2005-9/29/2010
The grantee will: (1) reduce substance abuse among youth and over
time, among adults by addressing factors in the community that increase
the risk of substance abuse and promote factors to minimize the risk of
substance abuse; (2) establish and strengthen citizen participation and
collaboration among communities, nonprofit agencies, and Federal,
State, local, and tribal governments to support community efforts to
deliver effective substance use prevention strategies for youth; (3)
use the Strategic Prevention Framework of evidence based prevention
strategies to assess needs, build capacity, plan, implement and
evaluate community prevention initiatives; and (4) assess and report on
the effectiveness of community prevention initiatives to reduce age of
onset of any drug use, frequency of use in the past 30 days, increased
perception of risk or harm, and increased perception of disapproval of
use by peers and adults.
Grantee.--Waipahu Community Association--Waipahu, HI
Program.--Drug Free Communities SP011543
Congressional District.--HI-01
Fiscal Year 2008 Funding.--$100,000
Project Period.--9/30/2005-9/29/2009
The grantee will: (1) reduce substance abuse among youth and, over
time, among adults by addressing the factors in a community that
increase the risk of substance abuse and promoting the factors that
minimize the risk of substance abuse; and (2) establish and strengthen
community anti-drug coalitions.
Grantee.--Coalition For A Drug-Free Hawaii--Honolulu, HI
Program.--Drug Free Communities SP014887
Congressional District.--HI-01
Fiscal Year 2008 Funding.--$125,000
Project Period.--9/30/2008-9/29/2013
The grantee will: (1) reduce substance abuse among youth and over
time, among adults by addressing factors in the community that increase
the risk of substance abuse and promote factors to minimize the risk of
substance abuse; (2) establish and strengthen citizen participation and
collaboration among communities, nonprofit agencies, and Federal,
State, local, and tribal governments to support community efforts to
deliver effective substance use prevention strategies for youth; (3)
use the Strategic Prevention Framework of evidence based prevention
strategies to assess needs, build capacity, plan, implement and
evaluate community prevention initiatives; and (4) assess and report on
the effectiveness of community prevention initiatives to reduce age of
onset of any drug use, frequency of use in the past 30 days, increased
perception of risk or harm, and increased perception of disapproval of
use by peers and adults.
Grantee.--Coalition For A Drug-Free Hawaii--Honolulu, HI
Program.--Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act Grants
SP015489
Congressional District.--HI-01
Fiscal Year 2008 Funding.--$50,000
Project Period.--9/30/2008-9/29/2012
The purpose of the Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking
(STOP) Act grant program is to prevent and reduce alcohol use among
youth in communities throughout the United States. The STOP Act grant
program will encourage existing local community coalitions to develop,
assess, and implement effective strategies to prevent and reduce
underage drinking. Strategies may include: changing local attitudes and
norms, and re-evaluating existing laws and policies. (1) Grantee must
participate in national evaluation activities of the STOP grant
program. (2) STOP Grantees must use the Strategic Prevention Framework
(SPF), a five-step evidence based process for community planning and
decision-making. The five step process includes: needs assessment,
capacity building, planning, implementation and evaluation. (3) STOP
grantees must plan and implement a comprehensive approach inclusive of
multiple strategies as emphasized in the 2007 Surgeon General's Call to
Action to prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking located online at:
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/underagedrinking/call--to--
action.pdf Emphasis should be given to environmental strategies that
incorporate prevention efforts aimed at changing or influencing
community conditions, standards, institutions, structures, systems and
policies. In addition, grantees must select strategies that lead to
long term outcomes. (4) STOP grantees must enhance, not supplant,
effective local community initiatives for preventing and reducing
alcohol use among youth. For current Drug Free Community grantees, STOP
ACT foods can not be used to supplant or replace activities that are
presently being supported by Drug Free Community funds, and, separate
DFC and STOP ACT accounting systems must be maintained for the purposes
of reporting.
Grantee.--Kulia Na Mamo--Honolulu, HI
Program.--HIV/Strategic Prevention Framework SP013382
Congressional District.--HI-01
Fiscal Year 2008 Funding.--$254,320
Project Period.--9/30/2005-9/29/2010
The project targets Asian and Pacific Islander male-to-female
transgender and men who have sex with men, age 27 and older. Many of
the former are ex-incarcerated, and both groups, which make up the Mahu
(two spirits) community in Hawaii, are minority populations at highest
risk for HIV (i.e., of all API diagnosed with AIDS, over 65 percent are
MSM, which includes transgender). From our own surveys of over 100
transgender clients, more than 60 percent are ex-inmates, 54 percent
are sex industry workers and more than 30 percent are crystal meth
users. 50 percent of the participants will be re-entry. Interventions
will be provided to approximately 150 participants a year. The project
is divided into two parts: (1) Capacity Building.--The application will
spend the first 6 to 9 months of the first year establishing a
workgroup or task force that will conduct a community needs assessment.
The task force will be made up of the following agencies: Department of
Health STD/AIDS Prevention Branch; Department of Health Disease Control
and Outbreak Division; Life Foundation, an AIDS service organization;
Drug Addiction Services of Hawaii, Inc.; Coalition for a Drug-Free
Hawaii, a prevention agency; Hina Mauka, a treatment/prevention agency;
Department of Public Safety; Hawaii Cares--the coalition of Ryan White
providers; and other agencies. The needs assessment will be the basis
for a strategic plan to be implemented after approval from SAMHSA.
During this initial period Kulia Na Mamo will develop memoranda of
agreement with treatment agencies, the Department of Public Safety, and
others with which to establish linkages to care. Kulia will attend
meetings of the HIV Community Planning Group, work with the Jade Ribbon
Campaign for hepatitis B testing, and coordinate activities related to
hepatitis C with the hepatitis C coordinator at the Department of
Health STD/AIDS Prevention Branch. (2) Implementation, Monitoring, and
Evaluation.--The proposal follows interventions endorsed by the CDC
and/or SAMHSA: Prevention.
Grantee.--Hawaii State Office of the Governor--Kaplei, HI
Program.--Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grants
SP013944
Congressional District.--HI-01
Fiscal Year 2008 Funding.--$2,093,000
Project Period.--9/30/2006-9/29/2011
The purpose of Hawaii's SPF State Incentive Grant (SIG) is to
improve the quality of life of our citizens by preventing and reducing
the abuse and dependence on alcohol and other drugs among people of all
ages. The SPF SIG will enable Hawaii to (a) support a coordinated and
comprehensive approach to substance abuse prevention; (b) ensure that
prevention is the first line of defense against illegal drug use and
underage drinking; (c) establish effective alcohol and other substance
abuse prevention efforts that are evidence-based, culturally
appropriate, and long term; and (d) minimize duplicative efforts among
partnering agencies, while promoting coordination and identifying gaps
in data and services.
Grantee.--Five Mountains Hawaii--Kamuela, HI
Program.--Drug Free Communities SP012310
Congressional District.--HI-02
Fiscal Year 2008 Funding.--$125,000
Project Period.--9/30/2005-9/29/2013
The grantee will: (1) reduce substance abuse among youth and, over
time, among adults by addressing the factors in a community that
increase the risk of substance abuse and promoting the factors that
minimize the risk of substance abuse; and (2) establish and strengthen
community anti-drug coalitions.
Grantee.--Hamakua Health Center--Honokaa, HI
Program.--CSAP 2008 EARMARKS SP014596
Congressional District.--HI-02
Fiscal Year 2008 Funding.--$95,305
Project Period.--9/01/2008-8/31/2009
This project is designed to improve access for the low-income and
uninsured population and improve the coordination of care between
agencies in each of the Health Center service areas, resulting in
greater accessibility to support services and increased referral
follow-through for patients with risk for and active substance abuse.
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment
Grantee.--Hawaii State Department of Health--Honolulu, HI
Program.--Access to Recovery TI019437
Congressional District.--HI-01
Fiscal Year 2008 Funding.--$2,750,000
Project Period.--9/30/2007-9/29/2010
The Hawaii Access to Recovery (HI-ATR) program targets the adult
population of child welfare families for the Hawaii Island of Oahu
(City and County of Honolulu). ``Ice'' is the major factor behind
Hawaii's explosion of child protection cases, in which Native Hawaiians
represent more than 50 percent of Child Protective Services cases and
other Asian-Pacific Islanders are also overrepresented. Hawaii is a
unique State with (1) the greatest proportions of methamphetamine or
``ice'' abuse in the Nation, (2) inadequate and fragmented treatment
resources and significantly limited recovery support services. HI-ATR
Project will introduce a system of vouchers managed electronically
through a 42 CFR, Part 2 and HIPAA-compliant web-based information
technology (IT) system to improve access to treatment and, subsequent
to adequate assessment and referral to an appropriate level of care,
genuine independent client choice of service providers, including faith
and community-based organizations (FCBOs), especially those that have
not previously received public funding. This project will not only
provide the critically needed additional capacity to address Hawaii's
ice epidemic but will also contribute significantly to strengthening
existing families and healing and reunifying shattered Asian/Pacific
Island families, thus ensuring the preservation of the unique heritage
and traditions of Hawaii's peoples.
practitioners
Question. Given the need to create practice incentives for
practitioners that are aligned with the health reform legislation being
proposed (such as cost-effective practice, adoption of quality
measures, and use of practice guidelines), what medical legal
protections can be extended to practitioners on a Federal level such
that the practice of defensive medicine is eliminated?
Answer. The President has stated that he understands that some
doctors feel that they are looking over their shoulders out of fear of
lawsuits and often order more tests and treatment to avoid being
legally vulnerable. He does not advocate caps on malpractice awards,
which could be unfair to people who've been wrongfully harmed, but he
does think we should explore a range of ideas to put patients first
while letting doctors focus on practicing medicine. There have been a
number of proposals offered in recent years to reduce lawsuits and
promote patient safety, from plans to expand the use of ``Sorry Works''
systems (early disclosure and apology-based mediation) as then-Senator
Obama introduced in 2005, to proposals to encourage broader use of
evidence-based guidelines as Senator Wyden and others have supported.
There are many ideas out there and the President and I want to work
with you.
Question. Given the shortage of rural practitioners across America
and the limitations associated with recruitment and retention of
practitioners to rural Hawaii, what incentives can be established to
encourage rural training of practitioners, including needed
specialists?
Answer. Effective health action requires an adequately staffed,
highly skilled, diverse and interdisciplinary workforce prepared to
address health challenges of the 21st century. In HRSA, the budget
expands loan repayment and scholarship programs for physicians, nurses,
and dentists who are committed to practicing in medically underserved
areas. Additionally, funding will enhance the capacity of nursing
schools, increase access to oral healthcare through dental workforce
development grants, target minority and low-income students, and place
an increased emphasis on ensuring that America's senior population gets
the care and treatment it needs.
The administration also provided additional funds for the Indian
Health Service (IHS) to cover the rising cost of tuition impacting
scholarship and loan repayment programs. These programs help IHS
compete with other public and private sector employers and bring needed
healthcare professionals to remote, rural reservations. In addition,
IHS provides grants to universities to train American Indians and
Alaska Natives to return to their communities as healthcare
professionals. We believe these programs will help ease the shortage of
rural practitioners over time.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Patty Murray
healthcare workforce
Question. One area of concern that I believe must be addressed is
the shortage of healthcare providers. And as the baby boomers retire,
the problem is only going to get worse.
I have had a number of roundtables throughout my home State of
Washington on this issue. And I know that what we're seeing in
Washington State is similar to what is going on across the country. The
shortage of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers is one of
the most serious workforce challenges our country faces.
And as we are working on healthcare reform, I believe it is
important to keep in mind that affordable care will not be possible
without access to a healthcare provider. In addition, this workforce
shortage is only going to get worse as we move to cover more people.
What do you see as our best tools to address this problem within
the regular appropriations process?
Answer. The National Health Service Corps provides a venue to
incentivize more primary care providers across the spectrum (including
dentistry, nursing, and mental health) to serve in underserved areas.
This program can be targeted towards people at the end of their
education, to address short-term as well as long-term workforce needs.
Expanding nurse faculty loan programs will address a critical
bottleneck in the education of new nurses to address the current and
looming nursing shortage. Providing additional funds for scholarships
and loan repayment programs for students--including those targeted to
improve diversity--can also have a dramatic impact on ensuring an
effective workforce.
The fiscal year 2010 request includes over $1 billion supporting a
wide range of programs to strengthen and support our Nation's
healthcare workforce. These investments will expand loan repayment and
scholarship programs for physicians, nurses, and dentists who are
committed to practicing in medically underserved areas. Additionally,
this funding will enhance the capacity of nursing schools and increase
access to oral healthcare through dental workforce development grants.
Question. How do you think we can address this problem within
healthcare reform?
Answer. We can and should build on existing workforce programs such
as the National Health Service Corps and title VII and title VIII.
These programs need to be modernized to better address a changing
healthcare environment. We should also encourage innovation in
telemedicine, health IT, and other avenues to improve practice
environments which will enhance workforce productivity and retention.
home visiting
Question. I am so pleased that President Obama and your agency are
focusing on Home Visiting as an effective program to ensure that
children and families receive the supports and information they need
for healthy development, child abuse prevention, safety, and
preparation for education. As you know, I introduced the Education
Begins at Home Act with Senators Clinton and Bond earlier this year,
which focuses on promoting high-quality, effective home visiting
programs that improve the health, development, and school readiness of
children ages 0 to 5.
I think it's necessary to highlight a few key components to any
effective home visiting program to ensure the best outcomes for
children across the country. It is critical that any program is
evidence-based, which I know is important you and the President as
well. Another important component is providing support not only for
health outcomes, but also well being and school readiness, in a
continuum of home visiting care. When all of these outcomes are met,
home visiting can reduce the need for special education services, help
families raise their monthly earnings, reduce child abuse, prepare
children to succeed in pre-K or kindergarten, and assist with stronger
birth outcomes, among many other benefits.
Do I have your commitment to work towards a model that provides
significant support for the continuum of home visiting programs and
models, as long as they are evidence-based, in order to meet the varied
needs of young children and their families across the country?
Answer. Yes, the Home Visitation initiative will give priority to
models that have been rigorously evaluated and shown to have positive
effects on critical outcomes for families and children. Additional
funds will support promising programs, such as programs based on models
with some research evidence of effectiveness and adaptations of
previously evaluated programs.
title x family planning program
Question. In a report released last week by the National Academy of
Sciences Institute of Medicine, family planning was described as ``one
of the most significant public health achievements of the 20th
century.'' The report goes on to say that family planning has resulted
in improvements in health, economic and social well-being.
The Institute's study also cites that ``funding for the title X
(Ten) Program has not kept pace with a number of factors including:
inflation; increased costs of contraceptives, great numbers of people
seeking services; or rising insurance costs.''
Do you agree with the assessment that family planning funding has
not kept pace with these factors?
Answer. The title X program has been able to maintain access to
services for millions of individuals who need family planning services
each year through maximizing the resources provided in the
appropriations each year. Through the program's training authority,
training has been provided to title X administrators and clinical
providers to encourage the most efficient utilization of resources
while maintaining quality. In addition, title X providers have been
encouraged to use the 340B Drug Pricing Program, cooperative purchasing
programs, and other cost-savings mechanisms to cut costs where
possible.
Question. Do you think that a significant increase in funding for
the title X program will help serve the ever increasing number of
American families who are unable to afford the most basic of healthcare
services?
Answer. The fiscal year 2010 budget provides an increase that would
enable the title X program to serve a greater number of low-income
individuals who are currently not receiving services. Currently, 4 in
10 poor women of reproductive age have no insurance coverage, public or
private. The Title X Family Planning Program requires that services be
provided to all who want and need them, with a priority for services to
individuals from low-income families. Title X-funded centers are an
important source of preventive healthcare to nearly 5 million women
each year, more than 90 percent of whom have family incomes at or below
200 percent of the Federal poverty level. At least 64 percent of those
served by title X centers have no insurance coverage for primary
healthcare, public or private. According to the most recent National
Survey of Family Growth data, a majority of women who obtain care at a
family planning center consider it their usual or primary source of
healthcare. It is estimated that only 54 percent of women in need of
publicly subsidized contraception received those services in 2006, with
title X providing services to half (27 percent) of these women.
In addition to the contraceptive services provided under the title
X program, title X-funded family planning centers provide a number of
related preventive health services that millions of poor and uninsured
individuals would likely not otherwise receive. For instance, in 2007,
title X-funded health centers provided almost 2.5 million Pap tests;
2.4 million breast exams; 5.4 million tests for sexual transmitted
diseases that if left untreated, may lead to infertility; and, 764,126
confidential HIV tests. In addition, it is estimated that nearly
970,000 unintended pregnancies were averted through the services
provided by title X-funded centers in 2007.
u.s. domestic refugee program and the economic crisis
Question. Historically, the United States has been the world leader
in providing protection and assistance to refugees both internationally
through humanitarian assistance and domestically by resettling refugees
to the United States. Unfortunately, the resettlement program now finds
itself on the brink of crisis.
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) within the Department of
Health and Human Services was established in 1980 to assist refugees
admitted by the United States in obtaining economic self-sufficiency.
Since then, ORR's mission has grown to include assisting numerous other
vulnerable populations in the United States, among them trafficking
victims, torture victims, Cuban/Haitian Entrants, Indochinese Parolees,
Iraqi and Afghan Special Immigrants, and unaccompanied alien children.
Unfortunately, ORR's budget has not kept up with its growing mission,
the changing characteristics of the populations it now serves, and the
costs and needs of resettling today's refugees. Coupled with chronic
under funding, the challenges connected to the current economic crisis
have placed the resettlement program in peril.
Even before the current economic recession, resettlement agencies
have been struggling to meet the needs of refugees, and a number of
agencies had to close down offices across United States. Now refugees
are commonly experiencing great difficulty finding work and paying rent
and other basic household needs. Agencies that have relied on private
funding, donations and the help of our communities to overcome the
insufficient funding are struggling to secure resources in the current
environment. The situation is critical; the resettlement program needs
immediate reform in key areas to maintain the success it has achieved
in the past and to match our international commitment to provide
protection to refugees.
How is ORR planning to respond to the consequences of the economic
crisis on the resettlement program and ensure adequate assistance to
refugees and other vulnerable populations while they work toward
integration and self-sufficiency? What steps will ORR take in the
future to better respond to emergency situations?
Answer. ORR provides a host of supports to refugees to assist them
with achieving economic self-sufficiency and integration, including
cash and medical assistance, case management, and employment services.
The current economic conditions have made it more difficult for
refugees to gain employment quickly, even for those in the Matching
Grant program, which historically has been the most successful method
for placing refugees into employment quickly. As a result, refugees and
other eligible populations are accessing cash and medical assistance
for longer periods of time, often for the full 8 months for which they
are currently eligible. The number of refugees also is on the rise,
and, for the first time since 2001, the number of arrivals appears to
be approaching the refugee ceiling set by the State Department. For
these reasons, the fiscal year 2010 budget request includes $337
million for refugee transitional and medical services, $55 million more
than the amount appropriated in fiscal year 2009. ORR will closely
monitor arrivals and benefit access, and provide updated cost estimates
to Congress as necessary. The Administration is also keenly interested
in examining ways to improve refugee resettlement programs, especially
in light of the current economic crisis.
emergency housing assistance
Question. The economic crisis is negatively impacting refugees
across the country, challenging their successful integration into our
communities and making homelessness a real threat to many refugee
families. Due to rising living costs and a shortage of jobs, newly
arriving refugees are finding it increasingly difficult to secure and
maintain employment and housing. As a result, some refugee families are
not able to find jobs and meet the cost of rent, and are thus facing
eviction and homelessness. Several recent news stories illustrate the
challenges refugees are facing with housing and homelessness across the
country.
A number of federally funded programs administered by local refugee
resettlement agencies assist refugees in securing employment and
housing. These programs have been highly effective in helping refugees
achieve early self-sufficiency through employment. However, refugees
are only eligible for benefits and services for a maximum of the first
8 months in the United States. In the current economic climate it can
take refugees longer than 8 months to secure employment which would
enable them to afford basic housing. Additionally, many of those
refugees who have been able to secure employment have been recently
laid off and have lost their source of income. In most of these cases
refugees have not worked long enough to qualify for unemployment
benefits.
What steps will you take to address the housing needs of resettled
refugees and other vulnerable populations served by the ORR to prevent
evictions and homelessness for these populations?
Answer. The President's budget request is intended to address many
refugee needs. With respect to risk of homelessness, refugees can
access a variety of homelessness prevention and assistance programs
through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or
State or county housing programs. HHS Refugee Resettlement funds have
not been targeted to homeless services, beyond the provision of cash
assistance and some limited use of social services funds.
Question. How are you planning to address the housing needs of
refugees that have been in the United States for more than 8 months,
are not longer receiving cash assistance and have not achieve self-
sufficiency?
Answer. The President's budget request is intended to address many
refugee needs. With respect to risk of homelessness, refugees can
access a variety of homelessness prevention and assistance programs
through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development or State
or county housing programs. HHS Refugee Resettlement funds have not
been targeted to homeless services, beyond the provision of cash
assistance and some limited use of social services funds.
Question. The cash assistance refugees receive is determined by
welfare rates in the States they reside in. In almost all cases (some
stats would be nice), the level of assistance is below poverty line and
does not even cover rent. How will you ensure that refugees are not
resettled into an immediate crisis situation, critically dependent on
securing a job in order to stay in their homes?
Answer. Refugee populations are exempted from any bars restricting
legal permanent resident aliens from accessing public benefits such as
TANF, Medicaid, and SSI, and may therefore access a number of services
apart from cash assistance provided by ORR, if they are otherwise
eligible. In addition, refugees may access services provided through
ORR's Refugee Social Services and Targeted Assistance funds, including
adjustment services, English language instruction, interpretation and
translation services, day care for children, citizenship and
naturalization services, etc. The goal of these services is to maximize
refugees' prospects for self-sufficiency.
Question. Looking forward to the future, how ORR will ensure that
refugees and other vulnerable people it serves have a safety net strong
enough to prevent them from losing their homes while they look to
secure employment?
Answer. Refugees can access a variety of homelessness prevention
and assistance programs through HUD or State and county housing
programs. They are also generally eligible for public benefits such as
TANF, Medicaid, and SSI. ORR's mandate is to provide services such as
cash assistance, medical assistance, case management, and employment
services. The goal of these services is to maximize refugees' prospects
for self-sufficiency, which will hopefully mitigate any risk of acute
problems such as homelessness.
assisting refugees to achieve self-sufficiency
Question. The resettlement program has as a main objective to
assist refugees to obtain self sufficiency in a short period of time.
The economic crisis has made it more difficult for refugees to achieve
this goal. While most refugees have typically found employment quickly,
the worsening economy has made this process lengthier and more
difficult.
The current job market makes programs that provide employment
services all the more critical. One of these programs is the Voluntary
Agency Matching Grant program. This program enables refugees and other
eligible persons to become self-sufficient within 4 to 6 months from
the date of their arrival in the United States without resorting to
Federal and State welfare programs. The program leverages public funds
with private donations at a 2:1 ratio, requiring private voluntary
agencies to provide one dollar of private, nongovernmental resources
for every $2 that the Federal Government contributes. Nearly 80 percent
of participants in fiscal year 2008 achieved self-sufficiency. Even
though the outcomes have been impacted by the current economic crisis,
Matching Grant continues to be the most successful program helping to
place refugees in jobs in a 4- to 6-month period.
Currently the program serves approximately 27,000 individuals, the
same number of individuals that were served by the program in fiscal
year 2000. This equals roughly 30 percent of those who could benefit
from the program. The program has also been expanded to serve not only
refugees, asylees, Cuban/Haitian entrants, but also Iraqi and Afghan
Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) holders and victims of trafficking. The
Iraqis arriving as refugees or SIVs are in most cases highly educated
and experienced and would therefore be most appropriately served
through the Matching Grant (MG) program. Without increased ORR
resources, additional places in the MG program will not be available.
As the expression of the public-private partnership the Voluntary
Match Grant Program is most successful program helping refugees find
jobs. Are you planning to expand the program by providing more
resources allowing access for more refugees and other vulnerable
populations?
Answer. Under the fiscal year 2010 budget request, the Matching
Grant program will be funded at the same level as fiscal year 2009.
Question. Many Iraqis who arrived as SIVs or refugees are highly
educated and are facing challenges to achieve self-sufficiency and to
find suitable jobs. In the past the MG program provided better served
populations with those characteristics. What role do you envision for
the MG program for highly educates refugees, such as the case of
Iraqis?
Answer. The Matching Grant program is indeed ideally suited for
refugees with good employment prospects, and Iraqi SIVs and refugees
are generally excellent candidates. To the extent that funded
enrollment slots are available in the area of resettlement, highly
educated refugees or SIVs may elect to enroll in the Matching Grant
Program.
Question. Highly educated refugees often have to accept the first
job available to be able to pay for their basic needs. Such a job may
not be inappropriate for their skill level, which leads to frustration
on their part and a waste of talent and potential for the American
society. Do you plan to initiate and fund any programs that would help
highly educated refugees with years of professional experience secure a
job appropriate for their skills?
Answer. While there are no special programs that target skilled
refugees and no plans to create any expanded assistance to refugee
professionals, ORR does have an existing grant with a technical
assistance provider looking at professional recertification issues.
Most activities for skilled professionals are provided at the
discretion of local refugee social services providers as part of their
broader employment services assessment and activities related to each
Individual Employment Plan. ORR has been working with the Department of
Labor to identify resources available to refugee professionals through
the Employment and Training Administration's One Stop Centers.
Question. The structure of the U.S. resettlement program and its
emphasis on self-sufficiency is often too rigid to account for
additional challenges faced by many more vulnerable resettled refugees.
Many, for example, have been recently widowed or disabled and will be
much less likely to find employment within the program's limited time
frame. What changes can be made to account for the special
circumstances of certain vulnerable refugees to ensure that they are
able to achieve self-sufficiency in safety and dignity?
Answer. ORR has no special programs for individuals with
disabilities or other needs, but ORR providers have broad flexibility
to work with disabled refugees, and ORR funds may be used to pay for
these individuals' medical and mental health costs if individuals are
not eligible for Medicaid. ORR providers also make referrals to (SSI)
and other benefits and services for refugees who meet disability
definitions in title XVI of the Social Security Act. Disabled refugees
who are awaiting adjudication of SSI applications may receive Refugee
Cash Assistance for up to 8 months while their applications are
processed. Finally, ORR is taking further steps to improve the self-
sufficiency prospects of disabled refugees, including early discussions
with the HHS Office on Disability regarding employment for disabled
refugees.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Jack Reed
low income home energy assistance program
Question. As you know, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance
Program (LIHEAP) was funded at $5.1 billion for the first time in
fiscal year 2009, providing much needed assistance to millions of
Americans at a time of economic uncertainty. Although some energy costs
have temporarily stabilized, the economic standing of millions of
Americans has worsened. Like funding for food stamps and unemployment
insurance, LIHEAP provides a significant multiplier effect that is
important in helping to bring us out of this recession.
While the President's budget request of $3.2 billion is greater
than any request made to Congress in the past, it is still far below
last year's appropriation. The National Energy Assistance Directors'
Association found that a reduction in LIHEAP funding to $3.2 billion
could result in more than 1.5 million households being dropped from the
program, and the average grant for families left in the program being
cut by $70. While I appreciate the fact that this Administration has
proposed creating a mandatory contingency fund for LIHEAP when prices
spike, that funding is dependent on price volatility and will produce
on $450 million in funding on average per year. We need to have robust
funding in the base program.
As you know, the congressional budget resolution matches the
President's request of $3.2 billion for LIHEAP for fiscal year 2010,
but would also accommodate an extra $1.9 billion through a
discretionary cap adjustment that maintain funding at the $5.1 billion
level. Would you support LIHEAP funding at the $5.1 billion allowed
under the budget resolution? Will you also work to fully fund this
program in future budgets?
Answer. Energy prices are volatile making it difficult to match
funding to need. Fiscal year 2009 LIHEAP funding ($5.1 billion) was
provided when energy prices were at their peak (oil at $124 per barrel
in the second quarter of 2008). Oil prices subsequently declined
significantly as did Energy Department estimates of average home
heating costs. The administration proposed the mandatory trigger
mechanism to address volatility in energy prices. Under this proposal,
mandatory funding would be provided in response to quarterly energy
price increases. If oil and gas prices in the fourth quarter of 2009
exceed peak 2008 prices by just 1.8 percent, total LIHEAP funding of
$5.1 billion would be provided in fiscal year 2010 through a
combination of the trigger ($1.9 billion) and the discretionary budget
request ($3.2 billion).
immunizations
Question. Immunizing our country's children--and adults--has been a
priority for me throughout my tenure in Congress. I was particularly
pleased that the Economic Recovery Act contained an additional $300
million over the next 2 years for immunizations for the uninsured and
underinsured. But, once that funding runs out, the baseline funding
that the President proposed would likely fall back to $500 million. As
you may know, I have been joined by 17 of my colleagues in supporting
more than $800 million in baseline funding to immunize this population.
Have you given any thought to how you will fill the financial void
after next year should funding fall back to $500 million?
Answer. Historically, vaccines are one of the most successful and
cost effective public health tools for preventing serious disease and
death. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC)
immunization investments save lives and dollars by providing
individuals and communities with a strong level of protection from
vaccine-preventable diseases. The Recovery Act 317 section funding
provided a historic opportunity to leverage section 317 immunization
investments by augmenting existing public health capacity and federally
purchased vaccines.
In accordance with the Recovery Act, CDC is investing these funds
in one-time efforts that will have the most health impact. The Recovery
Act funding CDC received is being used to make vaccines available to
more children, adolescents, and adults; help health departments learn
how to improve their access to insurance reimbursement; increase
awareness and provider education about immunization; and strengthen the
evidence base for immunization policies and programs. These investments
will have long-term benefits beyond the life of the funding by
increasing the number of people vaccinated, providing immunization
tools and resources for parents and healthcare providers, and assessing
the impact of recently recommended vaccines to inform national vaccine
policy.
pandemic preparedness
Question. According to testimony before this panel on April 30, I
understand that States have purchased only 23 million of the 31 million
courses of antiviral treatments called for under the National Strategy
on Pandemic Influenza. Rhode Island is only equipped with 10.5 percent
of its allocation. Given the potentially urgent need for these
medications, how does the Department of Health and Human Services plan
to address the shortfall in State stockpiling efforts and prevent
illness?
Answer. Currently, State stockpiles have 24.5 million treatment
courses. The Department is considering extending the Federal subsidy
program for State antiviral stockpiling beyond the current end date of
September 1, 2009, to allow States the ability to purchase up to an
additional 4 million treatment courses during the fall and upcoming flu
season necessitated by the current swine flu pandemic. States have
already received 11 million treatment courses collectively from the
Federal influenza antiviral drug stockpile in early May 2009 as a
response measure for the H1N1 virus outbreaks in the United States
These treatment courses pushed out to States from the Federal stockpile
have now been added to each respective State stockpile total. For
example, to use the case of Rhode Island, the Federal push of 25
percent of their pro rata Federal allotment now added to their State
stockpile (representing about 40,000 treatment courses) brings the new
total to about 52,000 treatment courses. Therefore, Rhode Island is now
equipped with about 46 percent of its State stockpile program pro rata
allocation. Furthermore, the 11 million treatment courses in total
pushed out from the Federal stockpile will also be replenished in full
and that process is now underway. In addition, the Federal stockpile,
which will be replenished to the initial 44 million treatment course
level, will again be available in full for distribution to States
should the need arise.
healthcare workforce
Question. The Senate and the House are poised to have a meaningful
debate on healthcare reform. With reform, we must also ensure that
there is a workforce to adequately address the expected increase in
patients. I am aware that the Economic Recovery Act contained an
additional $200 million for title VII health professions programs.
However, I am concerned that even with this increase, the funding level
in the budget would not adequately address workforce shortages for
years to come--especially in light of reform. In light of this, nearly
half of my colleagues in the Senate have joined me in supporting $330
million for title VII health professions programs. How did the
administration account for the potential effects of healthcare reform
in budgeting for an adequate primary care workforce?
Answer. We are aware that with the expansion of coverage comes the
need to provide primary care and other health services, particularly in
areas that are currently underserved. Investments through the Recovery
Act will assist in expanding and improving the efficiency of our
provider workforce. We look forward to working with Congress to address
the workforce needs that will arise from comprehensive health reform
conquer childhood cancer act
Question. Last year, Congress passed and President Bush signed the
Caroline Pryce Walker Childhood Cancer Act. Among other provisions,
this law requires CDC to collect information on the causes, treatments,
and effects of childhood cancer within weeks of learning of this
information in a comprehensive childhood cancer registry.
Individualized and aggregate data would dramatically enhance research
initiatives and open the door for new, successful treatment options for
patients. The CDC Cancer Registry line has been flat funded for years.
Given the administration's effort to spur health innovation and
research, how will you capitalize on these tangential, but important,
research, and treatment tools?
Answer. CDC collects and maintains individual level data on the
diagnosis and treatment of childhood cancer cases in 45 States and the
District of Columbia. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) collects
similar data in the remaining 5 States and these data are combined to
describe the incidence of cancer in the United States. Each year data
are collected on approximately 12,000 to 13,000 cancer cases among
children younger than 20 years of age. Data are collected on
demographics, place of residence, type of cancer and stage at
diagnosis, as well as first course of treatment. To fully understand
the requirements for and feasibility of conducting national rapid case
ascertainment for childhood cancers, CDC will host a meeting in the
fall of 2009 which will include experts in childhood cancer research
and cancer surveillance as well as critical partners such as the NCI
and the American Cancer Society. One of the goals of this meeting will
be to lay out all possible approaches that could be taken to address
the data needs for childhood cancer research. In addition, optimal
designs of a rapid-case ascertainment system will be described and
explored for future planning.
CDC supports and encourages research utilizing cancer registry
data. For example, CDC provides data annually to the Central Brain
Tumor Registry of the United States which conducts research and
provides detailed data on benign and malignant brain tumors among
children. In addition, CDC utilizes cancer registry data to report
incidence and geographic variation of childhood cancer. CDC encourages
and provides leadership in the use of State and national data for
research into treatment and survival among children diagnosed with
cancer and will establish collaborative relationships with the
pediatric cancer community that are needed to promote this research.
Working with State central cancer registries, CDC promotes the use of
registry data for research purposes within the States and the District
of Columbia. CDC is active in developing electronic reporting systems
for cancer surveillance data which holds great promise in improving the
timeliness of data.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Thad Cochran
Question. In your May 6 testimony on Health Reform in the 21st
Century before the House Committee on Ways and Means, you noted the
need for investments in prevention and wellness. In allocating those
investments, will you devote any additional resources to the prevention
of osteoporosis, a disease that 10 million Americans have and 34
million are at risk for, and that costs our healthcare system an
estimated $19 billion per year?
Answer. The Recovery Act included $1 billion for prevention and
wellness programs including $650 million for a prevention and wellness
initiative. Details regarding this initiative will be announced this
summer. Our health reform efforts will build on this initial investment
in health reform by supporting proposals that improve access to
appropriate clinical prevention services such as osteoporosis screening
in postmenopausal women and community-based prevention interventions
that target the main causes of chronic disease.
Question. In addition to a renewed focus on prevention, many of the
health reform proposals under consideration include programs for
chronic disease management. Given that 10 million Americans have
osteoporosis and another 2 million Americans suffer from other rare
diseases of the bone like Paget's disease of the bone and osteogenesis
imperfecta, will you include these bone diseases as part of such
disease management programs?
Answer. Yes. Osteoporosis is a classic example of a disease
susceptible to chronic disease management. Models of chronic disease
management apply to any disease that requires ongoing medical
management and monitoring and will not be applied on a restrictive
basis only to named diseases. This is why we feel it is important to
avoid listing specific diseases for coverage--it implies that anything
not listed is excluded. We take an entirely inclusive approach. The
goal is to improve people's health.
______

Questions Submitted by Senator Judd Gregg
refugee resettlement program
Question. As you know, the main objective of the refugee
resettlement program is to assist refugees so they become self-
sufficient in the shortest period of time. Unfortunately, the economic
crisis has made it more difficult for refugees to achieve this goal,
making programs that provide employment services all the more critical,
especially the Voluntary Agency Matching Grant program, which enables
refugees and other eligible persons to become self-sufficient within 4
to 6 months from the date of arrival in the United States without
resorting to Federal and State welfare programs. Leveraging public
funds with private donations at a 2:1 ratio, the program currently
serves approximately 27,000 individuals and is arguably the most
successful job placement program for refugees with 80 percent of fiscal
year 2008 participants achieving self-sufficiency. Given the overall
objective of the refugee resettlement program, do you believe enough
resources are being allocated to the Voluntary Agency Matching Grant
program to maximize utility?
Answer. The current economic conditions have made it more difficult
for refugees to gain employment quickly, even for those in the Matching
Grant program, which historically has been the most successful method
for placing refugees into employment quickly. As a result, refugees and
other eligible populations are accessing cash and medical assistance
for longer periods of time, often for the full 8 months for which they
are currently eligible. The number of refugees also is on the rise,
and, for the first time since 2001, the number of arrivals appears to
be approaching the refugee ceiling set by the State Department. Office
of Refugee Resettlement will closely monitor arrivals and benefit
access, and provide updated cost estimates to Congress as necessary,
including resources provided to the Matching Grant program.
Question. Recently, the administration requested additional funds
to support efforts to combat H1N1 influenza, including the authority to
use Project BioShield Special Reserve Funds (SRF) to fund the
development and/or procurement of an H1N1 influenza vaccine. As you
know, Congress created the Project Bioshield SRF to procure medical
countermeasures against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear
(CBRN) threats and appropriated $5.6 billion to remain available until
2013. A transfer of funds from the Project Bioshield SRF could have a
devastating impact on efforts to develop countermeasures for CBRN
threats and call into question the Government's commitment to procure
such products, which could force companies to scale back, or abandon,
efforts to produce biosecurity products. Recognizing the importance of
pandemic influenza preparedness, how does the Department intend to
balance these two critical priorities in the near-term? What do you
believe is the appropriate funding level for the SRF to adequately
support near-term CBRN acquisitions and provide confidence to the
biodefense industry?
Answer. The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority
(BARDA) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office
of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response develops and
procures medical countermeasures for CBRN threats, pandemic influenza,
and emerging infectious diseases. BARDA programs are funded through the
SRF (CBRN countermeasure procurement), pandemic influenza funding
(including for advanced development and procurement), and annual
appropriations for advanced research and development (CBRN
countermeasures). HHS' intent is to continue to utilize the SRF and
annual advanced development appropriations for their intended uses
(i.e., the procurement and development of CBRN countermeasures,
respectively).
Project BioShield was funded through the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) Appropriations Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-90) which
established the SRF by advance-appropriating $5.6 billion for the
procurement of countermeasures against CBRN agents from fiscal year
2004 to fiscal year 2013. The act allows the HHS Secretary, with
concurrence from the DHS Secretary and approval from the Director of
OMB, to develop and procure products that are within 8 years of FDA
approval. DHS has issued Material Threat Determinations and Population
Threat Assessments for 13 CBRN agents, upon which the BARDA
Implementation Plan is based. To date BARDA has obligated $2 billion of
the Special Reserve Fund on 5 CBRN programs that have delivered anthrax
vaccines and therapeutics, botulinum antitoxins, and radiological drugs
to the Strategic National Stockpile. In fiscal year 2009, Congress
transferred $412 million from the SRF to support CBRN advanced
development and pandemic influenza. The fiscal year 2010 President's
budget proposes transferring $305 million from the SRF for CBRN
Advanced Development. The long-term success of Project BioShield is
directly tied to the success of the Advanced Development program. Over
the next 4 years, BARDA will obligate the remaining $2.9 billion in the
SRF by expanding its portfolio of late-stage products in anthrax
vaccines, smallpox antivirals, chemical agent antidotes, and other
radiological drugs in order to develop next-generation products.
______

Question Submitted by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
medical countermeasures
Question. In addition to the recently circulating H1N1 and H5N1
influenza strains, there is a host of emerging infectious diseases and
biothreat agents for which we need to develop medical countermeasures
in order to protect the health of the American people. In light of the
broad range of possible biothreats, as well as the long lag time and
high costs associated with developing drugs, how does HHS plan to
transition R&D into these lifesaving countermeasures in quantities
large enough to cover our population? And how does HHS plan to
disseminate them rapidly enough to be able to make a difference in the
event of an outbreak or attack?
Answer. HHS has implemented the Public Health Emergency Medical
Countermeasures Enterprise (PHEMCE) to manage the development and
deployment of CBRN countermeasures, from the basic research phase at
NIH to procurement through Project BioShield. The PHEMCE is a
coordinated, inter-agency effort led by the HHS Assistant Secretary for
Preparedness and Response and includes the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, and the National
Institutes of Health (NIH). Ex officio members include the Department
of Homeland Security, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the
Department of Defense. The PHEMCE defines and prioritizes CBRN medical
countermeasure (MCM) requirements, integrates and coordinates research,
development, procurement, and deployment and use strategies for MCMs.
The investment in biodefense research and development has led to
fundamental discoveries and has laid the foundation for promising drugs
and vaccines for biodefense purposes. To date, two programs started at
NIH have reached the level of maturity required for consideration into
a late-stage development program funded under Project BioShield (i.e.,
product is within 8 years of FDA approval). Once products are procured
through Project BioShield, they are placed in the Strategic National
Stockpile (SNS). The SNS works with State and local partners to ensure
that medical countermeasures can be distributed as quickly as possible
during a public health emergency.

CONCLUSION OF HEARINGS

Senator Harkin. The subcommittee will stand recessed.
[Whereupon, at 3:32 p.m., Tuesday, June 9, the the hearings
were concluded, and the subcommittee was recessed, to reconvene
subject to the call of the Chair.]

DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND
RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2010

----------

U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
Washington, DC.

NONDEPARTMENTAL WITNESSES

[Clerk's note.--The subcommittee was unable to hold
hearings on nondepartmental witnesses. The statements and
letters of those submitting written testimony are as follows:]
Prepared Statement of AIDS Action
I am pleased to submit this testimony to the members of this
subcommittee on the importance of increased funding for the fiscal year
2010 HIV/AIDS portfolio. Since 1984, AIDS Action Council, through its
member organizations and the greater HIV/AIDS and public health
communities, has worked to enhance HIV prevention programs, research
protocols, and care and treatment services at the community, State and
Federal level. AIDS Action represents many AIDS service organizations
located in the Nation's HIV epicenters, local health departments,
smaller service providers, faith-based organizations, substance abuse
treatment centers, and education and advocacy organizations from all
over the country. AIDS Action's goals are to ensure effective,
evidence-based HIV care, treatment, and prevention services; to
encourage the continuing pursuit of a cure and a vaccine for HIV
infection; and to support the development of a public health system
which ensures that its services are available to all those in need. On
behalf of AIDS Action Council's diverse membership I bring your
attention to issues impacting funding for fiscal year 2010.
Nearly 30 years since it was first identified, the HIV/AIDS
epidemic in the United States is characterized by needless mortality,
inadequate access to care, persistent levels of new infection, and
stark racial inequalities. Despite the good news of improved
treatments, which have made it possible for people with HIV disease to
lead longer and healthier lives, stark realities remain. Consider that
in the United States:
--Every year, 56,300 people are newly infected with HIV--one new
infection every 9\1/2\ minutes. According to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the HIV infection rate has
not fallen in 15 years and the new incidence figure represent a
40 percent increase from previous estimates
--CDC stated that the HIV incidence rate increased by 15 percent from
2006 to 2007.
--More than 1 million people are living with HIV or AIDS; an
estimated half of people living with HIV/AIDS are not in care.
--Of those people living with HIV/AIDS 21 percent are unaware of
their HIV status.
--CDC estimates in 2007, 14,561 people died from AIDS-related causes.
--African Americans represent 13 percent of the population but nearly
half of all newly reported HIV infections.
--Hispanics/Latinos represent 13 percent of the population, but
account for 18 percent of newly reported cases of HIV.
--The percentage of newly reported HIV/AIDS cases in the United
States. among women tripled from 8 percent to 27 percent
between 1985 and 2007.
--AIDS is the leading cause of death among Black women aged 25-34
--HIV is the No. 1 healthcare risk for gay men and men who have sex
with men, especially in communities of color.
--More than half of all newly diagnosed individuals are identified
with full-blown AIDS in less than 12 months of their initial
diagnosis.
--There is neither a cure nor a vaccine for HIV and current
treatments do not work for everyone.
The Federal Government's commitment to funding prevention,
research, and care and treatment for those living with HIV is critical.
We would be unable to respond to this epidemic without the Federal
Government's increased commitment to funding HIV programs at home.
However, we are not doing enough. The unsatisfactory outcomes from our
country's response to AIDS have serious human and economic costs. A
study published in 2003 found that failure to meet the Government's
then goal of reducing HIV infections by half would lead to $18 billion
in excess expenses through 2010. We need more prevention, more
treatment and care and more research if we are ever to slow and
eventually reverse the HIV epidemic.
It is AIDS Action's expectation that the Congress, through the good
work of this subcommittee, will recognize and address the true funding
needs of the programs in the HIV/AIDS portfolio. HIV is a 100 percent
preventable disease that can be lessened with a focused, concentrated
effort and increased funding. The community has come together under the
umbrella of the AIDS Budget and Appropriations Coalition with the
community funding request for the HIV/AIDS domestic portfolio for
fiscal year 2010. The numbers requested represent that community work.
These requests have been submitted to the subcommittee.
CDC estimate that approximately 13 percent of all HIV cases and
approximately 60 percent of all hepatitis C cases in the United States
are directly or indirectly related to intravenous drug use. One of the
most important ways to reduce these epidemics is through the use of
syringe exchange. More than eight Federal studies along with numerous
scientific peer-reviewed papers published more than 15 years have
conclusively established that syringe exchange programs reduce the
incidence of HIV among people who inject drugs and their sexual
partners. Such studies have all concluded that syringe exchange does
not increase drug abuse. Instead, syringe exchange programs connect
people who use drugs to healthcare services including addiction
treatment, HIV and viral hepatitis prevention services and testing,
counseling, education, and support.
The ban on Federal funding for syringe exchange is
counterproductive and limits the ability of local and State
jurisdictions to respond effectively to the twin HIV and hepatitis
epidemics. AIDS Action and the HIV community recommends that the
subcommittee remove any language prohibiting the use of Federal funds
to establish or carry out a program of distributing sterile syringes to
reduce the transmission of blood borne pathogens, including the human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and viral hepatitis.
According to CDC estimates contained in the agency's March 2006
HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, 1,014,797 cumulative cases of AIDS have
been diagnosed in the United States, with a total of 565,927 deaths
since the beginning of the epidemic. As noted above, the CDC estimates
that between 1.1 and 1.2 million people are living with HIV/AIDS and
that 250,000-350,000 people are unaware of their status and could
unknowingly transmit the virus to another person. As funding has
remained essentially flat for more than 8 years, money has shifted to
new and needed HIV testing efforts and initiatives. As a result, grants
to States and local communities have significantly decreased and new
infections have increased to an estimated 56,300 per year, according to
a CDC report released in August 2008. Therefore, AIDS Action Council,
the HIV community, and the CDC in their budget justification before
Congress September 2008, estimates that the CDC HIV Prevention and
Surveillance programs will need $1.5 billion, an increase of $878
million, in fiscal year 2010 to address the true unmet needs of
preventing HIV in the United States. In the United States, HIV is
transmitted primarily through sex. In order to combat the rising rates
of transmission, we must ensure that sexuality education programs are
medically sound and effective in fostering healthy behavior over the
long-term. Abstinence is an important component of comprehensive
sexuality education and HIV prevention programs; however, when it is
advocated as the only option for young people, research has shown that
it is ineffective, unrealistic, and potentially harmful. We believe the
Federal Government should only support those sexuality education and
HIV-prevention programs that are evidence-based. For that reason we
support the elimination of all funding for the Community-Based
Abstinence Education (CBAE) programs. All such funds should be re-
directed to evidence-based prevention and educational programs. This
past World AIDS Day, President Obama affirmed that, ``My administration
will .work with Congress to enact an extensive program of prevention,
including access to comprehensive age-appropriate sex education for all
school age children.'' We request that at least $50 million be
allocated to promote comprehensive sex education in our schools and
communities nationwide.
Now in its 19th year, The Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources
Emergency (CARE) Act, administered by the Health Resources and Services
Administration (HRSA) and funded by this subcommittee, provides
services to more than 533,000 people living with and affected by HIV
throughout the United States and its territories. It is the single
largest source of Federal funding solely focused on the delivery of HIV
services; it provides the framework for our national response to the
HIV epidemic. CARE Act programs have been critical to reducing the
impact of the domestic HIV epidemic. Yet in recent years, CARE Act
funding has not kept pace with the epidemic and has decreased through
across-the-board rescissions. It is important to remember that CARE Act
programs are designed to compliment each other. It is necessary that
all parts of the CARE Act receive substantial increased funding to
ensure the success of the total program. AIDS Action and the HIV/AIDS
community estimate that the entire Ryan White CARE Act portfolio needs
$2.816 million in fiscal year 2010, an increase of $577.8 million to
address the true needs of the hundreds of thousands of people living
with HIV who are uninsured, underinsured, or who lack financial
resource for healthcare.
Part A of The Ryan White CARE Act now includes five additional
Transitional Grant Areas (TGAs). Some of the services provided under
part A include physician visits, laboratory services, case management,
home-based and hospice care, and substance abuse and mental health
services. Under the most recent reauthorization these services are even
more dedicated towards funding core medical services and to ensuring
the ability of patients to adhere to treatment. These services are
critical to ensuring patients have access to, and can effectively
utilize, life-saving therapies. AIDS Action along with the HIV/AIDS
community recommends funding part A at $766.1 million, an increase of
$103 million.
Part B of the CARE Act ensures a foundation for HIV related
healthcare services in each State and territory, including the
critically important AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). Part B base
grants (excluding ADAP) received a decrease of $28.5 million in fiscal
year 2009. AIDS Action along with the HIV/AIDS community recommends
funding for part B base grants at $514.2 million, an increase of $105.4
million.
The AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) provides medications for
the treatment of individuals with HIV who do not have access to
Medicaid or other health insurance. According to the 2009 National ADAP
Monitoring Project, ADAP provided medications to approximately 183,299
clients in fiscal year 2007, including 36,354 new clients. AIDS Action
along with the HIV/AIDS community recommends $1,083 million, an
increase of $268.6 million, for ADAP for fiscal year 2010. This
``community need'' number is derived from a pharmacoeconomic model to
estimate the amount of funding needed to treat ADAP eligible
individuals in upcoming Federal and State fiscal years. The need number
represents the amount of new funding required to allow State ADAPs to
provide a minimum clinical standard formulary of HIV/AIDS medications
to ADAP clients under the current eligibility rules for each State.
Part C of the Ryan White CARE Act awards grants to community-based
clinics and medical centers, hospitals, public health departments, and
universities in 22 States and the District of Columbia under the Early
Intervention Services program. These grants are targeted toward new and
emerging sub-populations impacted by the HIV epidemic. Part C funds are
particularly needed in rural areas where the availability of HIV care
and treatment is still relatively new. Urban areas continue to require
part C funds as emerging populations as grantees struggle to meet the
needs of previously identified HIV positive populations. AIDS Action,
along with the HIV/AIDS community, requests $268.3 million, an increase
of $66.4 million, for part C.
Part D of the Ryan White CARE Act awards grants under the
Comprehensive Family Services Program to provide comprehensive care for
HIV positive women, infants, children, and youth, as well as their
affected families. These grants fund the planning of services that
provide comprehensive HIV care and treatment and the strengthening of
the safety net for HIV positive individuals and their families. AIDS
Action and the HIV/AIDS community request $134.6 million, an increase
of $57.7 million, for Part D.
Under Part F, the AIDS Education and Training Centers (AETCs) is
the training arm of the Ryan White CARE Act; they train the healthcare
providers, including the doctors, advanced practice nurses, physicians'
assistants, nurses, oral health professionals, and pharmacists. The
role of the AETCs is invaluable in ensuring that such education is
available to healthcare providers who are being asked to treat the
increasing numbers of HIV positive patients who depend on them for
care. Additionally, the AETCs have been tasked with providing training
on Hepatitis B and C to CARE Act grantees and to ensure inclusion of
culturally competent programs for and about HIV and Native Americans
and Alaska natives. However no funding has been added for additional
materials, training of staff, or programs. The AETCs received a modest
increase of $0.3 million in fiscal year 2009. AIDS Action and the HIV/
AIDS community request $50 million, a $15.6 million increase, for this
program. Also under part F, Dental care is another crucial part of the
spectrum of services needed by people living with HIV disease. Oral
health problems are often one of the first manifestations of HIV
disease. Unfortunately oral health is one of the first aspects of
healthcare to be neglected by those who cannot afford, or do not have
access to, proper medical care removing an opportunity to catch early
infections of HIV. AIDS Action and the HIV/AIDS community request $19
million, a $5.6 million increase, for this program. Finally under part
F, rising infections and strapped care systems necessitate the research
and development of innovative models of care. The SPNS program is
designed for this purpose and must continue to receive sufficient
funding.
The Minority AIDS Initiative directly benefits racial and ethnic
minority communities with grants to provide technical assistance and
infrastructure support and strengthen the capacity of minority
community based organizations to deliver high-quality HIV healthcare
and supportive services to historically underserved groups. HIV/AIDS in
the United States continues to disproportionately affect communities of
color. According to the CDC in 2006, the overall rate of HIV diagnosis
(the number of diagnoses per 100,000 population) in the 33 States (that
currently report HIV data) was 18.5 per 100,000. The rate for blacks
was roughly 8 times the rate for whites (67.7 per 100,000 vs 8.2 per
100,000). The Minority AIDS Initiative provides services across every
service category in the CARE Act and was authorized for inclusion
within the CARE Act for the first time in the 2006 CARE Act
reauthorization. It additionally funds other programs throughout HHS
agencies. AIDS Action and the HIV/AIDS community request a total of
$610 million for the Minority AIDS Initiative.
Research on preventing, treating, and ultimately curing HIV is
vital to the domestic and global control of the disease. It is
essential that Office of AIDS Research continue its groundbreaking
research in both basic and clinical science to develop a preventative
vaccine, microbicides, and other scientific, behavioral, and structural
HIV prevention interventions. The United States must continue to take
the lead in the research and development of new medicines to treat
current and future strains of HIV. NIH's Office of AIDS Research is
critical in supporting all of these research arenas. Commitment in
research will ultimately decrease the care and treatment dollars needed
if HIV continues to spread at the current rate. AIDS Action requests
that the NIH be funded at $34 billion in fiscal year 2010 and that the
AIDS portfolio must be funded at $3.4 billion a $500 million increase.
HIV is a continuing health crisis in the United States. We must
continue to work to fully fund our domestic prevention, treatment and
care, and research efforts. On behalf of all HIV positive Americans,
and those affected by the disease, AIDS Action Council urges you to
increase funding in each of these areas of the domestic HIV/AIDS
portfolio. Help us save lives by allocating increased funds to address
the HIV epidemic in the United States.
______

Prepared Statement of the Alzheimer's Association
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: As President and CEO
of the Alzheimer's Association, I want to take this opportunity to
thank you for the leadership role this subcommittee has played over the
years in the fight to conquer Alzheimer's disease.
Indeed, it was this subcommittee that first drew attention to
Alzheimer's disease in its fiscal year 1982 appropriations report. At
the time, an estimated 2.5 million people were thought to be suffering
with Alzheimer's disease, their families quietly bearing most of the
financial, physical, and emotional burden of care giving. Even if they
were personally affected, relatively few Americans had even heard of
Alzheimer's disease because so many went undiagnosed or were
inaccurately diagnosed; far fewer were aware of the crisis just
beginning to unfold. All this is still too true today.
Alzheimer's disease now is now estimated to afflict more than 5
million Americans. It is in a virtual tie as the Nation's sixth leading
cause of death, while significantly underreported and growing. It is
already the third most expensive disease, draining billions of dollars
from our economy every year. But the story does not end with those grim
statistics because this problem is not going to age itself away. On the
contrary, as Baby Boomers shoulder their way into the age of highest
risk, we will see 10 million members of this generation fall victim to
Alzheimer's disease.
At times called the quiet epidemic, the great unlearning or the
long dying, year by year Alzheimer's disease strips away memory,
personality and independence, leaving its victims unable to handle the
most basic functions of daily living. For those who do not succumb to
pneumonia or other complications of Alzheimer's, there is the final act
of forgetting--when the brain forgets to breathe.
But make no mistake the effects of Alzheimer's extend well beyond
the human suffering and the physical and emotional strain it puts on
families. Indeed, despite all that is challenging America today,
Alzheimer's disease represents a grave threat to our Nation's social
and economic well-being.
This year, Medicare and Medicaid will spend more than $100 billion
to finance care for those struggling with Alzheimer's disease. Over the
next 40 years, those two programs alone will spend almost $20 trillion
on the care of Alzheimer patients.
Unless we find a way to prevent or slow its progression, by the
year 2050 the annual cost of this disease to Medicare and Medicaid
programs alone will be equal to one-tenth of our entire current
domestic economy.
Alzheimer's disease is so expensive because, in addition to its
direct costs, it greatly increases the use and costs of Medicare to
treat other serious medical conditions. Ninety-five percent of Medicare
beneficiaries with Alzheimer's disease have at least one co-morbid
condition. Tasks such as medication management become extremely
difficult and time-consuming. As a result, the health and long-term
care costs of treating these individuals is more than three times that
of a Medicare beneficiary without Alzheimer's disease.
bold action is needed now
Over the years this body has exercised its prerogative to channel
funds to the Nation's most pressing public health problems. Added funds
provided by this subcommittee led to cancer patients living longer,
with many beating the disease. Thanks to those investments, survival
rates have steadily improved for breast, prostate, colorectal and some
other types of cancer, so that today, the 5-year relative survival rate
is 66 percent across all cancers. According to the most recent
estimates, 10.8 million Americans with a history of cancer are alive
today. As a result of this subcommittee's strong and sustained
investment in cardiovascular disease research, death rates from heart
disease and stroke fell by 40 percent and 51 percent, respectively,
since 1975. And when challenged by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, this
subcommittee responded quickly and decisively--providing a research
investment that yielded vastly improved treatments and prevention
strategies and a two-thirds reduction in annual deaths.
Mr. Chairman, unlike cancer, cardiovascular disease and so many
other chronic conditions that have dramatically improved with
significant investments in research, there are no Alzheimer's disease
survivors. None. We cannot prevent, halt or reverse it. Every day some
of the 5 million who have it die of this fatal disease, only to be
replaced by even more who will progressively decline and die, as more
replace them. Indeed, the only way to avert this rapidly developing
social and economic catastrophe is if this subcommittee, once again,
leads the way.
Past investments in Alzheimer's research have helped bring us to a
point no one would have dreamed possible when this subcommittee first
called attention to this disease. Scientists now have a much clearer,
but still incomplete picture of the basic mechanisms of Alzheimer's;
epidemiological research is shedding light on new targets for
intervention that now must be tested in large-scale clinical trials.
And work is underway to help identify potential uses of imaging and
other surrogate markers to follow the progression of cognitive decline,
and to assess the effectiveness of drug interventions. But we still
have so much to accomplish.
Much of what we have learned came about because Congress invested
in Alzheimer research throughout the 1980s and 1990s. But even those
investments were not commensurate with the impact of the disease. The
evidence from cancer and cardiovascular disease illustrates the returns
that can be derived from additional investments in Alzheimer's research
now. As the mortality rates for cancer and heart disease decline,
Alzheimer's is still rising at a steady and rapid pace.
In fact, during the past 6 years we have seen a dramatic slowdown
in overall research investments, signaling a slowdown in advances to
come, but the effects on Alzheimer research are potentially greater as
the funding stalled at such a comparatively low level. Today, the
National Institutes of Health (NIH) devotes only $412 million a year
for research on Alzheimer's disease--far short of the $1 billion that
leading scientific minds estimate as the minimum required investment to
uncover ways to prevent, slow and more effectively treat this disease.
That $412 million is also considerably less than what is spent for
research on other major threats to society, such as cancer,
cardiovascular disease, and AIDS. All of these problems merit
significant investments, but Alzheimer's research is underfunded when
measured against the suffering inflicted by the disease or by the
potential cost savings in care that could be gained by investing in
research today--before it's too late.
What can the subcommittee do to help stop this serious threat to
America's future?
First and foremost, the Alzheimer's Association recommends that you
appropriate an additional $250 million this year and next to raise the
total NIH investment in Alzheimer's research up to $1 billion. These
added funds will be put to use in three crucial areas:
--Clinical Trials.--The funding of clinical trials and
epidemiological studies, particularly through the Alzheimer's
Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS) national research consortium
funded by the NIH, are identifying new targets for
interventions, including compounds that are already widely
available such as over-the-counter medications. Time is not on
our side. If we hope to forestall this looming crisis, large-
scale clinical trials must be undertaken soon and must be
launched simultaneously, not sequentially.
--Early Markers of Disease.--Earlier diagnosis is critical if we hope
to stop the disease before it ravages brain cells beyond
repair. Additional resources are sorely needed to fully fund
the next phase of a neuro-imaging initiative currently being
supported at the National Institute on Aging.
--Basic Science Research.--Science must find new answers and ask
better questions. While significant progress has been made,
scientists are still searching for definitive answers to
questions about the basic mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease.
Congress must maintain the pipeline of basic scientific
discovery to develop additional targets for treatment. At
current funding levels, work on promising avenues of research
is either delayed or never started. Young investigators--and
their fresh new ideas--are discouraged from entering this field
of study.
While research holds the answers, there are other steps we
recommend you take to help forestall or lessen the impact of
Alzheimer's.
expand the healthy brain initiative to $5 million
Four years ago, this subcommittee launched the first single-focused
effort on brain health promotion at the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC). As a result of the investment that has been made in
the Healthy Brain Initiative, the CDC, in partnership with the
Alzheimer's Association, has developed a public health roadmap for
maintaining cognitive health, implemented community education programs
targeting African-American baby boomers, and developed modules for
enhancing the surveillance system for cognitive decline.
The impetus for this program was the mounting scientific evidence
suggesting that brain health may be maintained by preventing or
controlling cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure,
high cholesterol and diabetes, and by engaging in regular physical
activity. In light of the dramatic aging of the population, scientific
advancements in risk behaviors, and the growing awareness of the
significant health, social and economic burdens associated with
cognitive decline, the Federal investment in a public health response
must be expanded. We recommend that this program be increased to $5
million to focus on the following activities:
--Healthy Brain Engagement Initiative.--The promising approaches that
have been identified through the community education programs
need to be expanded to additional locations and new target
audiences to impact attitudes and behaviors related to
cognitive health. Particularly, we must focus on other high-
risk and underserved populations, specifically the Hispanic/
Latino population.
--Tracking Cognitive Impairment as America Ages.--In order to
accelerate the availability of data to clarify the burden of
Alzheimer's, an enhanced surveillance system for cognitive
health is required. This can be achieved through implementation
of appropriate Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
(BRFSS) modules in as many States as possible. The development
and testing of BRFSS modules is currently underway and will be
available for use in 2010.
--Tools for Care Coordination in the Face of Cognitive Impairment.--
Cognitive health challenges--from mild cognitive decline to
dementia--can have profound implications on an individual's
ability to self-manage other coexisting conditions. In order to
effectively address this challenge, interventions that target
the coordination of care for those with cognitive impairment
and coexisting chronic diseases will be adapted or developed.
--Early Detection.--Early recognition of Alzheimer's, an accurate
diagnosis, and early intervention, including medication, can
significantly improve the quality of life and mental function
of people with the disease. Communications strategies that
provide information on the signs and symptoms of the disease
and options for maintaining brain health will be developed and
disseminated, targeting consumers and providers.
continue alzheimer's disease demonstration grants and the alzheimer's
contact center
The Administration on Aging (AoA) operates two Alzheimer-related
programs that warrant continuation. The first is a program of matching
grants to States for the development of innovative, community-based
services for Alzheimer patients and caregivers, especially hard-to-
reach and underserved populations. For this program, we recommend an
appropriation of $11.6 million.
In 2003, this subcommittee launched the Alzheimer's Contact Center,
a nationwide call-in program that provides families in crisis with
around-the-clock support and assistance. Services include access to
professional clinicians who provide decision-making support, crisis
assistance and referrals. In 2008, the center fielded more than 106,000
calls from families. The Alzheimer's Association recommends you
appropriate $1 million to continue this valuable service.
Each of the recommendations I have outlined fall within the purview
of this subcommittee. But I would also like to call your attention to a
report issued recently, called A National Alzheimer's Strategic Plan:
The Report of the Alzheimer's Study Group.
This landmark report was the culmination of nearly 2 years of work
by an independent task force of prominent national leaders. It was co-
chaired by former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and former U.S.
Senator Bob Kerrey, and included other distinguished individuals such
as former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and Drs. Harold
Varmus, David Satcher, and Mark McClellan. The Alzheimer's Study Group
also drew on the knowledge and expertise of more than 100 experts in
various facets of this disease.
Mr. Chairman, in a word, the Alzheimer's Study Group concluded that
to achieve a world without Alzheimer's disease we do not need to re-
invent the wheel; but we have to make it work more efficiently.
This report contains many important recommendations, including
developing the capability to prevent Alzheimer's disease in 90 percent
of individuals by 2020. But one that warrants special attention within
the context of this subcommittee's deliberations is the creation of an
outcomes-oriented, objective-driven Alzheimer's Solutions Project
Office within the Federal Government. With support from the president
and Congress, this effort would oversee a decade-long mission to
undertake a coordinated and sustained attack on Alzheimer's disease.
Mr. Chairman, thank you for your time and attention. Should you
have any questions or require additional information, please feel free
to call on me.
______

Prepared Statement of the Association of American Cancer Institutes
The Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI), representing
95 of the Nation's premier academic and free-standing cancer centers,
appreciates the opportunity to submit this statement for consideration
as the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related
Agencies subcommittee plans the fiscal year 2010 appropriations for the
National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Cancer Institute
(NCI).
AACI applauds recent budgetary commitments--notably, increased
funding for NIH and support from the Obama administration through the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009--that have created a
more encouraging landscape for cancer research compared to the last 5
years. While AACI understands and appreciates the budgetary constraints
currently facing our Nation, we also believe that advances in cancer
and biomedical research must remain a very high national priority.
Therefore, we hope that high levels of support will continue in the
years ahead, to ensure that this recognition of the importance of
biomedical research is sustained.
For fiscal year 2010, AACI joined its colleagues in the biomedical
research community in supporting the request in the President's initial
budget proposal for $6 billion in funding for cancer research in fiscal
year 2010, and his commitment to double funding for cancer research
over the next 5 years.
AACI also requests that total funding to NIH be increased by 10
percent, including a 20 percent increase for NCI and a 7 percent
increase for the other Institutes and Centers within NIH. The Nation's
investment in the NIH and NCI helps lead to scientific advances that
can save lives and improve the health of Americans. Early funding
increases helped speed the pace of cancer research, and this investment
can be leveraged significantly with a renewed commitment to strong,
sustained Federal funding of medical research and, in particular,
cancer research. AACI will work to ensure that Congress approves the
maximum possible appropriations for NIH and NCI.
the growing cancer burden
In 2008, there were approximately 1.44 million new cases of cancer
in the United States and approximately 565,650 deaths due to the
disease.\1\ About 150,090 new cancer cases were expected to be
diagnosed among African Americans in 2009, with about 63,360 expected
to die from the disease. In men, the death rate for all cancers
combined continued to be substantially higher among African Americans
than whites during 1975-2005. Similar trends were seen among women,
although the gap is much smaller.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Cancer Facts and Figures 2008. American Cancer Society; 2008.
(The publication of Cancer Facts & Figures 2009 has been delayed due to
the late release of the US final mortality data by the National Center
for Health Statistics.)
\2\ American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures for African
Americans 2009-2010. Atlanta: American Cancer Society, 2009.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Looking further into the future, the need for cancer care will
expand dramatically. From 2010 to 2030, the total projected cancer
incidence will increase by approximately 45 percent, from 1.6 million
in 2010 to 2.3 million in 2030. This increase is driven by cancer
diagnosed in older adults and minorities. A 67 percent increase in
cancer incidence is anticipated for older adults, compared with an 11
percent increase for younger adults. A 99 percent increase is
anticipated for minorities, compared with a 31 percent increase for
whites. From 2010 to 2030, the percentage of all cancers diagnosed in
older adults will increase from 61 percent to 70 percent, and the
percentage of all cancers diagnosed in minorities will increase from 21
percent to 28 percent.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ Smith et al., ``Future of Cancer Incidence in the United
States: Burdens Upon an Aging, Changing Nation'', J Clin Oncol 2009; 27
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The human toll of cancer is staggering, as is its financial toll;
the NCI reports that in 2006, $206.3 billion was spent on healthcare
costs for cancer alone. Additionally, NCI acknowledges that the burdens
of cancer--physical, emotional, and financial--are ``unfairly
shouldered by the poor, the elderly, and minority populations.'' The
number of cancer diagnoses will only continue to climb as our
population ages, with an estimated 18.2 million cancer survivors (those
undergoing treatment, as well as those who have completed treatment)
alive in 2020.
cancer research: benefiting all americans
Cancer research, conducted in academic laboratories across the
country saves money by reducing healthcare costs associated with the
disease, enhances the United States' global competitiveness, and has a
positive economic impact on localities that house a major research
center. While these aspects of cancer research are important, what
cannot be overstated is the impact cancer research has had on
individuals' lives--lives that have been lengthened and even saved by
virtue of discoveries made in cancer research laboratories at cancer
centers across the United States.
Though more than a half-million Americans will die this year from
the many diseases defined as cancer, progress is being made. Because of
continued progress made by the Nation's researchers, cancer death rates
have continued to decline; between 1991 and 2004, the death rates for
cancer in men and women declined 18.4 percent and 10.5 percent,
respectively.\4\ Similarly, death rates among African Americans for all
cancers combined have been decreasing since 1991 after increasing from
1975 to 1991. The decline was larger in men (2.5 percent per year since
1995) than in women (1.3 percent per year since 1997). Similar trends
were observed among whites from 1991-2005, with a greater reduction in
the rate among men than women.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ Cancer Statistics, 2008. CA: Cancer Journal for Clinicians
2008; 58(2): 71-96.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Biomedical research has provided Americans with better cancer
treatments, as well as enhanced cancer screening and prevention
efforts. Some of the most exciting breakthroughs in current cancer
research are those in the field of personalized medicine. In
personalized medicine for cancer, not only is the disease itself
considered when determining treatments, but so is the individual's
unique genetic code. This combination allows physicians to better
identify those at risk for cancer, detect the disease, and treat the
cancer in a targeted fashion that minimizes side effects and refines
treatment in a way to provide the maximum benefit to the patient.
In the laboratory setting, multi-disciplinary teams of scientists
are working together to understand the significance of the human genome
in cancer. For instance, the Cancer Genetic Markers of Susceptibility
initiative is comparing the DNA of men and women with breast or
prostate cancer with that of men and women without the diseases to
better understand the diseases. The Cancer Genome Atlas is in
development as a comprehensive catalog of genetic changes that occur in
cancer. Another initiative, the Childhood Cancer Therapeutically
Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments Initiative, is
identifying targets that can lead to better treatments for young people
with cancer.
These projects--along with the work being performed by dedicated
physicians and researchers at cancer centers across the United States
every day--have the potential to radically change the way cancer, as a
collection of diseases, affects the people who live with it every day.
Every discovery contributes to a future without cancer as we know it
today.
the nation's cancer centers
The nexus of cancer research in the United States is the Nation's
network of cancer centers that are represented by AACI. These cancer
centers conduct the highest-quality cancer research anywhere in the
world and provide exceptional patient care. The Nation's research
institutions, which house AACI's member cancer centers, receive an
estimated $3.17 billion \5\ from NCI to conduct cancer research; this
represents 66 percent of NCI's total budget. In fact, 85 percent of
NCI's budget supports research at nearly 650 universities, hospitals,
cancer centers, and other institutions in all 50 States. Because these
centers are networked nationally, opportunities for collaborations are
many--assuring wise and nonduplicative investment of scarce Federal
dollars.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ National Cancer Institute 2007 Fact Book. U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, U.S. National Institutes of Health, 2007.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In addition to conducting basic, clinical, and population research,
the cancer centers are largely responsible for training the cancer
workforce that will practice in the United States in the years to come.
Much of this training is dependent on Federal dollars, via training
grants and other funding from NCI. Sustained Federal support will
significantly enhance the centers' ability to continue to train the
next generation of cancer specialists--both researchers and providers
of cancer care.
By providing access to a wide array of expertise and programs
specializing in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer, cancer
centers play an important role in reducing the burden of cancer in
their communities. The majority of the clinical trials of new
interventions for cancer are carried out at the Nation's network of
cancer centers.
Beyond their healthcare and research roles, cancer centers are also
reliable engines of economic activity for the Nation as a whole, and
for the communities and regions that they serve. For every $1 spent on
biomedical research, a national average of $2.21 in economic benefit
results.\6\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ In Your Own Backyard: How NIH Funding Helps Your State's
Economy, Families USA, June 2008
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
ensuring the future of cancer care and research
Because of an aging population, an increasing number of cancer
survivors require ongoing monitoring and care from oncologists, and new
therapies that tend to be complex and often extend life.
Demand for oncology services is projected to increase 48 percent by
2020. However, the supply of oncologists expected to increase by only
20 percent and 54 percent of currently practicing oncologists will be
of retirement age within that timeframe. Also, alarmingly, there has
been essentially no growth over the past decade in the number of
medical residents electing to train on a path toward oncology as a
specialty.\7\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ Forecasting the Supply of and Demand for Oncologists: A Report
to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) from the AAMC
Center for Workforce Studies. American Society of Clinical Oncology,
2007.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cancer physicians--while essential--are only one part of the
oncology workforce that is in danger of being stretched to the breaking
point. The Health Resources and Services Administration predicted that
by 2020, more than 1 million nursing positions will go unfilled, and a
2002 survey by the Southern Regional Board of Education projected a 12
percent shortage of nurse educators by last year.\8\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ ONS: Ready to Collaborate with Other Policymakers to Ensure
Future of Quality Cancer Care, Oncology Times, August 25, 2007; (29):
8-9.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Without immediate action, these predicted shortages will prove
disastrous for the state of cancer care in the United States. The
discrepancy between supply and demand for oncologists will amount to a
shortage of 9.4 to 15.1 million visits, or a shortage of 2,550 to 4,080
oncologists. The Department of Health and Human Services projects that
today's 10-percent vacancy rate in registered nursing positions will
grow to 36 percent, representing more than 1 million unfilled jobs by
2020.
Greater Federal support for training oncology physicians, nurses,
and other professionals who treat cancer must be enacted to prevent a
disaster within our healthcare system when demand for oncology services
far outstrips the system's ability to provide adequate care for all.
americans support federal funding for research
The research community has long understood the obstacles that are
facing cancer research. Though the nuances of R01 grants and oncology
workforce training may not be well understood by the average American,
the people of the United States believe in supporting the disparate
activities that make up America's biomedical research infrastructure.
In a 2007 Research!America poll, 91 percent of those surveyed
believed it was somewhat or very important for policymakers to create
more incentives to encourage individuals to pursue careers as nurses,
while 89 percent believed the same for encouraging careers as
physicians. Forty-seven percent of those surveyed agreed that he United
States must increase investment in NIH to ensure our future health and
economic security, and 54 percent favored annual 6.7 percent increases
in funding for NIH in 2008, 2009, and 2010. An overwhelming majority--
70 percent--agreed that the United States is losing its global
competitive edge in science, technology, and innovation.
We encourage our Members of Congress to respond to the concerns of
the American people by enhancing support for biomedical research that
will lead to improved health for everyone in the United States and
around the world.
conclusion
These are exciting times in science and, particularly, in cancer
research. The AACI cancer center network is unrivaled in its pursuit of
excellence, and place the highest priority on affording all Americans
access to that care, including novel treatments and clinical trials. It
is through the power of collaborative innovation that we will
accelerate progress toward a future without cancer, and research
funding through the NIH and NCI is essential to achieving our goals.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) respectfully
submits this statement highlighting funding priorities for nursing
education and research programs in fiscal year 2010. AACN represents
more than 640 schools of nursing at public and private institutions
with baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs that include more than
270,000 students and 13,000 faculty members. These institutions educate
almost half of our Nation's Registered Nurses (RNs) and all of the
nurse faculty and researchers. Many of these nursing schools sponsor
intensive research programs and training activities that are funded by
the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR).
the nationwide nursing shortage
The United States is in the midst of a nursing shortage that has
expanded over the last decade. The current economic downturn has led to
a false impression that the nursing shortage is ``easing'' in some
parts of the country because hospitals are enacting hiring freezes and
nurses are choosing to delay retirement. However, this trend is only
temporary. More positions continue to open for RNs across the country,
and the shortage is projected to intensify as the baby-boomer
population ages and the need for healthcare grows. The U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics (BLS) recently reported that the healthcare sector of
the economy is continuing to expand, despite significant job losses in
nearly all other major industries. Hospitals, long-term care
facilities, and other ambulatory care settings added 27,000 new jobs in
February 2009, a month when 681,000 jobs were eliminated across the
country. As the largest segment of the healthcare workforce, RNs likely
will be recruited to fill many of these new positions. Moreover,
according to the latest projections from the BLS, more than 1 million
new and replacement nurses will be needed by 2016. Unless we act now,
this shortage will further jeopardize patient access to quality care.
Nursing and economic research clearly indicate that today's
shortage is far worse than those of the past. The current supply and
demand for nurses demonstrates two distinct challenges. First, due to
the present and looming demand for healthcare by American consumers,
the supply is not growing at a pace that will adequately meet long-term
needs, including the demand for primary care, which is often provided
by Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs). This is further
compounded by the number of nurses who will retire or leave the
profession in the near future, ultimately reducing the nursing
workforce. Second, the supply of nurses nationwide is stressed due to
an ongoing shortage of nurse faculty. The nurse faculty shortage
continues to inhibit nursing schools from educating the number of
nurses needed to meet the demand. According to AACN, 49,948 qualified
applicants were turned away from baccalaureate and graduate nursing
programs in 2008 primarily due to a lack of faculty. Of those potential
students, nearly 7,000 were students pursuing a master's or doctoral
degree in nursing, which is the education level required to teach.
nursing workforce development programs: a proven solution
For nearly five decades, the Nursing Workforce Development Programs
have supported hundreds of thousands of nurses and nursing students.
The title VIII programs award grants to nursing education programs, as
well as provide direct support to nurses and nursing students through
loans, scholarships, traineeships, and programmatic grants.
The Nursing Workforce Development Programs are effective and meet
their authorized mission. In a 2009 survey by AACN, 1,501 title VIII
student recipients reported that these programs played a critical role
in funding their nursing education. An overwhelming number of
respondents (92.7 percent), reported that title VIII paid for a portion
of their tuition and, of those students, approximately 11 percent
reported their tuition was paid in full. While millions of Americans
are struggling during this economic downturn and thousands of students
need to obtain student loans for their education, Federal support is
greatly appreciated and needed. The nursing students responding to this
study expressed overwhelming gratitude for the funding they receive
through title VIII. Nursing remains an attractive and rewarding career
with more than 135,000 current vacant positions, and according to the
BLS, more than 587,000 new nursing positions will be needed by 2016.
Providing support for title VIII is the key to filling these vacant
positions and, in turn, improving healthcare quality.
Over the last 45 years, Congress has used the title VIII
authorities as a mechanism to address nursing shortages. When the need
for nurses was great, higher funding levels were appropriated. During
the nursing shortage of the 1970s, Congress provided $160.61 million to
the title VIII programs in fiscal year 1973. Adjusting for inflation to
address the 36-year difference, the fiscal year 2009 funding level of
$171.03 million in 1973 dollars would be approximately $820 million
today (see Figure 1). More recently, slow rising funding levels between
fiscal year 2006 and fiscal year 2008 for title VIII, coupled with
inflation and rising educational costs, have greatly decreased the
purchasing power of these programs, resulting in a 43 percent decrease
in the number of nurses supported by the programs (see Figure 2).

AACN is delighted that President Obama has noted the need for
increased title VIII funding in his fiscal year 2010 budget proposal.
Therefore, AACN respectfully requests the subcommittee's support for
the President's proposal of $263.4 million for title VIII Nursing
Workforce Development Programs in fiscal year 2010, an additional $92
million more than the fiscal year 2009 level. New monies would expand
nursing education, recruitment, and retention efforts to help resolve
all aspects contributing to the shortage.
ninr: supporting health promotion and disease prevention
As the scientific and research nucleus for nursing science, the
NINR funds research that establishes the scientific basis for health
promotion, disease prevention, and high-quality nursing care services
to individuals, families, and populations. NINR is one of the 27
Institutes and Centers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Often working collaboratively with physicians and other researchers,
nurse scientists are vital in setting the national research agenda.
While medical research focuses on curing diseases, nursing research is
conducted to prevent disease. The four strategic areas of emphasis for
research at NINR are:
--Promoting health and preventing disease;
--Improving quality of life;
--Eliminating health disparities; and
--Setting directions for end-of-life research.
The science advanced at NINR is integral to the future of the
Nation's healthcare system. With a renewed national priority on
utilizing cost-effective treatment modalities and preventive
interventions, NINR has developed research programs in these areas:
Comparative Effectiveness Research.--Has been an NINR funding
priority for many years. Comparative effectiveness research
demonstrates how prevention strategies or interventions can impact
system-wide savings. At a time when healthcare consumers and reformers
are seeking quality care focused on prevention that is affordable and
accessible by all, comparative effectiveness research is a critical
area of inquiry.
Promoting Health and Preventing Disease.--Is vital considering that
more than 1.7 million Americans die each year from chronic diseases.
Nurse researchers focus on investigating wellness strategies to prevent
these chronic diseases. A healthcare system which promotes prevention
promises to be a major focus of health reform, and NINR is a leader in
funding scientific research to discover optimal prevention methods.
NINR's fiscal year 2009 funding level of $141.88 million is
approximately 0.47 percent of the overall $30.03 billion NIH budget
(see Figure 3). Spending for nursing research is a modest amount
relative to the allocations for other health science institutes and for
major disease category funding. For NINR to adequately continue and
further its mission, the Institute must receive additional funding.
Cuts in funding have impeded the Institute from supporting larger
comprehensive studies needed to advance nursing science and improve the
quality of patient care.

Therefore, AACN respectfully requests $178 million for NINR, an
additional $36.12 million more than the fiscal year 2009 level.
Considering that NINR presently allocates 7 percent of its budget to
training that helps develop the pool of nurse researchers, additional
funding would support NINR's efforts to prepare faculty researchers
needed to educate new nurses.
the capacity for nursing students and faculty program, section 804 of
the higher education opportunity act of 2008 (public law 110-315)
According to AACN (2009), the major barriers to increasing student
capacity in nursing schools are insufficient numbers of faculty,
admission seats, clinical sites, classroom space, clinical preceptors,
and budget constraints. The Capacity for Nursing Students and Faculty
Program, a recently passed section of the Higher Education Opportunity
Act of 2008, offers capitation grants (formula grants based on the
number of students enrolled/or matriculated) to nursing schools
allowing them to increase the number of students. AACN respectfully
requests $50 million for this program in fiscal year 2010.
conclusion
AACN acknowledges the fiscal challenges within which the
subcommittee and the entire Congress must work. However, the title VIII
authorities provide a dedicated, long-term vision for educating the new
nursing workforce and the next cadre of nurse faculty. NINR invests in
developing the scientific basis for quality nursing care. The Capacity
for Nursing Students and Faculty Program will allow schools to increase
student capacity. To be effective these programs must receive
additional funding. AACN respectfully requests $263.4 million for title
VIII programs, $178 million for NINR, and $50 million for the Capacity
for Nursing Students and Faculty Program in fiscal year 2010.
Additional funding for these programs will assist schools of nursing to
expand their educational and research programs, educate more nurse
faculty, increase the number of practicing RNs, and ultimately improve
the patient care provided in our healthcare system.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Association of Colleges of
Osteopathic Medicine
On behalf of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic
Medicine (AACOM), I am submitting this testimony in support of
increased funding in fiscal year 2010 for the title VII health
professions education programs, the National Health Service Corps
(NHSC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). AACOM represents the
administrations, faculty, and students of the Nation's 25 colleges of
osteopathic medicine and three branch campuses that offer the doctor of
osteopathic medicine degree. Today, more than 15,500 students are
enrolled in osteopathic medical schools. Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. medical
students is training to be an osteopathic physician, a ratio that is
expected to grow to 1 in 4 by 2019.
title vii
The health professions education programs, authorized under title
VII of the Public Health Service Act and administered through the
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), support the
training and education of health practitioners to enhance the supply,
diversity, and distribution of the healthcare workforce, filling the
gaps in the supply of health professionals not met by traditional
market forces. Title VII and title VIII nurse education programs are
the only Federal programs designed to train clinicians in
interdisciplinary settings to meet the needs of special and underserved
populations, as well as increase minority representation in the
healthcare workforce.
According to HRSA, an additional 30,000 health practitioners are
needed to alleviate existing health professional shortages. Combined
with faculty shortages across health professions disciplines, racial
and ethnic disparities in healthcare, and a growing, aging population,
these needs strain an already fragile healthcare system. AACOM
recommends $330 million in fiscal year 2010 for the title VII programs.
Investment in these programs, including the Training in Primary Care
Medicine and Dentistry Program, the Health Careers Opportunity Program,
and the Centers of Excellence, is necessary to address the primary care
workforce shortage. Such an investment will help sustain the health
workforce expansion supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act (ARRA) and restore funding to critical programs that suffered
drastic funding reductions in fiscal year 2006 and remain well below
fiscal year 2005 levels.
AACOM is pleased that President Obama requested considerable
increases in the following title VII programs: Training in Primary Care
Medicine and Dentistry ($56.4 million requested/16.5 percent increase);
Centers of Excellence ($24.6 million requested/19.4 percent increase);
and Health Careers Opportunity Program ($22.1 million requested/15.7
percent increase).
nhsc
Approximately 50 million Americans live in communities with a
shortage of health professionals, lacking adequate access to primary
care. Through scholarships and loan repayment, HRSA's NHSC supports the
recruitment and retention of primary care clinicians to practice in
underserved communities. The NHSC is comprised of more than 4,000
clinicians, with more than half working in community health centers.
Growth in HRSA's Health Center Program must be complemented with
increases in the recruitment and retention of primary care clinicians
to ensure adequate staffing. ARRA funding for the NHSC is vital in this
regard, and additional investment will be necessary to sustain the
progress once the ARRA funding period ends. AACOM recommends $235
million in fiscal year 2010 for NHSC, the amount authorized under the
Health Care Safety Net Amendments of 2002.
AACOM notes that President Obama requested significant increases
for NHSC field placement ($46 million requested/6 percent increase) and
recruitment ($123 million requested/29.5 percent increase).
nih
Research funded by the NIH leads to important medical discoveries
regarding the causes, treatments, and cures for common and rare
diseases as well as disease prevention. These efforts improve our
Nation's health and save lives. The NIH funding under the ARRA will
produce more high-quality research. To seize the momentum created by
the ARRA and maintain a robust research agenda, further investment will
be needed. AACOM recommends $33.35 billion in fiscal year 2010 for the
NIH.
In today's increasingly demanding and evolving medical curriculum,
there is a critical need for more research geared toward evidence-based
osteopathic medicine. AACOM believes that it is vitally important to
maintain and increase funding for biomedical and clinical research in a
variety of areas related to osteopathic principles and practice,
including osteopathic manipulative medicine and comparative
effectiveness. In this regard, AACOM encourages support for the NIH's
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) to
continue fulfilling this essential research role.
AACOM appreciates President Obama requesting increases for NIH ($31
billion requested/1.45 percent increase) and NCCAM ($127 million
requested/1.6 percent increase).
ahrq
AHRQ supports research to improve healthcare quality, reduce costs,
advance patient safety, decrease medical errors, and broaden access to
essential services. AHRQ plays an important role in producing the
evidence base needed to improve our Nation's health and healthcare. The
incremental increases for AHRQ's Effective Health Care Program in
recent years, as well as the funding provided to AHRQ in the ARRA, will
help AHRQ generate more comparative effectiveness research and expand
the infrastructure needed to increase capacity to produce this
evidence. More investment is needed, however, to fulfill AHRQ's mission
and broader research agenda. AACOM recommends $405 million in fiscal
year 2010 for AHRQ. This investment will preserve AHRQ's current
programs while helping to restore its critical healthcare safety,
quality, and efficiency initiatives.
AACOM greatly appreciates the support of the subcommittee for these
funding priorities in an ever increasing competitive environment and is
grateful for the opportunity to submit its views. AACOM looks forward
to continuing to work with the subcommittee on these important matters.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) and its
member colleges and schools of pharmacy appreciate the continued
support of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies. Our Nation's 111
accredited colleges and schools of pharmacy are engaged in a wide-range
of programs supported by grants and funding administered through the
agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the
Department of Education. We also understand the difficult task you face
annually in your deliberations to do the most good for the nation and
remain fiscally responsible to the same. AACP respectfully offers the
following recommendations for your consideration as you undertake your
deliberations.
department of health and human services supported programs at colleges
and schools of pharmacy
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
AACP supports the Friends of AHRQ recommendation of $405 million
for AHRQ programs in fiscal year 2010.
Pharmacy faculty are strong partners with AHRQ. Academic pharmacy
researchers are working to develop a sustainable health services
research effort among faculty with AHRQ grant support. As partners in
the AHRQ Effective Healthcare programs (CERTs, DeCIDE), pharmacy
faculty researchers improve the effectiveness of healthcare services.
Some of this research will take place through the development of
practice-based research networks focused on improving the medication
use process.
--Last fall, AHRQ expanded its Centers for Education and Research on
Therapeutics (CERTs) program by awarding $41.6 million over the
next 4 years for a new coordinating center, 10 research centers
and four new centers receiving first-time funding. The
University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy joins the
13 CERTs program centers in efforts to conduct research and
provide education that advances the optimal use of
therapeutics.
http://www.aacp.org/news/academicpharmnow/Documents/
MarApr%202008%20APN.pdf
--Pharmacy faculty researchers, supported by AHRQ grant HS016097,
determined that children who are prescribed medications related
to their diagnosis of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder
were not at increased risk for hospitalization for cardiac
events. The results of this research will be presented in a web
conference sponsored by AHRQ and APhA on May 1, 2009.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
AACP supports the CDC Coalition recommendation of $8.6 billion for
CDC core programs in fiscal year 2010.
The educational outcomes of a pharmacist's education include those
related to public health. When in community-based positions,
pharmacists are frequently providers of first contact. The opportunity
to identify potential public health threats through regular interaction
with patients provides public health agencies such as the CDC with on-
the-ground epidemiologists. Pharmacists support the public health
system through the risk identification of patients seeking medications
associated with preventing and treating travel-related illnesses.
Pharmacy faculty are engaged in CDC-supported research in areas such as
immunization delivery, integration of pharmacogenetics in the pharmacy
curriculum and inclusion of pharmacists in emergency preparedness.
Information from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) is
essential for faculty engaged in health services research and for the
professional education of the pharmacist.
--Grace Kuo, CDC-supported member of the faculty at the University of
California, San Diego, is engaged in research aimed at
improving the safety of medication use in primary care
settings.
--Jeanine Mount, CDC-supported member of the faculty at the
University of Wisconsin, is engaged in research to determine
how pharmacists can be better utilized in increase the
vaccination rates across our Nation.
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
AACP supports the Friends of HRSA recommendation of $8.5 billion.
HRSA is a Federal agency with a wide-range of policy and service
components. Faculty at colleges and schools of pharmacy are integral to
the success of many of these. Colleges and schools of pharmacy are the
administrative units for interprofessional and community-based linkages
programs including geriatric education centers and area health
education centers. Pharmacy faculty are supported in their research
efforts regarding rural health issues through the Office of Rural
Health Policy. Pharmacy students benefit from diversity program funding
including Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students.
office of pharmacy affairs (opa)
AACP recommends a program funding of $5 million for fiscal year
2010 for OPA.
AACP member institutions are actively engaged in OPA efforts to
improve the quality of care for patients in federally qualified health
centers and entities eligible to participate in the 340B drug discount
program. The success of the HRSA Patient Safety and Clinical Pharmacy
Collaborative is a direct result of past OPA actions linking colleges
and schools of pharmacy with federally qualified health centers
(www.hrsa.gov/patientsafety). The result of these links has been the
establishment of medical homes that improve health outcomes for
underserved and disadvantaged patients through the integration of
clinical pharmacy services. The Office of Pharmacy Affairs would
benefit from a direct line-item appropriation so that public-private
partnerships aimed at improving the quality of care provided at
federally qualified health centers can be sustained and expanded.
poison control centers
Colleges and schools of pharmacy are supported by HRSA grant
funding for the operation of 9 of the 42 poison control centers
administered by HRSA.
--Jill E. Michels, faculty member from the University of South
Carolina--South Carolina College of Pharmacy (USC), and the
Palmetto Poison Center (PPC) were awarded a $310,000 grant from
HRSA. The PPC is housed at the College of Pharmacy and serves
all 46 counties in South Carolina receiving more than 37,000
calls per year for information and advice. A recent USC study
found that for every $1 spent on the Palmetto Poison Center,
more than $7 was saved in unnecessary healthcare costs,
including emergency room and physician visits, ambulance
services, and unnecessary medical treatments. http://
poison.sc.edu/about.html
bureau of health professions (bhpr)
AACP supports the Health Professions and Nursing Education
Coalition (HPNEC) recommendation of $550 million for title VII and VIII
programs in fiscal year 2010.
AACP member institutions are active participants in BHPr programs.
Two colleges of pharmacy are current grantees in the Centers of
Excellence program (Xavier University--Louisiana and the University of
Montana) which focuses on increasing the number of underserved
individuals attending health professions institutions. Colleges and
schools of pharmacy are also part of title VII interprofessional and
community-based linkages programs including Geriatric Education Centers
and Area Health Education Centers. These programs are essential for
creating the educational approaches that align with the Institute of
Medicine's recommendations for improving quality through team-based,
patient-centered care.
office of telehealth advancement
Technology is an important component for improving healthcare
quality and maintaining or increasing access to care. Colleges and
schools of pharmacy utilize technology to increase the reach of
education to aspiring and current professionals.
--Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences--Worcester
Campus Distance Learning Initiative--Phase II.--Grant support
for this program will allow the expansion of health profession
education programs throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
http://hrsa.gov/telehealth/granteedirectory/overview_ma.htm
--North Dakota State University College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and
Allied Sciences uses grant funding to maintain access to
pharmacy services in rural, underserved areas of North Dakota.
This program helps more than 40,000 rural citizens maintain
access to pharmacy services and also supports rural hospital
pharmacies. http://hrsa.gov/telehealth/granteedirectory/
overview_nd.htm
food and drug administration (fda)
AACP recommends a funding level of $3 billion for FDA programs in
fiscal year 2010.
Academic pharmacy is working with the FDA to fulfill its strategic
goals and the responsibilities assigned to the agency through the Food
and Drug Administration Amendments Act. The FDA sees the colleges and
schools of pharmacy as essential partners in assuring the public has
access to a healthcare professional well versed in the science of
safety.
--Carole L. Kimberlin, a professor, and Almut G. Winterstein, an
assistant professor at the University of Florida College of
Pharmacy Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy,
received a 1-year $184,229 award from the FDA to conduct an
evaluation of Consumer Medication Information leaflets on
selected prescription medications from community pharmacies
throughout the United States.
--Thomas C. Dowling's research, ``Evaluation of Biopharmaceutics
Classification System Class 3 Drugs for Possible Biowaivers,''
is supported by an FDA grant.
--The FDA-supported National Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology
and Education is funding research at the University of
Connecticut focused on the development of freeze-dried
products.
national institutes of health (nih)
AACP supports the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research recommendation
of $32.4 billion for fiscal year 2010.
Pharmacy faculty are supported in their research by nearly every
Institute at the NIH. The NIH-supported research at AACP member
institutions spans theresearch spectrum from the creation of new
knowledge through the translation of that new knowledge to providers
and patients. In 2008, pharmacy faculty researchers received more than
$260 million in grant support from the NIH.
--Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of
pharmacy have received a $1.7 million 5-year Federal grant to
develop a new approach to treat brain tumors. The novel
approach stabilizes the drug and provides better control of the
time and location of its activity, thereby reducing its side
effects.
--University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) received $10.6 million
from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) to
research nanomedicine, drug delivery, therapeutics, and
diagnostics. UNMC researcher, Dr. Alexander V. Kabanov, is the
principal investigator on the $10.6 million COBRE (Centers for
Biomedical Research Excellence) grant, which will be awarded by
the NIH/NCRR over the next 5 years.
--Dr. Maria Croyle, associate professor of pharmaceutics at The
University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy, has received
$2.6 million from NIH to develop a vaccine against Ebola virus
infection.
--As part of NIH funding for the new NIH Roadmap Epigenomics Program,
Dr. Rihe Liu, associate professor at the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill Eshelman School of Pharmacy, received a
technology development grant to support the advancement of
innovative technologies that have the potential to transform
the way that epigenomics research can be performed in the
future.
--A project funded by the National Institute of General Medical
Sciences takes computer-aided drug design to the next level
with the help of a University of Michigan College of Pharmacy
professor.
--Fourteen additional universities were awarded the Clinical and
Translational Science Award in May 2008. Five colleges of
pharmacy are included in this group and will play significant
collaborative roles with the new consortium members as the NIH
provides $533 million over 5 years to help enable researchers
to provide new treatments more efficiently and effectively to
patients.
--Dr. Laurence H. Hurley, professor of pharmaceutical sciences at The
University of Arizona College of Pharmacy, is 1 of 38
scientists to receive the 2009 NIH EUREKA grant.
department of education supported programs at colleges and schools of
pharmacy
AACP supports the recommendation of the Student Aid Alliance that
the:
--Perkins Loan Program Federal Capital Contribution should be
increased to the newly reauthorized level of $300 million and
loan cancellations should be increased to $125 million.
--Pell Grant maximum be increased to $5,500.
--Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs
(GEAR UP) should be increased to the authorized level of $400
million.
--Graduate level programs should be increased to $77 million.
AACP recommends a funding level of $140 million for the Fund for
the Improvement of Post Secondary Education (FIPSE).
The Department of Education supports the education of healthcare
professionals by:
--assuring access to education through student financial aid
programs;
--supporting educational research allows faculty to determine
improvements in educational approaches; and
--maintaining the quality of higher education through the approval of
accrediting agencies.
AACP actively supports increased funding for undergraduate student
financial assistance programs. Admission to into the pharmacy
professional degree program requires at least 2 years of undergraduate
preparation. Student financial assistance programs are essential to
assuring colleges and schools of pharmacy are accessible to qualified
students. Likewise, financial assistance programs that support graduate
education are an important component of creating the next generation of
scientists and educators that both our Nation and higher education
depend on.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Association for Cancer Research
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) recognizes and
expresses its thanks to the United States Congress for its longstanding
support and commitment to funding cancer research. The recent large-
scale investment in research through the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and the fiscal year 2009 budget will support
current projects and provide for new efforts in the fight against
cancer. These new efforts promise to yield innovative and potentially
breakthrough approaches to understanding, preventing, treating, and
ultimately curing cancer. The full potential, however, will not be
fully realized in a short 1- or 2-year period. Sustained, stable
funding through regular appropriations will be necessary to allow
researchers to make the key investments that will leverage the ARRA
funds so that they both create jobs today and save lives tomorrow.
Unquestionably, the Nation's investment in cancer research is
having a remarkable impact. Cancer deaths in the United States have
declined in recent years. This progress occurred in spite of an aging
population and the fact that more than three-quarters of all cancers
are diagnosed in individuals aged 55 and older. Yet this good news will
not continue without stable and sustained Federal funding for critical
cancer research priorities.
AACR urges the United States House of Representatives to support
President Obama's vision for doubling cancer research funding over the
next 5 years and strongly support other biomedical research funding at
the National Institutes of Health (NIH). AACR supports the $6 billion
for cancer research highlighted in the President's fiscal year 2010
budget outline, which would be best allocated to the National Cancer
Institute (NCI). The AACR also supports the biomedical community's
recommendation of a 7 percent increase for the NIH, which, when
combined with President Obama's vision for cancer research, would fund
NIH at a level of $33.3 billion in fiscal year 2010.
aacr: fostering a century of research progress
The American Association for Cancer Research has been moving cancer
research forward since its founding in 1907. Celebrating its 100th
annual meeting, the AACR and its more than 28,000 members worldwide
strive tirelessly to carry out its important mission to prevent and
cure cancer through research, education, and communication. It does so
by:
--fostering research in cancer and related biomedical science;
--accelerating the dissemination of new research findings among
scientists and others dedicated to the conquest of cancer;
--promoting science education and training; and
--advancing the understanding of cancer etiology, prevention,
diagnosis, and treatment throughout the world.
facing an impending cancer ``tsunami''
Over the past 100 years, enormous progress has been made toward the
conquest of the Nation's second most lethal disease (after heart
disease). Thanks to discoveries and developments in prevention, early
detection, and more effective treatments, many of the more than 200
diseases called cancer have been cured or converted into manageable
chronic conditions while preserving quality of life. The 5-year
survival rate for all cancers has improved over the past 30 years to
more than 65 percent. The completion of the doubling of the NIH budget
in 2003 is bearing fruit as many new and promising discoveries are
unearthed and their potential realized. However, there is much left to
be done, especially for the most lethal and rarer forms of the disease.
We recognize that the underlying causes of the disease and its
incidence have not been significantly altered. The fact remains that
men have a 1 in 2 lifetime risk of developing cancer, while women have
a 1 in 3 lifetime risk. The leading cancer sites in men are the
prostate, lung and bronchus, and colon and rectum. For women, the
leading cancer sites are breast, lung and bronchus, and colon and
rectum. And cancer still accounts for 1 in 4 deaths, with more than
half a million people expected to die from their cancer in 2009. Age is
a major risk factor--this Nation faces a virtual ``cancer tsunami'' as
the baby boomer generation reaches age 65 in 2011. A renewed commitment
to progress in cancer research through leadership and resources will be
essential to avoid this cancer crisis.
blueprint for progress: nci's strategic objectives
Basic, translational, and clinical cancer research in this country
is conducted primarily through three venues--Government, academia and
the nonprofit sector, and the pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry.
The Congress provides the appropriations for the National Institutes of
Health and the NCI through which most of the Government's research on
cancer is conducted. The NCI has developed documents and processes that
describe and guide its priorities--established with extensive community
input--for the use of these finite resources. ``The NCI Strategic Plan
for Leading the Nation'' and ``The Nation's Investment in Cancer
Research: An Annual Plan and Budget Proposal fiscal year 2010'' are the
recognized professional blueprints for what needs to be done to
accelerate progress against cancer.
AACR and many in the cancer research community concur that if the
NCI receives the increased investment of $2.1 billion as proposed for
fiscal year 2010, the Director's proposed budget will enable the NCI to
rebuild America's research infrastructure capacity and accelerate
research progress in critical priority areas.
federal investment for local benefit
More than half of the NCI budget is allocated to research project
grants that are awarded to outside scientists who work at local
hospitals and universities throughout the country. More than 6,500
research grants are funded at more than 150 cancer centers and
specialized research facilities located in 49 States. More than half
the States receive more than $15 million in grants and contracts to
institutions located within their borders. This Federal investment
provides needed economic stimulus to local economies: on average, each
dollar of NIH funding generated more than twice as much in State
economic output in fiscal year 2007. Many AACR member scientists across
the Nation are engaged in this rewarding work, and many have had their
long-term research jeopardized by grant reductions caused by the flat
and declining overall funding for the NCI since 2003. The recent
increase in fiscal year 2009 appropriations and the funds from the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will help to revitalize
America's research infrastructure; however, sustained and stable
funding is critical to reap the benefits of this investment. Thus, the
AACR supports the request in the President's budget proposal for $6
billion in funding for cancer research in fiscal year 2010 and his
commitment to double funding for cancer research over the next 5 years
and, thus, recommends a 20 percent increase in funding for the NCI to
enable it to continue and expand its important work.
understanding the causes and mechanisms of cancer
Basic research into the causes and mechanisms of cancer is at the
heart of what the NCI and many of AACR's member scientists do. The
focus of this research includes: investigating the underlying basis of
the full spectrum of genetic susceptibility to cancer; identifying the
influence of the macroenvironment (tumor level) and microenvironment
(tissue level) on cancer initiation and progression; understanding the
behavioral, environmental, genetic, and epigenetic causes of cancer and
their interactions; developing and applying emerging technologies to
expand our knowledge of risk factors and biologic mechanisms of cancer;
and elucidating the relationship between cancer and other human
diseases.
Basic research is the engine that drives scientific progress. The
outcomes from this fundamental basic research--including laboratory and
animal research in addition to population studies and the deployment of
state-of-the-art technologies--will inform and drive the cancer
research enterprise in ways and directions that will lead to
unparalleled progress in the search for cures.
developing effective and efficient treatments
The future of cancer care is all about developing individualized
therapies tailored to the specific characteristics of a patient's
cancer. The NCI research in this area concentrates on: identifying the
determinants of metastatic behavior; validating cancer biomarkers for
prognosis, metastasis, treatment response, and progression;
accelerating the identification and validation of potential cancer
molecular targets; minimizing the toxicities of cancer therapy; and
integrating the clinical trial infrastructure for speed and efficiency.
The completion of the Human Genome Project has opened the door to the
promise of personalized medicine.
training and career development for the next generation of researchers
Of critical importance to the viability of the long-term cancer
research enterprise is supporting, fostering, and mentoring the next
generation of investigators. The NCI historically devotes approximately
4 percent of its budget to multiple strategies to training and career
development, including sponsored traineeships, a Medical Scientist
Training Program, special set-aside grant programs and bridge grants
for early career cancer investigators. Increased funding for these
foundational opportunities is essential to retain the scientific
workforce that is needed to continue the fight against cancer.
aacr's initiatives augment support for the nci
The NCI is not working alone or in isolation in any of these key
areas. NCI research scientists reach out to other organizations to
further their work. The AACR is engaged in scores of initiatives that
strengthen, support, and facilitate the work of the NCI. Just a few of
AACR's contributions include:
--sponsoring the largest meeting of cancer researchers in the world,
with more than 14,000 scientists, where 6,000 scientific
abstracts featuring the latest basic, translational, and
clinical scientific advances are presented;
--publishing more than 3,400 original research articles each year in
six prestigious peer-reviewed scientific journals, including
cancer research, the most frequently cited cancer journal;
--sponsoring the annual International Conference on Frontiers of
Cancer Prevention Research, the largest such prevention meeting
of its kind in the world;
--supporting the work of its Chemistry in Cancer Research Working
Group;
--convening an AACR-FDA-NCI Think Tank on Clinical Biomarkers;
--hosting, with NCI, the Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics
Conference;
--sponsoring and supporting a Minorities in Cancer Research Council
and a Women in Cancer Research Council;
--Conducting the scientific review and grants administration for the
more than $100 million donated to Stand Up To Cancer;
--raising and distributing more than $5 million in awards and
research grants.
stable, sustained increases in research funding
Remarkable progress is being made in cancer research, but much more
remains to be done. Cancer costs the Nation more than $219 billion in
direct medical costs and lost productivity due to illness and premature
death. Respected University of Chicago economists Kevin Murphy and
Robert Topel have estimated that even a modest one percent reduction in
mortality from cancer would be worth nearly $500 billion in social
value. Investments in cancer research stimulate the local economy today
have huge potential returns in the future. Thanks to successful past
investments, promising research opportunities abound and must not be
lost. To maintain our research momentum, the AACR urges the United
States House of Representatives to support a budget of $33.3 billion
for the NIH, including $6 billion for the NCI.
______

Letter From the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
April 30, 2009.
Hon. Tom Harkin,
Chairman, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and
Education, and Related Agencies, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Harkin: I want to extend my appreciation to you and
your colleagues in Congress for your support of Federal education
programs. Your commitment makes a significant difference for the
education of our millions of PK-12 and postsecondary students.
As you and your colleagues begin the fiscal year 2010
appropriations process, the American Association of Colleges for
Teacher Education (AACTE) urges you to increase the Federal
Government's investment in the preparation of professional educators.
While there are significant funds behind title II of the No Child Left
Behind Act in the Improving Teacher Quality State Grants, the vast
majority of these funds, and other funds in title II, go towards class
size reduction and the professional development of practicing teachers.
Equally important, though, is the initial preparation of teachers and
other school personnel. And, in this respect, the Federal Government's
investment, until very recently, has declined over the years. As this
Nation is in the midst of teacher retention and shortage crises, it is
critical that the Government responds with a plan that provides for
systemic change.
There are several programs within the Department of Education
intended to strengthen and improve educator recruitment and preparation
efforts. We are working with program authorizers in Congress and staff
within the agencies to ensure that these programs work in concert with
each other. However, one of the key factors that prevents these
programs from becoming levers for systemic change is their consistent
underfunding. The cost of preparing school personnel is significant.
The primary Federal program in this area is the Teacher Quality
Partnership (TQP) Grants (title II, Higher Education Opportunity Act).
During the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act we supported
several changes to title II of the bill that have resulted in a much
stronger TQP program. Under this program, these grants go to
partnerships of institutions of higher education, high-need local
educational agencies, and high-need K-12 schools to prepare teachers
and other school personnel to effectively serve in the schools. The
grants are particularly focused on strengthening the clinical component
of preparation programs--research has shown that preservice clinical
experiences are essential to preparing effective teachers and to
teacher retention.
Grants can be used to strengthen prebaccalaureate preparation
programs and/or to develop 1-year master's degree level teaching
residency programs. In exchange for receiving a living stipend during
the residency, teachers would commit to teaching for at least 3 years
in a shortage field in a high-need school. The residency programs are
targeted to recruiting career-changers and recent college graduates. In
these times of rising unemployment, these programs are ideal for those
who have been laid off and are seeking a stable and rewarding new
career. President Obama wrote the legislation for the teaching
residency programs when he was a Senator on the HELP Committee. During
his Presidential campaign and since his election he has stated that he
wants to prepare 30,000 new educators through the residency programs.
In order to meet that goal, and to provide sufficient support to
the partnerships that carry out TQP Grants, we ask that you fund the
TQP program at the $150 million level in fiscal year 2010. The TQP
program received $50 million in fiscal year 2009, and $100 million in
the stimulus package. This is a significant boost to the program which
was funded in fiscal year 2008 at $33 million. The $150 million in
fiscal year 2010 appropriations will maintain the current level of
funding when the stimulus funding concludes.
Below you will find AACTE's recommendations for funding additional
programs in fiscal year 2010.
--Fund Teachers for a Competitive Tomorrow at the $60 Million
Level.--This program was authorized in the America Competes
Act, and it is currently funded at $2.18 million. This program
and the TQP program are the only two Federal education program
directed targeted to higher-education-based educator
preparation programs. With the teacher shortage and retention
crisis acutely felt in the math and science teaching fields,
this program is a crucial piece of the response to ameliorate
the teacher shortage challenges. This competitive grant program
helps higher education institutions build baccalaureate and
master's degree programs that allow students to major in STEM
fields while working toward teacher certification.
--Fund the Transition to Teaching program at the $60 Million Level.--
This program, authorized in title II of the No Child Left
Behind Act at the $150 million level and currently funded at
$43.7 million, supports the development of teacher preparation
programs suited for career-changers and others who enter
teaching through nontraditional routes. Higher education
institutions and other entities have used funds from this
program to develop innovative preparation programs that
accommodate the needs of a diverse educator candidate pool
while ensuring that candidates are prepared to teach in today's
K-12 classrooms.
--Fund the Troops-to-Teachers program at the $25 Million Level.--Like
Transition to Teaching, this program aims to attract teachers
from another profession into the classroom. Troops-to-Teachers
has been very successful at recruiting retired military into
the teaching profession. By funding the program at $25 million,
this would almost double the Government's investment in the
program (currently at $14.4 million) during a time in which
there is higher military interest in entering the K-12 teaching
ranks.
--Fund the IDEA Personnel Preparation Program at the $120 Million
Level.--Currently funded at $90.65 million, this program
provides essential funds to prepare and develop special
educators. Special education teachers, much like math and
science teachers, are in high demand in the K-12 schools with
the shortage being significant. With the wide breadth and
increasing number of special need students there needs to be an
adequate supply of teachers who can work with them to ensure
student learning.
--Fund the Centers for Excellence Program at the $20 Million Level.--
This new program was authorized in title II of the Higher
Education Opportunity Act and is currently unfunded. Grants
would support the strengthening of educator preparation
programs at institutions that serve historically under-
represented populations.
--Fund the Teach to Reach Grant Program at the $15 Million Level.--
This new program was authorized in title II of the Higher
Education Opportunity Act and is currently unfunded.
Institutions of higher education would use grants to ensure
that all of their teacher candidates were prepared to teach
children with disabilities. Almost every K-12 classroom has
students with learning, intellectual, and/or physical
disabilities. It is critical that every teacher is prepared
with instructional skills that will assure that every child has
the opportunity to learn.
--Fund the Graduate Fellowships To Prepare Faculty at Colleges of
Education Program at the $15 Million Level.--This new program
was authorized in title II of the Higher Education Opportunity
Act and is currently unfunded. The current shortage of K-12
teachers in the math, science, special education, and English
language learners fields is directly correlated with the
shortage of faculty at institutions of higher education who
prepare teachers in these fields. This program would support
doctoral students who intend to become faculty who prepare
teachers in these shortage areas.
The AACTE is a national voluntary association of higher education
institutions and other organizations and is dedicated to ensuring the
highest-quality preparation and continuing professional development for
teachers and school leaders. Our overarching mission is to enhance PK-
12 student learning. Collectively, the AACTE membership prepares more
than two-thirds of the new teachers entering schools each year in the
United States.
Thank you for your consideration of the perspective of AACTE and
its membership of close to 800 private, State, and municipal colleges
and universities--large and small--located in every State, the District
of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam.
Sincerely,
Sharon P. Robinson, Ed.D.,
President and CEO.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Association for Dental Research
The American Association for Dental Research (AADR) is a nonprofit
organization with more than 4,000 individual members and 100
institutional members within the United States. The AADR's mission is
to advance research and increase knowledge for the improvement of oral
health for all Americans.
The AADR thanks the subcommittee for this opportunity to testify
about the exciting advances in oral health science. Americans are
living better and healthier lives into old age due to recent advances
in healthcare, including dental care and oral health research, thanks
to the efforts of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial
Research (NIDCR). NIDCR was formed in 1948 by the National Institutes
of Health (NIH). Its staff has conducted research, trained researchers,
and disseminated health information to improve the health of Americans
and make it possible for them to live longer and healthier lives.
On February 17 of this year, President Barack Obama signed into law
the $787 billion stimulus package known as the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This legislation will provide NIH with $8.2
billion to conduct additional scientific research. AADR members,
researchers across the country, would like to thank the committee for
its past support and in particular for the funds contained in the
stimulus package. The past investment in NIH has paid a dividend to
taxpayers in the form of improved oral health.
health disparities
One very challenging issue we face in this country is health
disparities. We must learn more about the causes of cultural inequality
among individual members of society if we are to conduct more effective
research.
The NIDCR's mission is to train and engage as many young
investigators as possible in oral health disparities research to
develop various methods of research to eliminate these disparities.
They hope that this will improve the oral, dental, and craniofacial
health of diverse populations.
Health disparities are the persistent gaps between the health
status of minorities and nonminorities in the United States. Despite
continued advances in healthcare and technology, racial and ethnic
minorities continue to have higher rates of disease, disabilities, and
premature death than nonminorities. African Americans, Hispanics/
Latinos, American Indians and Alaska natives, Asian Americans, Native
Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders have higher rates of infant mortality,
cardiovascular disease, diabetes, AIDS, and cancer, and lower rates of
immunizations and cancer screening.
There is debate about what causes health disparities between ethnic
and racial groups. However, it is generally accepted that disparities
can result from three main areas:
--from the personal, socioeconomic, and environmental characteristics
of different ethnic and racial groups;
--from the barriers certain racial and ethnic groups encounter when
trying to enter into the healthcare delivery system; and
--from the quality of healthcare different ethnic and racial groups
receive.
These are all considered possible causes for disparities between
racial and ethnic groups. However, most attention on the issue has been
given to the health outcomes that result from differences in access to
medical care among groups and the quality of care that various groups
receive. Since many scientific discoveries do not reach all people,
there are disparities in the health and healthcare among various groups
in the United States. Even though data on racial and ethnic disparities
are relatively widely available, data on socioeconomic healthcare
disparities are collected less often.
The Health Disparities Research Program responds to the growing
awareness that, despite improvements in some oral health status
indicators, the burden of disease is not evenly distributed across all
segments of our society. The program supports research that explores
the multiple and complex factors that may determine oral and
craniofacial health, diseases, and conditions in disadvantaged and
underserved populations. Funds go to a wide variety of different
scientific approaches designed to reduce and eventually eliminate oral
and craniofacial diseases and conditions in disadvantaged and
underserved populations. The program supports both qualitative and
quantitative approaches.
The NIDCR will support interventional research that will have a
meaningful impact on caries, oral and pharyngeal cancer, and
periodontal disease, and that will influence clinical practice, health
policy, community and individual action, ultimately eliminating
disparities in vulnerable people. NIDCR will also fund health
disparities interventional research beyond that conducted through the
Centers for Research to Reduce Disparities in Oral Health program.
salivary diagnostics
For many oral and systemic diseases, early detection offers the
best hope for successful treatment. Oral and systemic diseases can be
difficult to diagnose, involving complex clinical evaluation and/or
blood and urine tests that are labor-intensive, expensive, and
invasive. Now, after many years of research, saliva is poised to be
used as a noninvasive diagnostic fluid for a number of oral and
systemic conditions. Saliva, a protective fluid of the oral cavity,
combats bacteria and viruses that enter the mouth and serves as a first
line of defense in oral and systemic diseases. It contains many
compounds indicating a person's overall health and disease status, and,
like blood or urine, its composition may be affected by a disease--
therefore, saliva is a mirror of the body. Since saliva is easy to
collect, it is a good alternative to using blood or urine for
diagnostic tests.
The year 2008 was exciting in the incremental development of
salivary diagnostics. A consortium of NIDCR-supported scientists
completed the first catalogue of the human salivary proteome, or the
full set of 1,166 proteins present in saliva. This will help facilitate
the future testing of saliva as a standard body fluid to detect early
signs of disease. A team of NIDCR grantees also assembled the first
panel of salivary protein biomarkers to detect oral squamous cell
carcinoma (OSCC). This is the most common form of the oral cancers.
Salivary diagnostic techniques have already been developed for and
are being used to detect HIV. Saliva could be used as a potential
monitor of disease progression in systemic disorders, including
Alzheimer's disease, cystic fibrosis, and diabetes. Specific protein
markers in human saliva are being investigated that can be identified
and quantified to provide an early, noninvasive diagnosis for even
cancers distant from the oral cavity, such as pancreatic and breast
cancer. Getting a diagnosis used to entail making a trip to the
doctor's office. The doctor's examination often required the patient
providing a blood and/or urine sample. Even though getting a diagnosis
still requires a trip to the doctor's office, scientists are now
identifying the genes and proteins that are expressed in the salivary
glands that will help define the patterns and certain conditions under
which these genes and proteins are expressed in the salivary glands.
Building on this research, saliva will become a more commonly used
diagnostic fluid.
oral cancer
Oral cancer affects 38,000 Americans each year and 350,000 people
worldwide. The death rate associated with this cancer is especially
high, due to delayed diagnosis. Oral cancer is any cancerous tissue
growth located in the mouth. About two-thirds of oral cancers occur in
the mouth, and about one-third are found in the pharynx. On average,
only 60 percent of people with the disease will survive more than 5
years. However, here again, disparities play a role, and only 35
percent of black men will survive 5 years. Oral cancer occurs most in
people over the age of 40 and affects more than twice as many men as
women. Researchers are developing a Point of Care diagnostic system
(real-time) for rapid on-site detection of saliva-based tumor markers.
Early detection of oral cancer will increase survival rates, improve
the quality of life of cancer patients, and result in a significant
reduction in healthcare costs.
Oral cancer forms in tissues of the lip or mouth. In 2008,
approximately 22,900 new cases of oral cancer occurred in the United
States. Oral cancer claimed roughly 5,390 deaths that year. It
represents approximately 3 percent of all cancers. This, however,
translates to 30,000 new cases every year in the United States. More
than 34,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer
this year. It will cause more than 8,000 deaths, killing roughly 1
person per hour, 24 hours per day. Of those 34,000 newly diagnosed
individuals, only half will be alive in 5 years. The death rate for
oral cancer is higher than that of cancers such as cervical cancer,
laryngeal cancer, thyroid cancer, or skin cancer. Worldwide, the
problem is much greater, with more than 400,000 new cases being found
each year.
Survival rates can be calculated by different methods for different
purposes. If oral cancer is caught when the disease has not spread
beyond the original tumor site, the 5-year relative survival rate is 82
percent. However, half of oral cancers are not diagnosed until the
cancer has spread to nearby tissues. At this stage, the 5-year relative
survival rate drops to 53 percent. Those diagnosed when the cancer has
spread further, to distant organs, have only a 28 percent 5-year
relative survival rate. It's important to detect oral cancer early,
when it can be treated more successfully. Typically, the earlier cancer
is detected and diagnosed, the more successful the treatment, thus
enhancing the survival rate.
conclusion
There are many research opportunities with an immediate impact on
patient care that need to be pursued. A consistent and reliable funding
stream for NIH overall, and for NIDCR in particular, is essential for
continued improvement in the oral health of Americans. Oral cancer is
one of the most expensive cancers to treat--the average cost for
treating an advanced case is $200,000. Overcoming cancer health
disparities is one of the best opportunities we have for lessening the
burden of cancer. But the burden of cancer is too often greater for the
poor, for ethnic minorities, and for the uninsured than for the general
population.
A great amount of promising research is under way, and the
potential to improve oral health specifically, and overall health in
general, is significant. Therefore, we are requesting that NIDCR
receive a fiscal year 2010 appropriation of $442 million, not including
the ARRA funding, to help sustain and build upon the discoveries and
employment opportunities that were created using stimulus funding.
Thank you for the subcommittee's support of NIH programs in the past,
and we are grateful for this opportunity to present our views.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Academy of Family Physicians
On behalf of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), I
commend President Barack Obama for demonstrating a commitment to a
strong primary care workforce by seeking to increase training under
title VII, section 747 of the Public Health Services Act in his fiscal
year 2010 budget. As one of the largest national medical organizations,
representing family physicians, residents, and medical students, the
AAFP recommends that the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor,
Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies build on
that commitment to title VII section 747 in fiscal year 2010 and
increase funding for other key HHS programs to allow healthcare reform
to succeed and support better healthcare all.
health resources and services administration (hrsa)
HRSA is charged with improving access to healthcare services for
people who are uninsured, isolated, or medically vulnerable. One of the
most critical aspects of this mission is ensuring a healthcare
workforce which is sufficient to meet the needs of patients and
communities.
hrsa--health professions
For 40 years, the training programs authorized by title VII of the
Public Health Services Act evolved to meet our Nation's healthcare
workforce needs. While it is increasingly clear that our Nation has a
worsening shortage of primary care physicians, many ``studies have
found a strong, sometimes dose-dependent associations between title VII
funding and increased production of primary care graduates, and
physicians who eventually practice in rural areas and federally
designated physician shortage areas.'' \1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Robert Graham Center. Specialty and Geographic Distribution of
Physician Workforce: What Influences Medical Student & Resident
Choices? 2009 Washington, DC.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The sixth report of the HRSA Advisory Committee on Training in
Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry recommended an annual minimum level
of $215 million for the title VII section 747 grant program. The
subcommittee reasoned that:

Title VII funds are essential to support major primary care
training programs that train the providers who work with vulnerable
populations. It is critical that funds not only be restored to 2005
levels, but that funding be increased, as the need for healthcare of
the public, including those high-risk groups identified in this report,
increases. It is critical that funds offset the acknowledged rate of
inflation. This additional funding is also necessary to prepare current
and future primary care providers for their critical role in responding
to healthcare challenges including demographic changes in the
population, increased prevalence of chronic conditions, decreased
access to care, and a need for effective first-response strategies in
instances of acts of terrorism or natural disasters.

Healthcare reform demands that we must modernize workforce and
education policies to ensure an adequate number of primary care
physicians trained to serve in the new healthcare delivery model. The
patient centered medical home will give patients access to preventive
care and coordination of the care needed to manage chronic diseases as
well as appropriate care for acute illness. The medical home practice
model provides improved efficiency and better health because it serves
as a principal source of access and care. As a result, duplication of
tests and procedures and unnecessary emergency department visits and
hospitalizations can be avoided
Section 747 of title VII, the Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry
Cluster, is aimed at increasing the number of primary care physicians
(family physicians, general internists and pediatricians). Section 747
offers competitive grants for family medicine training programs in
medical schools and in residency programs. Section 747 is vital to
stimulate medical education, residency programs, as well as academic
and faculty development in primary care to prepare physicians to
support the patient centered medical home.
The value of title VII grants extends far beyond the medical
schools that receive them. The United States lags behind other
countries in its focus on primary care. However, the evidence shows
that countries with primary care-based health systems have population
health outcomes that are better than those of the United States at
lower costs.\2\ Health Professions Grants are one important tool to
help refocus the Nation's health system on primary care.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ Starfield B, et al. The effects of specialist supply on
populations' health: assessing the evidence. Health Affairs. 15 March
2005
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Although HRSA has not released the spending plan for the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) health professions training funds
for fiscal year 2009-2010, the omnibus appropriation increased section
747 by less than 1 percent more than the final fiscal year 2008 amount
to $48,425,000 for fiscal year 2009. It remains well below the $92
million provided for Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry Training in
fiscal year 2003. The Nation needs significant additional support from
section 747 because it is the only national federally funded program
that provides resources for important innovations necessary to increase
the number of physicians who will lead the primary care teams providing
care in patient-centered medical homes.
AAFP recommends a substantial increase in the fiscal year 2010
appropriation bill for the Health Professions Training Programs
authorized under title VII of the Public Health Services Act. We
respectfully request that the subcommittee provide $215 million for the
section 747, the Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry Cluster, which
will signal the commitment of Congress to reform healthcare delivery in
this Nation.
hrsa--national health service corps (nhsc)
NHSC offers scholarship and loan repayment awards to primary care
physicians, nurse practitioners, dentists, mental and behavioral health
professionals, physician assistants, certified nurse-midwives, and
dental hygienists serving in underserved communities. Research has
shown that debt plays a complex yet important role in shaping career
choices for medical students. The NHSC offers financial incentives for
the recruitment and retention of family physicians to practice in
underserved communities without adequate access to primary care. The
AAFP supports the work of the NHSC toward the goal of full funding for
the training of the health workforce and zero disparities in
healthcare.
AAFP respectfully requests that the subcommittee fully fund these
important scholarship and loan repayment programs by providing the
authorized amount of $235 million for NHSC in fiscal year 2010.
hrsa--rural health
Americans in rural areas face more barriers to care than those in
urban and suburban areas. Rural residents also struggle with the higher
rates of illness associated with lower socioeconomic status.
Family physicians provide the majority of care for America's
underserved and rural populations.\3\ Despite efforts to meet
scarcities in rural areas, the shortage of primary care physicians
continues. Studies, whether they be based on the demand to hire
physicians by hospitals and physician groups or based on the number of
individuals per physician in a rural area, all indicate a need for
additional physicians in rural areas.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ Hing E, Burt CW. Characteristics of office-based physicians
and their practices: United States, 2003-04. Series 13, No. 164.
Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2007.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
HRSA's Office of Rural Health administers a number of programs to
improve healthcare services to the quarter of our population residing
in rural communities. Rural Health Policy Development and Outreach
Grants fund innovative programs to provide healthcare in rural areas.
State rural health offices, funded through the NHSC budget, help States
implement these programs so that rural residents benefit as much as
urban patients.
AAFP encourages the subcommittee to provide adequate funding in the
fiscal year 2010 appropriation bill for the important programs
administered by HRSA's Office of Rural Health to address the many
unique health service needs of rural communities.
agency for healthcare research and quality (ahrq)
The mission of AHRQ--to improve the quality, safety, efficiency,
and effectiveness of health care for all Americans--closely mirrors
AAFP's own mission. AHRQ is a small agency with a huge responsibility
for research to support clinical decisionmaking, reduce costs, advance
patient safety, decrease medical errors, and improve healthcare
quality, and access. Family physicians recognize that AHRQ has a
critical role to play in promoting healthcare safety, quality, and
efficiency initiatives.
ahrq--comparative effectivenss research
One of the hallmarks of the patient centered medical home is
evidence-based medicine. Comparative effectiveness research, which
compares the impact of different options for treating a given medical
condition, is vital to quality care. Studies comparing various
treatments (e.g., competing drugs) or differing approaches (e.g.,
surgery and drug therapy) can inform clinical decisions by analyzing
not only costs but the relative medical benefits and risks for
particular patient populations.
AAFP commends the Congress for including $1.1 billion in ARRA for
comparative effectiveness research which holds out the promise of
reducing healthcare costs while improving medical outcomes.
AAFP respectfully suggests that the subcommittee provide at least
$405 million for AHRQ in the fiscal year 2010 appropriations bill, an
increase of $32 million above the fiscal year 2009 level.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry
The American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (AAGP)
appreciates this opportunity to comment on issues related to fiscal
year 2010 appropriations for mental health research and services. AAGP
is a professional membership organization dedicated to promoting the
mental health and well being of older Americans and improving the care
of those with late-life mental disorders. AAGP's membership consists of
approximately 2,000 geriatric psychiatrists as well as other health
professionals who focus on the mental health problems faced by aging
adults. Although we generally agree with others in the mental health
community about the importance of sustained and adequate Federal
funding for mental health research and treatment, AAGP brings a unique
perspective to these issues because of the elderly patient population
served by our members.
a national health crisis: demographic projections and the mental
disorders of aging
With the baby boom generation nearing retirement, the number of
older Americans with mental disorders is certain to increase in the
future. By the year 2010, there will be approximately 40 million people
in the United States older than the age of 65. More than 20 percent of
those people will experience mental health problems.
The cost of treating mental disorders can be staggering. For
example, it is estimated that total costs associated with the care of
patients with Alzheimer's disease is more than $100 billion per year in
the United States. Psychiatric symptoms (including depression,
agitation, and psychotic symptoms) affect 30 to 40 percent of people
with Alzheimer's and are associated with increased hospitalization,
nursing home placement, and crippling family burden. These psychiatric
symptoms, associated with Alzheimer's disease, can increase the cost of
treating these patients by more than 20 percent. However, these costs
pale when compared to the costs of not treating mental disorders
including lost work time, co-morbid illness, and increased nursing home
utilization. It is also important to note the added burden, financial
and emotional, on family caregivers, as the Nation's informal
caregiving system is already under tremendous strain and will require
more support in the years to come.
preparing a workforce to meet the mental health needs of the aging
population
In 2008, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a study of the
readiness of the Nation's healthcare workforce to meet the needs of its
aging population. The Re-tooling for an Aging America: Building the
Health Care Workforce called for immediate investments in preparing our
healthcare system to care for older Americans and their families.
Virtually all healthcare providers need to be fully prepared to manage
the common medical and mental health problems of old age. In addition,
the number of geriatric health specialists, including mental health
providers, needs to be increased both to provide care for those older
adults with the most complex issues and to train the rest of the
workforce in the common medical and mental health problems of old age.
The small numbers of specialists in geriatric mental health, combined
with increases in life expectancy and the growing population of the
nation's elderly, foretells a crisis in healthcare that will impact
older adults and their families nationwide. Unless changes are made
now, older Americans will face long waits, decreased choice, and
suboptimal care.
In order to implement the IOM report, AAGP believes that there are
several critical issues that this subcommittee should address:
IOM Study on Geriatric Mental Health Workforce
AAGP believes that the broad scope of the 2008 IOM study, while
meeting a crucial need for information on the many issues regarding the
health workforce for older adults, precluded the in-depth consideration
of the workforce needed for treating mental illness. The study should
be followed by a complementary study focused on the specific challenges
in the geriatric mental health field. This study should follow up the
general IOM study in two specific ways: it should examine the access
and workforce barriers unique to geriatric mental healthcare services;
and, in discussing possible alternative models of geriatric service
delivery (such as medical homes, PACE programs, collaborative care
models like those demonstrated in the IMPACT and PROSPECT studies), it
should articulate the importance of integrating geriatric mental health
services as intrinsic components. ``The Retooling the Health Care
Workforce for an Aging America Act,'' S. 245/H.R. 46, contains a
provision mandating this additional study.
In discussions with AAGP, the senior staff of IOM suggested the
following language for inclusion in the Labor, Health and Human
Services, and Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill:
The subcommittee provides $1,000,000 for a study by the Institute
of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences to determine the multi-
disciplinary mental health workforce needed to serve older adults. The
initiation of this study should be not later than 60 days after the
date of enactment of this act, whereby the Secretary of Health and
Human Services shall enter into a contract with the IOM to conduct a
thorough analysis of the forces that shape the mental healthcare
workforce for older adults, including education, training, modes of
practice, and reimbursement.
Title VII Geriatric Health Professions Education Programs
The Bureau of Health Professions in the HHS Health Resources and
Services Administration (HRSA) administers programs aimed to help to
assure adequate numbers of healthcare practitioners for the Nation's
geriatric population, especially in underserved areas.
The geriatric health professions program supports three important
initiatives. The Geriatric Education Center (GEC) Program, within
defined geographic areas, provides interdisciplinary training for
healthcare professionals in assessment, chronic disease syndromes, care
planning, emergency preparedness, and cultural competence unique to
older Americans. The Geriatric Training for Physicians, Dentists, and
Behavioral and Mental Health Professionals (GTPD Program) provides
fellows with exposure to older adult patients in various levels of
wellness and functioning and from a range of socioeconomic and racial/
ethnic backgrounds. The Geriatric Academic Career Awards (GACA) support
the academic career development of geriatricians in junior faculty
positions who are committed to teaching geriatrics in medical schools
across the country. GACA recipients are required to provide training in
clinical geriatrics, including the training of interdisciplinary teams
of healthcare professionals. AAGP supports increased funding for these
programs as a means to increase geriatric specialist healthcare
providers.
Specifically, AAGP supports expanding the number of GECs across the
Nation; expanding GEC grants to offer mini-fellowships in geriatrics to
faculty members of health professions schools in all disciplines;
enhancing GACA awards to support and retain clinician educators from a
variety of disciplines as they advance in their careers; and providing
full funding for the National Center for Workforce Analysis to analyze
current and projected needs for healthcare professionals and
paraprofessionals in the long-term care sector.
national institutes of health (nih) and national institute of mental
health (nimh)
With the graying of the population, mental disorders of aging
represent a growing crisis that will require a greater investment in
research to understand age-related brain disorders and to develop new
approaches to prevention and treatment. Even in the years in which
funding was increased for NIH and the NIMH, these increases did not
always translate into comparable increases in funding that specifically
address problems of older adults. For instance, according to figures
provided by NIMH, NIMH total aging research amounts decreased from
$106,090,000 in 2002 to $85,164,000 in 2006 (dollars in thousands:
$106,090 in 2002; $100,055 in 2003; $97,418 in 2004; $91,686 in 2005;
and $85,164 in 2006).
The critical disparity between federally funded research on mental
health and aging and the projected mental health needs of older adults
is continuing. If the mental health research budget for older adults is
not substantially increased immediately, progress to reduce mental
illness among the growing elderly population will be severely
compromised. While many different types of mental and behavioral
disorders occur in late life, they are not an inevitable part of the
aging process, and continued and expanded research holds the promise of
improving the mental health and quality of life for older Americans.
This trend must be immediately reversed to ensure that our next
generation of elders is able to access effective treatment for mental
illness. Federal funding of research must be broad-based and should
include basic, translational, clinical, and health services research on
mental disorders in late life.
As the NIMH utilizes the new funding from ``The American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act of 2009,'' it is necessary that a portion of those
funds be used to invest in the future evidence-based treatments for our
Nation's elders. Beginning in fiscal year 2010, annual increases of
funds targeted for geriatric mental health research at NIH should be
used to: (1) identify the causes of age-related brain and mental
disorders to prevent mental disorders before they devastate lives; (2)
speed the search for effective treatments and efficient methods of
treatment delivery; and (3) improve the quality of life for older
adults with mental disorders.
Participation of Older Adults in Clinical Trials
Federal approval for most new drugs is based on research
demonstrating safety and efficacy in young and middle-aged adults.
These studies typically exclude people who are old, who have more than
one health problem, or who take multiple medications. As the population
ages, that is the very profile of many people who seek treatment. Thus,
there is little available scientific information on the safety of drugs
approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in substantial
numbers of older adults who are likely to take those drugs. Pivotal
regulatory trials never address the special efficacy and safety
concerns that arise specifically in the care of the nation's mentally
ill elderly. This is a critical public health obligation of the
nation's health agencies. Just as the FDA has begun to require
inclusion of children in appropriate studies, the agency should work
closely with the geriatric research community, healthcare consumers,
pharmaceutical manufacturers, and other stakeholders to develop
innovative, fair mechanisms to encourage the inclusion of older adults
in clinical trials. Clinical research must also include elders from
diverse ethnic and cultural groups. In addition, AAGP urges that
Federal funds be made available each year for support of clinical
trials involving older adults.
As little emphasis has been placed on the development of new
treatments for geriatric mental disorders, AAGP would encourage the NIH
to promote the development of new medications specifically targeted at
brain-based mental disorders of the elderly. AAGP urges this
subcommittee to request a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study
on spending by NIH on conditions and illnesses related to the mental
health of older individuals. The NIH has already undertaken, in its
Blueprint for Neuroscience Research, an endeavor to enhance cooperative
activities among NIH Institutes and Centers that support research on
the nervous system. A GAO study of the work being done by these 16
Institutes in areas that predominately involve older adults could
provide crucial insights into possible new areas of cooperative
research, which in turn will lead to advances in prevention and
treatment for these devastating illnesses.
center for mental health services (cmhs)
It is critical that there be adequate funding for the mental health
initiatives under the jurisdiction of the CMHS within the Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). While
research is of critical importance to a better future, the patients of
today must also receive appropriate treatment for their mental health
problems. The final SAMHSA budgets for the last 8 years have included
$5 million for evidence-based mental health outreach and treatment to
the elderly. AAGP urges an increase in funding from $5 million to $20
million for this essential program to disseminate and implement
evidence-based practices in routine clinical settings across the
States. Of that $20 million appropriation, AAGP believes that $10
million should be allocated to a National Evidence-Based Practices
Program, which will disseminate and implement evidence-based mental
health practices for older persons in usual care settings in the
community. This program will provide the foundation for a longer-term
national effort that will have a direct effect on the well-being and
mental health of older Americans.
conclusion
AAGP recommends:
--An IOM study on the geriatric mental health workforce to examine
the access and workforce barriers unique to geriatric mental
healthcare services and, to articulate the importance of
integrating geriatric mental health services as intrinsic
components;
--Increased funding for the geriatric health professions education
programs under title VII of the Public Health Service Act;
--A GAO study on spending by NIH on conditions and illnesses related
to the mental health of older individuals.
--Increased funding for evidence-based geriatric mental health
outreach and treatment programs at CMHS.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Association of Immunologists
The American Association of Immunologists (AAI), a not-for-profit
professional society representing more than 6,000 of the world's
leading experts on the immune system, appreciates having this
opportunity to submit testimony regarding fiscal year 2010
appropriations for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The vast
majority of AAI members--research scientists and physicians who work in
academia, Government, and industry--depend on NIH funding to advance
their work and the field of immunology.\1\ With approximately 83
percent of NIH's approximately $29 billion budget awarded to scientists
throughout the United States and around the world, NIH funding advances
not only immunological and biomedical research, but also regional and
national economies.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The majority of AAI members receive grants from the National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases or the National Cancer
Institute; some receive grants from the National Institute on Aging,
the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin
Diseases, or other Institutes or Centers.
\2\ NIH funding supports ``almost 50,000 competitive grants to more
than 325,000 researchers at over 3,000 universities, medical schools,
and other research institutions in every state and around the world.''
NIH Website: http://www.nih.gov/about/NIHoverview.html (April 28, 2009)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
the scope and importance of immunology
From infectious diseases including influenza, HIV/AIDS, malaria,
smallpox, and the common cold, to chronic diseases like cancer,
diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and lupus, the immune system
plays a central role in human and animal health.\3\ Whether protecting
the body from disease--or causing it (as in the case of autoimmune
disease or the rejection of transplanted organs) \4\--the immune system
is critical to maintaining individual human life and pivotal to
community and global public health.\5\ Prevention, treatments, and
cures depend on our understanding of a scientific field that is
relatively new: although the first vaccine was developed in 1798 (to
protect against smallpox), most of our basic understanding of the
immune system has developed in the past 30-40 years, making immunology
ripe for the many new discoveries that are unfolding every day.
Emerging areas in immunology involve understanding the immune response
to environmental threats, to pathogens that threaten to become the next
pandemic, and to manmade and natural infectious organisms that are
potential agents of bioterrorism (including plague, smallpox, and
anthrax). For all of these urgent needs, basic research on the immune
system provides a crucial foundation for the development of
diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ Research on the immune system is also of enormous benefit to
pets and livestock.
\4\ The immune system works by recognizing and attacking ``foreign
invaders'' (e.g., bacteria and viruses) inside the body and by
controlling the growth of tumor cells. A healthy immune system can
protect its human or animal host from illness or disease either
entirely--by attacking and destroying the virus, bacterium, or tumor
cell--or partially, resulting in a less serious illness. It is also
responsible for the rejection responses observed following
transplantation of organs or bone marrow. The immune system can
malfunction, causing the body to attack itself, resulting in an
``autoimmune'' disease, such as Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, or
rheumatoid arthritis.
\5\ NIH funds research ``on `neglected infectious diseases' such as
malaria, tuberculosis, and a host of tropical diseases--diseases that
are most prevalent in low-income countries, and that are insufficiently
researched by the drug industry.'' Testimony of Ron Pollack, Executive
Director, Families USA, before the House Energy and Commerce
Subcommittee on Health, hearing on ``Treatments for an Ailing Economy:
Protecting Health Care Coverage and Investing in Biomedical Research,''
November 13, 2008, page 4.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
recent immunological discoveries
Immunologists are making significant advances in the development of
treatments and vaccines against pernicious viruses such as influenza
strains and HIV. Recently, commonalities were identified among the
viruses causing seasonal flu, avian flu, and the 1918 pandemic flu,
indicating that some of the antibodies will react against all these
strains. Such antibodies could be developed for therapeutic use in the
case of a flu outbreak. In studies on HIV, immunologists have also
identified a unique small antibody fragment that is able to stop a
broad range of HIV strains from entering their target cells. This
offers hope for a therapy against HIV, which mutates too quickly to be
responsive to most traditional vaccine strategies.
An explosion of research has followed the major recent discovery of
the central role of the inflammasome in immunity. Inflammasomes are
broadly important molecular complexes within cells that sense
infections, environmental pollutants, and other ``danger'' signals and
control the activation of the pro-inflammatory, hormone-like molecules
interleukin-1 and interleukin-18. Although it may help protect against
infection, inflammasome-induced interleukin-1 has also been found to be
a key ``offender'' in many inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
Inhibitors of these inflammatory molecules have already demonstrated
significant clinical efficacy in autoimmune diseases, gout, and
inherited periodic fever syndromes and are being investigated in other
illnesses given the potential of the inflammasome to be relevant to
almost any type of disease.
Immunologists have made important progress against the increasing
prevalence of childhood peanut allergies by developing a mouse model
that is being used to study the basis of this allergy. They have also
identified a possible treatment course that might reverse the resulting
potentially life-threatening anaphylaxis.
Immunologists are also focusing research efforts in the area of
cancer vaccines. Novel delivery strategies, to effectively present
tumor antigens or portions of the tumors themselves, have allowed the
redirection of the immune system to attack cancerous cells within the
body. Other strategies that manipulate molecules (including the
inhibitory receptor CTLA4) on immune cells have shown remarkable
clinical promise for melanoma and prostate cancer. In addition, our
understanding of how tumors evade and suppress immunity is evolving,
providing new options for therapy, such as altering the function of T-
regulatory cells, which normally suppress immunity and thereby promote
tumor growth.
Immunologists have also made significant progress in understanding
autoimmune disease by discovering that furin, a catalytic enzyme,
prevents some forms of systemic autoimmunity. Scientists have found
that mice lacking this enzyme had overactive effector T cells as well
as suppressive T cells with impaired activity, a key finding which may
lead to treatment of autoimmune disease without suppressing basic
immunity.
the nih budget: great promise--and grave danger
AAI is very grateful to this subcommittee and the Congress for
doubling the NIH budget from fiscal year 1999 to fiscal year 2003 and
for addressing the extremely serious problem caused by post-doubling
subinflationary budget increases through passage of both The American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), which provided $10.4
billion to NIH, and the fiscal year 2009 Appropriations Act, which
provided a 3.2 percent ($938 million) budget increase more than fiscal
year 2008. NIH is now in the extraordinary position of being able to
fund many worthy projects that had been denied funding, to invest in
modernizing and enhancing the Nation's research infrastructure, and to
support scientific and administrative jobs that are crucial to the
scientific enterprise. This infusion of funds, together with the
exceptional commitment to advancing scientific research articulated by
President Obama, is also giving our brightest young students the
confidence and desire to pursue careers in biomedical research, a
crucial factor in helping research advances today become cures
tomorrow.
Passage of ARRA acknowledged the multi-faceted impact of investing
in biomedical research and the NIH: improving individual and global
health, and stimulating local and national economic activity and job
creation. NIH has estimated that each NIH grant supports on average,
``6 to 7 in-part or full scientific jobs.'' \6\ Families USA, a not-
for-profit consumer advocacy organization, has reported that (1) on
average, each $1 of NIH funding going into a State generates more than
twice as much in State economic output, and (2) in fiscal year 2007,
NIH funding created and supported more than 350,000 jobs that generated
wages in excess of $18 billion, with an average wage of $52,000 (nearly
25 percent higher than the average U.S. wage).\7\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ Testimony of Raynard S. Kington, M.D., Ph.D., Acting Director,
National Institutes of Health, Witness appearing before the House
Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and
Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, March 26, 2009. Dr.
Kington was citing the NIH report: ``Estimating the Number of Senior/
Key Personnel Engaged in NIH Supported Research,'' study issued October
2008.
\7\ ``In Your Own Backyard: How NIH Funding Helps Your State's
Economy,'' Families USA, (June 2008). The report cited numerous
economic benefits of NIH funding, including: (1) The amount of new
business activity generated ranged from $8.39 billion in California to
$13 million in Wyoming; (2) In 14 States, NIH funding generated more
than $1 billion in new business activity; 3) In 10 States, each $1 of
NIH funding generated at least $2.26 in economic activity; and (4) In 6
States, more than 20,000 new jobs were created.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
While AAI--and the entire biomedical research community--is deeply
grateful for ARRA's tremendous influx of funds and support, some of the
constraints accompanying the ARRA funding (i.e., that the funds must be
obligated by the end of fiscal year 2010 and must be used for immediate
economic impact, including creating jobs) are somewhat inconsistent
with the longer view and nature of science and the strong need for
reliable, sustained funding. Although significant advances can be made
in 2 years, few projects can be completed in that time. As such, AAI
looks ahead with concern to future years, when advances poised to be
made may not come to fruition should ARRA funds end without adequate
regular appropriations to cushion the reduction. AAI's appropriations
recommendations for fiscal year 2010 (and ultimately for 2011, though
not offered here), are premised on that concern and designed to address
that future.
aai recommends a 7 percent budget increase for fiscal year 2010
AAI urges the subcommittee to increase the NIH budget by 7 percent
in fiscal year 2010. Such an increase would help ensure that research
and jobs supported by ARRA funds are not lost, and that ongoing
research would be on track to reach its full potential even after the
ARRA funding is spent. A 7 percent budget increase would also put NIH
on the path that most scientists have long sought and urgently need: a
path of predictable, sustained funding that stabilizes ongoing research
projects and the overall research enterprise.
AAI also supports President Obama's request for an additional $1.5
billion to specifically address recent developments regarding the
emergent H1N1 (swine) influenza virus. This is an important investment
in pandemic preparedness, whether that pandemic proves to be influenza
or a pathogen not yet predicted.
other key issues
Seasonal Influenza and Pandemics.--Seasonal influenza leads to an
average of more than 200,000 hospitalizations and about 36,000 deaths
nationwide annually. An influenza pandemic could occur at any time; a
pandemic as serious as the 1918 pandemic could result in the illness of
almost 90 million Americans and the death of more than 2 million.\8\
While researchers and public health professionals must respond to
emergent threats (such as the current concern related to the H1/N1 flu
virus), AAI believes that the best preparation for a pandemic is to
focus on basic research to combat seasonal flu, including building
capacity, pursuing new production methods (cell based), and seeking
optimized flu vaccines and delivery methods.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ A report issued by Trust for America's Health (``Pandemic Flu
and the Potential for U.S. Economic Recession'') predicted that a
severe pandemic flu outbreak could result in the second worst recession
in the United States since World War II, resulting in a projected cost
of $683 billion. (March 2007)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bioterrorism.--To best protect against bioterrorism, scientists
should focus on basic research, including working to understand the
immune response, identifying new and potentially modified pathogens,
and developing tools (including new and more potent vaccines) to
protect against these pathogens.
The NIH ``Common Fund''.--The NIH Reform Act of 2006 established
within NIH a ``Common Fund'' (CF) to support trans-NIH initiatives.
Although AAI recognizes the value of interdisciplinary research, the
existence of the CF should not permit the funding of lesser quality
research. Instead, all CF applications should be subject to a
transparent and rigorous peer-review process like all other funded
research grant applications. In addition, AAI recommends that the CF
not grow faster than the overall NIH budget.
The NIH Public Access Policy (``Policy'').--AAI continues to
believe that the Policy will duplicate, at great cost to NIH and to
taxpayers, publications and services which are already provided cost-
effectively and well by the private sector. Therefore, AAI respectfully
requests that the subcommittee require that NIH publicly report on the
cost to date of implementing the Policy (both voluntary and mandatory),
and projected future costs (including all personnel, administrative,
infrastructure and enforcement costs) incurred by the various NIH
Institutes, Centers, and Offices involved.
Preserving High-quality Peer Review.--NIH's recent completion of
its ``Peer Review Self-Study'' has resulted in the adoption and
implementation of numerous changes to its internationally respected and
highly successful peer review system. While AAI applauds this effort to
address some legitimate problems with the system, AAI urges that NIH be
required to conduct timely and transparent evaluation of all pilot
projects and permanent changes, and provide ample opportunity for
public comment.
Ensuring NIH Operations and Oversight.--AAI urges the subcommittee
to ensure adequate funding for the NIH Research, Management, and
Services (RM&S) account, which supports the management, monitoring, and
oversight of all research activities. Particularly with the infusion
and rapid dissemination of ARRA funds, NIH must be able to properly
supervise and oversee its increasingly large and complex portfolio.
conclusion
AAI greatly appreciates this opportunity to submit testimony and
thanks the Chairman and members of the subcommittee for their strong
support for biomedical research, the NIH, and the scientists who devote
their lives to preventing, treating, and curing disease.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists

FISCAL YEAR 2010 APPROPRIATIONS REQUEST SUMMARY
[Dollars in thousands]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AANA fiscal year 2010
Fiscal year 2009 actual Fiscal year 2010 budget request
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HHS /HRSA /BHPr Title VIII Advanced Awaiting grant Grant allocations not $4,000 for nurse
Education Nursing, Nurse Anesthetist allocations--in fiscal specified. anesthesia education
Education Reserve. year 2008 awards
amounted to
approximately $3,500.
Total for Advanced Education Nursing, $64.44 for Advanced $64.44 for Advanced $79.55 for Advanced
from Title VIII. Education Nursing. Education Nursing. Education Nursing
Title VIII HRSA BHPr Nursing $171,031............... $263,403............... $263,403
Education Programs.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The AANA is the professional association for more than 40,000
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) and student nurse
anesthetists, representing more than 90 percent of the nurse
anesthetists in the United States. Today, CRNAs are directly involved
in delivering 30 million anesthetics given to patients each year in the
United States. CRNA services include administering the anesthetic,
monitoring the patient's vital signs, staying with the patient
throughout the surgery, and providing acute and chronic pain management
services. CRNAs provide anesthesia for a wide variety of surgical
cases, and in some States are the sole anesthesia providers in almost
100 percent of rural hospitals, affording these medical facilities
obstetrical, surgical, and trauma stabilization, and pain management
capabilities. CRNAs work in every setting in which anesthesia is
delivered, including hospital surgical suites and obstetrical delivery
rooms, ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs), pain management units, and
the offices of dentists, podiatrists and plastic surgeons.
Nurse anesthetists are experienced and highly trained anesthesia
professionals whose record of patient safety in the field of anesthesia
was bolstered by the Institute of Medicine report in 2000, which found
that anesthesia is 50 times safer than 20 years previous. (Kohn L,
Corrigan J, Donaldson M, Ed. To Err is Human. Institute of Medicine,
National Academy Press, Washington DC, 2000.) Nurse anesthetists
continue to set for themselves the most rigorous continuing education
and re-certification requirements in the field of anesthesia. Relative
anesthesia patient safety outcomes are comparable among nurse
anesthetists and anesthesiologists, with Pine having concluded, ``the
type of anesthesia provider does not affect inpatient surgical
mortality.'' (Pine, Michael MD et al. ``Surgical mortality and type of
anesthesia provider.'' Journal of American Association of Nurse
Anesthetists. Vol. 71, No. 2, p. 109-116. April 2003.)
Even more recently, a study published in Nursing Research indicates
that obstetrical anesthesia, whether provided by Certified Registered
Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) or anesthesiologists, is extremely safe, and
there is no difference in safety between hospitals that use only CRNAs
compared with those that use only anesthesiologists. (Simonson, Daniel
C et al. ``Anesthesia Staffing and Anesthetic Complications During
Cesarean Delivery: A Retrospective Analysis.'' Nursing Research, Vol.
56, No. 1, pp. 9-17. January/February 2007). In addition, a recent AANA
workforce study showed that CRNAs and anesthesiologists are substitutes
in the production of surgeries, and it is important to note that
through continual improvements in research, education, and practice,
nurse anesthetists are vigilant in their efforts to ensure patient
safety.
CRNAs provide the lion's share of anesthesia care required by our
U.S. Armed Forces through active duty and the reserves. In May 2003 at
the beginning of ``Operation Iraqi Freedom,'' 364 CRNAs were deployed
to the Middle East to ensure military medical readiness capabilities.
For decades, CRNAs have staffed ships, remote U.S. military bases, and
forward surgical teams without physician anesthesiologist support. In
addition, CRNAs predominate in rural and medically underserved areas
and areas where more Medicare patients live. A recent analysis of the
nurse anesthesia workforce, indicates that in 2006, 38 percent of nurse
anesthesia graduates went to work in a Medically Underserved Area or
for a Medically Underserved Population.
importance of title viii nurse anesthesia education funding
The nurse anesthesia profession's chief request of the subcommittee
is for $4 million to be reserved for nurse anesthesia education and
$79.55 million for advanced education nursing from the title VIII
program. We feel that this funding request is well justified, as we are
seeing a vacancy rate of nurse anesthetists in the United States that
is impacting the public's access to healthcare. The title VIII program,
which has been strongly supported by members of this subcommittee in
the past, is an effective means to help address the nurse anesthesia
workforce demand.
Increasing funding for advanced education nursing from $64.44
million to $79.55 million is necessary to meet the continuing demand
for nursing faculty and other advanced education nursing services
throughout the United States. The program provides for competitive
grants that help enhance advanced nursing education and practice and
traineeships for individuals in advanced nursing education programs.
This funding is critical to meet the nursing workforce needs of
Americans who require healthcare. In fact, this funding not only seeks
to increase the number of providers in rural and underserved America
but also prepares providers at the master's and doctoral levels,
increasing the number of clinicians who are eligible to serve as
faculty.
The CRNA workforce is seeing a shortage in the clinical and
educational setting. In 2007, an AANA nurse anesthesia workforce study
found a 12.6 percent vacancy rate in hospitals for CRNAs, and a 12.5
percent faculty vacancy rate. The supply of clinical providers has
increased in recent years, stimulated by increases in the number of
CRNAs trained. Between 2000-2008, the number of nurse anesthesia
educational program graduates doubled, with the Council on
Certification of Nurse Anesthetists (CCNA) reporting 1,075 graduates in
2000 and 2,158 graduates in 2008. This growth is expected to continue.
However, it is important to note that even though the number of
graduates has doubled in 8 years, the nurse anesthetist vacancy rate
remained steady at around 12 percent, which is likely due to increased
demand for anesthesia services as the population ages, growth in the
number of clinical sites requiring anesthesia services, and CRNA
retirements.
The problem is not that our 108 accredited programs of nurse
anesthesia are failing to attract qualified applicants. It is that they
have to turn them away by the hundreds. The capacity of nurse
anesthesia educational programs to educate qualified applicants is
limited by the number of faculty, the number and characteristics of
clinical practice educational sites, and other factors. A qualified
applicant to a CRNA program is a bachelor's educated registered nurse
who has spent at least 1 year serving in an acute care healthcare
practice environment. Nurse anesthesia educational programs are located
all across the country, including Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois,
Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Washington,
and Wisconsin.
Recognizing the important role nurse anesthetists play in providing
quality healthcare, the AANA has been working with the 108 accredited
nurse anesthesia educational programs to increase the number of
qualified graduates. In addition, the AANA has worked with nursing and
allied health deans to develop new CRNA programs.
To truly meet the nurse anesthesia workforce challenge, the
capacity and number of CRNA schools must continue to grow. With the
help of competitively awarded grants supported by title VIII funding,
the nurse anesthesia profession is making significant progress,
expanding both the number of clinical practice sites and the number of
graduates.
The AANA is pleased to report that this progress is extremely cost-
effective from the standpoint of Federal funding. Anesthesia can be
provided by nurse anesthetists, physician anesthesiologists, or by
CRNAs and anesthesiologists working together. As mentioned earlier, the
study by Pine et al confirms, ``the type of anesthesia provider does
not affect inpatient surgical mortality.'' Yet, for what it costs to
educate one anesthesiologist, several CRNAs may be educated to provide
the same service with the same optimum level of safety. Nurse
anesthesia education represents a significant educational cost-benefit
for supporting CRNA educational programs with Federal dollars vs.
supporting other, more costly, models of anesthesia education.
To further demonstrate the effectiveness of the title VIII
investment in nurse anesthesia education, the AANA surveyed its CRNA
program directors in 2003 to gauge the impact of the title VIII
funding. Of the 11 schools that had reported receiving competitive
Title VIII Nurse Education and Practice Grants funding from 1998 to
2003, the programs indicated an average increase of at least 15 CRNAs
graduated per year. They also reported on average more than doubling
their number of graduates. Moreover, they reported producing additional
CRNAs that went to serve in rural or medically underserved areas.
We believe it is important for the subcommittee to allocate $4
million for nurse anesthesia education for several reasons. First, as
this testimony has documented, the funding is cost-effective and
needed. Second, the title VIII authorization previously providing such
a reserve expired in September 2002. Third, this particular funding is
important because nurse anesthesia for rural and medically underserved
America is not affected by increases in the budget for the National
Health Service Corps and community health centers, since those
initiatives are for delivering primary and not surgical healthcare.
Lastly, this funding meets an overall objective to increase access to
quality healthcare in medically underserved America.
title viii funding for strengthening the nursing workforce
The AANA joins a growing coalition of nursing organizations,
including the Americans for Nursing Shortage Relief (ANSR) Alliance and
representatives of the nursing community, and others in support of the
subcommittee providing a total of $263 million in fiscal year 2010 for
nursing shortage relief through title VIII. This amount is the same as
the President's request for 2010. However, AANA asks that of the $263
million, $79.55 million go to Advanced Education Nursing to help
increase clinicians in underserved communities and those eligible to
serve as faculty. The AANA appreciates the support for nurse education
funding in fiscal year 2009 and past fiscal years from this
subcommittee and from the Congress.
In the interest of patients past and present, particularly those in
rural and medically underserved parts of this country, we ask Congress
to invest in CRNA and nursing educational funding programs and to
provide these programs the sustained increases required to help ensure
Americans get the healthcare that they need and deserve. Quality
anesthesia care provided by CRNAs saves lives, promotes quality of
life, and makes fiscal sense. This Federal support for title VIII and
advanced education nurses will improve patient access to quality
services and strengthen the Nation's healthcare delivery system.
safe injection practices
Last, as a leader in patient safety, the AANA has been playing a
vigorous role in the development and projects of the Safe Injection
Practices Coalition, intended to reduce and eventually eliminate the
incidence of healthcare facility acquired infections. In the interest
of promoting safe injection practice, and reducing the incidence of
healthcare facility acquired infections, we recommend the subcommittee
provide the following appropriations for fiscal year 2010:
--Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.--$9 million for
provider education and patient awareness activities; $8 million
to promote private-sector healthcare solutions to injection
safety and infection control problems; $9 million for detection
and tracking in order to enable States to investigate outbreaks
of hepatitis and other potential pathogens related to injection
safety.
--Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).--$10 million in
general patient safety funds for the AHRQ's Ambulatory Patient
Safety Program.
--Department of Health and Human Services.--$1 million to expand its
current focus for reducing HAIs from hospitals to all
healthcare settings, including outpatient facilities.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Academy of Ophthalmology
executive summary
The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) requests a fiscal year
2010 National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding increase of at least 7
percent, to a level of $32.4 billion, which represents a modest 3
percent increase plus the biomedical inflation rate, estimated at 3.8
percent in fiscal year 2009. This increase is necessary to keep pace
with inflation and rebuild the base, since NIH has lost 14 percent of
its purchasing power during the past six funding cycles. AAO commends
the congressional leadership's actions in fiscal year 2008 and 2009 to
increase NIH funding, including the $150 million in the fiscal year
2008 supplemental dedicated to investigator-initiated grants, the $10.4
billion in 2-year stimulus NIH funding within the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA), and the final fiscal year 2009 appropriations
inflationary increase of 3.2 percent. However, NIH needs sustained and
predictable funding to rebuild its base and support multi-year,
investigator-initiated research, which is the cornerstone of the
biomedical enterprise. Annual increases of at least 7 percent put NIH
on a pathway to budget-doubling within the next 10 years. Secure and
consistent funding for biomedical research is integral to the Nation's
economic and global competitiveness. NIH is a world-leading institution
that must be adequately funded so that its research can reduce
healthcare costs, increase productivity, and save and improve the
quality of lives.
AAO requests that Congress make vision health a top priority by
increasing National Eye Institute (NEI) funding by at least 7 percent,
to a level of $736 million, in this year that NEI celebrates its 40th
anniversary. Over the past 6 funding cycles, NEI lost 18 percent of its
purchasing power. Despite funding challenges, NEI has maintained its
impressive record of breakthroughs in basic and clinical research that
have resulted in treatments and therapies to save and restore vision
and prevent eye disease. NEI will be challenged further, as 2010 begins
the decade in which more than half of the 78 million Baby Boomers will
turn 65 and be at greatest risk for aging eye disease. Adequately
funding the NEI is a cost-effective investment in our Nation's health,
as it can delay, save, and prevent expenditures, especially to the
Medicare and Medicaid programs.
Fiscal year 2010 funding at $736 million enables NEI to expand its
impressive record of basic and clinical collaborative research that has
resulted in treatments and therapies to save and restore vision.
NEI continues to be a leader in basic research--especially that
which elucidates the genetic basis of ocular disease--and in
translational research, as those gene discoveries can lead to
development of diagnostics and treatments. NEI Director Paul Sieving,
M.D., Ph.D., has reported that one-quarter of all genes identified to
date through NEI's collaboration with the National Human Genome
Research Institute (NHGRI) are associated with eye disease/visual
impairment. Recent examples include:
--In 2005, NEI reported that gene variants of Complement Factor H
(CFH), the protein product of which is engaged in the control
of the body's immune response, are associated with increased
risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the
leading cause of vision loss. NEI-funded researchers are now
working on potential therapies, including the manufacture and
use of a protective version of the CFH protein in an
augmentation strategy similar to that of treating diabetes with
insulin. This therapy is under development and expected to
enter Phase I clinical safety trials in summer 2009.
--In March 2008, NEI-funded researchers announced that damage from
both AMD and diabetic retinopathy was prevented and even
reversed when the protein Robo4 was activated in mouse models
that simulate the two diseases. Robo4 treated and prevented the
diseases by inhibiting abnormal blood vessel growth and by
stabilizing blood vessels to prevent leakage. Since this
research into the ``Robo4 Pathway'' used animal models
associated with these diseases that are already used in drug
development, the time required to test this approach in humans
could be shortened, expediting approvals for new therapies
--In late April 2008, researchers funded by the NEI and private
funding organization Foundation Fighting Blindness reported on
their use of gene therapy to restore vision in young adults who
were virtually blind from a severe form of the
neurodegenerative disease Retinitis Pigmentosa, known as Leber
Congenital Amaurosis (LCA). Seven years earlier, the
researchers shared on Capitol Hill results of a preclinical
study of the same gene therapy, which at the time was
successfully giving vision to dogs born blind with LCA. The
subsequent human gene therapy trial validated the process of
putting genes in the body to restore vision. Although the
primary goal of the Phase I study was to ensure patient safety,
the researchers reported through both objective and subjective
testing that the patients were able to read several additional
lines on an eye chart, had better peripheral vision, and better
eyesight in dimly lit settings. In further research, the
investigators will treat LCA patients as young as 8 years old,
since they believe the most dramatic results will be seen in
young children.
--In late 2008, NEI initiated its new NEI Glaucoma Human genetics
collaBORation, known as NEIGHBOR, through which seven U.S.
research teams will lead genetic studies of the disease.
Glaucoma is called the ``stealth robber of vision'' as it often
has no symptoms until vision is lost, and anywhere from 50-75
percent of individuals with it are undiagnosed. It is also the
leading cause of preventable vision loss in African American
and Hispanic populations, which emphasizes the vital nature of
determining the genetic basis of this disease.
Fiscal year 2010 funding at $736 million enables NEI to fully fund
new initiatives that more fully characterize eye disease.
NEI has been a leader in collaborative research, the use of
networks to study diagnostics and treatments and their use in clinical
settings, and in ocular epidemiology to characterize the nature and
frequency of eye disease in diverse populations to better manage public
health. In fiscal year 2008, NEI reported on/launched the initial phase
of three important new programs to characterize eye disease requiring
adequate future funding.
--In early 2009, the NEI and the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) reported on the use of a compact fiber
optic probe developed for the space program that has proven
valuable as the first non-invasive early detection device for
cataracts, the leading cause of vision loss worldwide. Using a
laser light technique called dynamic light scattering (DLS),
which was developed to analyze the growth of protein crystals
in a zero-gravity environment, the probe measures the amount of
light scattering by an anti-cataract protein called alpha-
crystallin. The probe senses protein damage due to oxidative
stress, a key process involved in many medical conditions
including age-related cataract and diabetes, as well as
Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
--In late 2008, NEI launched a new research network, the Neuro-
Ophthalmology Research Disease Investigator Consortium, or
NORDIC. It will initially lead multi-site observational and
treatment trials, involving nearly 200 community and academic
practitioners, to address the risks, diagnosis, and treatment
of two ``rare'' diseases: idiopathic intracranial hypertension
(visual dysfunction due to increased intracranial pressure) and
thyroid eye disease (also called Graves' disease, in which
muscles of the eye enlarge and cause bulging of the eyes,
retraction of the lids, double vision, decreased vision, and
irritation). The NEI and NORDIC's Principal Investigator have
already begun coordinating with the Department of Defense's
(DOD) newly established Vision Center of Excellence (VCE) about
the applicability of NORDIC research to combat-related eye
injuries, especially those associated with Traumatic Brain
Injury (TBI).
--There is currently almost no information on the prevalence, risk
factors, and genetic determinants in Asian Americans--one of
the fastest growing racial groups in the United States. Studies
from East Asia have suggested that Asians have a spectrum of
eye diseases different from that of White Americans, African
Americans, and Hispanics. In late 2008, NEI launched the
Chinese American Eye Study to characterize the extent of eye
disease in Chinese Americans, the largest Asian subgroup in the
United States. Participants 50 years and older will be
evaluated for blindness, visual impairment, and eye disease.
These results will add to the expanding body of knowledge about
vision health disparities already characterized by NEI in the
African-American and Hispanic populations.
Vision impairment/eye disease is a major public health problem that
increases healthcare costs, reduces productivity, and diminishes
quality of life.
The NEI estimates that more than 38 million Americans age 40 and
older experience blindness, low vision, or an age-related eye disease
such as AMD, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, or cataracts. This is
expected to grow to more than 50 million Americans by year 2020. The
economic and societal impact of eye disease is increasing not only due
to the aging population, but to its disproportionate incidence in
minority populations and as a co-morbid condition of chronic disease,
such as diabetes.
Although the NEI estimates that the current annual cost of vision
impairment and eye disease to the United States is $68 billion, this
number does not fully quantify the impact of direct healthcare costs,
lost productivity, reduced independence, diminished quality of life,
increased depression, and accelerated mortality. The continuum of
vision loss presents a major public health problem and financial
challenge to the public and private sectors.
--In public opinion polls over the past 40 years, Americans have
consistently identified fear of vision loss as second only to
fear of cancer. As recently as March 2008, the NEI's Survey of
Public Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Related to Eye
Health and Disease reported that 71 percent of respondents
indicated that a loss of their eyesight would rate as a ``10''
on a scale of 1 to 10, meaning that it would have the greatest
impact on their day-to-day life.
In 2009, the NEI will celebrate its 40th anniversary as the NIH
Institute that leads the Nation's commitment to save and restore
vision. During the next decade, more than half of the 78 million Baby
Boomers will celebrate their 65th birthday and be at greatest risk for
developing aging eye disease. As a result, sustained, adequate Federal
funding for the NEI is an especially vital investment in the health,
and vision health, of our Nation as the treatments and therapies
emerging from research can preserve and restore vision. Adequately
funding the NEI can also delay, save, and prevent health expenditures,
especially those associated with the Medicare and Medicaid programs,
and is, therefore, a cost-effective investment.
AAO urges fiscal year 2010 NIH and NEI funding at $32.4 billion and
$736 million, respectively, reflecting an at-least 7 percent increase
more than fiscal year 2009.
about aao
The American Academy of Ophthalmology is a 501c(6) educational
membership association. AAO is the largest national membership
association of eye M.D.s with more than 27,000 members, more than
17,000 of which are in active practice in the United States. Eye M.D.s
are ophthalmologists, medical, and osteopathic doctors who provide
comprehensive eye care, including medical, surgical and optical care.
More than 90 percent of practicing U.S. eye M.D.s are AAO members.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Academy of Physician Assistants
On behalf of the more than 75,000 clinically practicing physician
assistants in the United States, the American Academy of Physician
Assistants is pleased to submit comments on fiscal year 2010
appropriations for Physician Assistant (PA) educational programs that
are authorized through title VII of the Public Health Service Act.
A member of the Health Professions and Nursing Education Coalition
(HPNEC), the Academy supports the HPNEC recommendation to provide at
least $300 million for title VII programs in fiscal year 2010,
including a minimum of $7 million to support PA educational programs.
This would fund the programs at the 2005 funding level, not accounting
for inflation.
AAPA recommends that Congress provide additional support to grow
the PA primary care workforce through healthcare reform initiatives. A
reformed healthcare system will require a much-expanded primary
healthcare workforce, both in the private and public healthcare
markets. For example, the National Association of Community Health
Centers' March 2009 report, Primary Care Access: An Essential Building
Block of Health Reform, predicts that in order to reach 30 million
patients by 2015, health centers will need at least an additional
15,585 primary care providers, just more than one-third of whom are
nonphysician primary care professionals.
The Academy believes that the recommended restoration in funding
for title VII health professions programs is well justified.
A review of PA graduates from 1990-2006 demonstrates that PAs who
have graduated from PA educational programs supported by title VII are
59 percent more likely to be from underrepresented minority populations
and 46 percent more likely to work in a rural health clinic than
graduates of programs that were not supported by title VII.
A study by the UCSF Center for California Health Workforce Studies
found a strong association between physician assistants exposed to
title VII during their PA educational preparation and those who ever
reported working in a federally qualified health center or other
community health center.
Title VII safety net programs are essential to the development and
training of primary healthcare professionals and, in turn, provide
increased access to care by promoting healthcare delivery in medically
underserved communities. Title VII funding is especially important for
PA programs as it is the only Federal funding available on a
competitive application basis to these programs.
The AAPA is very appreciative of the recent funding increases, for
the title VII Health Professions Programs, in the fiscal year 2009
omnibus appropriations bill (Public Law 111-8), which appropriated
$221.7 million, a 14.3 percent increase, more than fiscal year 2008 and
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Public Law 111-5), which
invested $200 million in expanding title VII Health Professions
Programs. However, the AAPA believes that these recent investments only
begin to rectify the chronic underfunding of these programs and address
existing and looming shortages of health professionals, especially
physician assistants. According to HRSA, an additional 30,000 health
practitioners are needed to alleviate existing health professional
shortages.
We wish to thank the members of this subcommittee for your
historical role in supporting funding for the health professions
programs, and we hope that we can count on your support to restore
funding to these important programs in fiscal year 2010 to the fiscal
year 2005 funding level.
overview of physician assistant education
Physician assistant programs train students to practice medicine
with physician supervision. PA programs are located within schools of
medicine or health sciences, universities, teaching hospitals, and the
Armed Services. All PA educational programs are accredited by the
Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician
Assistant.
The typical PA program consists of 26 months of instruction, and
the typical student has a bachelor's degree and about 4 years of prior
healthcare experience. The first phase of the program consists of
intensive classroom and laboratory study. More than 400 hours in
classroom and laboratory instruction are devoted to the basic sciences,
with more than 75 hours in pharmacology, approximately 175 hours in
behavioral sciences, and almost 580 hours of clinical medicine.
The second year of PA education consists of clinical rotations. On
average, students devote more than 2,000 hours, or 50-55 weeks, to
clinical education, divided between primary care medicine--family
medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, and obstetrics and
gynecology--and various specialties, including surgery and surgical
specialties, internal medicine subspecialties, emergency medicine, and
psychiatry. During clinical rotations, PA students work directly under
the supervision of physician preceptors, participating in the full
range of patient care activities, including patient assessment and
diagnosis, development of treatment plans, patient education, and
counseling.
After graduation from an accredited PA program, physician
assistants must pass a national certifying examination developed by the
National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. To
maintain certification, PAs must log 100 continuing medical education
hours every 2 years, and they must take a recertification exam every 6
years.
physician assistant practice
Physician assistants are licensed healthcare professionals educated
to practice medicine as delegated by and with the supervision of a
physician. In all States, physicians may delegate to PAs those medical
duties that are allowed by law and are within the physician's scope of
practice and the PA's training and experience. All States, the District
of Columbia, and Guam authorize physicians to delegate prescriptive
privileges to the PAs they supervise. Nineteen percent of all PAs
practice in nonmetropolitan areas where they may be the only full-time
providers of care (State laws stipulate the conditions for remote
supervision by a physician). Approximately 41 percent of PAs work in
urban and inner city areas. Approximately 40 percent of PAs are in
primary care. Roughly 80 percent of PAs practice in outpatient
settings.
AAPA estimates that in 2008, more than 257 million patient visits
were made to PAs and approximately 332 million medications were written
by PAs.
critical role of title vii public health service act programs
Title VII programs promote access to healthcare in rural and urban
underserved communities by supporting educational programs that train
health professionals in fields experiencing shortages, improve the
geographic distribution of health professionals, increase access to
care in underserved communities, and increase minority representation
in the healthcare workforce.
Title VII programs are the only Federal educational programs that
are designed to address the supply and distribution imbalances in the
health professions. Since the establishment of Medicare, the costs of
physician residencies, nurse training, and some allied health
professions training have been paid through Graduate Medical Education
(GME) funding. However, GME has never been available to support PA
education. More importantly, GME was not intended to generate a supply
of providers who are willing to work in the Nation's medically
underserved communities--the purpose of title VII.
Furthermore, title VII programs seek to recruit students who are
from underserved minority and disadvantaged populations, which is a
critical step towards reducing persistent health disparities among
certain racial and ethnic U.S. populations. Studies have found that
health professionals from disadvantaged regions of the country are 3 to
5 times more likely to return to underserved areas to provide care.
It is also important to note that a December 2008 Institute of
Medicine report characterized HRSA's health professions programs as
``an undervalued asset.''
title vii support of pa educational programs
Targeted Federal support for PA educational programs is authorized
through section 747 of the Public Health Service Act. The program was
reauthorized in the 105th Congress through the Health Professions
Education Partnerships Act of 1998, Public Law 105-392, which
streamlined and consolidated the Federal health professions education
programs. Support for PA education is now considered within the broader
context of training in primary care medicine and dentistry.
Public Law 105-392 reauthorized awards and grants to schools of
medicine and osteopathic medicine, as well as colleges and
universities, to plan, develop, and operate accredited programs for the
education of physician assistants, with priority given to training
individuals from disadvantaged communities. The funds ensure that PA
students from all backgrounds have continued access to an affordable
education and encourage PAs, upon graduation, to practice in
underserved communities. These goals are accomplished by funding PA
educational programs that have a demonstrated track record of: (1)
placing PA students in health professional shortage areas; (2) exposing
PA students to medically underserved communities during the clinical
rotation portion of their training; and (3) recruiting and retaining
students who are indigenous to communities with unmet healthcare needs.
The PA programs' success in recruiting and retaining
underrepresented minority and disadvantaged students is linked to their
ability to creatively use title VII funds to enhance existing
educational programs. For example, PA programs in Texas use title VII
funds to create new clinical rotation sites in rural and underserved
areas, including new sites in border communities, and to establish
nonclinical rural rotations to help students understand the challenges
faced by rural communities. One Texas program uses title VII funds for
the development of Web based and distant learning technology and
methodologies so students can remain at clinical practice sites. In New
York, a PA program with a 90 percent ethnic minority student population
uses title VII funding to focus on primary care training for
underserved urban populations by linking with community health centers,
which expands the pool of qualified minority role models that engage in
clinical teaching, mentoring, and preceptorship for PA students.
Several other PA programs have been able to use title VII grants to
leverage additional resources to assist students with the added costs
of housing and travel that occur during relocation to rural areas for
clinical training.
Without title VII funding, many of these special PA training
initiatives would not be possible. Institutional budgets and student
tuition fees simply do not provide sufficient funding to meet the needs
of medically underserved areas or disadvantaged students. The need is
very real, and title VII is critical in meeting that need.
need for increased title vii support for pa educational programs
Increased title VII support for educating PAs to practice in
underserved communities is particularly important given the market
demand for physician assistants. Without title VII funding to expose
students to underserved sites during their training, PA students are
far more likely to practice in the communities where they were raised
or attended school. Title VII funding is a critical link in addressing
the natural geographic maldistribution of healthcare providers by
exposing students to underserved sites during their training, where
they frequently choose to practice following graduation. Currently, 36
percent of PAs met their first clinical employer through their clinical
rotations.
Changes in the healthcare marketplace reflect a growing reliance on
PAs as part of the healthcare team. Currently, the supply of physician
assistants is inadequate to meet the needs of society, and the demand
for PAs is expected to increase. A 2006 article in the Journal of the
American Medical Association (JAMA) concluded that the Federal
Government should augment the use of physician assistants as physician
substitutes, particularly in urban CHCs where the proportional use of
physicians is higher. The article suggested that this could be
accomplished by adequately funding title VII programs. Additionally,
the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the number of available PA
jobs will increase 49 percent between 2004 and 2014. Title VII funding
has provided a crucial pipeline of trained PAs to underserved areas.
One way to assure an adequate supply of physician assistants practicing
in underserved areas is to continue offering financial incentives to PA
programs that emphasize recruitment and placement of PAs interested in
primary care in medically underserved communities.
Despite the increased demand for PAs, funding has not
proportionately increased for title VII programs that educate and place
physician assistants in underserved communities. Nor has title VII
support for PA education kept pace with increases in the cost of
educating PAs. A review of PA program budgets from 1984 through 2004
indicates an average annual increase of 7 percent, a total increase of
256 percent over the past 20 years, as Federal support has decreased.
recommendations on fiscal year 2010 funding
The American Academy of Physician Assistants urges members of the
Appropriations Committee to consider the inter-dependency of all public
health agencies and programs when determining funding for fiscal year
2010. For instance, while it is critical, now more than ever, to fund
clinical research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and to
have an infrastructure at the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) that ensures a prompt response to an infectious
disease outbreak or bioterrorist attack, the good work of both of these
agencies will go unrealized if the Health Resources and Services
Administration (HRSA) is inadequately funded. HRSA administers the
``people'' programs, such as title VII, that bring the results of
cutting edge research at NIH to patients through providers such as PAs
who have been educated in title VII-funded programs. Likewise, CDC is
heavily dependent upon an adequate supply of healthcare providers to be
sure that disease outbreaks are reported, tracked, and contained.
The Academy respectfully requests that title VII health professions
programs receive $300 million in funding for fiscal year 2010,
including a minimum of $7 million to support PA educational programs.
Thank you for the opportunity to present the American Academy of
Physician Assistants' views on fiscal year 2010 appropriations.
______

Prepared Statement of the Alliance for Aging Research
Chairman Harkin and members of the subcommittee, for more than two
decades the not-for-profit Alliance for Aging Research has advocated
for research to improve the experience of aging for all Americans. Our
efforts have included supporting Federal funding of aging research by
the National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the National Institute
on Aging (NIA) and other Institutes and Centers that work with the NIA
on cross-cutting initiatives. To this end, the Alliance appreciates the
opportunity to submit testimony highlighting the important role that
the NIH plays in facilitating aging research activities and the ever
more urgent need for increased appropriations to advance scientific
discoveries to keep individuals healthier longer.
Many challenges will arise as Americans age in increasing numbers.
There are approximately 36 million Americans aged 65 and older. That
group is expected to double in size within the next 20 years, at which
time at least 20 percent of the U.S. population will be older than 65.
Of particular concern is the dramatic growth that is anticipated among
those aged 85 and older. By 2050, 19.4 million Americans will be older
than the age of 85.
Late-in-life diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, neurological
diseases, heart disease, and osteoporosis are increasingly driving the
need for healthcare services in this country. If rapid discoveries are
not made now to reduce the prevalence of age-related diseases and
conditions like these, the costs associated with caring for the oldest
and sickest Americans will place an unmanageable burden on patients,
their families, and our healthcare system. The Alliance strongly
believes that with a relatively modest investment, further advances in
the area of longevity science could yield tremendous health and
economic benefits by shortening the period during which humans suffer
from costly, debilitating diseases.
Within the NIH, the NIA leads research efforts to better understand
the nature of aging and to maintain the health and independence of
Americans as they grow older. The NIA supports a range of genetic,
biological, clinical, social, and economic research related to aging
and the diseases of the elderly. Through the Division of Aging Biology,
the NIA funds research focused on understanding and exploiting the
mechanisms underlying the aging process. Research supported by the
Division of Aging Biology program is critically important in that much
of it is centered around how changes in function considered to be
``normal aging'' become risk factors for many age-associated
infirmities. Other noteworthy NIA-supported projects focus on
increasing healthspan. These include studies to assess the beneficial
effects of reducing caloric intake in animals, as well as those to test
compounds that mimic this process in subjects with the potential to
extend the years of disease-free life. Both approaches have produced
promising results that may lead to insights into human applications. By
capitalizing on these and other successful studies to identify genes
that influence longevity, investigators hope to delay the onset of
disease and disability associated with human aging in the future.
The NIA also participates in multi-Institute collaborations on
disease-specific research aimed at preventing, diagnosing, and more
effectively treating age-related illnesses. Action to Control
Cardiovascular Disease, led by the National, Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute in partnership with the NIA and three other NIH Institutes,
is a large clinical trial of adults with type 2 diabetes who are at
high risk for cardiovascular disease. The trial involves the aggressive
testing of interventions to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease
in high-risk patients, many of whom are elderly. Major cardiovascular
disease events result in death for 65 percent of diabetic patients and
no effective preventative strategies currently exist for this
vulnerable population. The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
(ADNI) is a major public-private partnership led by the NIA to evaluate
imaging technologies, biological markers, and other tests to improve
knowledge surrounding the progression of Alzheimer's disease. ADNI has
produced a wealth of data that is accessible to researchers worldwide.
It is believed that ADNI findings could lead to shorter and less costly
trials for Alzheimer's therapies. As many as 5.3 million people have
Alzheimer's disease and it drains more than $148 billion from the
Nation's economy each year. Streamlined clinical trials could
accelerate the development and approval of more effective AD treatments
to the benefit of those who are yet to be diagnosed. The Diabetes
Prevention Program, which was an NIH-supported clinical trial involving
the NIA, continues to reveal information about diabetes onset,
prevention an outcomes. It was initially intended to examine the
effects of multiple interventions for adults at risk of type 2
diabetes. While it succeeded in identifying lifestyle changes that were
particularly effective in the 60 and older population, it is the
analysis of the long-term effects of these interventions on diabetes
onset that could have the most impact on the 57 million adults who are
at risk for developing the disease.
In general, the NIH is the primary funder of biomedical research in
this country. Eighty percent of all the nonprofit medical research in
the United States is funded by the NIH. But the unfortunate reality is
that shrinking budgets have impeded progress. In part the scarcity of
resources has resulted in a decline of the overall success rate for NIH
research grant applications. At its lowest point only 1 in 4 research
proposals could be funded by the NIH. The effect of this has been
reluctance on behalf of new investigators to submit truly ground-
breaking research proposals for consideration. While we recognize that
there is enormous competition for congressional appropriations each
year, a lack of sustained funding for the NIH will have a devastating
impact on the rate of basic discovery and the development of
interventions that could have the significant public health benefits
for our aging population.
Until recent actions taken by Congress and the President to provide
a short-term resource infusion through passage of the American
Reinvestment and Recovery Act, funding for the NIH had been on a
downward trajectory. In the 6 years through 2008, a series of nominal
increases and cuts has amounted to flat funding for the NIH, and as a
result it has lost as much as 17 percent of its purchasing power. Aging
in particular is a field of research that had been hampered by this
stagnant funding. To operate in this environment the NIA and other
Institutes involved in aging-related research have not been able to
fund increasing numbers of high-quality research grants each year.
The Alliance for Aging Research applauds Congress and the Obama
administration's renewed focus on the importance of medical research in
improving the overall health of the country. In order to demonstrate a
strong commitment to bolstering science, we would recommend an increase
in funding for the NIH of at least 7 percent in fiscal year 2010. This
increase would begin to restore the NIH's ability to pursue new basic,
translational, and clinical research opportunities. A $32.4 billion
budget for the NIH in fiscal year 2010 would allow the NIA specifically
to increase support of new and existing investigator initiated research
projects and better facilitate the acceleration of discoveries for a
wide range debilitating age-related diseases and conditions among our
growing population of older Americans.
Mr. Chairman, the Alliance for Aging Research thanks you for the
opportunity to outline the challenges posed by the aging population
that lie ahead as you consider the fiscal year 2010 appropriations for
the NIH and we would be happy to furnish additional information upon
request.
______

Prepared Statement of the American College of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG),
representing 53,000 physicians and partners in women's healthcare, is
pleased to offer this statement to the Senate Committee on
Appropriations, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and
Education, and Related Agencies. We thank Chairman Harkin, and the
entire subcommittee for their leadership to continually address women's
health research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Nation
has made important strides to improve women's health over the past
several years, and ACOG is grateful to this subcommittee for its
commitment to ensure that vital research continues to eliminate disease
and to ensure valuable new treatment discoveries are implemented.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) made a sizeable
down payment on healthcare programs that have been underfunded in
recent years. The $10.4 billion for the National Institutes of Health
(NIH) and the commitment to comparative effectiveness research will
help to foster innovation and convey best practices to physicians.
While ACOG is thankful for the generous funding from the stimulus
package, funds for NIH must be used within 2 years, limiting the
ability of programs to be carried out to their completion.
An increase in funds through the regular appropriations process
will help supplement programs supported by the stimulus package beyond
the 2-year mark. The President's budget provides a modest increase of
1.4 percent, not enough to sustain the 19,000 grant applications that
have been submitted in the wake of the stimulus, which will result in
lower pay lines. Therefore, we urge the subcommittee to support an
appropriation of at least $32.4 billion for NIH, a $2.1 billion
increase (7 percent) for fiscal year 2010.
women's health research at the nih
NIH Institutes work collaboratively to conduct women's health
research. The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health
and Human Development (NICHD) conducts the majority of women's health
research, and has made critical accomplishments in preterm birth,
contraceptive research, and infertility. The National Cancer Institute
(NCI) has made monumental discoveries on gynecologic cancers, and the
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
(NIDDK) works with the NICHD to discover treatments for urinary
incontinence. The Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) in the
NIH Office of the Director coordinates women's health research projects
and manages mentoring programs for new investigators.
Despite the NIH's critical advancements, reduced funding levels
have made it difficult for research to continue, largely due to the
lack of new investigators. The NIH advanced women's health research
during the congressional doubling between fiscal year 1998 and fiscal
year 2003, but funding increases have been so low since fiscal year
2003, the NIH budget is almost the same as it was before the doubling.
office of the director--office of research on women's health (orwh)
Coordinating and Promoting Women's Health Research Throughout NIH
Established in September 1990, the Office of Research on Women's
Health (ORWH) is a focal point for women's health research at the NIH.
The Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health
(BIRCWH) is operated by the ORWH, and the Women's Reproductive Health
Research (WRHR) Career Development Program at the NICHD. BIRCWH
programs are expanding women's health research through career
development, increasing diversity in the field of women's health,
promoting interdisciplinary research training and developing
independent researchers with backgrounds in high-priority women's
health research areas. These programs attract new researchers, but low
pay lines make it difficult for the NIH to maintain them.
The ORWH recently launched the NIH Women's Health Fellowships in
Intramural Women's Health Research. This intramural program is funded
through the Foundation of the NIH, which was established by Congress to
maximize the resources at the NIH and support medical research through
public-private partnerships. The fellowships are supported by donations
from Battelle and AstraZeneca.
An ob-gyn resident at Loyola University, Chicago, Illinois, is one
of the first recipients of the fellowship. She is studying the
difference in severity and prevalence of fibroids in African American
and white women. The Women's Health Fellowship helps new investigators
enhance their research skills, and mentor women to senior positions in
science.
ACOG urges Congress to increase funding for the ORWH to help
prepare the next generation of women's health researchers and to
maintain a high level of research innovation and excellence, in turn
reducing the incidence of maternal morbidity and mortality and
discovering cures for other chronic conditions.
nichd
ACOG supports a $90.6 million increase (7 percent) in funds more
than fiscal year 2009 for NICHD at NIH. These funds will assist
research into the following areas:
Expanding Maternal Health Research
The Maternal Fetal Medicine Units (MFMU) Network investigates
clinical questions in maternal fetal medicine and obstetrics, with a
focus on preterm birth, and has advanced women's health research by
making several monumental discoveries including using progesterone
treatments to reduce preterm birth. The MFMU is working at 14 sites
across the United States to reduce the risks of preterm birth, cerebral
palsy, and pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure).
Reducing the Prevalence of Premature Births
NICHD is helping our Nation understand how adverse conditions and
health disparities increase the risks of premature birth in high-risk
racial groups, and how to reduce these risks. Prematurity rates have
increased almost 35 percent since 1981, accounting for 12.5 percent of
all births, yet the causes are unknown in 25 percent of cases. Preterm
births cost the Nation $26 billion annually, $51,600 for every infant
born prematurely. Direct healthcare costs to employers for a premature
baby average $41,610, 15 times higher than the $2,830 for a healthy,
full-term delivery.
The 2008 Surgeon General's Conference on the prevention of preterm
birth brought together experts from the public and private sectors to
discuss key research findings and to develop an agenda to mitigate the
problem of prematurity. The conference concluded by calling on the
surgeon general to make the prevention of preterm birth a national
public health priority. ACOG supports this effort and urges Congress to
recognize the importance of new research to identify the causes and
effective interventions for preterm births.
Improving Contraceptive Research
The United States has one of the highest unintended pregnancy rates
of the industrialized nations. Of the approximately 6 million
pregnancies each year, an estimated one-half is unintended.
Contraceptive use saves as much as $19 billion in healthcare costs
annually. Research has found that oral contraceptives are less
effective in overweight and obese women, yet the causes are unknown. It
is critical that Congress continue to invest in contraceptive research,
ensuring that women have access to safe and effective contraceptives to
help them time and space their pregnancies. The NICHD's research on
male and female contraceptives can help reduce the number of unintended
pregnancies and abortions, and improve women's health.
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Developing Gynecologic Cancer Research, Prevention, and
Education
--Effects of Cervical Procedure on Pregnancy.--At the Washington
University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, researchers
are studying the impact of the Loop Electrosurgical Excision
Procedure (LEEP), which is a common treatment for abnormal
cells on the cervix, on subsequent pregnancy. This study may
determine whether LEEP increases the risk of preterm birth and
other adverse pregnancy outcomes.
--Stress and Ovarian Cancer.--At the University of Texas, MD Anderson
Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, researchers are examining the
effects of chronic stress on growth and progression of ovarian
cancer along with underlying mechanisms. Based on these
results, researchers hope to gain a better understanding of the
adverse effects of chronic stress and discover new strategies
for blocking its harmful effects on cancer patients.
--Pediatric Cancer Survivor Fertility.--There are currently more than
250,000 childhood cancer survivors in the United States, and
while cancer therapies improve long-term survival, such
treatments may impair fertility potential and cause premature
ovarian failure. Research at the University of Pennsylvania--
Philadelphia, Philadelphia, will provide preliminary data for
the establishment of a long-term study of pediatric cancer
survivors and their pregnancy rates, pregnancy outcomes and the
occurrence of premature menopause.
Expanding Ovarian Cancer Research
Despite the women's health research advancements at the NCI, much
more needs to be done. According to the NCI, there will be 22,430 new
cases of ovarian cancer and 15,280 deaths from ovarian cancer in the
United States in 2007. With more ovarian cancer biomarker research, we
may reduce ovarian cancer. ACOG urges Congress to pass the Ovarian
Cancer Biomarker Act, S. 2569/H.R. 3689, which would increase funding
for research and clinical centers at the NCI for risk stratification,
early detection, and screening of ovarian cancer.
increasing gynecologic cancer education
Public and provider education on gynecologic cancers is critical to
early detection. When women and their doctors understand the symptoms
and risk factors of gynecologic cancers they can find appropriate
medical help quickly, increasing the potential for earlier detection.
ACOG urges Congress to fully fund Johanna's Law, Public Law 109-475, at
$10 million in fiscal year 2009, which would increase provider and
public education on gynecologic cancers, saving thousands of lives.
niddk
Exploring Treatments for Urinary Incontinence
The Urinary Incontinence Treatment Network (UITN) at the NIDDK and
the NICHD, researches urinary incontinence treatments. The UITN
clinical trials compare the outcomes of commonly used surgical
procedures, drug therapies, and behavioral treatments for incontinence.
--The Trial of Mid-urethral Slings.--Researches the outcomes of
surgical procedures to treat stress urinary incontinence.
Although these surgical procedures are approved by the Food and
Drug Administration, researchers are investigating which are
more effective.
--The Stress Incontinence Surgical Treatment Efficacy Trial.--Studies
the long-term outcomes of commonly performed stress urinary
incontinence treatment surgeries. The Burch procedure and the
sling produce have estimated cure rates of 60 percent -90
percent, and researchers are determining which produces the
best long-term outcome.
--The Behavior Enhances Drug Reduction of Incontinence.--Studies
whether adding behavioral treatment to drug therapy makes it
possible to discontinue drug treatment, and still maintain a
reduced number of incontinence accidents.
ACOG urges Congress to increase funding for critical women's health
research at the NIDDK.
Again, we would like to thank the subcommittee for its continued
support of programs to improve women's health, and urge Congress to
increase funding for the NIH and its Institutes 7 percent more than
fiscal year 2009 levels in fiscal year 2010.
______

Prepared Statement of the American College of Physicians
Chairman Harkin and Ranking Member Cochran, thank you for allowing
the American College of Physicians (ACP) to share our views on the
Department of Health and Human Services budget for fiscal year 2010.
ACP represents 126,000 internal medicine physicians, residents, and
medical students. ACP is also the Nation's largest medical specialty
society and its second largest physician membership organization.
Today, ACP is urging the following funding levels:
--Title VII and title VIII programs, under the Public Health Service
Act, $550 million;
--National Health Service Corps (NHSC), $235 million;
--Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), $405 million;
and
--National Institutes of Health (NIH), at minimum a 7 percent
increase more than the fiscal year 2009 baseline.
primary care workforce
We are experiencing a primary care shortage in this country, the
likes of which we have not seen. The expected demand for primary care
in the United States continues to grow exponentially while the Nation's
supply of primary care physicians dwindles and interest by U.S. medical
graduates in primary care specialties steadily declines. The reasons
behind this decline in primary care physician supply are multi-faceted
and complex. Key factors include the rapid rise in medical education
debt, decreased income potential for primary care physicians, failed
payment policies, and increased burdens associated with the practice of
primary care.
A strong primary care infrastructure is an essential part of any
high-functioning healthcare system. In this country, primary care
physicians provide 52 percent of all ambulatory care visits, 80 percent
of patient visits for hypertension, and 69 percent of visits for both
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes, yet they comprise
only one-third of the U.S. physician workforce. Those numbers are
compelling, considering the fact that primary care is known to improve
health outcomes, increase quality, and reduce healthcare costs.
There are many regions of the country that are currently
experiencing shortages in primary care physicians. The Institute of
Medicine reports that it would take 16,261 additional primary care
physicians to meet the need in currently underserved areas alone. To
help alleviate the shortage of primary care physicians, we believe
sufficient funding should be provided for title VII and title VIII
programs, as well as NHSC.
title vii and title viii programs
The health professions education programs, authorized under titles
VII and VIII of the Public Health Service Act and administered through
the Health Resources and Services Administration, support the training
and education of healthcare providers to enhance the supply, diversity,
and distribution of the healthcare workforce, filling the gaps in the
supply of health professionals not met by traditional market forces.
ACP was pleased that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA,
Public Law 111-5) provided a down payment of $200 million for title VII
and title VIII programs.
NHSC, along with the Health Professions and Nursing Education
Coalition, is recommending that these programs require at least $550
million to adequately educate and train a healthcare workforce that
meets the public's healthcare needs. This amount includes restoration
of title VII to at least the fiscal year 2005 level (close to $300
million).
Lower funding or elimination of title VII programs will have an
immediate impact on the training and recruitment of health professions
students and the educational infrastructures developed and supported by
title VII. It is important to note that these programs are unique in
that they are the only federal investment in interdisciplinary
training, which is vitally important as care is often provided in
interdisciplinary settings. These programs are also designed to enhance
minority representation in the healthcare workforce, which is essential
when it comes to providing access to care as minority providers are
more likely than others to care for underserved populations and help
reduce the shortages in these specific areas. Moreover, not only does
this funding support essential training programs, it also facilitates
the delivery of care to the underserved areas of the country through
the Area Health Education Centers and Health Education and Training
Centers.
As the Nation's healthcare delivery system undergoes rapid and
dramatic changes, an appropriate supply and distribution of health
professionals has never been more essential to the public's health. The
title VII and title VIII programs are critical to help institutions and
programs respond to these current and emerging challenges and ensure
that all Americans have access to appropriate and timely health
services.
nhsc
In conjunction with other stakeholders, ACP is recommending a
combined appropriation of $235 million for NHSC. We are pleased the
ARRA provided an additional $300 million, which will enable 4,200 more
clinicians to access the scholarship and loan repayment programs.
The NHSC scholarship and loan repayment programs provide payment
toward tuition/fees or student loans in exchange for service in an
underserved area. The programs are available for primary medical, oral,
dental, and mental and behavioral professionals. Participation in the
NHSC for 4 years or more greatly increases the likelihood that a
physician will continue to work in an underserved area after leaving
the program. Over the years, the number of clinicians in those programs
has grown from 180 to more than 4,000. In 2000, the NHSC conducted a
large study of NHSC clinicians who had completed their service
obligation up to 15 years before and found that 52 percent of those
clinicians continued to serve the underserved in their practice. The
programs under NHSC have proven to make an impact in meeting the
healthcare needs of the underserved, and with more appropriations, they
can do more.
The NHSC estimates that nearly 50 million Americans currently live
in health professions shortage areas (HPSAs)--underserved communities
which lack adequate access to primary care services--and that 27,000
primary care professionals are needed to adequately serve the people
living in HPSAs. Currently, more than 4,000 NHSC clinicians are caring
for nearly 4 million people. The outstanding need remains unmet.
Limited funding has reduced new NHSC awards from 1,570 in fiscal
year 2003 to an estimated 947 in fiscal year 2008, a nearly 40 percent
decrease. The NHSC scholarship program already receives 7 to 15
applicants for every award available. The National Advisory Council on
the NHSC has recommended that Congress double the appropriations for
the NHSC to more than double its field strength to 10,000 primary care
clinicians in underserved areas.
ahrq
AHRQ is the leading public health service agency focused on
healthcare quality. AHRQ's research provides the evidence-based
information needed by consumers, providers, health plans, purchasers,
and policymakers to make informed healthcare decisions.
ACP is dedicated to ensuring AHRQ's vital role in improving the
quality of our Nation's health and supports a fiscal year 2010 budget
allocation of $405 million for AHRQ. This amount will allow AHRQ to
carry out its congressional mandate to improve healthcare quality and
reduce costs by identifying which treatments work best and at what
cost. ACP's request of an additional $32 million more than the fiscal
year 2009 funding level would be designated for increased research in
patient safety, health information technology, resources for research
into the causes of and solutions to raising healthcare costs, chronic
care management, and strategies to translate research into practice.
The additional $32 million will allow AHRQ to expand its
investigator-initiated research program, a critically important element
of our Nation's healthcare research effort. This funding stream
provides for many clinical innovations--innovations that improve
patient outcomes. It will also facilitate the translation of research
into clinical practice and disease management strategies, and address
the healthcare needs of vulnerable populations. Investment in AHRQ's
investigator-initiated research is an investment in America's health.
Additionally, investment in investigator-initiated research represents
a cost-effective and efficient use of our Federal health research
dollars. The relatively modest investment provided to clinical
investigators in the form of grants often result in advancements with
positive economic implications far outweighing the original investment.
ACP was pleased that the ARRA provided AHRQ with $300 million for
comparative clinical effectiveness research. This funding, along with
an additional $400 million for the Office of the Director of the NIH
and $400 million to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, will
stimulate the development of comparative effectiveness research and
provide a good foundation for the establishment of the recommended,
national comparative effectiveness entity. Furthermore, the act
prohibits the Government from using the research for making any
coverage or payment decisions or issuing clinical guidelines. The sole
purpose is to develop this research and disseminate the results to all
stakeholders.
nih
Together, the fiscal year 2009 omnibus and the ARRA provided $38.5
billion to NIH, which will fund more than 16,000 new research grants
for live-saving research into diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and
Alzheimer's.
In his budget, the President envisions doubling our investment in
basic research. Consistent with his proposal, we respectfully urge the
subcommittee to increase funding for NIH by at least 7 percent more
than the fiscal year 2009 baseline.
conclusion
Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member Cochran, thank you for the
opportunity to offer testimony on the importance of the Department of
Health and Human Services budget for fiscal year 2010.
In conclusion, ACP would like to reiterate ACP's recommended
funding levels:
--Title VII and title VIII programs, under the Public Health Service
Act, $550 million;
--NHSC, $235 million;
--AHRQ, $405 million; and
--NIH, at minimum a 7 percent increase more than the fiscal year 2009
baseline.
The United States must invest in these programs in order to achieve
a high-performance healthcare system. ACP greatly appreciates the
support of the subcommittee on these issues and looks forward to
working with Congress as you being to work on the fiscal year 2010
appropriations process.
______

Prepared Statement of the American College of Preventive Medicine
Each year, 50,000 Americans die violent deaths. Homicide and
suicide are, respectively, the third and fourth leading causes of death
for people aged 1-39 years. An average of 80 people take their own
lives every day.
Before the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) was
created, Federal and State public health and law enforcement officials
collected valuable information about violent deaths, but lacked the
ability to combine it into one comprehensive reporting system. Instead,
data was held in a variety of different systems, and policymakers
lacked the clear picture necessary to develop effective violence
prevention policies.
When it was created in 2002, NVDRS promised to capture data that is
critical to identifying patterns and developing strategies to save
lives. With a clearer picture of why violent deaths occurs, law
enforcement and public health officials can work together more
effectively to identify those at risk and provide effective preventive
services.
Currently, NVDRS funding levels only allow the program to operate
in the following 17 States: Alaska, California, Colorado, Georgia,
Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, North
Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah,
Virginia, and Wisconsin. Nine additional States, plus the District of
Columbia were previously approved for participation in the NVDRS, but
were unable to join due to funding shortfalls: Connecticut, Illinois,
Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, and Texas. Several other
States have expressed an interest in joining once new funding becomes
available.
While NVDRS is beginning to strengthen violence and suicide
prevention efforts in the 17 participating States, many other States
have been forced to sit idle until additional funding is allocated.
With the inclusion of $7.5 million for NVDRS in fiscal year 2010, NVDRS
will be able to expand to additional States and continue its
incremental growth toward national implementation.
nvdrs provides critical data for suicide prevention
Although it is preventable, more than 30,000 Americans die by
suicide each year, and another 1.8 million Americans attempt it,
costing more than $3.8 billion in hospital expenses and $13 billion in
lost earnings.
In the United States today, there is no comprehensive national
system to track suicides. However, because NVDRS includes information
on all violent deaths--include deaths by suicide--information from the
system can be used to develop effective suicide prevention plans at the
community, State, and national level.
Among the ways NVDRS data is being used to inform suicide
prevention programs: NVDRS data from 13 States uncovered significant
racially and ethnically based differences in mental illness diagnoses
and treatment among those who died by suicide. Specifically, whites
were more likely to have been diagnosed with depression or bipolar
disorder, while blacks were more likely than other groups to have been
diagnosed with schizophrenia. Hispanics were less likely to have been
diagnosed with a mental illness or to have received treatment at all,
although the family reports of depression were comparable to other
racial groups. Additionally, NVDRS data from all 17 States show that
veterans accounted for 26 percent of males who died by suicide in 2004.
While veterans also accounted for 26 percent of the male U.S.
population, this finding points to the importance of veterans' services
to potentially identify and treat at-risk individuals.
With such information available for the first time, officials in
participating States are using NVDRS data in myriad ways. For example,
--With the sixth-highest rate of elder suicide in the Nation, Oregon
tailored its NVDRS data to develop an epidemiological profile
of victims and establish an elder suicide prevention plan.
NVDRS data indicated that most victims of elder suicide in
Oregon had been suffering from physical illness, and that 37
percent had visited a doctor in the 30 days prior to their
death. As a result of this NVDRS data, the State developed an
elder suicide prevention plan that calls for better integration
of primary care and mental health services, so that potential
suicide victims can be better identified and treated. The plan
also calls for training primary healthcare providers,
integrating mental healthcare into primary care, and educating
family members about the risks of suicide and warning signs of
depression.
--NVDRS data found that 1 in 4 of Virginia's suicide victims had
served in the military. Among male victims older than 65, more
than 60 percent were veterans. These findings indicate that the
State's suicide prevention and education efforts must extend to
veterans' hospitals and service providers.
--NVDRS data provides State health officials in South Carolina with
vital information that indicates behavior patterns, enables
health officials to identify individuals at risk, and to
intervene early with appropriate preventive measures. After
NVDRS data showed that more than 40 percent of suicide victims
were currently or formerly receiving mental health treatment or
tested positive for psychiatric medication, the State
established its first ever suicide prevention plan, which also
included the formation of a Suicide Prevention Task Force.
nvdrs provides critical data to protect children and adolescents
Child abuse and other violence involving children and adolescents
remains a problem in America, and it is only through a comprehensive
understanding of its root causes that many needless deaths can be
prevented. Studies suggest that between 3.3 and 10 million children
witness some form of domestic violence annually. Additionally, 1,387
children died as a result of abuse or neglect in 2004, according to the
Federal Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, part of the
Department of Health and Human Services.
Children are most vulnerable and most dependent on their caregivers
during infancy and early childhood. Sadly, NVDRS data has shown that
young children are at the greatest risk of homicide in their primary
care environments. Combined NVDRS data from Alaska, Maryland,
Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, South Carolina, and Virginia
determined that African American children 4 years old and younger are
more than four times more likely to be victims of homicide than
Caucasian children, and that homicides of children 4 and under are most
often committed by a parent or caregiver in the home. The data also
shows that household items, or ``weapons of opportunity,'' were most
commonly used, suggesting that poor stress responses may be factors in
these deaths. Knowing the demographics and methods of abusers can lead
to more effective, targeted prevention programs.
Other examples of how NVDRS data is informing programs to protect
children and adolescents from violence, include the following:
--Data from NVDRS pilot sites in Connecticut, Maine, Utah, Wisconsin,
Pennsylvania, and California found that almost 30 percent of
suicide victims age 17 and under told someone they felt
suicidal. Many teen suicides also appear to be linked to recent
events in their lives, with nearly one-third of suicides taking
place on the same day as a crisis and almost half within the
same week. This data underscores the importance of developing
community-based programs to rapidly respond to the warning
signs of suicide.
--With data generated by NVDRS, State health officials in
Massachusetts have been able to monitor suicides and homicides
more accurately among specific populations, such as foster
children and youths in custody. The NVDRS data has been used to
secure grants for violence prevention programs for these
special populations, about whom data had previously been
impossible to obtain.
nvdrs provides critical data to prevent intimate partner violence
While intimate partner violence has declined along with other
trends in crime over the past decade, thousands of Americans still fall
victim to it every year. Women are much more likely than men to be
killed by an intimate partner. Intimate partner homicides accounted for
33.5 percent of the murders of women and less than four percent of the
murders of men in 2000, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
Although the program is still in its early stages, NVDRS is
providing critical information that is helping law enforcement and
health and human service officials allocate resources and develop
programs in ways that target those most at risk for intimate partner
violence, thereby preventing needless deaths. For example, NVDRS data
shows that while occurrences are rare, most murder-suicide victims are
current or former intimate partners of the suspect, and a substantial
number of victims were the suspect's children. In addition, NVDRS
indicates that women are about seven times more likely than men to be
killed by a spouse, ex-spouse, lover, or former lover, and the majority
of these incidents occurred in the women's homes
Examples of how State officials are using NVDRS data to better
understand and prevent intimate partner violence include:
--Based on an analysis of NVDRS data, the Kentucky Injury Prevention
Research Center concluded that among women killed by an
intimate partner, only 39 percent had had filed for a
restraining order or been seen by or reported to Adult
Protective Services. This finding underscored a perceived need
in the community to improve outreach linking potential victims
to local protective services.
--Working with the State's NVDRS program, the Alaska Department of
Law and Public Safety found there is a high risk for intimate
partner violence, both homicide and suicide, when one partner
is attempting to leave the relationship. Findings such as this
one are molding the State's strategy for domestic violence
prevention.
strengthening and expanding nvdrs in fiscal year 2010
At an estimated annual cost of $20 million for full implentation,
NVDRS is a relatively low-cost program that yields high-quality
results. While State-specific information provides enormous value to
local public health and law enforcement officials, national data from
all 50 States, the U.S. territories and the District of Columbia must
be obtained to complete the picture and establish effective national
violence prevention policies and programs.
That is why the National Violence Prevention Network, a coalition
of national organizations who advocate for health and welfare, violence
and suicide prevention, and law enforcement, is calling on Congress to
provide no less than $7.5 million for NVDRS for fiscal year 2010. The
cost of not implementing the program is much greater: without national
participation in the program, thousands of American lives remain at
risk.
______

Prepared Statement of the American College of Preventive Medicine
recommendation
The American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) urges the Labor,
Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Subcommittee to reaffirm its support for training
preventive medicine physicians and other public health professionals by
providing $10.1 million in fiscal year 2010 for preventive medicine
residency training under the public health, dentistry, and preventive
medicine line item in title VII of the Public Health Service Act. ACPM
also supports the recommendation of the Health Professions and Nursing
Education Coalition that $550 million be appropriated in fiscal year
2010 to support all health professions and nursing education and
training programs authorized under titles VII and VIII of the Public
Health Service Act.
the need for preventive medicine is growing
In today's healthcare environment, the tools and expertise provided
by preventive medicine physicians are integral to the effective
functioning of our Nation's public health system. These tools and
skills include the ability to deliver evidence-based clinical
preventive services, expertise in population-based health sciences, and
knowledge of the social and behavioral aspects of health and disease.
These are the tools employed by preventive medicine physicians who
practice in public health agencies and in other healthcare settings
where improving the health of populations, enhancing access to quality
care, and reducing the costs of medical care are paramount. As the body
of evidence supporting the effectiveness of clinical and population-
based interventions continues to expand, so does the need for
specialists trained in preventive medicine.\1\ \2\ \3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Berrino, F. Role of Prevention: Cost Effectiveness of
Prevention. Annals of Oncology 2004; 15:iv245-iv248.
\2\ Eikjemans G, Takala J. Moving Knowledge of Global Burden into
Preventive Action. American Journal of Industrial Medicine 2005;
48:395-399.
\3\ Ortegon M, Redekop W, Niesen L. Cost-Effectiveness of
Prevention and Treatment of the Diabetic Foot. Diabetes Care 2004;
27:901-907.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Organizations across the spectrum have recognized the growing
demand for public health and preventive medicine professionals. The
Institute of Medicine released a report in 2007 calling for an
expansion of preventive medicine training programs by an ``additional
400 residents per year''.\15\ The Health Resources and Services
Administration's (HRSA) Bureau of Health Professions, using data
extracted from the Department of Labor, reports that the demand for
public health professionals will grow at twice the rate of all
occupations between 2000 and 2010.\4\ The Council on Graduate Medical
Education recommends increased funding for training physicians in
preventive medicine.\5\ In addition, the Nation's medical schools are
devoting more time and effort to population health topics.\6\ These are
just a few of the examples demonstrating the growing demand for
preventive medicine.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\15\ Training Physicians for Public Health Careers. Institute of
Medicine. National Academies Press, June 2007.
\4\ Biviano M. Public Health and Preventive Medicine: What the Data
Shows. Presented at the 9th Annual Preventive Medicine Residency
Program Directors Workshop, San Antonio, Texas. HRSA. 2002.
\5\ Glass JK. Physicians in the Public Health Workforce. In Update
on the Physician Workforce. Council on Graduate Medical Education.
2000.
\6\ Sabharwal R. Trends in Medical School Graduates' Perceptions of
Instruction in Population-Based Medicine. In Analysis in Brief.
American Association of Medical Colleges. Vol. 2, No. 1. January 2002.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In fact, preventive medicine is the only 1 of the 24 medical
specialties recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties
that requires and provides training in both clinical medicine and
public health. Preventive medicine physicians possess critical
knowledge in population and community health issues, disease and injury
prevention, disease surveillance and outbreak investigation, and public
health research. Preventive medicine physicians are employed in
hospitals, State and local health departments, Health Maintenance
Organizations (HMOs), community and migrant health centers, industrial
sites, occupational health centers, academic centers, private practice,
the military, and Federal Government agencies.
The recent focus on emergency preparedness is also driving the
demand for these skills. Unfortunately, many experts have expressed
concerns about the preparedness level of our public heath workforce and
its ability to respond to emergencies. The nonpartisan, not-for-profit
Trust for America's Health has published annual reports assessing
America's pubic health emergency response capabilities. The most recent
report, released in December 2008, found that neither State nor Federal
Governments are adequately prepared to manage a public health
emergency. One reason for this is a significant shortfall in funding
needed to improve the Nation's public health systems.\7\ Furthermore,
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently affirmed that
there are significant holes in U.S. hospital emergency planning efforts
for bioterrorism and mass casualty management.\8\ These include varying
levels of training among hospital staff for treating exposures to
chemical, biological or radiological agents; lack of memoranda of
understanding with supporting local healthcare facilities; and lack of
preparedness training for explosive incidents.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ Hearne S, Chrissie J, Segal L, Stephens T, Earls M. Ready or
Not? Protecting the Public's Health from Diseases, Disasters, and
Bioterrorism 2008; Trust for America's Health.
www.healthyamericans.org.
\8\ Niska R, Burt C. Bioterrorism and mass casualty preparedness in
hospitals: United States, 2003. Advance data from vital and health
statistics; no 364. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health
Statistics. 2005.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
the supply of preventive medicine specialists is shrinking
According to HRSA and health workforce experts, there are personnel
shortages in many public health occupations, including among others,
preventive medicine physicians, epidemiologists, biostatisticians, and
environmental health workers.\9\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\9\ Health Professions and Nursing Education Coalition.
Recommendation for Fiscal Year 2007. March 2006.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exacerbating these shortages is a shrinking supply of physicians
trained in preventive medicine:
--In 2002, only 6,893 physicians self-designated as specialists in
preventive medicine in the United States, down from 7,734 in
1970. The percentage of total U.S. physicians self-designating
as preventive medicine physicians decreased from 2.3 percent to
0.8 percent over that time period.\10\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\10\ American Medical Association (AMA). Physician Characteristics
and Distribution in the U.S. 2004, Table 5.2, p. 323.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Between 1999 and 2006, the number of residents enrolled in
preventive medicine training programs declined nearly 20
percent.\11\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\11\ AMA. Graduate Medical Education Database. Copyright 1994-2005,
Chicago, IL.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
--The number of preventive medicine residency programs decreased from
90 in 1999 to 71 in 2008-2009.\12\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\12\ Magee JH. Analysis of Program Data for Preventive Medicine
Residencies in the United States: Report to the Bureau of Health
Resources & Services Administration. Washington, DC: American College
of Preventive Medicine, 1997.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
ACPM is deeply concerned about the shortage of preventive medicine-
trained physicians and the ominous trend of even fewer training
opportunities. The decline in numbers is dramatic considering the
existing critical shortage of physicians trained to carry out core
public health activities. This deficiency will lead to major gaps in
the expertise needed to deliver clinical prevention and community
public health. The impact on the health of those populations served by
HRSA may be profound.
funding for residency training is eroding
Physicians training in the specialty of preventive medicine,
despite being recognized as an underdeveloped national resource and in
shortage for many years, are the only medical residents whose graduate
medical education (GME) costs are not supported by Medicare, Medicaid
or other third-party insurers. Training occurs outside hospital-based
settings and therefore is not financed by GME payments to hospitals.
Both training programs and residency graduates are rapidly declining at
a time of unprecedented national, State, and community need for
properly trained physicians in public health and disaster preparedness,
prevention-oriented practices, quality improvement and patient safety.
Both the Council on Graduate Medical Education and Institute of
Medicine have called for enhanced training support.
Currently, residency programs scramble to patch together funding
packages for their residents. Limited stipend support has made it
difficult for programs to attract and retain high-quality applicants;
faculty and tuition support has been almost nonexistent.\12\ Directors
of residency programs note that they receive many inquiries about and
applications for training in preventive medicine; however, training
slots often are not available for those highly qualified physicians who
are not directly sponsored by an outside agency (such as the Armed
Services) or who do not have specific interests in areas for which
limited stipends are available (such as research in cancer prevention).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\12\ Magee JH. Analysis of Program Data for Preventive Medicine
Residencies in the United States: Report to the Bureau of Health
Resources & Services Administration. Washington, DC: American College
of Preventive Medicine, 1997.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
HRSA--as authorized in title VII of the Public Health Service Act--
is a critical funding source for several preventive medicine residency
programs. HRSA funding ($1.1 million in fiscal year 2008) currently
supports only about 20 physicians in 5 preventive medicine training
programs,\13\ yet it represents the largest Federal funding source for
public health and general preventive medicine (PH/GPM) programs.
Funding is in steady decline; in fiscal year 2002 the level was $1.9
million.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\13\ http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/publichealth/preventive/index.htm.
Preventive Medicine Residency Training Grants.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
These programs directly support the mission of the HRSA health
professions programs by facilitating practice in underserved
communities and promoting training opportunities for underrepresented
minorities:
--Forty percent of HRSA-supported preventive medicine graduates
practice in medically underserved communities, a rate four
times the average for all health professionals.\4\ These
physicians are meeting a critical need in these underserved
communities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ Biviano M. Public Health and Preventive Medicine: What the Data
Shows. Presented at the 9th Annual Preventive Medicine Residency
Program Directors Workshop, San Antonio, Texas. HRSA. 2002.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
--One-third of preventive medicine residents funded through HRSA
programs are under-represented minorities, which is three times
the average of minority representation among all health
professionals.\4\ Increased representation of minorities is
critical because (1) under-represented minorities tend to
practice in medically underserved areas at a higher rate than
nonminority physicians, and (2) a higher proportion of
minorities contributes to high-quality, culturally competent
care.
--Fourteen percent of all preventive medicine residents are under-
represented minorities, the largest proportion of any medical
specialty.\16\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\16\ Percentage of ACGME Residents/Fellows Who are Black, Native
American or Native Hawaiian by Speciality. AAMC/AMA National GME
census, October 2008.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
the bottom line: a strong, prepared, public health system requires a
strong preventive medicine workforce
The growing threats of a flu pandemic, disasters, and terrorism has
thrust public health into the forefront of the Nation's consciousness.
ACPM applauds recent investments in disaster planning, information
technology, laboratory capacity, and drug and vaccine stockpiles.
However, any efforts to strengthen the public health infrastructure and
disaster response capability must include measures to strengthen the
existing training programs that help produce public health leaders.
Many of the public health leaders who guide the Nation's public
health response in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks and the
recent hurricane disasters were physicians trained in preventive
medicine. According to William L. Roper, MD, MPH, Dean of the School of
Public Health, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
``Investing in public health preparedness and response without
supporting public health and preventive medicine training programs is
like building a sophisticated fleet of fighter jets without training
the pilots to fly them.''
______

Prepared Statement of the Association for Clinical Research Training
summary of recommendations for fiscal year 2010
Works towards fully funding the emerging Clinical and Translational
Science Awards (CTSA) program by a providing $532 million of support.
Continued support for the NIH K-awards for the training of research
scientists. Continued emphasis on the importance of Comparative
Effectiveness Research (CER).
Association for Clinical Research Training (ACRT) is committed to
improving the Nation's health by increasing the amount and quality of
clinical research through the expansion and improvement of clinical
research training. This training is funded by both the National
Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality (AHRQ).
The National Alliance of Socieities for Clinical Research Resources
(NASCRR) is comprised of the national organizations that provide
leadership in the field of clinical and translational medical research.
NASCRR coalesces around areas of common concern for the entire
community and works in support of the mission of the National Center
for Research Resources (NCRR).
Let me begin by thanking the subcommittee for showing a strong
commitment to improving public health through the recently passed
fiscal year 2009 omnibus appropriations package. The legislation
included $938 million for NIH; the first meaningful funding increase to
the agency's baseline budget in many years. ACRT applauds the
subcommittee for its role in securing this funding, and we hope that
significant funding increases for NIH and other public health programs
will continue in subsequent fiscal years.
Clinical research is an increasingly important component of medical
research. A large, well-trained workforce is required to ensure that
breakthroughs in bioscience are translated into improved treatment
options for patients. Currently, the field of clinical research is
facing the same work-force shortage and retention issues felt
throughout the medical research community. Additionally, clinical
investigators undertake comparative effectiveness research activities
and as investment in this area is increased, it stands to reason that
the present pressures on the clinical research community will be
exacerbated. Commitments to increase funding for clinical research
training activities and programs must be made to ensure that in the
future, the workforce is robust and capable of improving the public
health in an effective and expeditious manner.
the importance of fully funding the ctsa program.
The CTSA program is a critical effort to modernize this Nation's
clinical and translational research infrastructure, and bring the
entire field of medical research into the 21st century. To accomplish
this task, the program has identified four important goals; improving
the way biomedical research is conducted across the country, reducing
the time it takes for laboratory discoveries to become treatments for
patients, engaging communities in clinical research efforts, and
training the next generation of clinical and translational researchers.
The CTSA program is intended to assist institutions in creating a
home for clinical and translational science. The program started with
12 academic health centers located throughout the Nation, and the NIH's
plan for the CTSAs will ultimately link 60 institutions together to
energize the discipline of clinical and translational science.
Currently, there are 38 CTSA sites.
Recent years of near-level funding for NIH have hampered NCRR's
budget and drained the pool of resources that could be committed to
supporting the growing CTSA network.
NCRR has to reduce the size of awards by about half in some
instances. NCRR does not have the funds necessary to support 60 sites.
When applying to be part of the CTSA network, institutions had to
identify the types of programs and research they would be conducting.
The proposals that were deemed meritorious were subsequently funded,
but in most cases at a reduced level.
While we applaud the funding for NCRR that was provided through the
economic stimulus package, this additional money has created a
frustrating situation for CTSA-recipients. Presently, NCRR and other
NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices are holding competitions and
accepting proposals to allocate the stimulus funds. Many of the
research activities which are being proposed are very similar to
activities the CTSA's already outlined in their initial peer-reviewed
applications, but have been unable to undertake due to a lack of
funding. In fact, many CTSA's are simply peeling off the programs which
have been approved, but unfunded and redundantly competing for stimulus
funds. Trying to fully fund CTSA activities in this manner is overly
complicated and inefficient.
The CTSA program is currently funded at just under $475 million.
You will note from the attached professional judgment provided by NCRR
that to facilitate appropriate implementation, the program requires a
funding level of $532 million in fiscal year 2010. Additionally, this
document states that to fully implement the program and support a
network of 60 centers by 2011, a funding level of $669 million is
required.
It is our recommendation that the subcommittee work towards full
implementation of the CTSA program by providing $532 million in support
for fiscal year 2010.
the importance of continuing to support the k-awards program
As the CTSA program is rolled out, it is meant to subsume the
activities of other NCRR programs, such as the K-30 Clinical Research
Curriculum Awards (CRCA). However, while flat budgets slowed
implementation of the CTSA network, the phasing out of K-30 awards
continued on unimpeded. Last year the subcommittee showed strong
leadership and urged NCRR to continue the CRCA program for those
institutions that had not yet received a CTSA. I am pleased to inform
you that the NCRR has complied with this request, and recently the
Center issued the K-30 recompetition notice. Thank you for taking an
interest in clinical research training and please continue to do so
moving forward.
K-30 awards remain an exceedingly cost-effective approach to
improving the quality of training in clinical research. This efficiency
is seen throughout the larger K-award program which has many mechanisms
that go beyond the scope of the K-30's to provide support for career
development for individual researchers. Highly trained clinical
researchers are needed in order to capitalize on the many profound
developments and discoveries in basic science and to translate them to
clinical settings at all research institutions.
While the K-30 awards are primarily funded by NCRR, these
individualized K-awards, like the K-23 Mentored Patient-Oriented
Research Career Development Awards and the K-24 Midcareer Investigator
Awards in Patient-Oriented Research are administered by many NIH
Institutes and Centers. K-23 awards support the career development of
investigators who have made a commitment to focus their research
endeavors on patient-oriented research. The purpose of K-24 awards is
to provide support to mid-career health-professional doctorates that
are typically at the Associate Professor level for protected time to
devote to patient-oriented research and to act as research mentors
primarily for clinical residents, clinical fellows and/or junior
clinical faculty.
The universe of K-awards is vast and also includes K-01 Mentored
Research Scientist Development Awards and K-08 Mentored Clinical
Scientist Development Awards, amongst others. All of these awards
mechanism fill a critical research training niche. As the role of the
clinical investigator gains prominence, it is important to begin
raising awareness of these mechanisms and to bolstering their support.
We ask the subcommittee to emphasize its interest in the K-award
programs and to urge NIH to continue to provide adequate support for K-
awards moving forward.
the importance of continuing to support cer
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 contained $1.1
billion for CER activities at NIH and AHRQ. NIH has been conducting
critical CER for some time and we are pleased that Congress is
beginning to appreciate the importance of these activities.
Within the $1.1 billion allocation for CER, $400 million was
provided to NIH. CTSA program recipients should compete well for a
portion of these funds as many sites consider CER a crucial component
of clinical and translational research. Additionally, the CTSA network
is intended to be a collaborative endeavor capable of leveraging great
resources to maximize productivity. As CER gains prominence, we hope
the Subcommittee will recognize the CTSA network as an ideal home for
comparative effectiveness research activities.
CER is just one example of how the role of the clinical
investigator is becoming more critical in a modern healthcare system.
However, without bolstering clinical research training opportunities we
will not be able to properly prepare the next generation of clinical
researchers. This will slow hinder our Nation's capability to stay on
the cutting edge of medical research and slow the development of new
treatment options for patients.
We ask the subcommittee to continue to appreciate and support CER
activities at NIH and AHRQ. We also ask that concurrently the
subcommittee express its interest in expanding clinical research
training opportunities at both NIH and AHRQ.
Thank you for this opportunity to present the views and
recommendations of the clinical research training community.

ADDENDUM

National Institutes of Health--National Center for Research Resources
(NCRR)

CTSA/GCRC ESTIMATE PER CURRENT MODEL
[Dollars in millions]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal year Fiscal year Fiscal year
Cohort No. 2009 2010 2011
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal year 2006 Grants \1\..................... 12 $140 $140 $116
Fiscal year 2007 Grants \1\..................... 12 120 121 121
Fiscal year 2008 Grants \1\..................... 14 107 107 107
Fiscal year 2009 Grants \1\..................... 5 36 36 36
Fiscal year 2010 Grants \1\..................... 2 .............. 14 14
Fiscal year 2011 Grants \1\..................... 15 .............. .............. 100
---------------------------------------------------------------
Total, CTSA Grants........................ 60 403 418 494CTSA Support Contract........................... .............. 3 3 3
K30 Recompetition............................... .............. .............. 5 1
---------------------------------------------------------------
Total, CTSAs.............................. .............. 406 426 497GCRCs........................................... .............. 69 41 3 Total, CTSAs/IGCRCs....................... .............. 475 467 500
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ UL1, KL2, TL1 awards.

CTSAI/GCRC ESTIMATE IF REQUESTED AMOUNT AWARDED
[Dollars in millions]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal year Fiscal year Fiscal year
Cohort No. 2009 2010 2011
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal year 2006 Grants \1\..................... 12 $140 $140 $140
Fiscal year 2007 Grants \1\..................... 12 158 158 158
Fiscal year 2008 Grants \1\..................... 14 155 155 155
Fiscal year 2009 Grants \1\..................... 5 50 50 50
Fiscal year 2010 Grants \1\..................... 2 .............. 21 21
Fiscal year 2011 Grants \1\..................... 15 .............. .............. 142
---------------------------------------------------------------
Total, CTSA Grants........................ 60 503 524 \2\ 666CTSA Support Contract........................... .............. 3 3 3
K30 Recompetition............................... .............. .............. 5 1
---------------------------------------------------------------
Total, CTSAs.............................. .............. 506 532 669GCRCs........................................... .............. 69 41 3
---------------------------------------------------------------
Total, CTSAs/IGCRCs....................... .............. 575 573 672
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ UL1, KL2, TL1 awards.
\2\ It would cost $666 million to fund 60 CTSAs at the amounts requested by the institutions, which is $166
million more than the $500 million budget.

DIFFERENCE
[Dollars in millions]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal year Fiscal year Fiscal year
Cohort No. 2009 2010 2011
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal year 2006 Grants \1\..................... 12 .............. .............. \2\ $24
Fiscal year 2007 Grants \1\..................... 12 38 $37 37
Fiscal year 2009 Grants \1\..................... 14 $48 48 48
Fiscal year 2009 Grants \1\..................... 5 14 14 14
Fiscal year 2010 Grants \1\..................... 2 .............. 7 7
Fiscal year 2011 Grants \1\..................... 15 .............. .............. 42
---------------------------------------------------------------
Total, CTSA Grants........................ 60 100 106 172CTSA Support Contract........................... .............. .............. .............. ..............
K30 Recompetition............................... .............. .............. .............. ..............
---------------------------------------------------------------
Total, CTSAs.............................. .............. 100 106 172GCRCs........................................... .............. .............. .............. ..............
---------------------------------------------------------------
Total, CTSAs/IGCDCs....................... .............. 100 106 172
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ UL1, KL2, TL1 awards.
\2\ It would cost an additional $100 million in fiscal year 2009, $106 million in fiscal year 2010, and $172
million in fiscal year 2011 to fund the CTSAs at the amounts requested by the institutions.

______

Prepared Statement of The American Heart Association
Despite considerable progress, heart disease, stroke, and other
forms of cardiovascular disease remain major causes of permanent
disability and our Nation's No. 1 and most costly killer, with a death
every 37 seconds. Cardiovascular disease will cost our country a
projected $475 billion in medical costs and lost productivity this
year. Heart disease, alone, is our leading cause of death and stroke is
our No. 3 killer.
In the face of these staggering statistics, heart disease and
stroke research, treatment and prevention programs remain woefully
underfunded. For example, National Institutes of Health (NIH) invests
only 4 percent of its budget on heart research and a mere 1 percent on
stroke research. This level of funding is not commensurate with
scientific opportunities, the number afflicted and the economic toll
exacted on our Nation.
Cardiovascular disease remains the No. 1 killer in every State and
many preventable and treatable risk factors continue to escalate.
Unfortunately, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has
been able to provide basic implementation awards to only 14 States
through its Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program and only 20
States are funded for CDC's WISEWOMAN, a heart disease and stroke
screening program for low-income uninsured and underinsured females.
Moreover, where you live could affect whether you survive a
particularly deadly form of heart disease, sudden cardiac arrest. At
present, only 12 States receive funding for the Health Resources and
Services Administration's (HRSA) Rural and Community Access to
Emergency Devices Program designed to save lives from sudden cardiac
death.
The American Heart Association (AHA) appreciates Congress providing
hope to the 1 in 3 adults in the United States who live with the
consequences of cardiovascular disease, with the enactment of the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and the fiscal year 2009
Omnibus Appropriations Act. The Association commends Congress for
including $10 billion for the NIH and $1 billion for a Prevention and
Wellness Fund in the ARRA. These are wise and prudent investments that
will provide both a much needed boost to our Nation's economy and
enhance health. Yet these funds represent a one-time infusion of
resources. Stable and sustained funding is imperative to boost heart
disease and stroke prevention and treatment.
funding recommendations: investing in the health of our nation
With numerous new and promising research opportunities on the
horizon and with cardiovascular disease risk factors on the rise, now
is the time to make a wise enhanced investment to prevent and treat
America's No. 1 and most costly killer. If Congress fails to capitalize
on progress against cardiovascular disease now, Americans will pay more
in the future in lost lives and higher healthcare costs. Our
recommendations listed below address these issues in a comprehensive
but fiscally responsible way follow.
funding gap for the nih
NIH research has revolutionized patient care and holds the key to
finding new ways to prevent, treat, and cure cardiovascular disease,
resulting in longer, healthier lives and reduced healthcare costs. NIH
invests resources in every State and in 90 percent of congressional
districts.
The AHA Recommends.--AHA supports the President's campaign pledge
to double the NIH budget over the next decade. We advocate for a fiscal
year 2010 appropriation of $32.4 billion for NIH, a 7 percent increase
over the fiscal year 2009 appropriation, representing the first
installment to double the NIH budget by fiscal year 2020. Stable and
sustained funding is needed to help secure a solid return on Congress'
investment that has saved millions of lives. NIH supported research
prevents and cures disease and generates economic growth, creates jobs
and preserves the U.S. role as the world leader in pharmaceuticals and
biotechnology. Each NIH grant is associated with approximately seven
jobs.
enhance funding for nih heart and stroke research: a proven and wise
investment
Death rates from coronary heart disease and stroke have each fallen
by almost 30 percent since 1999. This decline is directly related to
NIH heart and stroke research, with scientists on the verge of new and
exciting discoveries that could lead to innovative treatments and even
cures for heart disease and stroke. For instance, recent NIH research
has shown that postmenopausal hormone therapy does not prevent heart
disease and stroke, has defined the genetic basis of dangerous
responses to vital blood-thinners, and funded early work of the 2007
Nobel Prize winners in Physiology or Medicine for development of gene
targeting technology.
In addition to saving lives, NIH-supported research can cut
healthcare costs. For example, the original NIH tPA drug trial resulted
in a 10-year net $6.47 billion reduction in stroke healthcare costs.
The Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation Trial 1 produced a 10-year
net saving of $1.27 billion. But, despite such concrete returns on
investments and other successes, NIH heart and stroke research
continues to be disproportionately underfunded, with NIH spending only
4 percent of its budget on heart research, and a mere 1 percent on
stroke research. NIH funding for these diseases are not commensurate
with scientific opportunities, the number afflicted, the increasing
prevalence, and the economic toll exacted on our Nation.
cardiovascular disease research: national heart, lung, and blood
institute (nhlbi)
Cardiovascular disease research funding fails to keep pace with
medical research inflation and cannot sufficiently support existing
studies or permit investment in promising research opportunities. The
sustained loss of purchasing power has reduced NHLBI's ability to
support investigator-initiated research and has forced cuts in
Institute programs. Cutbacks will limit the implementation of both the
NHLBI general and cardiovascular-specific strategic plans. Studies that
could be scaled back include, the translation of basic research on
human behavior into real world ways to reduce obesity and promote
cardiovascular health; research on genetic susceptibility to heart
disease in the Framingham population followed for three generations,
and additional research into the best methods for saving lives of
sudden cardiac arrest sufferers.
stroke research: national institute of neurological disorders and
stroke (ninds)
An estimated 795,000 Americans will suffer a stroke this year, and
more than 137,000 will die. Many of the 6.5 million stroke survivors
face physical and mental disabilities, emotional distress and huge
costs--a projected $69 billion in medical expenses and lost
productivity in 2009.
The NINDS-sponsored Stroke Progress Review Group has issued a long-
term, stroke research strategic plan. A variety of research initiatives
have since been undertaken, but more funding is needed to fully
implement the plan. The fiscal year 2009 estimate for NINDS stroke
research falls about 60 percent short of the plan's target and
additional funding is needed for programs such as:
--Stroke Translational Research.--Translational studies are essential
to providing cutting-edge stroke treatment, patient care and
prevention. However, due to budget shortfalls, NINDS has been
forced to scale back by 30 percent its Specialized Programs of
Translational Research in Acute Stroke from a planned 10
centers to only 7.
--Genetic Repository.--NINDS could better understand genetic risk
factors associated with stroke by helping more researchers
contribute data and findings to an NIH-funded genetic
repository and to study available samples.
--Neurological Emergencies Treatment Trials Network.--NINDS has
established a clinical research network of emergency medicine
physicians, neurologists and neurosurgeons to develop more and
improved treatments for acute neurological emergencies, such as
strokes. However, the number of trials will be limited by
available funding.
The AHA Recommends.--AHA supports an fiscal year 2010 appropriation
of $3.227 billion for the NHLBI; and $1.705 billion for the NINDS.
These represent a 7 percent increase more than fiscal year 2009--
comparable to the Association's recommended percentage increase for the
NIH.
increase funding for the cdc
Prevention is the best way to protect the health of Americans and
reduce the economic burden of heart disease and stroke. However,
effective prevention strategies and programs are not being implemented
due to insufficient Federal resources.
For example, despite the fact that cardiovascular disease remains
the No. 1 killer in every State, CDC's Division for Heart Disease and
Stroke Prevention funds only 14 States to implement programs to reduce
risk factors for heart disease and stroke, improve emergency response
and quality care, and end treatment disparities. Another 27 States
receive funds for capacity building (planning); but, there are no funds
for actual implementation and many of these States have been stalled in
the planning phase for years--some for a decade.
This division also administers the WISEWOMAN program that screens
uninsured and underinsured low-income women ages 40 to 64 in 20 States
for heart disease and stroke risk. They receive counseling, education,
referral, and followup as needed. Since January 2000, more than 84,000
women have been screened and more than 210,000 lifestyle interventions
have been conducted. An estimated 94 percent of these women were found
to have at least one risk factor or pre-condition for heart disease,
stroke, or other forms of cardiovascular disease. This program should
be expanded to the other 30 States and to screen more eligible women in
currently funded States.
The AHA Recommends.--AHA joins with the CDC Coalition in support of
an appropriation of $8.6 billion for CDC core programs, including
increases for the Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention and WISEWOMAN
programs. Within that total, we recommend $74 million for the Heart
Disease and Stroke Prevention Program, allowing CDC to: (1) add the
nine unfunded States; (2) elevate up to 18 States with capacity
building awards to basic program implementation; (3) continue to
support the remaining funded States; (4) maintain the Paul Coverdell
National Acute Stroke Registry; (5) increase the capacity for heart
disease and stroke surveillance; and (6) provide additional support for
prevention research and program evaluation. We advocates $37 million to
expand WISEWOMAN to more States. During last year's national
competition, 10 States received approved applications but were denied
funding due to insufficient resources. And, we join with the Friends of
the NCHS in recommending $137.5 million for NCHS and one-time funding
of $15 million to modernize the vital statistics system.
restore funding for rural and community access to emergency devices
(aed) program
About 92 percent of cardiac arrest victims die outside of a
hospital. Receiving immediate CPR and the use of an AED can more than
double your chance of survival. Communities with comprehensive AED
programs have achieved survival rates of 40 percent or higher. The
Rural and Community AED Program provides grants to States to buy and
place AEDs and train lay rescuers and first responders to use them.
During its first year, 6,400 AEDs were purchased, and placed and 38,800
individuals were trained. Due to budget cuts, only 12 States receive
resources for this program.
The AHA Recommends.--For fiscal year 2010, AHA advocates restoring
the Rural and Community AED Program to its fiscal year 2005 level of
$8.927 million.
increase funding for the agency for healthcare research and quality
(ahrq)
AHRQ develops scientific evidence to improve health and healthcare.
Through its Effective Health Care Program, AHRQ supports research
focused on outcomes, comparative effectiveness, and the appropriateness
of pharmaceuticals, devices and healthcare services for conditions such
as heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure.
On another front, AHRQ's health information technology (HIT) plan
will help bring healthcare into the 21st century through more than $260
million invested in more than 200 projects and demonstrations since
2004. AHRQ and its partners identify challenges to HIT adoption and
use; develop solutions and best practices; and produce tools that help
hospitals and clinicians successfully integrate HIT. This work must
continue as a key component to health reform.
The AHA Recommends.--AHA joins with Friends of AHRQ in advocating
for a $405 million in base funding for AHRQ. It will preserve AHRQ's
current initiatives and get the agency on track to a base budget of
$500 million by 2013.
conclusion
Cardiovascular disease continues to impose a deadly, disabling and
costly burden on Americans. However, a robust funding increase for NIH,
CDC and HRSA research, treatment, and prevention programs will continue
to save lives and reduce rising healthcare costs. The AHA urges
Congress to give serious consideration to our recommendations during
the fiscal year 2010 congressional appropriations process. They are a
wise investment for our Nation and the health and well-being of all
Americans now and in future generations.
______

Prepared Statement of Advocate Health Care
introduction and overview
Advocate Health Care (Advocate)--the largest integrated healthcare
provider in Illinois--very much appreciates the opportunity to submit
written testimony for the record regarding Federal funding for the
title VII and title VIII programs of the Public Health Service Act.
Advocate serves 3.1 million patients annually and has a presence in
virtually every Illinois congressional district through the operation
of more than 200 sites of care. Specifically, 9 acute care hospitals, 2
children's hospitals, 4 Level I trauma centers (the State's highest
designation in trauma care), a home healthcare company, and the
region's largest medical group--in Illinois' 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th,
6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 13th and 14th Congressional Districts.
Advocate also serves patients from--and employs people in the 11th and
16th Congressional Districts of Illinois. As the second largest
employer in the Chicagoland area, Advocate employs 28,000 individuals,
including 7,000 nurses. More than 5,000 physicians are also affiliated
with Advocate.
Advocate maintains a long-standing commitment to supporting the
nurses who work within the Advocate system and to increasing resources
at the State and Federal level to bolster and expand Illinois' and the
Nation's nursing workforce. High-quality, compassionate health
professionals are critical to the delivery of care in the Advocate
system. Without our 7,000 nurses--who work hard every day on behalf of
patients and their families, our standard of care could not be achieved
for the millions of people we serve throughout Illinois each year.
Advocate joins with Members of Congress, national nursing
organizations, health professional societies and coalitions, and the
general public in being deeply concerned about the current and
anticipated national shortages of nurses and other health professionals
and their potential adverse impact on patient access to quality care.
To that end, Advocate respectfully urges the House Labor, Health and
Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations
Subcommittee to provide $550 million in fiscal year 2010 funding for
the title VII and title VIII programs of the Public Health Service Act
to support and expand diversity within the Nation's healthcare
workforce, and ensure that the Nation has the nurses and other health
professionals it needs to provide quality care to the patients of today
and tomorrow.
the nursing shortage and the need for title viii funding
According to an April 13, 2009 Wall Street Journal article, last
summer, the nation was short approximately 125,000 nurses. The nurse
faculty shortage is of serious concern, since it is widely recognized
as a principal cause of the nursing shortage. The American Association
of Colleges of Nursing reports that in 2008, nearly 50,000 qualified
applicants were not able to matriculate in nursing school, ``due
primarily to a shortage of faculty shortage and resource constraints.''
Although the recent economic downturn has prompted some nurses, who
were retired or otherwise not working, to return to the workforce, many
communities across the nation still do not have enough nurses to work
in their hospitals and nursing homes, or to provide care in home or
ambulatory settings.
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) estimates
that, due to a combination of increased demand and the anticipated
insufficient supply of registered nurses, the Nation will face a
growing shortage in the years ahead. Specifically, the Nation will be
short an estimated 275,215 nurses in 2015--a deficit that will grow to
approximately 808,416 by 2020. Within Illinois, HRSA predicts that the
State will be short an estimated 9,300 nurses in 2010 and 31,900 in
2020. Since nearly 60 percent of all nurses are employed by hospitals,
the national and State level nursing shortages will have a significant
and disproportionate impact on hospitals and hospital systems,
including Advocate.
The Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs, housed at
HRSA, provide resources to support the education and training for
entry-level and advanced practice nurses. Specifically, title VIII
programs offer loans, scholarships, traineeships, and other support to
tens of thousands of individuals each year. According to the Health
Professions and Nursing Education Coalition (HPNEC), more than 50,000
nursing students and nurses received support from title VIII in fiscal
year 2008. However, it is important to note that the demand for such
financial support far exceeds current resources. In fiscal year 2008,
HRSA received 6,078 applications for the Nurse Education Loan Repayment
Program, but only had the funds to award 435 of those applications.
Also, in fiscal year 2008, HRSA received 4,894 applications for the
Nursing Scholarship Program, but only had funding to support 172
awards. As such, to ensure that the nation can educate, train, and
deploy enough nurses to the communities most in need, Advocate urges
the subcommittee to provide a significant increase to title VIII
programs in fiscal year 2010.
physician shortages and the need for title vii funding
The title VII health professions programs, housed within HRSA,
provide: loans, loan guarantees and repayments, and scholarships to
students; and contracts and grants to nonprofit organizations and
entities, as well as academic institutions. Program funding supports:
(1) health professional training--with a focus on increasing minority
representation in the healthcare workforce, and (2) myriad community-
based programs, which seek to increase access to care for underserved
individuals and communities in Illinois and across the nation. As the
nation currently faces shortages of primary care and specialty
physicians--shortfalls that are expected to worsen in the coming
years--these programs play a critical role in bolstering the nation's
health workforce and helping to ensure its diversity.
Advocate is proud that from fiscal year 2003 to fiscal year 2006,
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center (AIMMC)--an urban, Level I
trauma center serving primarily high-risk populations in medically
underserved and ethnically diverse Chicago northside communities--
received a total of more than $600,000 in funding from HRSA for its two
residency programs--in family practice and dentistry. HRSA funding
helped support the training of 23 primary care/family practice
residents, approximately 40 percent of whom were ethnic minorities.
This Federal funding of the AIMMC residency program helped develop
dozens of physicians who chose to practice in primary care, many of
whom specifically work in underserved communities. For example,
graduates of the AIMMC family residency program have gone on to
practice in rural health clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers,
Federal and State Health Professional Shortage Areas, the Indian Health
Service, and HIV/AIDS primary care clinics. In addition, past HRSA
funding also supported the AIMMC dental residency program, allowing the
staffing of a mobile dental van that provides care to approximately 600
individuals--primarily uninsured--who have limited access to dental
providers and care.
As you know, funding for the title VII programs was reduced by more
than 50 percent from fiscal year 2005 to fiscal year 2006, and funding
for the title VIII program was decreased by nearly 34 percent during
the same period. Due to these significant cuts--coupled with modest
increases in the subsequent years--there have not been adequate
resources to continue to fund Advocate's residency programs. The lack
of title VII and title VIII funding has had a significant impact on
our--and other hospitals'--ability to train the next generation of
physicians and dentists. Moreover, we are concerned that the Nation is
not investing adequately in health professionals who have an interest
in--and commitment to--working in underserved communities. Increased
fiscal year 2010 funding for title VII will help ensure that our nation
is making the investment necessary to have the educated, well-trained,
and diverse health professional workforce to care for a growing
population in need.
fiscal year 2010 funding request and conclusion
As the Congress works to increase access to healthcare for all
Americans--a critical action we support--the number of individuals
seeking care is anticipated to grow significantly. At the exact same
time that demand for healthcare likely will rise, the Nation is facing
a significant shortage of nurses, physicians, and other health
professionals. Therefore, we urge the subcommittee to provide $550
million to the title VII and title VIII programs of the Public Health
Service Act to bolster the Nation's health workforce and ensure access
to care for all in need. We thank the subcommittee for its
consideration of our views and stand ready to be a resource to you on
health workforce and other matters.
______

Prepared Statement of The Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research
The Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research, which is a coalition of more
than 300 patient and voluntary health groups, medical and scientific
societies, academic and research organizations, and industry, thanks
and commends Congress for including the extraordinary investment in
medical research through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that
was included as part of in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
(ARRA, Public Law 111-5) as well as the $938 million increase in NIH
funding in the Omnibus Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2009 (Public
Law 111-8). In particular, we are deeply grateful to the subcommittee
for its long-standing support of NIH. These are difficult times for our
Nation and for people all around the globe, but the affirmation of
science is the key to a better future is a strategic step forward.
The partnership between NIH and America's scientists, medical
schools, teaching hospitals, universities, and research institutions
continues to serve as the driving force in this Nation's search for
ever-greater understanding of the mechanisms of human health and
disease, from which arise new diagnostics and treatments, and cures,
and better ways to improve the health and quality of life for all
Americans. These advances also contribute to the Nation's economic
strength by creating skilled, high-paying jobs; new products and
industries; and improved technologies.
The recent history of the NIH budget has hindered scientific
discovery and limited the capacity of a key engine for today's
innovation-based economy. The additional funding in the ARRA and the
fiscal year 2009 omnibus are critical first steps to returning the NIH
to a course for even greater discovery. These investments give
patients, their families and researchers renewed hope for the future,
and will help ensure the success of America's medical research
enterprise and leadership.
The funding increases in the ARRA and the fiscal year 2009 omnibus
will provide an immediate infusion of funds into the Nation's proven
and highly competitive medical research enterprise to sustain the
pursuit of improved diagnostics, better prevention strategies, and new
treatments for many devastating and costly diseases as well as support
innovative research ideas, state-of-the-art scientific facilities and
instrumentation, and the scientists, technicians, laboratory personnel,
and administrators necessary to maintain the enterprise. More
importantly, these funds will reinvigorate this Nation's ability to
produce the human and intellectual capital that will continue to drive
scientific discovery, transform health, and improve the quality of life
for all Americans.
Moreover, we see this as the first step in renewing a national
commitment to sustained, predictable growth in NIH funding, which we
believe is an essential element in restoring and sustaining both
national and local economic growth and vitality as well as maintaining
this Nation's prominence as the world leader in medical research.
President Obama has committed to increase Federal support for
research, technology, and innovation so that America can lead the world
in creating new advanced jobs and products. A key element of his
strategy is to double Federal funding for basic research to ``foster
home-grown innovation, help ensure the competitiveness of U.S.
technology-based businesses, and ensure that 21st century jobs can and
will grow in America.'' If America is to succeed in the information-
based, innovation driven world-wide economy of the 21st century, we
must recommit to long-term sustained and predictable growth in medical
research funding.
As a result of this subcommittee's prior investment in NIH, we have
made critical advances in several key areas including:
--Stem Cells.--Reprogramming skin cells from a patient with
Parkinson's Disease into normal neurons that could be used to
fight this degenerative disease.
--Infectious Diseases.--Developing more effective antibodies, and
ultimately vaccines, to fight lethal flu viruses before they
become pandemic.
--Cancer.--Launching the Cancer Genome Atlas as a partnership between
the National Cancer Institute and the National Human Genome
Research Institute to discover the genetic basis for various
cancers.
In addition, as a consequence of the investment over the past two
decades in the human genome project and other areas of genetics, we are
now entering an era of personalized medicine, which has the potential
to transform healthcare through earlier diagnosis, more effective
prevention and treatment of disease, and avoidance of drug side
effects. For example, the same medication can help one patient and be
ineffective for, or toxic to, another. By applying our greater
understanding of how an individual's genetic make-up affects a response
to specific drugs, we will increasingly know which patients will likely
benefit from treatment and which will not benefit, or worse, be harmed.
Cancer chemotherapy and the use of the anticoagulant Coumadin are good
examples of how this might be applied.
However, the discovery process--while it produces tremendous
value--often takes a lengthy and unpredictable path. The talent base
and infrastructure that we are creating needs to be maintained. Large
fluctuations in funding will be disruptive to training, to careers,
long range projects and ultimately to progress. The research engine
needs a predictable, sustained investment in science to maximize our
return.
We must ensure that after the stimulus money is spent we do not
have to dismantle our newly built capacity and terminate valuable, on-
going research. In 2011 and beyond we need to be able to continue to
advance the new directions initiated with ARRA support.
The fiscal year 2009 omnibus and the ARRA provided $38.5 billion
for NIH to provide more than 16,000 new research grants for live-saving
research into diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's.
Keeping up with the rising cost of medical research in the 2010
appropriations will help NIH begin to prepare for the ``post-stimulus''
era. In 2011 and beyond we need to make sure that the total funding
available to NIH does not decline and that we can resume a steady,
sustainable growth that will enable us to achieve the President's goal
of doubling our investment in basic research. Consistent with the
President's vision, we respectfully urge this subcommittee to increase
funding for NIH in fiscal year 2010 by at least 7 percent.
The ravages of disease are many, and the opportunities for progress
across all fields of medical science to address these needs are
profound. The community appreciates that this subcommittee has always
recognized that science is unpredictable and that it is difficult to
know exactly which discoveries gained through basic research will
foster the next medical advancement. There are many examples of areas
where important therapies for one disease have resulted from
investments in unrelated areas of research. Investing broadly in
biomedical research is the key to ensuring the future of America's
medical research enterprise and the health of her citizens.
Thank you again for your leadership in improving the health and
quality of life for all Americans.
______

Prepared Statement of the AIDS Institute
Dear Chairman Harkin and members of the subcommittee: The AIDS
Institute, a national public policy research, advocacy, and education
organization, is pleased to comment in support of critical HIV/AIDS and
Hepatitis programs as part of the fiscal year 2010 Labor, Health and
Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies appropriation
measure. We thank you for your support of these programs over the
years, and trust you will do your best to adequately fund them in the
future in order to provide for and protect the health of the Nation.
hiv/aids
HIV/AIDS remains one of the world's worst health pandemics in
history. Worldwide, some 33 million people are infected with this
incurable infectious disease, and 7,400 new infections occur each day.
Tragically, AIDS has already claimed the lives of more than 25 million.
In the United States 583,298 people have died of AIDS. Last year, the
CDC announced that its estimate of new infections per year is now
56,300, which is 40 percent higher than previous estimates. That
translates into a new infection every 9\1/2\ minutes. At the end of
2007, an estimated 1.1 million people in the United States were living
with HIV/AIDS.
Persons of minority races and ethnicities are disproportionately
affected by HIV/AIDS. African Americans, who make up 12 percent of the
U.S. population, account for half of the HIV/AIDS cases. HIV/AIDS also
disproportionately affects the poor, and about 70 percent of those
infected rely on public healthcare financing.
The U.S. Government has played a leading role in fighting HIV/AIDS,
both here and abroad. The vast majority of the discretionary programs
supporting HIV/AIDS efforts domestically are funded through your
subcommittee. The AIDS Institute, working in coalition with other AIDS
organizations, has developed funding request numbers for each of these
domestic AIDS programs. We ask that you do your best to adequately fund
them at the requested level.
Below are the program requests and supporting explanation:

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION--HIV PREVENTION AND
SURVEILLANCE
[In millions of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amount
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal year 2009........................................ 692
Fiscal year 2010 President's budget request............. 745
Fiscal year 2010 community request...................... 1,570
------------------------------------------------------------------------

As stated above, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) has increased the estimate of people infected each year by 40
percent. New infections are particularly occurring in certain
populations, such as the poor, African-Americans, men who have sex with
men, Latinos, substance users, and the incarcerated. In order to
address the specific needs of these populations and the increased
number of people infected, CDC is going to need additional funding.
The CDC has developed a professional judgment budget outlining what
funding is necessary to improve HIV prevention efforts and reduce HIV
transmission in the United States. The professional judgment budget
called for an additional $877 million in funding over the next 5 years.
With the additional funding the CDC estimates that by 2020 it could
decrease the HIV transmission rate by 50 percent, reduce the number of
people who do not know their status by 50 percent, and halve the
disparities in the Black and Hispanic communities.
This additional funding would be targeted toward: (1) Increasing
HIV testing and the number of people who are reached by effective
prevention programs; (2) developing new tools to fight HIV with
scientifically proven interventions; and (3) improving systems to
monitor HIV and related risk behaviors, and to evaluate prevention
programs.
Investing in prevention today will save money tomorrow. Every case
of HIV that is prevented saves, on average, $1 million of lifetime
treatment costs for HIV. The CDC estimates that the cost of treating
the estimated 56,300 new HIV infections in 2006 will translate into
$9.5 billion in annual future medical costs.

RYAN WHITE HIV/AIDS PROGRAMS
[In millions of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amount
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal year 2009........................................ 2,238
President's budget request.............................. 2,292
Community request....................................... 2,816
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The centerpiece of the Government's response to caring and treating
low-income people with HIV/AIDS is the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program.
Ryan White currently serves more than half and million low-income,
uninsured, and underinsured people each year.
In fiscal year 2009, the Program received an increase of $72
million, or just 3.3 percent. This increase does not even cover the
rate of inflation. In his fiscal year 2010 budget the President is
proposing an increase of $54 million, or just 2.2 percent. This
includes a $20 million increase, or only 2.5 percent, to the AIDS Drug
Assistance Program. The AIDS Institute urges you to provide substantial
funding increases to all parts of the Ryan White Program. Consider the
following:
--Caseload Levels are Increasing.--People are living longer due to
lifesaving medications; there are more than 56,000 new
infections each year; and increased testing programs, according
to the CDC, will identify 12,000 to 20,000 new people infected
with HIV each year. With rising unemployment, people are losing
their employer-sponsored health coverage. All of this will
necessitate the need for more Ryan White services and
medications.
--The price of healthcare, including medications, is increasing and
State and local budgets are experiencing cutbacks due to the
economic downturn. A recent survey by the National Alliance of
State and Territorial AIDS Directors found that 50 percent of
ADAP programs have experienced or will experience State funding
decreases in fiscal year 2009.
--There are significant numbers of people in the United States who
are not receiving life-saving AIDS medications. An IOM report
concluded that 233,069 people in the United States who know
their HIV status do not have continuous access to Highly Active
Antiretroviral Therapy.
Specifically, The AIDS Institute requests the following funding
levels for each part of the Program:
--Part A provides medical care and vital support services for persons
living with HIV/AIDS in the metropolitan areas most affected by
HIV/AIDS. We request an increase of $103 million, for a total
of $766.1 million.
--Part B base provides essential services including diagnostic, viral
load testing, and viral resistance monitoring and HIV care to
all 50 States, DC, Puerto Rico, and the territories. We are
requesting a $105.4 million increase, for a total of $514.2
million.
The AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) provides life-saving HIV drug
treatment to more than 140,000 people. Due to a lack of
funding, States have not been able to include all necessary
drugs on their formularies, have limited eligibility and capped
enrollment. In order to address the 8,472 new ADAP clients and
drug cost increases, we are requesting an increase of $268.6
million for a total of $1,083.6 million.
--Part C provides early medical intervention and other supportive
services to more than 248,000 people at more than 380 directly
funded clinics. We are requesting a $66.4 million increase, for
a total of $268.3 million.
--Part D provides care to more than 84,000 women, children, youth,
and families living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. This family-
centered care promotes better health, prevents mother-to-child
transmission, and brings hard-to-reach youth into care. We are
requesting a $57.7 million increase, for a total of $134.6
million.
--Part F includes the AIDS Education and Training Centers (AETCs)
program and the Dental Reimbursement program. We are requesting
a $15.6 million increase for the AETC program, for a total of
$50 million, and a $5.6 million increase for the Dental
program, for a total of $19 million.
The AIDS Institute supports increased funding for the Minority AIDS
Initiative (MAI). MAI funds services nationwide that address the
disproportionate impact that HIV has on communities of color. We are
requesting a $200.5 million increase across these programs, for a total
of $610 million.

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH--AIDS RESEARCH
[In billions of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amount
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal year 2009........................................ 3.01
President's budget request.............................. 3.06
Community request....................................... 3.5
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), research is
conducted to understand HIV and its complicated mutations, discover new
drug treatments, develop a vaccine and other prevention programs such
as microbicides, and ultimately develop a cure. Much of this work at
the NIH is done in cooperation with private funding. The critically
important work performed by the NIH not only benefits those in the
United States, but the entire world.
This research has already helped in the development of many highly
effective new drug treatments, prolonging the lives of millions of
people. As neither a cure nor a vaccine exists, and patients continue
to build resistance to existing medications, additional research must
continue. NIH also conducts the necessary behavioral research to learn
how HIV can be prevented best in various affected communities. We ask
the subcommittee to fund critical AIDS research at the community
requested level of $3.5 billion.
comprehensive sex education
The President's proposed budget eliminates appropriated funding for
abstinence-only until marriage programs and instead creates a Teen
Pregnancy Prevention Program primarily for interventions that have gone
through a rigorous evaluation to delay sexual activity, reduce teen
pregnancy, or increase contraceptive use. We fully support the zeroing-
out of Community Based Abstinence Education programs. However, we hope
these new programs will be used to fund efforts to protect teen sexual
health beyond the prevention of teen pregnancy. Messages to prevent
teen pregnancy may not speak to all youth, particularly gay youth, who
are at a high risk of HIV infection. We request that the $110 million
in discretionary funds in the President's budget for the Teen Pregnancy
Prevention Initiative be maintained and that the language be broadened
to include HIV and STD prevention.
syringe exchange programs
At least one-quarter of all reported AIDS cases in our country are
attributed to injection drug use through the sharing of needles and
syringes. Federal scientific studies have repeatedly demonstrated that
syringe exchange programs reduce the transmission of HIV and other
infectious diseases without increasing or encouraging the use of
illicit drugs, and may even help reduce drug use by creating a point of
entry for addiction treatment. Today, there are nearly 200 such
programs operating in 38 States, DC, and Puerto Rico. Despite their
proven effectiveness, there is a ban on the use of Federal funds for
these programs. We urge you to lift the Federal funding ban on syringe
exchange programs in fiscal year 2010.
viral hepatitis
Viral Hepatitis, whether A, B, or C, is an infectious disease that
also deserves increased attention by the Federal Government. According
to the CDC, there are an estimated 800,000 to 1.4 million Americans
chronically infected with Hepatitis B, and 46,000 new infections each
year. An estimated 1.6 percent of Americans have been infected with
Hepatitis C, of whom 3.2 million are chronically infected. It is
believed that one quarter of those infected with HIV are co-infected
with Hepatitis C.
Given these numbers, we are disappointed the program is currently
funded at a level that is substantially less than what it was funded in
fiscal year 2003 and falls far short of what is needed. In the
President's budget, funding for Hepatitis Prevention at the CDC is
slated to receive a negligible increase of $51,000. Funds are needed to
establish a program to lower the incidence of Hepatitis through
education, outreach, and surveillance. We are requesting an increase of
$31.7 million for the program, for a total of $50 million.
The AIDS Institute asks that you give weight to our testimony as
you consider the fiscal year 2010 appropriation bill.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium
Summary of Requests.--Summarized below are the fiscal year 2010
recommendations for the Nation's 36 Tribal Colleges and Universities
(TCUs), covering three areas within the Department of Education and one
in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration
for Children and Families' (ACF) Head Start Program.
department of education programs
Higher Education Act (HEA) Programs
Strengthening Developing Institutions.--Section 316 of title III-A,
specifically supports TCUs through two separate grant programs: (a)
formula funded development grants, and (b) competitive facilities/
construction grants designed to address the critical facilities needs
at TCUs. The TCUs request that the Subcommittee appropriate $32 million
to support these two vital programs.
Pell Grants.--TCUs urge the subcommittee to fund the Pell Grant
Program at the highest possible level.
Perkins Career and Technical Education Programs
The TCUs urge the Subcommittee to appropriate $8.5 million for
section 117 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education
Improvement Act, which supports our two Tribally Controlled
Postsecondary Vocational Institutions: United Tribes Technical College
and Navajo Technical College. Additionally, TCUs strongly support the
Native American Career and Technical Education Program (NACTEP)
authorized under section 116 of the act.
Relevant Title IX Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
Programs
Adult and Basic Education.--Although Federal funding for tribal
adult education was eliminated in fiscal year 1996, TCUs continue to
offer much needed adult education, GED, remediation and literacy
services for American Indians, yet their efforts cannot meet the
demand. The TCUs request that the subcommittee direct $5 million of the
Adult Education State Grants appropriated funds to make awards to TCUs
to support their ongoing and essential adult and basic education
programs.
American Indian Teacher and Administrator Corps.--The American
Indian Teacher Corps and the American Indian Administrator Corps offer
professional development grants designed to increase the number of
American Indian teachers and administrators serving their reservation
communities. The TCUs request that the subcommittee support these
programs at $10 million and $5 million, respectively.
hhs program
TCUs Head Start Partnership Program (DHHS-ACF)
TCUs are ideal partners to help achieve the goals of Head Start in
Indian country. The TCUs are working to meet the mandate that Head
Start teachers earn degrees in Early Childhood Development or a related
discipline. The TCUs request that $5 million be designated for the TCU-
Head Start Partnership program, to ensure the continuation of current
programs and the resources needed to support additional TCU-Head Start
Partnership programs.
background on tcus
TCUs are accredited by independent, regional accreditation agencies
and like all institutions of higher education, must undergo stringent
performance reviews on a periodic basis to retain their accreditation
status. In addition to college level programming, TCUs provide
essential high school completion (GED), basic remediation, job
training, college preparatory courses, and adult education programs.
TCUs fulfill additional roles within their respective reservation
communities functioning as community centers, libraries, tribal
archives, career and business centers, economic development centers,
public meeting places, and child and elder care centers. Each TCU is
committed to improving the lives of its students through higher
education and to moving American Indians toward self-sufficiency.
TCUs provide access to higher education for American Indians and
others living in some of the Nation's most rural and economically
depressed areas. According to 2000 Decennial Census data, the annual
per capita income of the U.S. population was $21,587. In contrast, the
annual per capita income of Native Americans was $12,893 or about 40
percent less. In addition to serving their student populations, TCUs
offer a variety of much needed community outreach programs.
These institutions, chartered by their respective tribal
governments, were established in response to the recognition by tribal
leaders that local, culturally-based institutions are best suited to
help American Indians succeed in higher education. TCUs effectively
blend traditional teachings with conventional postsecondary curricula.
They have developed innovative ways to address the needs of tribal
populations and are overcoming long-standing barriers to success in
higher education for American Indians. Since the first TCU was
established on the Navajo Nation just 40 years ago, these vital
institutions have come to represent the most significant development in
the history of American Indian higher education, providing access to,
and promoting achievement among, students who may otherwise never have
known postsecondary education success.
justifications for fiscal year 2010 appropriations requests for tcus
HEA
The Higher Education Act Amendments Act of 1998 created a separate
section (Sec. 316) within title III-A specifically for the Nation's
TCUs. Programs under titles III and V of the act support institutions
that enroll large proportions of financially disadvantaged students and
that have low per-student expenditures. Tribal colleges, which are
truly developing institutions, are providing access to quality higher
education opportunities to some of the most rural, impoverished, and
historically underserved areas of the country. A clear goal of HEA
title III programs is ``to improve the academic quality, institutional
management and fiscal stability of eligible institutions, in order to
increase their self-sufficiency and strengthen their capacity to make a
substantial contribution to the higher education resources of the
Nation.'' The TCU title III program is specifically designed to address
the critical, unmet needs of their American Indian students and
communities, in order to effectively prepare them to succeed in a
global, competitive workforce. The TCUs urge the subcommittee to
appropriate $32 million in fiscal year 2010 for title III-A section
316, an increase of $8.8 million more than fiscal year 2009. These
funds will afford these developing institutions the resources necessary
to continue their ongoing grant programs and address the needs of their
historically underserved students and communities.
The importance of Pell Grants to TCU students cannot be overstated.
U.S. Department of Education figures show that the majority of TCU
students receive Pell Grants, primarily because student income levels
are so low and our students have far less access to other sources of
financial aid than students at State-funded and other mainstream
institutions. Within the TCU system, Pell Grants are doing exactly what
they were intended to do--they are serving the needs of the lowest
income students by helping them gain access to quality higher
education, an essential step toward becoming active, productive members
of the workforce. The TCUs urge the subcommittee to fund this critical
program at the highest possible level.
carl d. perkins career and technical education act
Tribally-controlled Postsecondary Vocational Institutions.--Section
117 of the Perkins Act provides operating funds for two of our member
institutions: United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck, North
Dakota, and Navajo Technical College in Crownpoint, New Mexico. The
TCUs urge the subcommittee to appropriate $8.5 million for section 117
of the act.
Native American Career and Technical Education Program.--The Native
American Career and Technical Education Program (NACTEP) under section
116 of the Act reserves 1.25 percent of appropriated funding to support
Indian vocational programs. The TCUs strongly urge the subcommittee to
continue to support NACTEP, which is vital to the continuation of much
needed career and technical education programs being offered at TCUs.
greater support of indian education programs
American Indian Adult and Basic Education (Office of Vocational and
Adult Education).--This program supports adult basic education programs
for American Indians offered by TCUs, State and local education
agencies, Indian tribes, institutions, and agencies. Despite a lack of
funding, TCUs must find a way to continue to provide basic adult
education classes for those American Indians that the present K-12
Indian education system has failed. Before many individuals can even
begin the course work needed to learn a productive skill, they first
must earn a GED or, in some cases, even learn to read. The number of
students in need of remedial education before embarking on their degree
programs is considerable at TCUs. There is a broad need for basic adult
educational programs and TCUs need adequate funding to support these
essential activities. TCUs respectfully request that the subcommittee
direct $5 million of the Adult Education State Grants appropriated
funds to make awards to TCUs to help meet the ever increasing demand
for basic adult education and remediation program services that exists
on their respective reservations.
American Indian Teacher/Administrator Corps (Special Programs for
Indian Children).--American Indians are severely underrepresented in
the teaching and school administrator ranks nationally. These
competitive programs are designed to produce new American Indian
teachers and school administrators for schools serving American Indian
students. These grants support recruitment, training, and in-service
professional development programs for Indians to become effective
teachers and school administrators and in doing so become excellent
role models for Indian children. We believe that the TCUs are ideal
catalysts for these two initiatives because of their current work in
this area and the existing articulation agreements they hold with 4-
year degree awarding institutions. The TCUs request that the
subcommittee support these two programs at $10 million and $5 million,
respectively, to increase the number of qualified American Indian
teachers and school administrators in Indian Country.
hhs/acf/head start
TCUs Head Start Partnership Program.--The TCU-Head Start
Partnership has made a lasting investment in our Indian communities by
creating and enhancing associate degree programs in Early Childhood
Development and related fields. Graduates of these programs help meet
the degree mandate for all Head Start program teachers. More
importantly, this program has afforded American Indian children Head
Start programs of the highest quality. A clear impediment to the
ongoing success of this partnership program is the erratic availability
of discretionary funds made available for the TCU-Head Start
Partnership. In fiscal year 1999, the first year of the program, some
colleges were awarded 3-year grants, others 5-year grants. In fiscal
year 2002, no new grants were awarded. In fiscal year 2003, funding for
eight new TCU grants was made available, but in fiscal year 2004, only
two new awards could be made because of the lack of adequate funds. The
President's February 26, 2009 budget summary includes an additional $1
billion to improve and expand Head Start. The TCUs request that the
subcommittee direct the Head Start Bureau to designate $5 million, of
the more than $7.2 billion included in the President's budget, to fund
the TCU-Head Start Partnership program, to ensure that this critical
program can continue and expand so that all TCUs have the opportunity
to participate in the TCU-Head Start Partnership program.
conclusion
TCUs are providing access to higher education opportunities to many
thousands of American Indians and essential community services and
programs to many more. The modest Federal investment in TCUs has
already paid great dividends in terms of employment, education, and
economic development, and continuation of this investment makes sound
moral and fiscal sense. TCUs need your help if they are to sustain and
grow their programs and achieve their missions to serve their students
and communities.
Thank you again for this opportunity to present our funding
recommendations. We respectfully ask the members of the subcommittee
for their continued support of the Nation's TCUs and full consideration
of our fiscal year 2010 appropriations needs and recommendations.
______

Prepared Statement of the Association of Independent Research
Institutes
The Association of Independent Research Institutes (AIRI)
respectfully submits this written testimony for the record to the
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies. AIRI appreciates the commitment that
the members of this subcommittee have made to biomedical research
through your strong support for the National Institutes of Health
(NIH), and recommends that you maintain this support for NIH in fiscal
year 2010 by providing the agency with at least a 7 percent increase
more than fiscal year 2009.
AIRI is a national organization of 90 independent, nonprofit
research institutes that perform basic and clinical research in the
biological and behavioral sciences. AIRI institutes vary in size, with
budgets ranging from a few million to hundreds of millions of dollars.
In addition, each AIRI member institution is governed by its own
independent board of directors, which allows our members to focus on
discovery based research while remaining structurally nimble and
capable of adjusting their research programs to emerging areas of
inquiry. Researchers at independent research institutes consistently
exceed the success rates of the overall NIH grantee pool, and receive
about 10 percent of NIH's peer-reviewed, competitively awarded
extramural grants. On average, AIRI member institutes receive a total
of $1.6 billion in extramural grants from NIH in any given year.
Through passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
(ARRA) and the Omnibus Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2009, the
administration and Congress have taken critical steps to jump start the
Nation's economy. Simultaneously, Congress is advancing and
accelerating the biomedical research agenda in this country by focusing
on scientific opportunities to address public health challenges. NIH
now has the ability to fund a record number of research grants, with
special emphasis on groundbreaking projects in areas that show the
greatest potential for improving health, including genetic medicine,
clinical research, and health disparities. In addition, NIH is also
funding construction projects and providing support for equipment and
instrumentation.
NIH is responding to its charge of stimulating the economy through
job creation by supporting new scientists, construction workers, and
suppliers. NIH is also supporting the next generation of biomedical
research through cross-cutting, interdisciplinary initiatives such as
those supported in the NIH Roadmap, the NIH Neuroscience Blueprint, the
Clinical and Translational Science Award program, and the Genes,
Environment and Health Initiative. Independent research institutes are
involved extensively in these initiatives and will be beneficiaries of
ARRA funds, making them an important and vital component of the overall
U.S. medical research enterprise. Therefore, independent research
institutes are positioned to help Congress achieve its goal of
improving the quality of life for all Americans.
However, the discovery process--while it produces tremendous
value--often takes a lengthy and unpredictable path. The infrastructure
that we are creating needs to be maintained. Large fluctuations in
funding will be disruptive to training, to careers, long-range projects
and ultimately to progress. The research engine needs a predictable,
sustained investment in science to maximize our return.
We must ensure that after the stimulus money is spent we do not
have to dismantle our newly built capacity and terminate valuable, on-
going research. In 2011 and beyond we need to be able to continue to
advance the new directions charted with the ARRA support.
Keeping up with the rising cost of medical research in the 2010
appropriations will help NIH begin to prepare for the ``post-stimulus''
era. In 2011 and beyond we need to make sure that the total funding
available to NIH does not decline and that we can resume a steady,
sustainable growth that will enable us to complete the President's
vision of doubling our investment in basic research, which is why we
are respectfully urging this subcommittee to increase funding for NIH
in fiscal year 2010 by at least 7 percent.
airi's commitment
Pursuing New Knowledge
The United States model for conducting biomedical research, which
involves supporting scientists at universities, medical centers, and
independent research institutes, provides an effective approach to
making fundamental discoveries in the laboratory and translating them
into medical advances that save lives. AIRI member institutes are
private, stand-alone research centers that set their sights on the vast
frontiers of medical science, specifically focused on pursuing
knowledge about the biology and behavior of living systems and to apply
that knowledge to extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness
and disability.
Providing Efficiency and Flexibility
AIRI member institutes' smaller size and greater flexibility
provide an environment that is particularly conducive to creativity and
innovation. In addition, independent research institutes possess a
unique versatility/culture that encourages them to share expertise,
information, and equipment across their institutes and elsewhere, which
helps to minimize bureaucracy and increase efficiency when compared to
larger degree-granting academic universities.
Supporting Young Researchers
While the primary function of AIRI institutes is research, most are
strongly involved in training the next generation of biomedical
researchers and ensuring that a pipeline of promising researchers are
prepared to make significant and potentially transformative discoveries
in a variety of areas.
AIRI would like to thank the subcommittee for its important work to
ensure the health of the Nation, and we appreciate this opportunity to
present funding recommendations concerning NIH in the fiscal year 2010
appropriations bill. AIRI looks forward to working with Congress to
carry out the research that will lead to improving the health and
quality of life for all Americans.
______

Prepared Statement of the Association of Maternal and Child Health
Programs
Chairman Harkin and distinguished subcommittee members: I am
grateful for this opportunity to submit written testimony on behalf of
the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP), our
members, and the millions of women and children that are served by the
title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant. My name is Dr.
Phyllis Sloyer and I am the current president of AMCHP, as well a
Division Director at the Florida Department of Health. I am asking the
subcommittee to support full funding for the title V Maternal and Child
Health Services Block Grant at its authorized level of $850 million for
Federal fiscal year 2010.
To help illustrate the importance of title V MCH funding, I want to
begin by sharing the story of a girl from Iowa who was helped by title
V services.
Cora is a girl who was born 34 weeks prematurely. She was first
seen at a Child Health Specialty Clinic when she was only 3 weeks of
age. While at the clinic, she was diagnosed with, plagiocephaly also
sometimes referred to a ``flat head syndrome''. This problem occurs
when a portion of an infant's skull becomes flattened due to pressure
from outside forces and is not uncommon in premature infants. Workers
at the clinic provided the new family with vital information on the
disorder and what to expect. Cora was able to be seen by a pediatrician
via telemedicine and was able to obtain a referral to see specialists
in the treatment of plagiocephal. Cora is now 20 months old and likes
to go to the local park and ride the merry-go-round. This same clinic
that helped Cora and her family is supported by the Title V MCH Block
Grant and would not be able to remain open without the funds and
support that title V funds offer. It is a great thing that families can
come to a clinic close to their home, or be seen using health
technology and be provided a complete physical, neurological,
developmental evaluation for their kids.
This is just one example of the literally thousand of children--
children with special healthcare needs and pregnant women that are
served by title V programs in Chairman Harkin's State alone. The MCH
Block Grant supports a similar network in my home State of Florida, and
none of this could happen without the Title V MCH Block Grant funding.
Title V of the Social Security Act was created during the Great
Depression to ``improve the health of all women and children.'' The MCH
Block Grant is a celebrated example of an effective Federal and State
partnership with a common goal of improving the health of all mothers
and children, including those children with special healthcare needs.
It is also at the forefront of promoting family-centered care in all of
its work. But we are losing ground fast and we believe it is time to go
back to the roots of title V and recommit ourselves to truly improving
the health of our Nation's women and children by fully investing in the
MCH Block Grant.
Despite major advances in medicine, technology, and our healthcare
system, America still faces huge challenges to improving maternal and
child health outcomes and addressing the needs of very vulnerable
children.
Reductions in maternal and infant mortality have stalled in recent
years and rates of preterm and low-birth-weight births have increased
over the last decade. As we sit here today, the United States ranks
29th in infant mortality rates when compared to other nations. Every 18
minutes a baby in America dies before his or her first birthday. Each
day in America we lose 12 babies due to a sudden unexpected infant
death. There are places in this country where the African American
infant mortality rate is double, and in some places even triple, the
rate for whites. Preventable injuries remain the leading cause of death
for all children, we are failing to adequately screen all young
children for developmental concerns and childhood obesity has reached
epidemic proportions, threatening to reverse a century of progress in
extending life expectancy.
Sadly, there are gaps between what a family needs and actually
receives for a child with a special need. Out of pocket healthcare
costs are increasing and we are erasing gains we made in supporting
effective services for children with special needs and their families.
Currently, only 50 percent of these children receive comprehensive care
within the context of a medical home and less than 20 percent of youth
with special needs are able to find an adult healthcare provider who
can appropriately care for them.
State programs, funded through MCH Block Grant dollars, are key to
reversing this picture. Considering these and many other urgent health
needs, AMCHP asks for your leadership in fully funding the MCH Block
Grant at $850 million for fiscal year 2010.
AMCHP urges Congress to recognize the need to revitalize resources
for States and their partners to reverse the trends and continue this
critical work. We have a track record of demonstrating that we make a
positive difference and are fully accountable for the funds that we
receive. Fully funding the MCH Block Grant is an effective and
efficient way to invest in our Nation's women, children, and families.
The Office of Management and Budget found that MCH Block Grant-
funded programs deliver results and decrease the infant mortality rate,
prevent disabling conditions, increase the number of children
immunized, increase access to care for uninsured children, and improve
the overall health of mothers and children. Close coordination with
other health programs assures that funding is maximized and services
are not duplicated.
Our results are available to the public through a national Web site
known as the Title V Information System. Such a system is remarkably
rare for a Federal program and we are proud of the progress we have
made.
However, despite the increasing demand for maternal and child
health services, reductions to the MCH Block Grant threaten the ability
of programs to carry out their vital work. As States continue to face
increasing economic hardship, more women and children will seek
services through MCH Block Grant funded programs. Due to years of
reduced investment, the MCH Block Grant is at its lowest funding level
since 1993, $662 million, meaning States again are being asked to serve
additional people with less.

Now, as economic troubles increase demand for health services,
State MCH programs desperately need additional resources to:
--increase outreach and screening services to identify and link women
and children to available healthcare services;
--assure coordination of those services and assist new parents
through efforts such as expanded home visitation programs; and
--deliver essential prevention and health promotion services to make
sure that every mom has a healthy pregnancy; every child has
the opportunity for a healthy birth and strong start in life;
and every child with special healthcare needs receives ongoing
comprehensive care within a medical home.
Crucial MCH activities are also supported by title V under the
Special Projects of Regional and National Significance (SPRANS)
program, including MCH research, training, hemophilia diagnostic and
treatment centers, and MCH improvement projects that develop and
support a broad range of strategies. The SPRANS investment drives
innovation for MCH programs and is an important part of the Title V MCH
Block Grant.
Mr. Chairman and distinguished members, in closing I ask you to
imagine with me an America in which every child in the United States
has the opportunity to live until his or her first birthday; a Nation
where our Federal and State partnership has effectively moved the
needle on our most pressing maternal and child health issues. Imagine a
day when we are celebrating significant reductions or even the total
elimination of health disparities by creatively solving our most urgent
maternal and child health challenges. The MCH Block Grant aims to do
just that--using resources effectively to improve the health of all of
America's women and children.
I want to close with one more story from a parent in my State that
I think illustrates the personal impact of Title V MCH Block Grant
funds.
My daughter Ashley continues to be at risk for a detached retina
with myopia of the eye. Title V Children and Youth with Special Health
Care Needs has been instrumental in providing medically necessary
funding for the type of eyeglasses that she needs in order to be able
to see and have some quality of life as an adolescent. There are
medications that she needs to be able to control her executive
functions, her impulses and her motor coordination in order to be able
to function in school that I would not be able to afford as a parent.
As a parent it would be devastating if she could not go to school which
increases her chances of being able to transition into work and/or
higher education.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Nurses Association
The American Nurses Association (ANA) appreciates this opportunity
to comment on fiscal year 2010 appropriations for nursing education,
workforce development, and research programs. Founded in 1896, ANA is
the only full-service national association representing registered
nurses (RNs). Through our 51 constituent member associations, ANA
represents RNs across the Nation in all practice settings.
The ANA gratefully acknowledges this subcommittee's history of
support for nursing education and research. We appreciate your
continued recognition of the important role nurses play in the delivery
of quality healthcare services. This testimony will give you an update
on the status of the nursing shortage, its impact on the Nation, and
the outlook for the future.
the nursing shortage today
The nursing shortage is far from solved. Here are a few quick
facts:
--The American Hospital Association reported that hospitals needed
116,000 more RNs to fill immediate vacancies in July 2007.
Hospitals report that this vacancy rate is hampering the
ability to provide emergency care.
--The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that registered nursing will
have remarkable job growth in the time period spanning 2006-
2016. During this time, the healthcare system will require more
than 1 million new nurses.
--The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) projects
that the supply of nurses in America will fall 26 percent (more
than 1 million nurses) below requirements by the year 2020. In
year 2020, Wisconsin's demand for full-time RNs will outstrip
the supply by 20 percent (a shortage of 10,200 RNs). New York's
shortage will reach 39 percent (54,200 RNs) and Ohio will have
a 30 percent shortage (34,000 RNs). California's demand will
outstrip its supply by 45 percent (116,600 RNs).
This growing nursing shortage is having a detrimental impact on the
entire healthcare system. Numerous studies have shown that nursing
shortages contribute to medical errors, poor patient outcomes, and
increased mortality rates. A study published in the January/February
2006 issue of Health Affairs showed that hospitals could avoid 6,700
deaths per year by increasing the amount of RN care provided to their
patients. This study, ``Nurse Staffing in Hospitals: Is There a
Business Case for Quality?'' by Jack Needleman, Peter Buerhaus, et al.
also revealed that hospitals are currently providing 4 million days
worth of inpatient care annually to treat avoidable patient
complications associated with a shortage of RN care.
Research published in the October 23, 2002, Journal of the American
Medical Association also demonstrated that more nurses at the bedside
could save thousands of patient lives each year. In reviewing more than
232,000 surgical patients at 168 hospitals, researchers from the
University of Pennsylvania concluded that a patient's overall risk of
death rose roughly 7 percent for each additional patient above four
added to a nurse's workload.
A Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
study published in 2002 shows that the shortage of nurses contributes
to nearly a quarter of all unexpected incidents that kill or injure
hospitalized patients.
nursing workforce development programs
Federal support for the Nursing Workforce Development Programs
contained in title VIII of the Public Health Service Act is
unduplicated and essential. The 107th Congress recognized the
detrimental impact of the developing nursing shortage and passed the
Nurse Reinvestment Act (Public Law 107-205). This law improved the
title VIII Nursing Workforce Development programs to meet the unique
characteristics of today's shortage. This achievement holds the promise
of recruiting new nurses into the profession, promoting career
advancement within nursing, and improving patient care delivery.
However, this promise cannot be met without a significant investment.
Prior to the release of President Obama's proposed budget for fiscal
year 2010, ANA was strongly advocating Congress to increase funding for
title VIII programs by at least $44 million to a total of $215 million.
Now that President Obama is requesting $263 million for title VIII
programs, we are urging the subcommittee to support this request and
fund title VIII programs at $263 million.
Current funding levels are clearly failing to meet the need. In
fiscal year 2008, the HRSA was forced to turn away 92.8 percent of the
eligible applicants for the Nurse Education Loan Repayment Program
(NELRP), and 53 percent of the eligible applicants for the Nursing
Scholarship Program (NSP) due to a lack of adequate funding. These
programs are used to direct RNs into areas with the greatest need--
including departments of public health, community health centers, and
disproportionate share hospitals.
In 1973, Congress appropriated $160.61 million to title VIII
programs. Inflated to today's dollars, this appropriation would equal
$763.52 million, more than four times the fiscal year 2009
appropriation. Certainly, today's shortage is more dire and systemic
than that of the 1970's; it deserves an equivalent response.
Title VIII includes the following program areas:
Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program and Scholarships
(NELRP).--This line item is comprised of the NELRP and the NSP. In
fiscal year 2009, the NELRP and the NSP received $37 million.
The NELRP repays up to 85 percent of a RN's student loans in return
for full-time practice in a facility with a critical nursing shortage.
The NELRP nurse is required to work for at least 2 years in a
designated facility, during which time the NELRP repays 60 percent of
the RN's student loan balance. If the nurse applies and is accepted for
an optional third year, an additional 25 percent of the loan is repaid.
The NELRP boasts a proven track record of delivering nurses to
facilities hardest hit by the nursing shortage. HRSA has given NELRP
funding preference to RNs who work in departments of public health,
disproportionate share hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and
federally designated health centers. However, lack of funding has
hindered the full implementation of this program. In fiscal year 2008,
92.8 percent of applicants willing to immediately begin practicing in
facilities hardest hit by the shortage were turned away from this
program due to lack of funding.
The NSP offers funds to nursing students who, upon graduation,
agree to work for at least 2 years in a healthcare facility with a
critical shortage of nurses. Preference is given to students with the
greatest financial need. Like the loan repayment program, the NSP has
been stunted by a lack of funding. In fiscal year 2008, HRSA received
3,039 applications for the nursing scholarship. Due to lack of funding,
a mere 177 scholarships were awarded. Therefore, 2,862 nursing students
(94 percent) willing to work in facilities with a critical shortage
were denied access to this program.
Nurse Faculty Loan Program.--This program establishes a loan
repayment fund within schools of nursing to increase the number of
qualified nurse faculty. Nurses may use these funds to pursue a
master's or doctoral degree. They must agree to teach at a school of
nursing in exchange for cancellation of up to 85 percent of their
educational loans, plus interest, over a 4-year period. In fiscal year
2009, this program received $11.5 million.
This program is vital given the critical shortage of nursing
faculty. America's schools of nursing can not increase their capacity
without an influx of new teaching staff. Last year, schools of nursing
were forced to turn away tens of thousands of qualified applicants due
largely to the lack of faculty. In fiscal year 2008, HRSA funded 95
faculty loans.
Nurse Education, Practice, and Retention Grants.--This section is
comprised of many programs designed to support entry-level nursing
education and to enhance nursing practice. All together, the Nurse
Education, Practice, and Retention Grants received $37.3 million in
fiscal year 2009.
The education grants are designed to expand enrollments in
baccalaureate nursing programs; develop internship and residency
programs to enhance mentoring and specialty training, and; provide new
technologies in education including distance learning.
Retention grant areas include career ladders and improved patient
care delivery systems. The career ladders program supports education
programs that assist individuals in obtaining the educational
foundation required to enter the profession, and to promote career
advancement within nursing. Enhancing patient care delivery system
grants are designed to improve the nursing work environment. These
grants help facilities to enhance collaboration and communication among
nurses and other healthcare professionals, and to promote nurse
involvement in the organizational and clinical decisionmaking processes
of a healthcare facility. These best practices for nurse administration
have been identified by the American Nurse Credentialing Center's
Magnet Recognition Program. These practices have been shown to double
nurse retention rates, increase nurse satisfaction, and improve patient
care.
Nursing Workforce Diversity.--This program provides funds to
enhance diversity in nursing education and practice. It supports
projects to increase nursing education opportunities for individuals
from disadvantaged backgrounds--including racial and ethnic minorities,
as well as individuals who are economically disadvantaged. In fiscal
year 2008, 85 applications were received for workforce diversity
grants, 51 were funded. In fiscal year 2009, these programs received
$16 million.
Advanced Nurse Education.--Advanced practice registered nurses
(APRNs) are nurses who have attained advanced expertise in the clinical
management of health conditions. Typically, an APRN holds a master's
degree with advanced didactic and clinical preparation beyond that of
the RN. Most have practice experience as RNs prior to entering graduate
school. Practice areas include, but are not limited to: anesthesiology,
family medicine, gerontology, pediatrics, psychiatry, midwifery,
neonatology, and women's and adult health. Title VIII grants have
supported the development of virtually all initial State and regional
outreach models using distance learning methodologies to provide
advanced study opportunities for nurses in rural and remote areas. In
fiscal year 2008, 7,650 advanced education nurses were supported
through these programs. In fiscal year 2009, these programs received
$64.4 million.
These grants also provide traineeships for masters and doctoral
students. Title VIII funds more than 60 percent of U.S. nurse
practitioner education programs and assists 83 percent of nurse
midwifery programs. more than 45 percent of the nurse anesthesia
graduates supported by this program go on to practice in medically
underserved communities. A study published last year in the Journal of
Rural Health showed that 80 percent of the nurse practitioners who
attended a program supported by title VIII chose to work in a medically
underserved or health profession shortage area after graduation.
Comprehensive Geriatric Education Grants.--This authority awards
grants to train and educate nurses in providing healthcare to the
elderly. Funds are used to train individuals who provide direct care
for the elderly, to develop and disseminate geriatric nursing
curriculum, to train faculty members in geriatrics, and to provide
continuing education to nurses who provide geriatric care. In fiscal
year 2009, these grants received 4.5 million.
The growing number of elderly Americans and the impending
healthcare needs of the baby boom generation make this program
critically important. In fiscal year 2006, HRSA continued 8 previously
awarded grants and awarded 11 new ones.
national institute of nursing research (ninr)
ANA also urges the subcommittee to increase funding for the NINR,
one of the Institutes at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The
Institute's research focus transcends disciplines to address issues of
health management, symptom management, and caregiving; health promotion
and disease prevention; end-of-life care; technology integration; and
research capacity development. This research is integral to improving
the effectiveness of nursing care. Advances in nursing care arising
from behavioral and biomedical research have shown excellent progress
in reducing healthcare costs. Research programs supported by NINR
address a number of critical public health and patient care questions.
The cross-discipline research is driven by real and immediate problems
currently facing patients and their families.
Recent NINR funded studies have shown that inadequate nurse
staffing increases risks for patients; coping skills training improves
teens' self-management of diabetes; a healthcare team helps reduce high
blood pressure among inner-city black men; a community-based program
improves self-management of arthritis among older Hispanics; home
nursing visits benefit low-income mothers and their children; and
transitional care improves outcomes for elders after leaving the
hospital. NINR is leading the NIH research on end-of-life and
palliative care. NINR is also the lowest-funded Institute at NIH. In
fiscal year 2009, NINR received $141.88 million. ANA recommends $178
million, or a 25 percent increase more than fiscal year 2009, in fiscal
year 2010 NINR funding.
conclusion
While ANA appreciates the continued support of this subcommittee,
we are concerned that title VIII funding levels have not been
sufficient to address the growing nursing shortage. The nursing
shortage will continue to worsen if significant investments are not
made. Recent efforts have shown that aggressive and innovative
recruitment efforts can help avert the impending nursing shortage--if
they are adequately funded.
ANA asks you to meet today's shortage with a relatively modest
investment of $263 million in title VIII programs. Additionally, an
investment of $178 million in the NINR will help assure that nurses are
equipped with the latest information and research needed to provide the
best patient care possible.
______

Prepared Statement of the American National Red Cross
Chairman Tom Harkin, Ranking Member Thad Cochran, and members of
the subcommittee, the American Red Cross and the United Nations
Foundation appreciate the opportunity to submit testimony in support of
measles control activities of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC). The American Red Cross and the United Nations
Foundation recognize the leadership that Congress has shown in funding
CDC for these essential activities. We sincerely hope that Congress
will continue to support the CDC during this critical period in measles
control.
In 2001, CDC--along with the American Red Cross, the United Nations
Foundation, the World Health Organization (WHO), and UNICEF--became one
of the spearheading partners of the Measles Initiative, a partnership
committed to reducing measles deaths globally. The current U.N. goal is
to reduce measles deaths by 90 percent by 2010 compared to 2000
estimates. The Measles Initiative is committed to reaching this goal by
proving technical and financial support to governments and communities
worldwide.
The Measles Initiative has achieved ``spectacular'' \1\ results by
supporting the vaccination of more than 600 million children. Largely
due to the Measles Initiative, global measles mortality dropped 74
percent, from an estimated 750,000 deaths in 2000 to 197,000 in 2007.
During this same period, measles deaths in Africa fell by 89 percent,
from 395,000 to 45,000.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The Lancet, Volume 8, page 13 (January 2008).

Working closely with host governments, the Measles Initiative has
been the main international supporter of mass measles immunization
campaigns since 2001. The Initiative mobilized more than $670 million
and provided technical support in more than 60 developing countries on
vaccination campaigns, surveillance, and improving routine immunization
services. From 2000 to 2007, an estimated 3.6 million measles deaths
were averted as a result of accelerated measles control activities
(increased routine immunization coverage and mass immunization
campaigns) at a donor cost of $184/death averted, making measles
mortality reduction one of the most cost-effective public health
interventions.
Nearly all the measles vaccination campaigns have been able to
reach more than 90 percent of their target populations. Countries
recognize the opportunities that measles vaccination campaigns provide
in accessing mothers and young children, and ``integrating'' the
campaigns with other life-saving health interventions has become the
norm. In addition to measles vaccine, Vitamin A (crucial for preventing
blindness in under nourished children), de-worming medicine, and
insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) for malaria prevention are
distributed during vaccination campaigns. The scale of these
distributions is immense. For example, more than 37 million ITNs were
distributed in vaccination campaigns in the last few years. The
delivery of multiple child health interventions during a single
campaign is far less expensive than delivering the interventions
separately, and this strategy increases the potential positive impact
on children's health from a single campaign.
Countries are well positioned to achieve the 2010 goal and to take
a bold step toward achievement of the 2015 Millennium Development Goal
#4 of reducing under 5 child mortality. However, achieving the 2010
goal will require:
--Accelerating activities, both campaigns and further efforts to
improve routine measles coverage, in India since it is the
greatest contributor to the global burden of measles.
--Sustaining the gains in reduced measles deaths, especially in
Africa, by strengthening immunization programs to ensure that
more than 90 percent of infants are vaccinated against measles
through routine health services before their first birthday as
well as conducting timely, high-quality follow-up campaigns.
--Securing sufficient funding for measles-control activities both
globally and nationally. The Measles Initiative faces a funding
shortfall of an estimated $100 million for 2010. Implementation
of timely follow-up campaigns is increasingly dependent upon
countries funding these activities locally. The decrease in
donor funds available at global level to support activities to
reduce measles mortality makes increased political commitment
and country ownership of the activities critical for achieving
and sustaining the goal of reducing measles mortality by 90
percent.
If these challenges are not addressed, the remarkable gains made
since 2000 will be lost and a major resurgence in measles deaths will
occur.
By controlling measles cases in other countries, U.S. children are
also being protected from the disease. Measles can cause severe
complications and death. A major resurgence of measles occurred in the
United States between 1989 and 1991, with more than 55,000 cases
reported. This resurgence was particularly severe, accounting for more
than 11,000 hospitalizations and 123 deaths. Since then, measles
control measures in the United States have been strengthened and
endemic transmission of measles cases have been eliminated here since
2000. However, importations of measles cases into this country continue
to occur each year. In 2008, the number of reported measles cases in
the United States more than doubled and outbreaks are currently on-
going in Virginia, Maryland, Washington, District of Columbia,
Pennsylvania, California, and Missouri. These outbreaks cause needless
suffering and accrue public health costs which in the United States are
upwards of $150,000 to respond to each case.
the role of cdc in global measles mortality reduction
Since fiscal year 2001, Congress has provided approximately $42
million annually in funding to CDC for global measles control
activities. These funds were used toward the purchase of approximately
415 million doses of measles vaccine for use in large-scale measles
vaccination campaigns in more than 60 countries in Africa and Asia, and
for the provision of technical support to Ministries of Health in those
countries. Specifically, this technical support includes:
--Planning, monitoring, and evaluating large-scale measles
vaccination campaigns;
--Conducting epidemiological investigations and laboratory
surveillance of measles outbreaks; and
--Conducting operations research to guide cost-effective and high-
quality measles control programs.
In addition, CDC epidemiologists and public health specialists have
worked closely with the WHO, UNICEF, the United Nations Foundation, and
the American Red Cross to strengthen measles control programs at global
and regional levels.
While it is not possible to precisely quantify the impact of CDC's
financial and technical support to the Measles Initiative, there is no
doubt that CDC's support--made possible by the funding appropriated by
Congress--was essential in helping achieve the sharp reduction in
measles deaths in just 7 years.
The American Red Cross and the United Nations Foundation would like
to acknowledge the leadership and work provided by CDC and recognize
that CDC brings much more to the table than just financial resources.
The Measles Initiative is fortunate in having a partner that provides
critical personnel and technical support for vaccination campaigns and
in response to disease outbreaks. CDC personnel have routinely
demonstrated their ability to work well with other organizations and
provide solutions to complex problems that help critical work get done
faster and more efficiently.
In fiscal year 2009, Congress has appropriated approximately $41.8
million to fund CDC for global measles control activities. The American
Red Cross and the United Nations Foundation thank Congress for the
financial support that has been provided to CDC in the past and this
year. We respectfully request a total of $51.8 million for fiscal year
2010 funding for CDC's measles control activities so that the gains
made to date can continue and the 2010 goal of a 90 percent reduction
in measles deaths can be achieved.
The additional funds we are seeking for CDC are critical for:
--Sustaining the great progress in measles mortality reduction in
Africa by strengthening measles surveillance and strengthening
the delivery of measles vaccine through routine immunization
services to protect new birth cohorts;
--Conducting large-scale measles vaccination campaigns in South Asia,
especially in India, thus protecting millions of children;
Your commitment has brought us unprecedented victories in reducing
measles mortality around the world. In addition, your continued support
for this initiative helps prevent children from suffering from this
preventable disease both abroad and in the United States.
Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony.
______

Prepared Statement of the Americans for Nursing Shortage Alliance
The undersigned organizations of the ANSR Alliance greatly
appreciate the opportunity to submit written testimony on fiscal year
2010 appropriations for Title VIII--Nursing Workforce Development
Programs. The Alliance represents a diverse cross-section of health
care and other related organizations, healthcare providers, and
supporters of nursing issues that have united to address the national
nursing shortage. We stand ready to work with the 111th Congress to
advance programs and policies that will ensure that our Nation has a
sufficient and adequately prepared nursing workforce to provide quality
care to all well into the 21st century. The Alliance, therefore, urges
Congress to:
--Appropriate $263.4 million in funding in fiscal year 2010 for the
Nursing Workforce Development Programs under title VIII of the
Public Health Service Act at the Health Resources and Services
Administration (HRSA).
--Fund the Advanced Education Nursing program (section 811) at an
increased level on par with the other title VIII programs.
the extent of the nursing shortage
Nursing is the largest healthcare profession in the United States.
According to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, there
were nearly 3.4 million licensed registered nurses (RNs) in 2006.\1\
Nurses and advanced practice nurses (nurse practitioners, nurse
midwives, clinical nurse specialists, and certified registered nurse
anesthetists) work in a variety of settings, including primary care,
public health, long-term care, surgical care facilities, and hospitals.
Approximately 59 percent of RN jobs are in hospitals.\2\ A Federal
report published in 2004 estimates that by 2020 the national nurse
shortage will increase to more than 1 million full-time nurse
positions. According to these projections, which are based on the
current rate of nurses entering the profession, only 64 percent of
projected demand will be met.\3\ A study, published in March 2008, uses
different assumptions to calculate an adjusted projected demand of
500,000 full-time equivalent registered nurses by 2025.\4\ According to
the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 233,000 additional jobs for
registered nurses will open each year through 2016, in addition to
about 2.5 million existing positions. Based on these scenarios, the
shortage presents an extremely serious challenge in the delivery of
high-quality, cost-effective services, as the Nation looks to reform
the current healthcare system. Even considering only the smaller
projection of vacancies, this shortage still results in a critical gap
in nursing service, essentially three times the 2001 nursing shortage.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ National Council of State Boards of Nursing. (2008). 2006 Nurse
Licensee Volume and NCLEX Examination Statistics. (Research Brief Vol.
31). On the Internet at: https://www.ncsbn.org/
08_2006_LicExamRB_Vol31_21208_MW(1).pdf. (Accessed February 3, 2009).
\2\ Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor.
Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-2009 Edition, Registered Nurses. On
the Internet at: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos083.htm (Accessed December
9, 2008).
\3\ Health Resources and Services Administration, (2004) What is
Behind HRSA's Projected Supply, Demand, and Shortage of Registered
Nurses? On the Internet at: http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/
reports/behindrnprojections/4.htm. (Accessed December 9, 2008).
\4\ Buerhaus, P., Staiger, D., Auerbach, D. (2008). The Future of
the Nursing Workforce in the United States: Data, Trends, and
Implications. Boston, MA: Jones & Bartlett.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
building the capacity of nursing education programs
Nursing vacancies exist throughout the entire healthcare system,
including long-term care, home care, and public health. Even the
Department of Veterans Affairs, the largest sole employer of RNs in the
United States, has a nursing vacancy rate of 10 percent. In 2006, the
American Hospital Association reported that hospitals needed 116,000
more RNs to fill immediate vacancies, and that this 8.1 percent vacancy
rate affects hospitals' ability to provide patient/client care.\5\
Government estimates indicate that this situation only promises to
worsen due to an insufficient supply of individuals matriculating in
nursing schools, an aging existing workforce, and the inadequate
availability of nursing faculty to educate and train the next
generation of nurses. At the exact same time that the nursing shortage
is expected to worsen, the baby boom generation is aging and the number
of individuals with serious, life-threatening, and chronic conditions
requiring nursing care will increase. Consequently, more must be done
today by the Government to help ensure an adequate nursing workforce
for the patients/clients of today and tomorrow.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ American Hospital Association, (2007) The State of America's
Hospitals: Taking the Pulse, Findings from the 2007 AHA Survey of
Hospital Leader. On the Internet at: http://www.aha.org/aha/content/
2007/PowerPoint/StateofHospitalsChartPack2007.ppt. (Accessed December
3, 2008).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A particular focus on securing and retaining adequate numbers of
faculty is essential to ensure that all individuals interested in--and
qualified for--nursing school can matriculate in the year they are
accepted. In the 2006-2007 academic years, 99,000 qualified
applications--or almost 40 percent of qualified applications submitted
to prelicensure RN programs--were denied due to lack of capacity.\6\
Aside from having a limited number of faculty, nursing programs
struggle to provide space for clinical laboratories and to secure a
sufficient number of clinical training sites at healthcare facilities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ National League for Nursing, (2009) Nursing Data Review 2006-
2007: Baccalaureate, Associate Degree, and Diploma Programs. On the
Internet at: http://www.nln.org/research/slides/index.htm. (Accessed
March 20, 2009).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANSR supports the need for sustained attention on the efficacy and
performance of existing and proposed programs to improve nursing
practices and strengthen the nursing workforce. The support of research
and evaluation studies that test models of nursing practice and
workforce development is integral to advancing healthcare for all in
America. Investments in research and evaluation studies have a direct
effect on the caliber of nursing care. Our collective goal of improving
the quality of patient/client care, reducing costs, and efficiently
delivering appropriate healthcare to those in need is served best by
aggressive nursing research and performance and impact evaluation at
the program level.
the impact on the nation's public health infrastructure
The National Center for Health Workforce Analysis reports that the
nursing shortage challenges the healthcare sector to meet current
service needs. Nurses make a difference in the lives of patients/
clients from disease prevention and management to education to
responding to emergencies. Chronic diseases, such as heart disease,
stroke, cancer, and diabetes, are the most preventable of all health
problems as well as the most costly. Nearly half of Americans suffer
from one or more chronic conditions and chronic disease accounts for 70
percent of all deaths. In addition, increased rates of obesity and
chronic disease are the primary cause of disability and diminished
quality of life.
Even though America spends more than $2 trillion annually on
healthcare--more than any other Nation in the world--tens of millions
of Americans suffer every day from preventable diseases such as type 2
diabetes, heart disease, and some forms of cancer that rob them of
their health and quality of life.\7\ In addition, major vulnerabilities
remain in our emergency preparedness to respond to natural,
technological and manmade hazards. An October 2008 report issued by
Trust for America's Health entitled ``Blueprint for a Healthier
America'' found that the health and safety of Americans depends on the
next generation of professionals in public health.\8\ Further, existing
efforts to recruit and retain the public health workforce are
insufficient. New policies and incentives must be created to make
public service careers in public health an attractive professional
path, especially for the emerging workforce and those changing careers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ KaiserEDU.org. ``U.S. Health Care Costs: Background Brief.''
Kaiser Family Foundation. On the Internet at: http://www.kaiseredu.org/
topics_im.asp?imID=1&parentID=61&id=358 (Accessed November 24, 2008).
\8\ Trust for America's Health. (2008) Blueprint for a Healthier
America: Modernizing the Federal Public Health System to Focus on
Prevention and Preparedness. On the Internet at: http://
healthyamericans.org/report/55/blueprint-for-healthier-america
(Accessed December 3, 2008).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
An Institute of Medicine report notes that nursing shortages in
U.S. hospitals continue to disrupt hospitals operations and are
detrimental to patient/client care and safety.\9\ Hospitals and other
healthcare facilities across the country are vulnerable to mass
casualty incidents themselves and/or in emergency and disaster
preparedness situations. As in the public health sector, a mass
casualty incident occurs as a result of an event where sudden and high-
patient/client volume exceeds the facilities/sites resources. Such
events may include the more commonly realized multi-car pile-ups, train
crashes, hazardous material exposure in a building or within a
community, high-occupancy catastrophic fires, or the extraordinary
events such as pandemics, weather-related disasters, and intentional
catastrophic acts of violence.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\9\ Institute of Medicine, Committee on the Future of Emergency
Care in the United States Health System. (2007) Hospital-Based
Emergency Care: At the Breaking Point. On the Internet at: http://
www.iom.edu/?id=48896. (Accessed December 3, 2008).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since 80 percent of disaster victims present at the emergency
department, nurses as first receivers are an important aspect of the
public health system as well as the healthcare system in general. The
nursing shortage has a significant adverse impact on the ability of
communities to respond to health emergencies, including natural,
technological and manmade hazards.
summary
The link between healthcare and our Nation's economic security and
global competitiveness is undeniable. Having a sufficient nursing
workforce to meet the demands of a highly diverse and aging population
is an essential component to reforming the healthcare system as well as
improving the health status of the Nation and reducing healthcare
costs. To mitigate the immediate effect of the nursing shortage and to
address all of these policy areas, ANSR requests $263.4 million in
funding for the Nursing Workforce Development Programs under title VIII
of the Public Health Service Act at HRSA in fiscal year 2010. As part
of this funding, the Advanced Education Nursing training program
(section 811) should be funded at an increased level on par with the
other title VIII programs.
undersigned organizations
Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses; American Academy of Ambulatory
Care Nursing; American Academy of Nurse Practitioners; American Academy
of Nursing; American Association of Critical-Care Nurses; American
Association of Nurse Anesthetists; American Association of Nurse
Assessment Coordinators; American Association of Nurse Executives;
American Association of Occupational Health Nurses; American College of
Nurse Practitioners.
American Organization of Nurse Executives; American Psychiatric
Nurses Association; American Society for Pain Management Nursing;
American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses; American Society of Plastic
Surgical Nurses; Association for Radiologic & Imaging Nursing;
Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses; Association of
periOperative Registered Nurses; Association of Rehabilitation Nurses;
Association of State and Territorial Directors of Nursing.
Association of Women's Health, Obstetric & Neonatal Nurses;
Developmental Disabilities Nurses Association; Emergency Nurses
Association; Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association;
Infusion Nurses Society; International Society of Nurses in Genetics,
Inc.; Legislative Coalition of Virginia Nurses; National Association of
Clinical Nurse Specialists; National Association of Neonatal Nurses;
National Association of Neonatal Nurse Practitioners.
National Association of Nurse Massage Therapists; National
Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health; National
Association of Orthopaedic Nurses; National Association of Pediatric
Nurse Practitioners; National Association of Registered Nurse First
Assistants; National Black Nurses Association; National Council of
State Boards of Nursing; National Gerontological Nursing Association;
National League for Nursing; National Nursing Centers Consortium.
National Nursing Staff Development Organization; National
Organization for Associate Degree Nursing; National Organization of
Nurse Practitioner Faculties; National Student Nurses' Association,
Inc.; Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs; Oncology Nursing
Society; Pediatric Endocrinology Nursing Society; RN First Assistants
Policy & Advocacy Coalition; Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and
Associates, Inc.; Society of Pediatric Nurses; Society of Trauma
Nurses; Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society.
______

Prepared Statement of the Americans for Nursing Shortage Relief
Alliance
The Tri-Council for Nursing, a long-standing alliance focused on
leadership and excellence in the nursing profession, is composed of the
American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the American Nurses
Association, the American Organization of Nurse Executives, and the
National League for Nursing. The collaborative leadership of these four
professional organizations impacts the breadth of nursing practice,
including nurse executives, educators, researchers, and nurses
providing direct patient care. The Tri-Council asks the subcommittee to
provide $215 million in fiscal year 2010 for the Nursing Workforce
Development Programs under title VIII of the Public Health Service Act,
administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration
(HRSA).
In light of the economic challenges facing our country today, the
Tri-Council urges the subcommittee to focus on the larger context of
building the capacity needed to meet the increasing health care demands
of our Nation's population. Such public policy will require sustained
investments aimed at refocusing the current health care system toward
promoting health, while simultaneously improving value for our dollars.
The title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs are proven policy
instruments that help assure an adequately prepared nursing workforce.
These programs--
--Increase access to healthcare in underserved areas through improved
composition, diversity, and retention of the nursing workforce;
--Advance quality care by strengthening nursing education and
practice; and
--Develop the identification and use of data, program performance
measures, and outcomes to make informed decisions on nursing
workforce matters.
The Tri-Council applauds the subcommittee for the emergency
supplement provided across all the health professions programs via the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Public Law 111-5). We also
value the enacted fiscal year 2009 omnibus appropriations bill (Public
Law 111-8) providing $171.031 million specifically for the title VIII
Nursing Workforce Development Programs. These investments are a
critical component supporting our healthcare infrastructure.
Examining the broad context, the healthcare industry remains the
largest industrial complex in the United States. Studies of the
Nation's gross domestic product (GDP) show healthcare spending
achieving a relatively high rate of real growth, with the portion of
GDP devoted to healthcare growing from 8.8 percent in 1980 to 16.2
percent of GDP in 2007. While healthcare spending demands greater
efficiencies, it also has helped to sustain our Nation's sagging
economy.
Since 2001, healthcare is virtually the only sector that added jobs
to the economy on a net basis. In March 2009, the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS) reported continued growth in the healthcare sector,
despite our economy's freefall in a down cycle with unemployment
reaching 8.1 percent in February 2009. With that month's job loss of
681,000 realized in nearly all major industries, BLS also reported the
addition of 27,000 new jobs at hospitals, long-term care facilities,
and other ambulatory care settings.
As the predominant occupation in the healthcare industry, the nurse
workforce likely is filling most of the noted job openings. Nurses are
the front line of healthcare delivery throughout the Nation, and the
BLS numbers support that description showing the nurse workforce at
well over four times the size of the medical workforce. Increased
fiscal year 2010 investments in title VIII will help counterbalance the
economic meltdown threatening nursing programs operating in
congressional districts and serving communities by supporting nursing
education--providing title VIII loans, scholarships, traineeships, and
programmatic funding.
nursing shortage outpaces capacity-building
The Tri-Council contends that an episodic increased funding of
title VIII will not fully fill the gap generated by an 11-year nursing
shortage felt throughout the entire U.S. health system and projected to
continue. The BLS projections estimate that RNs will have the greatest
growth rate of all U.S. occupations in the period spanning 2006-2016,
with more than 1 million new and replacement nurses needed by 2016.
Despite this projected expansion in the profession, numerous other
studies anticipate a growing national nurse workforce shortage to
intensify as the baby boomer cohort ages, the current nurse workforce
retires, and the demand for healthcare accrues.
Funding levels for the HRSA Title VIII Nursing Workforce Programs
are failing to support the numerous qualified applicants seeking
assistance from these programs. In the last 3 years, virtually flat
title VIII funding, along with inflation and increased educational and
administrative costs, has decreased purchasing power. According to HRSA
statistics, in fiscal year 2006 the title VIII programs directly or
indirectly supported 91,189 nurses and nursing students. In fiscal year
2007, the number of grantees dropped by 21 percent and in 2008 the
grantees dropped by 28 percent to support only 51,657 nurses and
nursing students.
Additionally, schools of nursing continue to suffer from a growing
shortage of faculty, a troubling infrastructure trend that exacerbates
the nurse workforce demand-supply gap. According to a study conducted
by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) in 2008,
schools of nursing turned away 49,948 qualified applicants to
baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs. The top reasons cited for
not accepting these potential students was a lack of qualified nurse
faculty and resource constraints. Without faculty, nursing education
programs are prevented from admitting many qualified students who are
applying to their programs. (Data are Internet accessible at http://
www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/NewsReleases/ 2009/workforcedata.html.)
The AACN survey results are reinforced by the National League for
Nursing's (NLN) study of all types of prelicensure RN programs, which
prepare students to sit for the RN licensing exam (i.e., baccalaureate,
associate, and diploma degree). The NLN statistics indicate more than
1,900 unfilled full-time faculty positions existed nationwide in 2007,
affecting more than one-third (36 percent) of all schools of nursing.
Significant recruitment challenges were found with 84 percent of
nursing schools attempting to hire new faculty in 2007-2008, more than
three-quarters (79 percent) reporting recruitment as ``difficult'' and
almost 1 in 3 schools found it ``very difficult.'' The two main
difficulties cited were ``not enough qualified candidates'' (cited by
46 percent of schools), followed by inability to offer competitive
salaries--cited by 38 percent. (Data are Internet accessible at
www.nln.org/research/slides/index.htm.)
the funding reality
If the United States is to reverse the eroding trends in the nurse
and nurse faculty workforce, the Nation must make a significant
investment in the title VIII programs, which are charged to favor
institutions educating nurses for practice in rural and medically
underserved communities. At adequate funding levels the title VIII
programs supporting the education of registered nurses, advanced
practice registered nurses, nurse faculty, and nurse researchers have
demonstrated successful intervention strategies to solving past nursing
shortages.
A brief examination of the HRSA title VIII illustrates the robust
nature of these programs:
Section 811.--The Advanced Education Nursing (AEN) Program funds
traineeships for individuals preparing to be nurse practitioners, nurse
midwives, nurse administrators, public health nurses, and nurse
educators, among other graduate-level education nursing roles. The AEN
awards assisted nurse education programs to support 3,419 graduate
nursing students in fiscal year 2008.
Section 821.--The Nursing Workforce Diversity Program funds grants
and contracts to schools of nursing, nurse-managed health centers
(NMCs), academic health centers, State and local governments, and
nonprofit entities to increase nursing education opportunities for
individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds and under-represented
populations among RNs. This program--of proven intervention
strategies--supported 18,741 students in fiscal year 2008, seeking to
ensure a culturally diverse workforce to provide healthcare for a
culturally diverse patient population.
Section 831.--The Nurse Education, Practice and Retention Program
provides support for academic and continuing education projects
designed to strengthen the nursing workforce. Several of this program's
priorities apply to quality patient care including developing cultural
competencies among nurses and providing direct support to establishing
or expanding NMCs in noninstitutional settings to improve access to
primary healthcare in medically underserved communities. The program
also provides grants to improve retention of nurses and enhanced
patient care. In fiscal year 2008, approximately 6,000 nurses and
nursing students were supported.
Section 846.--The Nurse Loan Repayment and Scholarship Programs
(NELRP) is divided into two primary elements. The NELRP assists
individual RNs by repaying up to 85 percent of their qualified
educational loans over 3 years in return for their commitment to work
at health facilities with a critical shortage of nurses, such as
departments of public health, community health centers, and
disproportionate share hospitals. In fiscal year 2008, of the 5,875
applications reviewed by HRSA, only 435 students (7.4 percent) received
NELRP awards. Similarly, the Nurse Scholarship Program (NSP) provides
financial aid to individual nursing students in return for working a
minimum of 2 years in a healthcare facility with a critical nursing
shortage. In fiscal year 2008, NSP turned away most of the applicants
owing to a lack of adequate funding, resulting in the distribution of
only 169 student awards.
Section 846A.--The Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) supports the
establishment and operation of a loan fund within participating schools
of nursing to assist RNs to complete their education to become nursing
faculty. The NFLP grants provide a cancellation provision in which 85
percent of the loan, plus interest, may be cancelled over 4 years in
return for serving as full-time faculty in a school of nursing. NFLP
granted 729 awards in fiscal year 2008.
Section 855.--The Comprehensive Geriatric Education Grant Program
focuses on training, curriculum development, faculty development, and
continuing education for nursing personnel caring for the elderly. In
fiscal year 2008, 18 awards were made in this program.
While title VIII is the largest source of Federal funding for
nursing, the current level of investment falls short of remedying a
chronic underfunding of the Nursing Workforce Development Programs,
compared to the existing and imminent shortages these programs address.
The title VIII authorities are capable of providing flexible and
effective support to assist students, schools of nursing, and health
systems in their efforts to recruit, educate, and retain registered
nurses. Recent efforts have shown that aggressive and innovative
strategies can help avert the nurse and nurse faculty shortages. The
Tri-Council for Nursing understands the competing priorities faced by
this Congress, but we also maintain that title VIII Nursing Workforce
Development Programs must be funded at an adequate level to begin to
impact the shortage and to address the complex health needs of the
Nation. The contributions of nurses in our healthcare system are
multifaceted, and are impacted directly by the level of Federal funding
that supports nursing programs.
______

Prepared Statement of America's Promise Alliance
the dropout crisis: america's new silent epidemic
Chairman Inouye, Vice Chairman Cochran, members of the
subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify on the most
pressing issue facing our Nation: the high school dropout crisis.
America's low graduation rate is our most pressing issue as a Nation
and the culmination of years of failure. Everyone with a stake in the
future of our children and the Nation--schools, parents, businesses,
community, and faith-based organizations--have a role to play in the
resolution of this crisis. We all must work together in new and
unprecedented ways in support of our children.
In addition to its significant social implications, the potential
economic impact of the dropout crisis shows why this issue is our most
critical national challenge. Today, America is the only industrialized
nation in the world where children are less likely to graduate from
high school than their parents. A student drops out of high school
every 26 seconds, with 1.2 million kids falling through the cracks each
year. The national dropout crisis has resulted in 3 in 10 students
failing to graduate with their class, a percentage that doubles for
minority, urban, and low-income students.
When President Obama and Secretary Duncan say that a long-term,
sustainable economic recovery is only possible if we strengthen our
education system, they are precisely correct. The dropout crisis may
not be as visible or swift as other important issues problems facing
this Congress and our new administration, but its implications are just
as severe and lasting. The dropout crisis, persisting without
acknowledgment or resolution, has emerged as America's ``silent
epidemic.'' Although we are working diligently to raise public
awareness of this issue, it has yet to permeate the national agenda.
This makes it easier for our actions to be slow, inadequate, or even
worse, nonexistent.
Strengthening our graduation rate will take historic focus,
unprecedented collaboration, and significant resources. The required
investments in our young people are the most cost-effective investments
we can make. We must understand that our future is at stake, and we
must resolve that failure is not an option.
magnitude of the dropout crisis
Between 25 to 30 percent of high school students do not graduate on
time. For young people of color, on-time graduation is a 50-50
proposition, the flip of a coin. A new report commissioned by America's
Promise Alliance and developed by the Editorial Projects in Education
Research Center found that only 53 percent of all young people in the
Nation's 50 largest cities graduate on time. Despite some progress made
by several of these cities between 1995 and 2005, the average
graduation rate of the 50 largest cities is well below the national
average of 71 percent, and an 18 percentage point urban-suburban gap
remains.\1\ While the Nation's 50 largest school districts educate 1
out of 8 high school students; they produce one-quarter of the Nation's
students who do not graduate on time.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Christopher Swanson (2009). Cities in Crisis 2009: Closing the
Graduation Gap: Educational and Economic Conditions in America's
Largest Cities. Bethesda, Maryland: Editorial Projects in Education
Research Center.
\2\ The principal school districts of America's 50 largest cities
collectively educate 1.7 million public high school students and
produce 279,000 of the 1.2 million high school students who do not
graduate on time (Ibid., p. 13).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A significant graduation rate gap exists between urban and suburban
school districts: 18 percentage points separate the metropolitan areas
of the 50 largest cities from their suburban counterparts.\3\ Fifty-
nine percent of high school students in urban school districts graduate
on time from high school versus 77 percent of their suburban
counterparts. The urban-suburban gap is most prominent in the Northeast
and Midwest, with Baltimore, Cleveland, Columbus, and Milwaukee
experiencing the largest differentials.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ Ibid.
\4\ Ibid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Economic Impact
The economic significance of the Nation's low graduation rate
cannot be overstated, as countries that out-educate us today will out-
compete us tomorrow. A report from McKinsey & Company estimated the
economic impact in 2008 if the United States had closed the achievement
gap 15 years after A Nation at Risk's 1983 release. Their findings
amount to nothing less than a multibillion dollar lost opportunity and
what they term as a ``permanent national recession.'' Closing the
international achievement, racial, and income gaps would have produced
up to a 30 percent gain in GDP, or $4.2 trillion.
On an individual level, high school graduation is a determining
factor of a student's future income. High school dropouts are less
likely to be steadily employed and earn less income when they are
employed compared with those who graduate from high school. Only 37
percent of high school dropouts nationwide are steadily employed and
are more than twice as likely to live in poverty.\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ Ibid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
High school dropouts account for 13 percent of the adult
population, but earn less than 6 percent of all dollars earned in the
United States. In the 50 largest cities, the median income for high
school dropouts is $14,000, lower than the median income of $24,000 for
high school graduates and $48,000 for college graduates. The Editorial
Projects in Education Research Center estimates that earning a high
school diploma would increase one's annual income by an average of 71
percent, or $10,000.\6\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ Ibid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
contributors to the crisis
There are two major influences in students' lives that impact their
scholastic achievement: what happens inside the school building and
what happens outside of it. A number of factors contribute to the high
school dropout crisis, ranging from the quality of standards and rigor
in our high schools to the issues impacting students before they ever
step foot into the classroom.
In 1983, A Nation at Risk recommended that schools, colleges, and
universities adopt more rigorous, measurable standards for academic
performance and higher expectations for student conduct. Today, few
disagree with the need to raise expectations of student performance. We
must offer our students challenging curricula that are aligned with the
expectations of college and the needs of our future workforce. We need
stronger, internationally benchmarked standards, so that students,
educators, and parents understand the effectiveness of the educational
system in which they are part.
Equally important, though not duly recognized, is the importance of
a student's living and learning environment in affecting how he or she
performs in the classroom. Schools cannot shoulder the responsibility
of educating our children and youth on their own. Every year, our
students spend about 1,150 waking hours in school, and nearly five
times that number (4,700 waking hours) in their families and
communities.\7\ Today's teachers have to act as mothers, fathers,
social workers, and sometimes even police officers, in addition to the
central task of educating our students.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ David Berliner (2009). Poverty and Potential: Out-of-School
Factors and School Success. Boulder and Tempe: Education and the Public
Interest Center and Education Policy Research Unit. Retrieved May 6,
2009 from http://epicpolicy.org/publication/poverty-and-potential.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In its recent report, Parsing the Achievement Gap II, the
Educational Testing Service (ETS) outlined 16 factors that correlate
with student achievement; more than half of these factors are present
in a child's life before or beyond the classroom, including forced
mobility, hunger and nutrition, and summer achievement gain and
loss.\8\ Today's educators must address the confluence of many of these
factors at the same time, which are disproportionately concentrated in
the Nation's poorest schools. Less than 4 percent of white students
attend schools where 70-100 percent of the students are poor. However,
40 percent of black and Latino students attend such high-poverty
schools.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ Paul Barton and Richard Coley (2009). Parsing the Achievement
Gap II. Princeton, New Jersey: Educational Testing Service. Note: This
report uses the term ``frequent school changes.'' I use the term
``forced mobility'' because it more accurately describes the living
circumstances of our most at-risk students that, in turn, causes
reductions in school performance. For additional information, see
Duffield and Lovell (endnote 20).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is important that we have a thorough understanding of the
prevalence and importance of the larger environmental factors in a
student's life that influence their academic success. Unless we address
these foundational issues, not even the best teachers with the highest
quality curriculum will be able to ensure that every student graduates
ready for college.
the solution: a comprehensive approach
The dropout crisis calls for a holistic solution, driven by
national leadership and local action. Research demonstrates that young
people need five core resources to be successful in life. We refer to
them as the ``five promises:'' caring adults, safe places, a healthy
start, effective education, and opportunities to serve. These promises
provide a simple but powerful framework for a robust national strategy
to end the dropout crisis, and they are at the heart of the Dropout
Prevention Campaign launched by America's Promise Alliance in April
2008.
America's Promise Alliance Dropout Prevention Campaign
The campaign begins with high-level summits in all 50 States and
the 55 cities with the largest dropout rates in order to raise the
visibility of America's ``silent epidemic.'' Within 60 days of each
summit, States, and communities are required to develop action plans
that include a cross section of stakeholders: educators, the business
community, nonprofit organizations, and students. To date, 36 high-
level summits have been held in cities nationwide--bringing together
more than 14,000 mayors and Governors, business owners, child
advocates, school administrators, students, and parents to develop
workable solutions and action plans.
Already, cities and States that held summits last year have started
implementing changes based on the discussions and early results are
promising. Detroit has set a 10-year goal to graduate 80 percent of its
youth from the 35 high schools with significant dropout rates and
created the Greater Detroit Venture Fund, a $10 million effort to
assist these efforts. Louisville set a 10-year goal to cut dropout
rates in half, and Tulsa's summit resulted in an innovative career
exploration program.
Grad Nation
The Dropout Summits and the action plans they produce are a
critical first step, but communities also need tools and guidelines for
sustainably raising their graduation rates. Grad Nation is a first-of-
its-kind research-based toolkit for communities seeking to reduce their
dropout rate and better support young people through high school
graduation and beyond. Commissioned by the Alliance and authored by
Robert Balfanz, Ph.D. and Joanna Honig Fox from the Everyone Graduates
Center at Johns Hopkins University and John M. Bridgeland and Mary
McNaught of Civic Enterprises, Grad Nation brings together--in one
place--the Nation's best evidence-based practices for keeping young
people in school. Grad Nation gives communities a comprehensive set of
tools to rally collective support, develop effective action strategies,
prepare youth for advanced learning, and build strong, lasting
partnerships around ending the dropout crisis.
The Gallup Student Poll
The youth voice is often overlooked and not included in the
national dialogue on dropout prevention. In order to determine
effective solutions to the crisis, their voices must be heard.
America's Promise Alliance (APA), along with Gallup and the American
Association of School Administrators, recently launched the Gallup
Student Poll, the largest-ever survey of students in grades 5-12. The
poll measures three key metrics--hope, engagement, and well-being--that
research has shown have a meaningful impact on educational outcomes and
more importantly, can be improved through deliberate action by
educators, school administrators, community leaders.
The March 2009 polling brought in nearly 71,000 responses from
students in 18 States, 58 districts, and more than 330 schools. Half of
those surveyed (50 percent) reported that they are not hopeful, with
one-third (33 percent) indicating that they are stuck, while 17 percent
feel discouraged. Just half (52 percent) said they were treated with
respect all day. The findings from this and future Gallup Student Polls
will highlight causes of the dropout crisis from the perspective of
students themselves. The youth voice is a critical part of the ongoing
dialogue about dropout prevention, and they can help us develop
initiatives that sustainably change outcomes for our young people.
service and engagement
The recently passed Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act will boost
the efforts of our Alliance's service initiatives through the most
sweeping expansion of our country's service programs in 16 years. APA
believes service is a bedrock strategy for tackling issues such as the
high school dropout and college-readiness crises. By affirming the
power of service to address some of the biggest challenges now facing
the United States, this landmark piece of legislation will help reverse
current dropout rates in communities across the country.
The Serve America Act will update and strengthen national service
programs, including service-learning, a teaching method that combines
volunteer service and a rigorous curriculum to engage young people in
solving community problems. Research has shown that service-learning
helps students achieve academically, develop civic and career-related
skills, increase their self-confidence, and heighten their respect for
diversity. Service-learning is a key component of our objective to help
communities in this time of need and to ensure brighter futures for our
children and youth.
Many students who ultimately drop out of school say they become
disengaged during the middle-school years. The choices young people
make at this age could set them on a course for active citizenship and
engaged learning, or down a path of risky behavior and potential
failure. Not enough opportunities currently exist for these children to
engage in active learning through real-world experiences, such as
school or community-based learning and career-centric activities.
Our national action strategy, ``Ready for the Real World,'' brings
together partners from professional societies and businesses looking
for ways to connect with and prepare their future workforce. By
designing ``real-world'' experiences relevant to them, the initiative
exposes youth to service learning and career exploration, increasing
their motivation to achieve in school, college, and life.
Through America's Promise, partners provide a range of resources
and real-life experiences, such as job shadowing and mentoring
programs. Ready for the Real World established innovative after-school
and summer programs for youth, which are integrated into school
curriculums afterwards. This type experiential learning has inspired
at-risk youth to achieve academically, pursue higher goals, and
contribute positively to their communities.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association (APA), the largest
scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the
United States and the world's largest association of psychologists,
works to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a
means of promoting human welfare. APA is grateful for the opportunity
to submit written testimony on goals for the fiscal year 2010
appropriations bill. Below we enumerate recommendations for specific
programs.
Bureau of Health Professions, Graduate Psychology Education
Program.--The APA requests that the subcommittee include $7 million for
the Graduate Psychology Education Program (GPE) within the Health
Resources and Services Administration. This nationally competitive
grant program provides integrated healthcare services to underserved
communities--those individuals most in need of mental and behavioral
health support with the least access to these services, including
children, older adults, chronically ill persons, and victims of abuse
or trauma.
Since 2002, GPE grants have provided interdisciplinary training for
approximately 2,500 graduate students of psychology and other health
professions to provide integrated healthcare services to underserved
populations. There have been 70 grants in 30 States. Students
benefiting from GPE grants have worked with more than 30 different
types of health professionals. GPE funding has allowed programs to
double the number of students they are able to train: and more students
trained means more impact on underserved populations. The GPE Program
currently supports training grants at 18 academic institutions and
training sites (e.g., children's and VA hospitals) throughout the
Nation. All of the approximately 900 psychology graduate students who
benefited from GPE funds are expected to work with underserved
populations and 34-100 percent will be working in underserved areas
immediately after completing the training.
Currently authorized under the Public Health Service Act (Public
Law 105-392, section 755(b)(1)(J)) and funded under the ``Allied Health
and Other Disciplines'' account in the Labor, Health and Human
Services, and Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, this
program has proven effective for meeting the growing health needs of
our Nation's least served communities. This year, specific authorizing
legislation has been introduced in the U.S. Senate (S. 811) as well as
in the U.S. House of Representatives (H.R. 2066).
The GPE program specifically seeks to support our Nation's aging
and veteran populations. Twenty percent of people older than 55 suffer
from a mental disorder (2005); mental disorders affect physical health
and the ability to function (2008); and approximately 70 percent of all
primary care visits by older adults are driven by psychological
factors. In addition, older adults with chronic illnesses such as heart
disease have higher rates of depression than those medically well, and
depression lowers immunity and may compromise a person's ability to
fight infection (2008). One in five military personnel returning from
Iraq and Afghanistan report symptoms consistent with major depression,
generalized anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (2008).
According to the Pentagon the number of U.S. troops diagnosed by the
military with PTSD jumped nearly 50 percent from 2006 to 2007 as more
troops served lengthy and repeated tours in Iraq and Afghanistan
(2008). Furthermore, the U.S. Army reported in May (2008) that more
U.S. soldiers committed suicide in 2007 than at any time since the
first Gulf War.
Providing $7 million in fiscal year 2010 would allow for 30
additional GPE grants including those that focus solely on the needs of
older adults and returning military personnel and their families. There
are approximately 900 eligible universities, professional schools and
hospitals in every State nationwide.
substance abuse and mental health services administration (samhsa)
Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act Programs--Campus Suicide Prevention
Program
APA encourages the subcommittee to increase funding for the
programs at SAMHSA authorized by the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act,
especially the Campus Suicide Prevention program.
The Campus Suicide Prevention program is a small, but important
program that seeks to assist college and universities raise awareness
about mental and behavioral health to prevent suicides. By providing
educational materials and outreach, the Campus Suicide Prevention
program increases awareness about the signs of and risks of mental
health problems and ensures greater success in college completion for
those at risk of school failure because of concerns like stress,
depression, eating disorders, risk behaviors, and suicidal thoughts.
There is a special need to increase funds for this program during
the difficult economic times facing our Nation. A recent APA survey
found that 18-29 year olds felt the economy added to their stress more
than other concerns, like relationships or housing, a change from past
years. The American College Counseling Association's 2008 Survey of
College Counseling Center Directors found that ``95 percent of
directors report that the recent trend toward greater number of
students with severe psychological problems continues to be true on
their campuses.'' Addressing the mental and behavioral health needs of
students in college and university settings can mean the difference
between school failure or graduation on one hand, and life and death on
the other.
Center for Mental Health Services, Minority Fellowship Program
(MFP).--While minorities are projected to comprise 40 percent of the
U.S. population by 2025, only 23 percent of recent doctorates in
psychology, social work, and nursing were awarded to minorities. The
MFP's mission is to address this need by increasing the number of
minority mental health professionals and by training mental health
professionals to become culturally competent. APA urges Congress to
fund the Minority Fellowship Program at $7.5 million for fiscal year
2010.
Emergency Mental Health and Traumatic Stress Services Branch: Child
Trauma.--SAMHSA has made tremendous efforts in this area through the
outstanding National Child Traumatic Stress Network program. APA urges
Congress to appropriate full funding for the National Child Traumatic
Stress Initiative at the originally authorized level of $50 million for
fiscal year 2010. To ensure continuity of leadership in this program,
APA recommends the subcommittee encourage SAMHSA to expand the duration
of NCTSI grant awards from 3 years to 6 years.
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP): Substance Use and
Mental Disorders of Persons with HIV.--According to recent reports,
almost half of those with HIV/AIDS screened positive for illicit drug
use or mental disorders. Unfortunately, healthcare providers fail to
detect mental disorders and substance use problems in almost half of
patients with HIV/AIDS. Several diagnostic screening tools are
available for use by nonmental health staff. APA encourages SAMHSA and
CDC to collaborate with HRSA to train healthcare providers to screen
HIV/AIDS patients for mental health and substance use problems.
department of health and human services
Lifespan Respite Program Family Caregivers.--Respite can provide
family caregivers with relief necessary to maintain their own health,
bolster family stability and well-being, and avoid or delay more costly
nursing home or foster care placements. Under the Lifespan Respite Care
Program, funds are available to improve access to respite for family
caregivers. APA urges Congress to fund the Lifespan Respite Care
Program at its authorized level of $71.1 million for fiscal year 2010.
centers for disease control and prevention (cdc)
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control: Child
Maltreatment Prevention at Community Health Centers (CHCs).--APA
recommends the implementation of at least 10 demonstration projects of
evidence-based preventative parenting programs through CHCs. Technical
assistance to demonstration sites should be provided by organizations
with expertise in parent-child relationships, parenting programs,
prevention of child maltreatment, and the integration of behavioral
health in primary and community health center settings. APA recommends
evaluating the demonstration projects' implementation and outcomes,
including health and mental health outcomes.
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS): Eating Disorders.--
Eating disorders may have serious, chronic effects on one's quality of
life and often co-occur with significant physical and mental health
problems. However, the impact of these disorders has not yet been
appropriately investigated. APA urges the subcommittee to encourage CDC
to increase support for surveillance and research efforts regarding the
incidence, morbidity, and mortality rates of eating disorders,
including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and
eating disorders not otherwise specified across age, ethnicity and
gender subgroups.
Sexual and Gender Identity Inclusion in Health Data Collection.--
The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) is the most comprehensive
and widely referenced Federal health statistics survey, yet currently
does not include any question concerning sexual orientation and gender
identity. APA recommends the allocation of an additional $2 million in
funding for NHIS in the NCHS budget, to enable Government agencies to
better understand and plan for the unique health needs of lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender individuals.
Administration for Children and Families.--Sexualization of Girls.
Throughout U.S. culture, female children, adolescents, and adults are
frequently depicted and treated in a sexualized manner that objectifies
them. Research links sexualization with three of the most common mental
health problems of female children, adolescents, and adults: eating
disorders, depression or depressed mood, and low self-esteem. APA
encourages HHS to fund media literacy and youth empowerment programs to
prevent and counter the effects of the sexualization of female
children, adolescents, and adults.
National Institutes of Health (NIH).--APA supports the request of
the Ad Hoc Group and Coalition for Health Funding, urging an increase
of at least 7 percent for the NIH. Years of sub-inflation budgets have
stressed the NIH research enterprise, and made sharing of resources
among programs more difficult. The fiscal year 2009 increase provided
by Congress begins to ameliorate the budget difficulties, but
scientific research will benefit from a smooth, steady and predictable
rise in spending.
APA likewise supports an increase of 7 percent (to $28.61 million)
for the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research in the
Office of the Director. This small but important office coordinates
behavioral and social science research initiatives across Institutes
and Centers, and helps form partnerships to leverage the intellectual
and monetary resources that make good science possible.
The behavioral and social sciences are leading proponents of
cooperation and cost-sharing in cross-cutting NIH initiatives. APA
supports NIH's decision to authorize a Basic Behavioral and Social
Sciences Research ``Blueprint,'' to which several Institutes would
contribute, to strengthen NIH funding of basic research in the
behavioral and social sciences. This innovation will build creative
cooperation and cost-sharing, and help plug gaps in NIH-supported basic
research.
A key area of cooperation is in research on obesity. Given the role
of obesity as a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular
disease, diabetes, cancer, and arthritis, many of NIH's Institutes are
collaborating with investigators and other Institutes to develop new
ways to prevent and treat obesity and overweight as well as fostering
the adoption of positive health behaviors.
For example, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child
Health and Human Development supports research into physical activity
and eating behaviors and that examines the impact of family and peer
support, developmental and social context, school-based interventions,
which include the use of media and literacy, motivation, and use of
various behavioral approaches to influence motivation in physical
activity, food choices, and media use.
Alcohol and tobacco use are among the leading causes of death and
disability in the United States, but NIH research funding to prevent,
understand the etiology of, and treat tobacco and alcohol addiction is
not commensurate with the public health burden of those diseases. APA
suggests that as the NIH Scientific Management Review Board (SMRB)
undertakes its review of the NIH organizational structure to optimize
the research of substance use, abuse and addiction, that it also
quantify the amount of NIH research funding dedicated to studies of
alcohol, tobacco use and illicit substance use. Further, APA recommends
that the SMRB evaluate the proportion of all substance use research
funding at NIH compared to CDC estimates of the public health burden of
disease (and costs to the criminal justice system) and consider a
reapportionment of NIH funding to Institutes based on those findings.
department of education
Office of the Director (OD).--Culturally and Linguistically
Appropriate Education. Ethnically diverse children and American Indian/
Alaska native children are performing at far lower levels than other
students. APA urges the subcommittee to increase support for
educational systems and the strengthening of programs that meet the
unique cultural, linguistic and educational needs of ethnic minority
and AI/AN students from pre-school to graduate-level education.
Office of Safe and Drug-free Schools: Bullying Prevention.--
Bullying directly affects about one-third of American school children
in a given semester. APA urges appropriate Federal funding to support
the implementation of effective, research-based, and comprehensive
bullying prevention programs.
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research:
Disability Research.--APA recommends that NIDRR pursue mental health-
related research proposals through its investigator-initiated and other
grants programs, and sponsor studies on the impacts of socio-emotional,
behavioral, and attitudinal aspects of disability.
elementary and secondary school counseling program
APA requests that the subcommittee increase funds for the
Elementary and Secondary School Counseling program. Authorized by the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act's Fund for the Improvement of
Education, this program increases the range, availability, quantity,
and quality of counseling services in the elementary and secondary
schools across the country.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Public Power Association
The American Public Power Association (APPA) is the national
service organization representing the interests of more than 2,000
municipal and other State and locally owned utilities throughout the
United States (all but Hawaii). Collectively, public power utilities
deliver electricity to 1 of every 7 electricity consumers
(approximately 45 million people), serving some of the Nation's largest
cities. However, the vast majority of APPA's members serve communities
with populations of 10,000 people or less.
We appreciate the opportunity to submit this statement supporting
funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Production Assistance Program
(LIHEAP) for fiscal year 2010.
APPA has consistently supported an increase in the authorization
level for LIHEAP. The administration's fiscal year 2010 budget requests
$3.2 billion for LIHEAP. APPA supports a level of $5.1 billion for the
program.
APPA is proud of the commitment that its members have made to their
low-income customers. Many public power systems have low-income energy
assistance programs based on community resources and needs. Our members
realize the importance of having in place a well-designed, low-income
customer assistance program combined with energy efficiency and
weatherization programs in order to help consumers minimize their
energy bills and lower their requirements for assistance. While highly
successful, these local initiatives must be coupled with a strong
LIHEAP program to meet the growing needs of low-income customers. In
the last several years, volatile home-heating oil and natural gas
prices, severe winters, high utility bills as a result of dysfunctional
wholesale electricity markets and the effects of the economic downturn
have all contributed to an increased reliance on LIHEAP funds.
Also when considering LIHEAP appropriations this year, we encourage
the subcommittee to provide advanced funding for the program so that
shortfalls do not occur in the winter months during the transition from
one fiscal year to another. LIHEAP is one of the outstanding examples
of a State-operated program with minimal requirements imposed by the
Federal Government. Advanced funding for LIHEAP is critical to enabling
States to optimally administer the program.
Thank you again for this opportunity to relay our support for
increased LIHEAP funding for fiscal year 2010.
______

Prepared Statement of the Association for Psychological Science
summary of recommendations
--As a member of the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research Funding,
Association for Psychological Science (APS) recommends $32.4
billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in fiscal
year 2010.
--APS requests subcommittee support for behavioral and social science
research and training as a core priority at NIH in order to:
better meet the Nation's health needs, many of which are
behavioral in nature; realize the exciting scientific
opportunities in behavioral and social science research, and;
accommodate the changing nature of science, in which new fields
and new frontiers of inquiry are rapidly emerging.
--Given the critical role of basic behavioral science research and
training in addressing many of the Nation's most pressing
public health needs, we ask the subcommittee to ensure that NIH
leadership carries out its plan to create a cross-NIH basic
behavioral research funding initiative, and coordinates with
all Institutes and Centers to provide support for basic
behavioral science research.
--APS encourages the subcommittee to support behavioral science
priorities at individual Institutes. Examples are provided in
this testimony to illustrate the exciting and important
behavioral and social science work being supported at NIH.
Mr. Chairman, members of the subcommittee: My name is Dr. Amy
Pollick, and I am speaking on behalf of the APS. Thank you for the
opportunity to provide this statement on the fiscal year 2010
appropriations for the NIH. As our organization's name indicates, APS
is dedicated to all areas of scientific psychology, in research,
application, teaching, and the improvement of human welfare. Our 21,000
members are scientists and educators at the Nation's universities and
colleges, conducting NIH-supported basic and applied, theoretical and
clinical research. They look at such things as: the connections between
emotion, stress, and biology and the impact of stress on health; they
look at how children grow, learn, and develop; they use brain imaging
to explore thinking and memory and other aspects of cognition; they
develop ways to manage debilitating chronic conditions such as diabetes
and arthritis as well as depression and other mental disorders; they
look at how genes and the environment influence behavioral traits such
as aggression and anxiety; and they address the behavioral aspects of
smoking and drug and alcohol abuse.
As a member of the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research Funding, APS
recommends $32.4 billion for NIH in fiscal year 2010, an increase of 7
percent more than the fiscal year 2009 appropriations level. This
increase would halt the erosion of the Nation's public health research
enterprise, and help restore momentum to our efforts to improve the
health and quality of life of all Americans.
Within the NIH budget, APS is particularly focused on behavioral
and social science research and the central role of behavior in health.
The remainder of my testimony concerns the status of those areas of
research at NIH.
health and behavior: the critical role of basic and applied
psychological research
Behavior is a central part of health. Many leading health
conditions--such as heart disease; stroke; lung disease and certain
cancers; obesity; AIDS; suicide; teen pregnancy; drug abuse and
addiction; depression and other mental illnesses; neurological
disorders; alcoholism; violence; injuries and accidents--originate in
behavior and can be prevented or controlled through behavior.
As just one example: stress is something we all feel in our daily
lives, and we now have a growing body of research that illustrates the
direct link between stress and health problems:
--Chronic stress accelerates not only the size, but also the strength
of cancer tumors;
--chronic stressors weaken the immune system to the point where the
heart is damaged, paving the way for cardiac disease;
--children who are genetically vulnerable to anxiety and who are
raised by stressed parents are more likely to experience
greater levels of anxiety and stress later in life;
--animal research has shown that stress interferes with working
memory; and
-- stressful interactions may contribute to systemic inflammation in
older adults, which in turn extends negative emotion and pain
over time.
None of the conditions or diseases described above can be fully
understood without an awareness of the behavioral and psychological
factors involved in causing, treating, and preventing them. Just as
there exists a layered understanding, from basic to applied, of how
molecules affect brain cancer, there is a similar spectrum for
behavioral research. For example, before you address how to change
attitudes and behaviors around AIDS, you need to know how attitudes
develop and change in the first place. Or, to design targeted therapies
for bipolar disorder, you need to know how to understand how circadian
rhythms work as disruptions in sleeping patterns have been shown to
worsen symptoms in bipolar patients.
basic behavioral science research needs a stable infrastructure
Broadly defined, behavioral research explores and explains the
psychological, physiological, and environmental mechanisms involved in
functions such as memory, learning, emotion, language, perception,
personality, motivation, social attachments, and attitudes. Within
this, basic behavioral research aims to understand the fundamental
nature of these processes in their own right, which provides the
foundation for applied behavioral research that connects this knowledge
to real-world concerns such as disease, health, and life stages. Basic
behavioral research continues to fare poorly at NIH, a circumstance
that jeopardizes the success of the entire behavioral research
enterprise. Let me remind you of the current situation.
Traditionally, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) was
the home for far more basic behavioral science than any other
Institute. Many basic behavioral and social questions were being
supported by NIMH, even if their answers could also be applied to other
Institutes. But NIMH has reduced its support for many areas of the most
basic behavioral research, in favor of translational and clinical
research. This means that previously funded areas now are not being
supported.
NIMH's abrupt decision to narrow its portfolio came without
adequate planning and happened at the expense of critical basic
behavioral research. We favor a broader spectrum of support for basic
behavioral science across NIH as appropriate and necessary for a vital
research enterprise. But until other Institutes have the capacity to
support more basic behavioral science connected to their missions,
programs of research in fundamental behavioral phenomena such as
cognition, emotion, psychopathology, perception, and development, will
continue to languish.
Current NIH leadership recognizes this gap, and has asked the
Directors of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and the
National Institute of Aging to co-lead a new initiative that supports
and expands new basic behavioral research throughout NIH. In March
2009, NIH leadership confirmed its commitment to this Basic Behavioral
Research Opportunity Network in testimony to this subcommittee, and APS
asks you to ensure that NIH follows through with the planning and
execution of this crucial step forward for basic behavioral science at
NIH and ultimately the health of all Americans.
Despite the clear central role of behavior in health, behavioral
research has not received the recognition or support needed to prevent,
or reverse the effects of, behavior-based health problems in this
Nation. APS asks that you continue to help make behavioral research
more of a priority at NIH, both by providing maximum funding for those
Institutes where behavioral science is a core activity, by encouraging
NIH to advance a model of health that includes behavior in its
scientific priorities, and by encouraging stable support for basic
behavioral science research at NIH.
behavioral science at key institutes
In the remainder of my testimony, I would like to highlight
examples of cutting-edge behavioral science research being supported by
individual Institutes.
National Cancer Institute (NCI).--NCI's Behavioral Research Program
continues to make excellent progress, supporting basic behavioral
research as well as translational research on the development and
dissemination of interventions in areas such as tobacco use, dietary
behavior, sun protection, and decisionmaking. Recently, NCI's
behavioral research branch has made concerted efforts to incorporate
innovative social psychological theories into cancer prevention
research. Basic social psychology provides useful and practical
approaches for understanding risky health behaviors and tailoring
interventions to reduce the incidence of cancer. For example, NCI
funded a research program to assess differential psychological and
physiological responses to exercise and the possible genetic and
biological mechanisms of those responses. As a result, we now
understand the influence of responses to cardiovascular exercise on
future exercise behavior, and the researchers are evaluating an
intervention to increase exercise behavior in sedentary participants.
It is this kind of basic behavioral research that helps us understand
how people are persuaded to adopt and maintain healthy behaviors. APS
asks Congress to support NCI's behavioral science research and training
initiatives and to encourage other Institutes to use these programs as
models.
National Institute on Aging (NIA).--NIA's Division of Behavioral
and Social Research has one of the strongest psychological science
portfolios in all of NIH, and is supporting wide-ranging and innovative
work. For example, normal aging may be accompanied by declines not only
in such cognitive functions, but also in the processes supporting
social and emotional behavior. However, we currently know little about
the changes that may occur as we age. NIA-supported research into the
brain mechanisms and cognitive processes underlying social and
emotional behaviors in healthy older adults promises to dramatically
increase our knowledge in this area. Using a combination of behavioral
and neuroimaging methods to study social and emotional processing in
normal aging, this research will lead to much greater understanding of
the nature of aging-related changes in these central human
characteristics. NIA's commitment to cutting-edge behavioral science is
further illustrated by the Institute's leadership role in NIH's new
initiative on the Science of Behavior Change. APS asks the subcommittee
to support NIA's behavioral science research efforts and to increase
NIA's budget in proportion to the overall increase at NIH in order to
continue its high-quality research to improve the health and well being
of older Americans.
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).--By supporting a
comprehensive research portfolio that stretches across behavior,
neuroscience, and genetics, NIDA is leading the Nation to a better
understanding of drug abuse which is key to both prevention and
treatment. One of the striking things about psychological science
research is that it often dispels ``common sense'' intuition. For
example, recent NIDA-supported research has shown that certain anti-
drug media campaigns that include attention-grabbing features such as
harsh content or strong graphics, have no positive effect, and that in
fact the campaigns that use fewer such dramatic features actually lead
to better processing of the public service announcement (PSA). This
kind of message-framing research will be used to develop and tailor the
most effective PSAs, such as those that focus on social risk rather
than physical damage, to curtail use of a wide variety of illicit
substances. NIDA is also encouraging brain imaging and prevention
message investigators to work together, fostering increased validation
of health communication models. APS asks the subcommittee to support
this and other critical behavioral science research at NIDA, and to
increase NIDA's budget in proportion to the overall increase at NIH in
order to reduce the health, social, and economic burden resulting from
drug abuse and addiction in this Nation.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and
Human Development (NICHD).--Several Institutes recognize the value and
relevance of basic behavioral research to their mission, and NICHD is
to be particularly commended for its support of behavioral research on
important topics such as mechanisms of cognition and learning,
developmental trajectories of language, and linkages among brain,
behavior, and genes. For example, studies have shown that caregiver
behavior can modify genetic influences on social behavior. Children
with a particular variation of the serotonin gene who live in families
that provide low levels of social and emotional support were found to
be at increased risk for extreme shyness and social withdrawal in
middle school years. But those children whose families provide high
levels of support, and who have that same genetic variation, didn't
show the same levels of shyness. Research supported by NICHD's
behavioral science programs continues to yield fundamental new insights
into understanding early cognitive and behavioral development that have
the potential to change how and when medical and psychological
specialists evaluate typical cognitive, social, and behavioral
development during infancy. APS asks Congress to support NICHD's
sustained behavioral science research portfolio and to encourage other
Institutes to partner with NICHD to maximize the development of
interventions in early stages of life that have invaluable benefits in
adulthood.
It's not possible to highlight all of the worthy behavioral science
research programs at NIH. In addition to those reviewed in this
statement, many other Institutes play a key role in the NIH behavioral
science research enterprise. These include the National Institute of
Dental and Craniofacial Research, the National Institute of Mental
Health, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the National Institute of
Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, and the National Institute
on Neurological Diseases and Stroke. Behavioral science is a central
part of the mission of these institutes, and their behavioral science
programs deserve the subcommittee's strongest possible support.
This concludes my testimony. Again, thank you for the opportunity
to discuss NIH appropriations for fiscal year 2010 and specifically,
the importance of behavioral science research in addressing the
Nation's public health concerns. I would be pleased to answer any
questions or provide additional information.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Physiological Society
The American Physiological Society (APS) thanks the Chairman and
all the members of this subcommittee for their support for the National
Institutes of Health (NIH). The funds you included in the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) are providing the NIH with
a substantial influx of resources at a crucial time. Several
consecutive years of stagnant budget growth had been eroding the
scientific capacity painstakingly built up during the doubling. The
rapid distribution of ARRA funds will allow scientists to explore new
avenues of promising research through the funding of additional grants,
which is already building momentum and sparking excitement in the
research community. The stimulus funds represent a first step toward
enabling NIH to maintain and to increase employment for highly skilled
workers, purchase critical equipment and supplies, and enhance research
capacity at institutions across the country. However, consistent future
budget growth for NIH will be necessary to sustain this momentum beyond
the period of stimulus spending and prevent an abrupt halt in these new
research initiatives after the ARRA. Furthermore, absent a continued
increase in support for NIH, as many as 20,000 jobs created in the
biomedical sciences by the stimulus money could be lost. Therefore, the
APS urges you to make every effort to provide the NIH with a 7 percent
increase in fiscal year 2010.
The APS is a professional society dedicated to fostering research
and education as well as the dissemination of scientific knowledge
concerning how the organs and systems of the body work. APS was founded
in 1887 and now has nearly 10,000 member physiologists. APS members
conduct NIH-supported research at colleges, universities, medical
schools, and other public and private research institutions across the
United States. The APS offers these comments on the budget recognizing
both the enormous financial challenges facing our Nation and the great
opportunity before us to make progress against disease.
As a result of improved healthcare, Americans are living longer and
healthier lives in the 21st century than ever before. However, diseases
such as heart failure, diabetes, cancer, and emerging infectious
diseases such as the swine flu continue to inflict a heavy burden on
our population. The NIH invests heavily in basic research to explore
the mechanisms and processes of disease. This investment will result in
new tools and knowledge that can be used to design novel treatments and
prevention strategies.
The NIH selects and funds investigator-initiated research of only
the highest scientific merit through the use of the peer review system.
Among the breakthroughs in the last year:
--NIH-funded researchers discovered that people with certain genetic
variants are at increased risk for a stroke. This genetic link
provides molecular clues to how strokes develop and also moves
the field closer to personalized medicine. This work was
performed by researchers who collaborated to study large
populations of patients over a long period of time, and is an
example of research that was supported by multiple institutes
within the NIH.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ M. A. Ikram et al, New England Journal of Medicine 360, 1718-
28. (April 23, 2009).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Scientists recently discovered that adults retain brown fat, a
metabolically active type of fat tissue that was previously
thought to exist only in infants and children. Because brown
fat burns calories and energy, there is hope that this
discovery could lead to new treatments for obesity and
diabetes.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ A. M. Cypress et al, New England Journal of Medicine 360, 1509-
17. (April 9, 2009).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Researchers studying obesity and diet in an animal model found that
chronic consumption of high levels of fructose leads to excess
weight gain and molecular changes when paired with a high-fat,
high-calorie diet. Understanding the physiological changes
associated with the development of obesity is a first step
toward the design of interventions that could prevent the
serious health consequences associated with being
overweight.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ A. Shapiro et al, American Journal of Physiology--Regulatory,
Integrative and Comparative Physiology 295, R1370-75. (November, 2008).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Over the past several years, the Office of the Director has
supplemented existing research programs with new types of awards as
part of the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research. These include the New
Innovator, Pioneer and Transformative Research Award Programs. Such
programs support bold and creative researchers as they engage in high-
risk, high-reward research, thus allowing more flexibility to explore
novel ideas and challenge existing paradigms. The NIH is also using
these programs as a model for distributing funds under the ARRA. The
Research and Research Infrastructure ``Grand Opportunities'' program
will fund potentially high-impact areas of science that will benefit
from short-term funding.
The NIH is also home to the Institutional Development Award (IDeA)
Program. Established in 1993, the goal of the IDeA program is to
broaden the geographic distribution of NIH funds by serving researchers
and institutions in areas that have not historically received
significant NIH funding. IDeA builds research capacity and improves
competitiveness in those States through the development of shared
resources, infrastructure, and expertise. IDeA currently serves
institutions and investigators in 23 States and Puerto Rico.
In addition to supporting research, the NIH must also address
workforce issues to ensure that our Nation's researchers are ready to
meet the challenges they will face in the future. Recent data from the
NIH shows that the average age of NIH supported principal investigators
is now 50.8 years.\4\ This is up nearly 12 years from the average
principal investigator's age of 39.1 years in 1980. In addition, the
average age at which a researcher obtains their first major research
award from NIH has increased to 42.4 years. As the scientific workforce
continues to age, and more researchers retire, there may be an
insufficient number of young scientists who are trained to replace
them. Over the last year, the NIH has put in place policies to help new
investigators succeed in competing for their first major research
awards. However, efforts will be successful only if funds are available
to continue to support the careers of new and young investigators
beyond the period of their first grant.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ http://grants.nih.gov/grants/new_investigators/
resources.htm#data (accessed April 29, 2009).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The APS joins the Federation of American Societies for Experimental
Biology (FASEB) and the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research Funding in
urging that NIH be provided with a 7 percent increase in fiscal year
2010 to permit the agency to maintain its current wide-ranging and
important research efforts.
______

Prepared Statement of the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses
introduction
On behalf of the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN), I
appreciate having the opportunity to submit written testimony to the
Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related
Agencies Subcommittee regarding funding for nursing and rehabilitation
related programs in fiscal year 2010. ARN represents professional
nurses who work to enhance the quality of life for those affected by
physical disability and/or chronic illness. ARN understands that
Congress has many concerns and limited resources, but believes that
chronic illness and physical disability are heavy burdens on our
society that must be addressed.
rehabilitation nurses and rehabilitation nursing
Rehabilitation nurses help individuals affected by chronic illness
and/or physical disability adapt to their disability, achieve their
greatest potential, and work toward productive, independent lives. They
take a holistic approach to meeting patients' medical, vocational,
educational, environmental, and spiritual needs. Rehabilitation nurses
begin to work with individuals and their families soon after the onset
of a disabling injury or chronic illness. They continue to provide
support in the form of patient and family education and empower these
individuals when they return home, or to work, or school. The
rehabilitation nurse often teaches patients and their caregivers how to
access systems and resources.
Rehabilitation nursing is a philosophy of care, not a work setting
or a phase of treatment. Rehabilitation nurses base their practice on
rehabilitative and restorative principles by: (1) managing complex
medical issues; (2) collaborating with other specialists; (3) providing
ongoing patient/caregiver education; (4) setting goals for maximal
independence; and (5) establishing plans of care to maintain optimal
wellness. Rehabilitation nurses practice in all settings, including
freestanding rehabilitation facilities, hospitals, long-term subacute
care facilities/skilled nursing facilities, long-term acute care
facilities, comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facilities; and
private practice, just to name a few.
To ensure that patients receive the best quality care possible, ARN
supports Federal programs and research institutions that address the
national nursing shortage and conduct research on medical
rehabilitation and nursing and traumatic brain injury. Therefore, ARN
respectfully requests that the subcommittee provide increased funding
for the following programs:
nursing workforce and development programs at the health resources and
services administration (hrsa)
ARN supports efforts to resolve the national nursing shortage,
including appropriate funding to address the shortage of qualified
nursing faculty. Rehabilitation nursing requires a high-level of
education and technical expertise, and ARN is committed to assuring and
protecting access to professional nursing care delivered by highly
educated, well-trained, and experienced registered nurses for
individuals affected by chronic illness and/or physical disability.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the
Federal Nursing Workforce Development program at the Health Resources
and Services Administration (HRSA), an estimated 36,750 nurses need to
be recruited, educated, and retained to meet the current demands of the
healthcare system. Efforts to recruit and educate individuals
interested in nursing have been thwarted by the shortage of nursing
faculty. In 2007, due to the nursing faculty shortage, more than 40,000
qualified applicants were not able to matriculate in nursing school.
The number of full-time nursing faculty required to ``fill the nursing
gap'' is approximately 40,000, and, currently, there are less than
20,000 full-time nursing faculty members. Further exacerbating this
issue, HRSA predicts that the nursing shortage is expected to grow to
41 percent by 2020.
ARN strongly supports the national nursing community's request of
$263 million in fiscal year 2010 funding for Federal Nursing Workforce
Development programs at HRSA.
nidrr
NIDRR provides leadership and support for a comprehensive program
of research related to the rehabilitation of individuals with
disabilities. As one of the components of the Office of Special
Education and Rehabilitative Services at the U.S. Department of
Education, NIDRR operates along with the Rehabilitation Services
Administration and the Office of Special Education Programs.
The mission of NIDRR is to generate new knowledge and promote its
effective use to improve the abilities of people with disabilities to
perform activities of their choice in the community, and also to expand
society's capacity to provide full opportunities and accommodations for
its citizens with disabilities. NIDRR conducts comprehensive and
coordinated programs of research and related activities to maximize the
full inclusion, social integration, employment and independent living
of individuals of all ages with disabilities. NIDRR's focus includes
research in areas such as employment; health and function; technology
for access and function; independent living and community integration;
and other associated disability research areas.
ARN strongly supports the work of NIDRR and encourages Congress to
provide the maximum possible fiscal year 2010 funding level.
national institute of nursing research (ninr)
ARN understands that research is essential for the advancement of
nursing science, and believes new concepts must be developed and tested
to sustain the continued growth and maturation of the rehabilitation
nursing specialty. The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
works to create cost-effective and high-quality health care by testing
new nursing science concepts and investigating how to best integrate
them into daily practice. NINR has a broad mandate that includes
seeking to prevent and delay disease and to ease the symptoms
associated with both chronic and acute illnesses. NINR's recent areas
of research focus include the following:
--End of life and palliative care in rural areas;
--Research in multi-cultural societies;
--Bio-behavioral methods to improve outcomes research; and
--Increasing health promotion through comprehensive studies.
ARN respectfully requests $178 million in fiscal year 2010 funding
for NINR to continue its efforts to address issues related to chronic
and acute illnesses.
traumatic brian injury (tbi)
Approximately 1.5 million American children and adults are living
with long-term, severe disability, as a result of traumatic brain
injury (TBI). Moreover, this figure does not include the 150,000 cases
of TBI suffered by soldiers returning from wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan.
The annual national cost of providing treatment and services for
these patients is estimated to be nearly $60 million in direct care and
lost workplace productivity. Continued fiscal support of the Traumatic
Brain Injury Act will provide critical funding needed to further
develop research and improve the lives of individuals who suffer from
traumatic brain injury.
Continued funding of the TBI Act will promote sound public health
policy in brain injury prevention, research, education, treatment, and
community-based services, while informing the public of the need
support for individuals living with TBI and their families.
ARN strongly supports the current work being done by the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and HRSA on TBI programs.
These programs contribute to the overall body of knowledge in
rehabilitation medicine.
ARN urges Congress to support the following fiscal year 2010
funding requests for programs within the TBI Act: $10 million for CDC's
TBI registries and surveillance, prevention and national public
education and awareness efforts; $20 million for the HRSA Federal TBI
State Grant Program; and $13.3 million for the HRSA Federal TBI
Protection and Advocacy Systems Grant Program.
conclusion
ARN appreciates the opportunity to share our priorities for fiscal
year 2010 funding levels for nursing and rehabilitation programs. ARN
maintains a strong commitment to working with Members of Congress,
other nursing and rehabilitation organizations, and other stakeholders
to ensure that the rehabilitation nurses of today continue to practice
tomorrow. By providing the fiscal year 2010 funding levels detailed
above, we believe the subcommittee will be taking the steps necessary
to ensure that our Nation has a sufficient nursing workforce to care
for patients requiring rehabilitation from chronic illness and/or
physical disability.
______

Prepared Statement of the Association for Research in Vision and
Ophthalmology
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) has two
major requests:
--For Congress to fund the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in
fiscal year 2010 at $32.4 billion (a 7 percent increase more
than fiscal year 2009); and
--For Congress to make vision health a priority in the total funding
of NIH by increasing the National Eye Institute (NEI) funding
to $736 million (also a 7 percent increase).
The requested 7 percent increase represents a 3 percent increase
plus the 2009 biomedical inflation index.
ARVO commends Congress for actions taken in fiscal year 2008 and
2009 to fund NIH. This includes the $150 million fiscal year 2008
supplement for investigator-initiated grants, the $10.4 billion of NIH
funding included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and the
fiscal year 2009 inflationary increase of 3.2 percent. However, ARVO
still has concerns about long-term, sustained, and predictable funding
for vision research.
Vision disorders are the fourth most prevalent disability in the
United States and the most frequent cause of disability in children.\1\
\2\ \3\ \4\ Healthy vision contributes to injury prevention,
independence, and economic security. Over the next 30 years the elderly
population of the United States will double and if we fail to take
action, age-related eye diseases (diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma,
cataracts, and age-related macular degeneration) will quickly
overburden our healthcare system. While age-related eye diseases are
the most common visual impairments in the United States, childhood
vision loss is also of great concern because of its lifelong economic
burden.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics. Older
Americans 2000: key indicators of well-being. Washington, DC: U.S.
Government Printing Office; 2000 Aug. 114 p.
\2\ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15078664
\3\ http://www.healthypeople.gov/data/2010prog/focus28/2004fa28.htm
\4\ http://www.preventblindness.org/vpus/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
ARVO requests $32.4 billion of NIH funding for fiscal year 2010.
This represents a 7 percent increase more than fiscal year 2009.
This ensures that prior investments in training junior
investigators and clinician scientists translate to future improvements
in health and healthcare services.
If junior investigators are unable to obtain research grants from
the NIH, then the prior Government investment in their training will
not translate into future translational medical breakthroughs. These
scientists will simply transfer acquired skills to other career
options.\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/16526/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
With the doubling of the NIH budget (1993-2003) universities
increased their infrastructure for training life science Ph.Ds and
hired more full-time faculty.\6\ NIH funding has since remained flat,
resulting in decreased rates of grant funding. As a consequence many
academic scientists have either lost their jobs or taken part-time
positions.\7\ The current economic crisis has further amplified the
problem. In recent months, the private sector in the United States laid
off more than 80,000 scientists.\8\ We think the best solution is to
maintain sustained and predictable funding for scientists at all
stages. If the average age when scientists obtain their first source of
independent NIH funding continues to rise (currently 43 years) and
funding bodies continue to restrict many postdoctoral funding
opportunities to 2-5 years, a generation of analytical thinkers will be
forced to find more realistic career options.\9\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ http://www.sauvonslarecherche.fr/IMG/pdf/the_postdoc_crisis.pdf
\7\ http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/
previous_issues/articles/2007_07_13/caredit.a0700099
\8\ http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/
previous_issues/articles/2009_04_10/caredit.a0900048
\9\ http://www.brokenpipeline.org/brokenpipeline.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
To maintain economic and global competitiveness, research and
development is essential for the United States to remain competitive in
a global market. Both corporate and Government support of research has
been declining. Innovation is crucial for maintaining global
competitiveness.\10\ Since vision problems are a global economic
concern, the prevention and treatment of ocular disease contributes to
the economic well-being of the United States and international economy.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\10\ http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsb0803/start.htm#research
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NIH and NEI have been leaders in basic research that translates to
better vision therapies. The NEI Director (Paul Sieving, MD, Ph.D.) has
reported that 25 percent of all genes identified to date are associated
with eye disease. Research supported by the NEI is aimed at translating
these genetic discoveries to improved diagnosis and therapy.\11\ \12\
\13\ \14\ \15\ The NEI has worked in association with: (1) the National
Institute on Aging to better diagnose, prevent, and treat age-related
macular degeneration, diabetes, and cataract; (2) The National
Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to protect and
regenerate cells that die from retinal degeneration and glaucoma; and
(3) the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
Disorders on studies of diabetic retinopathy.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\11\ http://www.v2020.org/page.asp?section=000100010002
\12\ http://www.v2020eresource.org/newsitenews.aspx?tpath=news22007
\13\ http://www.healthypeople.gov/HP2020/
\14\ http://www.nei.nih.gov/resources/strategicplans/neiplan/
frm_cross.asp
\15\ http://www.nei.nih.gov/amd/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NEI-sponsored research has resulted in improved therapies for age-
related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, a promising gene
therapy for retinitis pigmentosa, and genetic studies of glaucoma in
minority populations that have a disproportional higher incidence of
glaucoma.\16\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\16\ http://www.eyeresearch.org/resources/NEI_factsheet.html ARVO
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
--To reduce the economic burden of eye disease on the United States
healthcare system
In 2008, 3,638,186 persons in the United States were blind. And 1
in 28 individuals older than age 40 has a visual disability . . . In
2010 more than half of baby boomers will be at high risk for developing
age-related eye diseases. Adequate research funding of studies aimed at
preventing these age related diseases will reduce future healthcare
expenditures, particularly to the Medicare and Medicaid programs.\17\
\18\ \19\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\17\ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/
entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=15078664
\18\ http://www.researchamerica.org/uploads/factsheet16vision.pdf
\19\ http://www.preventblindness.org/advocacy/Action_Plan.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Treatment of eye diseases in the United States costs $68 billion/
year. Vision impaired adults are employed at 44 percent the rate of
healthy individuals and earn an average of $10,000 less per year.\20\
\21\ \22\ Vision science research leads to therapies that delay,
prevent and treat blinding ocular disease, leading to increased
productivity of our work force and savings in the cost of healthcare.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\20\ http://www.nei.nih.gov/
\21\ http://www.eyeresearch.org/pdf/RA_Vision_08_V5.pdf
\22\ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
summary
ARVO urges fiscal year 2010 NIH and NEI funding at $32.4 billion
and $736 million, respectively, reflecting an at least 7 percent
increase more than fiscal year 2009.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Society for Microbiology
The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) is pleased to submit
the following testimony on the fiscal year 2010 appropriation for the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The ASM supports the
fiscal year 2010 funding level of $8.6 billion for CDC recommended by
the CDC Coalition and the Campaign for Public Health. Funding levels in
recent years have not adequately supported the CDC mission to protect
public health through health promotion and disease prevention. The ASM
appreciates that the administration and Congress have included science
and public health programs in the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act of 2009. It is essential, however, to also provide increased
funding through the fiscal year 2010 appropriation and future fiscal
years, at levels that sustain CDC programs to protect public health.
There are persistent challenges for the Nation's public health
agencies at the Federal, State, and local levels. Among these are the
nationwide outbreaks of swine influenza, salmonella food poisoning, and
upsurges in vaccine preventable diseases such as measles and
meningitis.
CDC is instrumental in preventing death and illness caused by
infectious diseases, contamination of food or water, or release of
bioterror agents. The recent public health concern surrounding human
cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection illustrates the
importance of CDC's role in the investigation and response to outbreaks
of infectious diseases. CDC is working closely with officials in States
where human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) have been identified, as
well as with health officials in other countries experiencing outbreaks
of H1N1. CDC staff are deployed in the United States and
internationally to provide guidance and technical support in response
to this emerging health threat. During a rapidly evolving situation,
CDC is working to reduce transmission and severity of the disease and
to provide information to healthcare providers, public health
officials, and the public.
cdc combats infectious diseases
CDC mission specific components cover a wide spectrum of disease
control and prevention activities. One of these, the Coordinating
Center for Infectious Diseases (CCID), oversees national centers
focused on immunization and respiratory diseases; zoonotic, vector-
borne and enteric diseases; HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, sexually
transmitted diseases and tuberculosis prevention; and healthcare
associated infections, migration, and quarantine. CCID centers use the
latest technological tools and scientific information to respond to
emergent public health challenges as rapidly and effectively as
possible.
Emerging Infectious Diseases.--Newly recognized infectious diseases
attract considerable attention from the public and the research
community, evidenced by swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection, H5N1
avian influenza, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), HIV/AIDS,
so-called ``mad cow'' disease, West Nile Virus, and methicillin-
resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among others. The CDC must
respond to these and other emerging diseases with scientific
proficiency and round-the-clock readiness. The National Center for
Preparedness, Detection, and Control of Infectious Disease's Division
of Emerging Infections and Surveillance Services recruits partnerships
across the CDC and with both national and international organizations,
to track outbreaks and train laboratory scientists from around the
world in preventing and responding to such threats. The CDC has
repeatedly taken part in identifying previously unrecognized pathogens
like the SARS virus. It also participates in relevant field research
around the world.
Influenza Preparedness.--The CDC effort against influenza includes
programs that focus on both seasonal and potential pandemic forms of
the disease, such as human cases of swine influenza A virus infection.
Every year, between 5 and 20 percent of the U.S. population gets the
flu, more than 200,000 are hospitalized, and about 36,000 die. The CDC
works with U.S. partners in health departments, clinical laboratories,
vital statistics offices and healthcare providers to assess the annual
burden of flu. Comprehensive CDC incidence reports use data from nine
different sources, like the Nationally Notifiable Disease Surveillance
System and the Emerging Infections Program's Influenza Project. In
October 2008, the CDC contracted with the American Type Culture
Collection to implement the CDC Influenza Reagent Resource, which will
serve as a source of diagnostic material for laboratories in the event
of an emerging pandemic. The agency also awarded $24 million for 55
projects at 29 State and local health departments to develop better
pandemic preparedness models. Last fall, the Food and Drug
Administration approved a lab test co-developed by CDC that can
reliably detect flu viruses with results within four hours.
CDC extensively monitors the avian influenza virus H5N1 that has
spread throughout Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Europe.
Recognition that the relatively new virus could cause a human pandemic
has mobilized public health institutions worldwide. There have been
only 413 confirmed human cases in 15 countries (by March 30), but the
sustained 60-plus percent mortality is unprecedented for an influenza
virus. The CDC developed a measurement tool to help at-risk countries
assess their ability to respond to an avian influenza pandemic.
Moreover, it continues its laboratory and field research on H5N1 and
other flu viruses. CDC scientists reported last year that some avian
influenza A H7 virus strains have acquired new features that might
boost their potential to cause human disease.
HIV/AIDS.--In August 2008, the CDC released its first estimates of
HIV infections in the United States based on a new CDC-developed
laboratory assay called serologic testing algorithm for recent HIV
seroconversion (STARHS). The results, unfortunately, indicate that
approximately 56,300 new U.S. HIV infections occurred in 2006, about 40
percent higher than CDC's former estimate. The STARHS technology is the
basis for the first national surveillance system relying on direct
measurement of new HIV infections and provides more precise estimates
of HIV incidence. CDC continually tracks the nation's progress against
this recalcitrant disease. For example, the CDC and other health
agencies updated guidelines in March for the prevention and treatment
of opportunistic infections in HIV-infected people.
Global Infectious Diseases.--Infectious diseases are responsible
for 15 million (26 percent) of the 57 million annual deaths worldwide
and the CDC is a valuable contributor to public health campaigns
against these diseases. Examples include its vigorous distribution in
developing countries of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine.
One of the leading causes of severe childhood pneumonia and meningitis,
Hib disease annually causes an estimated 3 million illnesses and
400,000 deaths worldwide in children 5 years and younger. Hib vaccines
have been widely used in industrialized countries for nearly 20 years,
but underused in the poorest countries. The CDC estimates that this
year use of Hib vaccine in these countries will exceed 80 percent,
compared to less than 20 percent in 2004.
CDC funding supports rigorous research on globally significant
diseases like malaria and tuberculosis, and underwrites incidence data
gathered from around the world. The CDC is developing a network of
Global Disease Detection Centers, along with the participating nations'
ministries of health, academic institutions, the World Health
Organization, and U.S. Departments of State and Defense. Centers
currently operational are located in China, Egypt, Guatemala, Kenya,
Thailand, and, added in 2008, Kazakhstan. They extend the reach of
three established CDC programs in emerging infections, epidemiology
training, and influenza. The Coordinating Office for Global Health
oversees more than 200 CDC staff in more than 50 countries, as first-
responders to disease outbreaks. In 2008, CDC responded to more than 90
international disease outbreaks and public health events and found 22
new pathogens.
An estimated 1.8 million airline passengers cross international
borders daily, opening multiple routes for disease transmission. The
CDC maintains a specific branch to deal with global migration and
quarantine issues, using its GeoSentinel Network Surveillance System to
collect information from 41 sentinel sites and 200 medical clinics in
75 countries around the world. CDC personnel now staff U.S. quarantine
stations at 20 ports of entry and land border crossings. The CDC also
provides U.S. travelers with health threat alerts; educational efforts
last year included recommendations to the U.S. Olympic teams traveling
to China.
Vaccination Campaigns.--CDC collects vaccine-related information to
assist Federal, State, and local health officials. The CDC also invests
considerable resources in educating the public on the importance of
vaccination as a preventive tool. At times, vaccines can also alleviate
disease rather than prevent initial infection. Last year, the CDC
recommended that people age 60 and older be vaccinated against shingles
to reduce the number of painful episodes, even in those with previous
cases. The most recent CDC survey of childhood immunization in this
country found that rates remain at or near record levels, with at least
90 percent coverage for all but one of the recommended series for young
children. Still, more measles cases were reported in 2008 than any year
since 1996 largely due to failure to vaccinate. Another CDC report
concluded that marked reductions in rotavirus-caused gastroenteritis in
U.S. infants and young children may be due to a recently introduced
rotavirus vaccine, recommended by CDC in 2006 for routine immunization
of infants. Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe gastroenteritis in
the young, typically causing 55,000-70,000 U.S. hospitalizations and
about 410,000 physician office visits annually. Every day, rotavirus
kills about 1,600 children under age 5 worldwide.
cdc confronts healthcare-associated infections, antimicrobial
resistance
Each year, healthcare-associated infections (HAI) account for an
estimated 1.7 million infections and 99,000 associated deaths in the
United States. With more than 1 billion hospital and doctor visits made
by Americans each year, there unfortunately is ample opportunity for
HAI exposure. A CDC report released in March estimates that the annual
direct hospital cost of treating HAI ranges from $28.4 billion to $45
billion, and that improving infection control could save roughly $6
billion to $32 billion, depending on the percentage of infections
preventable in healthcare settings. With 2009 healthcare costs expected
to reach $2.5 trillion, saving resources through CDC-facilitated
prevention clearly offers a sensible public health strategy.
CDC works to optimize practices for HAI prevention. For example,
CDC reports that 85 percent of all invasive infections caused by
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are associated with
healthcare settings. CDC guidelines help assure best practices in
healthcare settings. Hospitals in a CDC-supported study reduced
bloodstream and MRSA infections as much as 70 percent by implementing
CDC prevention guidelines. Last September, CDC launched a public MRSA
education campaign.
Antimicrobial resistance has emerged as a daunting global
challenge, increasing the lethality of pathogens from extensively drug-
resistant tuberculosis (XDR TB) to this year's flu virus strain highly
resistant to the most commonly used prescription drug. Last year, 16
CCID surveillance systems and programs gathered incidence data on
antimicrobial resistance among bacterial, fungal, parasitic and viral
agents. CDC scientists are developing laboratory protocols and
diagnostics for a growing list of drug-resistant pathogens. One example
is a new protocol for molecular typing of methicillin-resistant S.
aureus. The CDC's Antimicrobial Resistance Team also recently validated
tests that will amend 2009 clinical and lab standards in testing
microbial resistance to mupirocin (used for staph infections) and the
carbapenem drugs used to treat enteric pathogens resistant to most
other drugs.
cdc strengthens national defenses against bioterrorism, public health
crises
The CDC's Terrorism, Preparedness and Emergency Response (TPER)
funds support the Coordinating Office for Terrorism Preparedness and
Emergency Response objectives. CDC provides science-based strategies
and tactical coordination during public health events and maintains
emergency response operations like the Strategic National Stockpile
(SNS) and the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The SNS is an
invaluable national repository of antibiotics, antitoxins and other
medical supplies that can be mobilized rapidly to augment State and
local resources during a large-scale health emergency. Opened in 2003,
the DEOC is staffed with experts 24/7/365, an integral part of the
country's National Incident Management System.
The CDC's inaugural annual report on its TPER-funded activities
released in January enumerates its wide-ranging activities. Activities
include assessing current administration routes and dosage for anthrax
vaccine, inspecting 110 research entities registered to possess
microbes on the Federal select agents list, and mapping the DNA of the
vaccinia virus (similar to smallpox virus) and tularemia bacteria for
greater scientific insight into potential bioagents. TPER-funded
capabilities help CDC respond more aggressively to public health crises
of all kinds, far beyond the threat of bioterrorism. In fiscal year
2008, the EOC was activated in response to 55 domestic and 16
international events, including the floods in the Midwest, multistate
Salmonella and E.coli 0157 outbreaks, and outbreaks of cholera and
hemorrhagic fever in Africa.
The ASM concurs with the recommended level of $8.6 billion, which
will provide needed new funding for CDC's programs that are so critical
to protecting people in the United States and worldwide.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Society for Microbiology
The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) appreciates the
opportunity to submit a written statement on the fiscal year 2010
budget for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The ASM is the
largest single life science society with more than 42,000 members, many
of whom receive funding from the NIH. We are grateful for the $10.4
billion increase in funding for the NIH in the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and the 3.2 percent increase in funding for NIH
in the fiscal year 2009 Labor, Health and Human Services, and
Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The additional ARRA
funding enables NIH to support the ARRA goals to create and save jobs
and increase purchasing power, as well as advance scientific research.
The Nation's biomedical research enterprise will be kept more robust at
a time when it is experiencing the adverse effects of the economic
downturn and years of flat funding.
As Congress considers the fiscal year 2010 appropriation for NIH,
the ASM recommends a budget of $32.4 billion, a 7 percent increase. The
recommended funding increase will help NIH keep pace with expanded
research opportunities and higher costs. It is important for NIH to
prepare for the poststimulus years, in 2011 and beyond. It is also
important to resume sustainable NIH funding, avoiding fluctuations for
research and training programs that can disrupt projects, training,
careers, and research progress. To perpetuate the benefits of ARRA
funding, it is vitally important to provide sustained growth for the
NIH in fiscal year 2010 and beyond.
More than 83 percent of the NIH budget is awarded through 50,000
competitive grants awarded to more than 325,000 researchers at more
than 3,000 universities, medical schools, and other institutions in all
50 States. About 10 percent of the NIH budget supports research in NIH
laboratories conducted by nearly 6,000 scientists. Research project
grants are highly productive in terms of medical advances to benefit
public health. NIH funding contributes to the Nation's economic
recovery by stimulating new opportunities and investments in
biotechnology and related industries, as well as expanding the skilled
workforce critical to U.S. competitiveness in science and technology.
NIH funding also impacts allied health workers, technicians, students,
trade workers, and others who receive the leveraged benefits from NIH
funding.
The following describes some of the compelling reasons for
increased and sustained support for the NIH research mission and its
proven benefit to technological innovation and public health.
nih research is critical to scientific progress
NIH Institutes and Centers fund research programs that address the
Nation's challenges of safeguarding public health, security, and the
economy. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
(NIAID), for example, focuses on research to understand, treat, and
prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases, leading to the
development of vaccines, therapies and diagnostic tools. The NIAID also
funds research on medical countermeasures against potential bioterror
agents. The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
supports basic research on life processes in fields such as
computational biology, genetics, and bioinformatics. NIH resources
invested in the agency-wide Roadmap initiatives make possible projects
that hold great potential but might otherwise not be funded due to
difficulty and scope. Recently funded Roadmap projects include a
network of nine centers using high-tech screening methods for drug
discovery.
The NIH funding to individual researchers and research groups,
through competitive peer-reviewed grants, is of particular consequence
to the U.S. research enterprise. More than 120 discoveries made by NIH
and NIH-supported researchers have garnered Nobel Prizes, and NIGMS has
funded the Nobel Prize-winning work of 64 scientists. More than three-
fourths of the U.S. recipients of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or
Medicine received NIH support prior to their award. In fiscal year 2009
NIH is striving to lower the average age of first-time grant recipients
to refresh the Nation's scientific investigator pool and help
revitalize research in the United States. Our national anxiety over
waning global competitiveness and a shrinking technical workforce
argues for sustained NIH funding for both new and established
investigators.
NIH investigator-initiated grants create new opportunities for
original biomedical inquiry and expand training environments for
students in technical fields. Investigator-initiated research projects
lead to inventive solutions for medical problems. Each year, NIH also
identifies, in consultation with the extramural research community,
targeted areas within an emerging need or opportunity, and then
requests grant applications from U.S. researchers. Focused
opportunities announced last year by NIAID include studies to advance
vaccine safety and development of assays for high-throughput drug
screening. NIGMS-featured areas currently include computational models
to detect, control, and prevent emerging infectious diseases. NIGMS
also awards grants for nontraditional research through its Exceptional,
Unconventional Research Enabling Knowledge Acceleration (EUREKA)
program. NIH has placed new emphasis on supporting high-impact
transformative research that might create new disciplines,
revolutionary technologies, or otherwise radically change biomedical
research. In 2008, it initiated transformative grant funding to foster
investigator-initiated work considered high-risk but exceptionally
promising.
nih research yields medical advances
NIH supported research consistently produces significant
discoveries with both real-world relevance and potential future use
against emerging health threats. The following are selected examples of
recently reported research that illustrate the vitality and creativity
supported by NIH funding.
Antimicrobial Resistance and Drug Discovery.--Drug resistance
spreading among microbial pathogens is complicating control of
infectious diseases and adding to rising healthcare costs. Response by
U.S. research institutions has been aggressive, including creation of a
Federal Interagency Task Force co-chaired by NIAID, the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration.
Causes of drug resistance are many, from overuse of prescription drugs
to natural microbial mutations, and NIAID's research portfolio is
equally diverse. In fiscal year 2007, the Institute invested more than
$800 million to support basic and translational research on
antimicrobials and on drug resistance. Recent results include:
--Scientists from NIAID, California, and China studied the genetics
of the major strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus (MRSA), concluding that a radical shift may be needed in
how scientists design MRSA therapeutics. MRSA causes an
estimated 94,000 cases of infection annually in the United
States, with more than 19,000 deaths.
--NIGMS-funded researchers are developing a new generation of
antibiotic compounds that do not elicit drug resistance. The
enzyme-inhibitor compounds interfere with ``quorum sensing''--a
process by which bacteria communicate with each other. Those in
the current study work against Vibrio cholerae, which causes
cholera, and E. coli 0157:H7, the food contaminant that
annually causes about 110,000 illnesses in the United States.
To circumvent antimicrobial resistance, NIH researchers and their
extramural collaborators are intensifying research strategies better
suited to rapidly changing pathogens and disease demographics. These
include state-of-the-art technologies that fuel 21st century drug
discovery. A recent example is NIGMS-funded research using mass
spectrometry technology to determine the molecular structure of a class
of natural compounds called nonribosomal peptides (NRPs), intensely
studied for their drug potential (penicillin is an NRP). A significant
advance over previous approaches, it may help reprogram nonpathogenic
E. coli into NRP minifactories.
Infectious Diseases.--Infectious diseases remain among the most
difficult global health challenges, accounting for about one-quarter of
all deaths and nearly two-thirds in sub-Saharan Africa. At NIAID and
NIGMS, multiple programs and interdisciplinary strategies target the
major causes of global death and disability, with cutting-edge tools
like genomics and nanotechnology.
Influenza.--Despite the availability of influenza drugs and
vaccines, seasonal influenza still kills more than 250,000 people
worldwide each year. Public health officials are now concerned about
reports that 98 percent of a H1N1 influenza virus strain (1 of 3
circulating in the 2008-2009 season) are resistant to oseltamivir
(Tamiflu), the leading influenza drug, compared to 11 percent
resistance among all viral strains during the 2007-2008 season. The
possibility of an influenza pandemic caused by the more lethal H5N1
avian flu virus has mobilized an international response from health
agencies and medical researchers. In January, the Department of Health
and Human Services awarded a contract to build the first U.S.
manufacturing facility for cell-based influenza vaccines, expected to
increase the Nation's current capacity to make vaccine by at least 25
percent and much less time. NIH funding contributed to this major
advance in vaccine production and to other recent advances, such as:
--NIAID-supported scientists used new monoclonal techniques to create
human influenza-fighting antibodies in the laboratory in a
matter of weeks, rather than the months previously required.
The antibodies have potential for diagnosis and treatment
regimens that can respond more quickly to newly emerging
strains of influenza.
--NIGMS-funded researchers used super-computer capabilities to
identify more than two dozen new candidate drugs to treat avian
influenza (``bird flu''), in preparation for a possible
pandemic of drug-resistant H5N1 virus strains.
--Three research teams and a computer informatics group--part of the
NIGMS-funded Models of Infectious Disease Agent Study (MIDAS)
Network--modeled pandemic influenza in the United States,
concluding mitigation is possible with prompt, coordinated use
of social-distancing measures and antiviral treatment until
vaccine is available.
HIV/AIDS.--An estimated 33 million adults and children are living
with HIV infection worldwide, and about 2 million die each year from
related causes. In the United States, where nearly 546,000 people have
died thus far from HIV/AIDS-related illnesses, there currently are an
estimated 1.1 million infected, with 21 percent unaware of their
infection. HIV/AIDS as both a domestic and global threat is a high
priority at NIH. Difficulties in developing preventative vaccines
prompted a 2008 NIH vaccine summit and subsequent re-examination of
NIH's research agenda. NIH-supported basic research is steadily adding
to our understanding of HIV/AIDS, evidenced by recent discoveries in
mechanisms of HIV protease inhibition and the NIGMS-funded success in
seeing microscopically for the first time molecules grouping in living
cells to form single HIV particles. Other recent advances include:
--A vaginal gel to prevent HIV infection in women has shown
encouraging signs of success in a clinical trial in Africa and
the United States. This is the first human clinical study to
suggest that a microbicide may prevent male-to-female sexual
HIV transmission.
--An extended course of the antiretroviral drug nevirapine helps the
breastfeeding babies of HIV-infected mothers remain HIV-
negative and live longer, according to several new studies.
About 150,000 infants worldwide acquire HIV annually through
breastfeeding.
--The incidence of childhood illness and death due to HIV infection
can be dramatically decreased by testing very young babies for
HIV and giving antiretroviral therapy (ART) immediately to
those found infected--giving ART to HIV-infected infants
beginning at an average age of 7 weeks made them four times
less likely to die in the next 48 weeks.
Tuberculosis.--One-third of the world's 6.7 billion people are
thought to be infected by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the microbe
that causes tuberculosis. An estimated 13.7 million have the active
form. Each year, about 1.7 million die from this age-old disease that
has adopted some disturbing modern-day features, striking as co-
infections with the HIV virus and becoming resistant to drug therapies
used to treat tuberculosis. In 2007, about 9.3 million people developed
new cases of TB; 1.37 million were also HIV positive. The rapid spread
of multidrug- and extensively drug-resistant forms (MDR TB/XDR TB) is
alarming--MDR TB currently accounts for an estimated 5 percent of all
TB cases and the frequently fatal XDR TB has been detected in 46
countries thus far. In April 2008, NIAID launched an aggressive
research agenda against drug-resistant tuberculosis. NIH-supported
research from the past year includes:
--NIAID scientists and industry collaborators found that, when the
candidate TB drug PA-854 is metabolized inside Mtb bacteria, a
lethal dose of nitric oxide gas is produced, killing the
pathogen and suggesting new ways to develop drugs capable of
killing latent TB bacteria. Currently there are no drugs
available to target latent tuberculosis infections.
--Scientists reported that two FDA-approved drugs work in tandem to
kill the tuberculosis pathogen and could help counter drug-
resistant forms. The drugs are already used to treat other
bacterial diseases, but their effectiveness against TB bacteria
had not been studied. NIAID is planning a clinical trial this
year in patients with MDR TB and XDR TB.
Malaria.--Nearly half of the world's population is at risk of
contracting malaria, a preventable and curable mosquito-borne disease
in more than 100 countries. The World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates that 300 to 500 million cases of clinical malaria worldwide
occur each year, killing 1.3 million people. Unfortunately, its impact
is intensifying with the emergence of drug-resistant parasites and
insecticide-resistant mosquitoes. In April 2008, NIAID announced its
new strategic plan to accelerate malaria control and eradication. NIH
research often involves international partners and encompasses all
aspects of malaria, including these recent examples:
--NIGMS funding supported the genetic decoding of the parasite
responsible for 40 percent of infections, Plasmodium vivax, 1
of 4 malaria parasites that routinely affect humans. The most
common species outside Africa (including the United States), P.
vivax is increasingly resistant to some antimalarial drugs.
--The NIAID-funded Malaria Research and Training Center in Mali
completed the first clinical trial of a vaccine to block the
malaria parasite from entering human blood cells.
--NIGMS-supported research described how harmless E. coli bacteria
can be harnessed to synthesize an antimalarial compound in
bulk, far less expensive than the current process.
infectious disease research uses interdisciplinary strategies and new
technologies
NIAID and NIGMS, like other NIH Institutes and Centers, support
productive basic research on literally hundreds of diseases, from
periodic foodborne E. coli or Salmonella outbreaks to isolated cases of
Ebola fever or anthrax. This enormous responsibility forces constant
adaptation to new challenges, often through greater reliance on
interdisciplinary strategies or novel research tools and technologies--
epitomized by the large-scale, genetics-based initiatives made possible
with today's powerful computing capabilities. In 2008, NIH launched a
multi-Institute epigenomics initiative to better understand the role of
the environment in regulating mammalian genes, through genome mapping,
data analysis, and technology development. NIH also agreed to share
databases from its Human Microbiome Project in support of the newly
formed International Human Microbiome Consortium. Characterizing the
human microbiome, which is the collective DNA of all the microbes
living in or on the human body, will elucidate the relationship between
microbes and humans during health and disease. Shared sample
repositories overseen by databases expedite information exchange among
scientists. Computerized screening of pathogen genomes similarly
accelerates the search for treatments, vaccines, and diagnostics.
conclusion
ASM is thankful that Congress recognizes both the medical benefits
and economic impacts of biomedical research and has provided an
infusion of funding for the NIH to uncover new knowledge that will
improve public health. Investing in NIH will impact the health of
people for years to come and the biomedical community is working to
ensure wise investment of the new resources in fiscal year 2009. We are
confident that investments in the NIH will result in new discoveries
and innovations that can address many of our health and economic
challenges.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Society for Nutrition
The American Society for Nutrition (ASN) appreciates this
opportunity to submit testimony regarding fiscal year 2010
appropriations for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). ASN is the professional
scientific society dedicated to bringing together the world's top
researchers, clinical nutritionists, and industry to advance our
knowledge and application of nutrition to promote human and animal
health. Our focus ranges from the most critical details of research to
very broad societal applications. ASN respectfully requests $32.4
billion for NIH, and we request $137.5 million for NCHS in fiscal year
2010.
Basic and applied research on nutrition, nutrient composition, the
relationship between nutrition and chronic disease and nutrition
monitoring are critical to the health of all Americans and the U.S.
economy. Awareness of the growing epidemic of obesity and the
contribution of chronic illness to burgeoning healthcare costs has
highlighted the need for improved information on dietary components,
dietary intake, strategies for dietary change, and nutritional
therapies. Preventable chronic diseases related to diet and physical
activity cost the economy more than $117 billion annually, and this
cost is predicted to rise to $1.7 trillion in the next 10 years. It is
for this reason that we urge you to consider these recommended funding
levels for two agencies under the Department of Health and Human
Services that have profound effects on nutrition research, nutrition
monitoring, and the health of all Americans--NIH and NCHS.
nih
NIH is the Nation's premier sponsor of biomedical research and is
the agency responsible for conducting and supporting 90 percent (nearly
$1 billion) of federally funded basic and clinical nutrition research.
Nutrition research, which makes up about 4 percent of the NIH budget,
is truly a trans-NIH endeavor, being conducted and funded across
multiple Institutes and Centers. Some of the most promising nutrition-
related research discoveries have been made possible by NIH support.
In order to fulfill the extraordinary promise of biomedical
research, including nutrition research, ASN recommends an fiscal year
2010 funding level of $32.4 billion for the agency, which is a 7
percent increase ($2.1 billion) more than fiscal year 2009.
Over the past 50 years, NIH and its grantees have played a major
role in the explosion of knowledge that has transformed our
understanding of human health, and how to prevent and treat human
disease. Because of the unprecedented number of breakthroughs and
discoveries made possible by NIH funding, scientists are helping
Americans to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. Many of
these discoveries are nutrition-related and have impacted the way
clinicians prevent and treat heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and age-
related macular degeneration.
During the next 25 years, the number of Americans with chronic
disease is expected to reach 46 million, and the number of Americans
older than age 65 is expected to be the largest in our Nation's
history. Sustained support for basic and clinical research is required
if we are to confront successfully the healthcare challenges associated
with an older, and potentially sicker, population.
For several years in a row the NIH budget failed to keep up with
inflation and subsequently, the percentage of dollars funding
nutrition-focused projects declined. We applaud Congress' inclusion of
funds for NIH in H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,
and also the boost provided in the fiscal year 2009 omnibus
appropriations bill. It is imperative that we continue our commitment
to biomedical research and to fulfill the hope of the American people
by making the NIH a national priority. Otherwise, we risk losing our
Nation's dominance in biomedical research.
The 7 percent increase we recommend is an important step toward
President Obama's campaign pledge to double funding for basic research
over 10 years and is necessary to maintain both the existing and future
scientific infrastructure. The discovery process--while it produces
tremendous value--often takes a lengthy and unpredictable path. Recent
experience has demonstrated how cyclical periods of rapid funding
growth followed by periods of stagnation is disruptive to training, to
careers, long-range projects and ultimately to progress. NIH needs
sustainable and predictable budget growth to achieve the full promise
of medical research to improve the health and longevity of all
Americans.
cdc nchs
NCHS, housed within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), is the Nation's principal health statistics agency. The NCHS
provides critical data on all aspects of our healthcare system, and it
is responsible for monitoring the Nation's health and nutrition status.
Nutrition and health data, largely collected through the National
Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), is essential for
tracking the health and well-being of the American population, and it
is especially important for observing health trends in our Nation's
children. Knowing both what Americans eat and how their diets directly
affect their health provides valuable information to guide policies on
food safety, food labeling, food assistance, military rations, and
dietary guidance.
Over the past few years, flat and decreased funding levels have
threatened the collection of this important information, most notably
vital statistics and the NHANES. ASN was pleased to see that Congress
appropriated an additional $11 million to the agency--for nearly $125
million total--in fiscal year 2009. This halted what would have been
the beginning of drastic cuts to the agency's premier health surveys--
NHANES and the National Health Information Survey--that were slated to
occur should the agency not receive additional funds.
To continue support for the agency and its important mission, ASN
recommends an fiscal year 2010 funding level of $137.5 million for the
agency, which is a $12.5 million increase over fiscal year 2009.
Current funding levels for NCHS remain precarious. Before the
recent increase in funds, NCHS had lost $13 million in purchasing power
since fiscal year 2005 due to years of flat funding, coupled with
inflation and the increased costs of technology and information
security. These shortfalls forced the elimination of data collection
and quality control efforts, threatened the collection of vital
statistics, stymied the adoption of electronic systems and limited the
agency's ability to modernize surveys to reflect changes in demography,
geography, and health delivery.
Moreover, nearly 30 percent of the funding for NHANES comes from
other Federal agencies such as the NIH and the Environmental Protection
Agency. When these agencies face flat budgets or cuts, they withdraw
much-needed support for NHANES, placing this national treasure in even
greater jeopardy.
The obesity epidemic is a case in point that demonstrates the value
of the work done by NCHS. It is because of NHANES that our Nation
became aware of this growing public health problem, and as obesity
rates have increased to 31 percent of American adults (which we know
because of continued monitoring), so too have rates of heart disease,
diabetes, and certain cancers. It is only through continued support of
this program that the public health community will be able to stem the
tide against obesity. Continuous collection of this data will allow us
to determine not only if we have made progress against this public
health threat, but also if public health dollars have been targeted
appropriately. A recent report from the Institute of Medicine
recognized the importance of NHANES and called for the enhancement of
current surveillance systems to monitor relevant outcomes and trends
with respect to childhood obesity.
Providing an additional $12.5 million in fiscal year 2010 continues
the progress on the path to boost funding for the NCHS to $175 million
by 2013. Reaching this level over 5 years, through annual increases of
approximately $11-12 million, would allow the agency to reach what its
supporters call ``blue sky.'' Such an increase would ensure
uninterrupted collection of vital statistics and sustain over-sampling
of vulnerable populations.
ASN thanks your subcommittee for its support of the NIH and NCHS in
previous years.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Society of Plant Biologists
On behalf of the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) we
would like to thank the subcommittee for its extraordinary support of
the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and ask that the subcommittee
members encourage increased funding for plant biology research, which
has contributed in innumerable ways to improving the lives of people
throughout the world.
ASPB is an organization of more than 5,000 professional plant
biologists, educators, graduate students, and postdoctoral scientists.
A strong voice for the global plant science community, our mission--
which is achieved through engagement in the research, education, and
public policy realms--is to promote the growth and development of plant
biology and plant biologists and to foster and communicate research in
plant biology. The Society publishes the highly cited and respected
journals Plant Physiology and The Plant Cell, and it has produced and
supported a range of materials intended to demonstrate fundamental
biological principles that can be easily and inexpensively taught in
school and university classrooms by using plants.
plant biology research and america's future
Plants are vital to our very existence. They harvest sunlight,
converting it to chemical energy for food and feed; they take up carbon
dioxide and produce oxygen; and they are almost always the primary
producers in the Earth's ecosystems. Plants and plant-based products
directly or indirectly provide our food, our shelter, and our clothing.
Basic plant biology research is making many fundamental
contributions in vital areas including health and nutrition, energy,
and climate change. For example, because plants are the ultimate source
of both human nutrition and nutrition for domestic animals, plant
biology has the potential to contribute greatly to reducing healthcare
costs as well as playing an integral role in drug discovery and
therapies. Although the NIH does offer some funding support to plant
biology research, with increased funding plant biologists can offer
much more to advance the missions of the NIH. In the next section, we
highlight the particular relevance of plant biology research to human
health.
plant biology and the nih
The mission of the NIH is to pursue ``fundamental knowledge about
the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that
knowledge to extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and
disability'' (http://www.nih.gov/about/index.html#mission). Plant
biology research is highly relevant to this mission.
Plants are often the ideal model systems to advance our
``fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living
systems,'' as they provide the context of multi-cellularity, while
affording ease of genetic manipulation, a lesser regulatory burden, and
inexpensive maintenance requirements. Many basic biological components
and mechanisms are shared by both plants and animals. For example, a
molecule named cryptochrome that senses light was identified first in
plants and subsequently found to also function in humans, where it
plays a central role in regulating our biological clock. Jet lag
provides one familiar example of what happens to us when our biological
clock is disrupted, but there are also human genetic disorders that
have been linked to malfunctioning of the clock. As another example,
some fungal pathogens can infect both humans and plants.
health and nutrition
Plant biology research is also central to the application of basic
knowledge to ``extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness
and disability.'' This connection is most obvious in the inter-related
areas of nutrition and clinical medicine. Without good nutrition, there
cannot be good health. One World Health Organization (WHO) study on
childhood nutrition in developing countries concluded that more than 50
percent of the deaths of children less than 5 years of age could be
attributed to malnutrition's effects in exacerbating illnesses such as
respiratory infections and diarrhea. In other words, those illnesses
would not have proved fatal had the children simply received proper
nutrition. Strikingly, most of these deaths were not linked to severe
malnutrition but only to mild or moderate nutritional deficiencies.
Plant biology researchers are working today to improve the nutritional
content of crop plants by, for example, increasing the availability of
nutrients and vitamins such as iron, vitamin E and vitamin A. (Up to
500,000 children in the developing world go blind every year as a
result of vitamin A deficiency).
By contrast, obesity, cardiac disease, and cancer take a striking
toll in the developed world. Among many plant biology initiatives
relevant to these concerns are research to improve the lipid
composition of plant fats and efforts to optimize concentrations of
plant compounds that are known to have anti-carcinogenic properties,
such as the glucosinolates found in broccoli and cabbage.
drug discovery
Plants are also fundamentally important as sources of both extant
drugs and drug discovery leads. In fact, more than 10 percent of the
drugs considered by the WHO to be ``basic and essential'' are still
exclusively obtained from flowering plants. Some historical examples
are quinine, which is derived from the bark of the cinchona tree and
was the first highly effective antimalarial drug; and the plant
alkaloid morphine, which revolutionized the treatment of pain.
These pharmaceuticals are still in use today. A more recent example
of the importance of plant-based pharmaceuticals is the anti-cancer
drug taxol. The discovery of taxol came about through collaborative
work involving scientists at the National Cancer Institute within NIH
and plant biologists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The plant
biologists collected a wide diversity of plant materials, which were
then evaluated for anti-carcinogenic properties. It was found that the
bark of the Pacific yew tree yielded one such compound, which was
eventually isolated and named taxol after the tree's Latin name, Taxus
brevifolia. Originally, taxol could only be obtained from the tree bark
itself, but basic research led to identification of its molecular
structure and eventually to its chemical synthesis in the laboratory.
On the basis of a growing understanding of metabolic networks,
plants will continue to be sources for the development of new medicines
to help treat cancer and other ailments. Taxol is just one example of a
plant secondary compound. Since plants produce an estimated 200,000
such compounds, they will continue to provide a fruitful source of new
drug leads, particularly if collaborations such as the one described
above can be fostered and funded. With additional research support,
plant biologists can lead the way to developing new medicines and
biomedical applications to enhance the treatment of devastating
diseases.
conclusion
Despite the fact that plant biology research underlies so many
vital practical considerations for our country, the amount invested in
understanding the basic function and mechanisms of plants is small when
compared with the impacts of this information on multibillion dollar
sectors of the economy such as health, energy, and agriculture.
Clearly, the NIH does recognize that plants are a vital component
of its mission. However, because the boundaries of plant biology
research are permeable and because information about plants integrates
with many different disciplines that are highly relevant to NIH, ASPB
hopes that the subcommittee will provide additional resources through
increased funding to NIH for plant biology in order to help pioneer new
discoveries and new methods in biomedical research.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Society for Pharmacology and
Experimental Therapeutics
The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
(ASPET) is pleased to submit written testimony in support of the
National Institutes of Health (NIH) fiscal year 2010 budget. ASPET is a
4,500-member scientific society whose members conduct basic and
clinical pharmacological research within the academic, industrial, and
government sectors. Our members discover and develop new medicines and
therapeutic agents that fight existing and emerging diseases as well as
increasing our knowledge regarding how therapeutics work in humans.
ASPET members recognize the trust and support that Congress
displayed with the recent $10.4 billion provided to the NIH in the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This was a visionary
attempt by Congress to stimulate the economy by restoring their
historic support of the NIH which has lagged over the last 6 years as
appropriations have failed to adequately fund the NIH to meet
scientific opportunities and challenges to our public health. Prior to
ARRA funding, the NIH research portfolio could barely keep pace with
the inflation rate and the country's leadership in biomedical research
was in danger. Since the completion of a bipartisan plan to double the
NIH budget that ended in 2003 and prior to ARRA funding, the NIH budget
had been going backwards.
For fiscal year 2010, ASPET urges Congress to increase funding for
the NIH by 7 percent. This would be the first step toward the
President's pledge to double funding for basic research over 10 years
and importantly, would help to maintain existing and future scientific
infrastructure. Scientific discovery takes time and a 7 percent
increase in fiscal year 2010 and beyond will help NIH manage its
research portfolio effectively without necessitating disruptions in
continuity of existing grants to researchers throughout the country.
Only through sustainable and predictable funding can NIH continue to
fund the highest-quality biomedical research to help improve the health
of all Americans and continue to make significant economic impact in
many communities across the country. Failing to capitalize upon the
ARRA investments in fiscal year 2010 and beyond will mean that NIH will
have to dismantle newly built research capacity and terminate important
research projects after the ARRA funds have been spent. This would have
serious consequences for future scientific discovery. Scientific
discovery takes time and is unpredictable. As recent experience has
shown from the postdoubling experience, boom and bust cycles of rapid
funding followed by significant periods of stagnation or retraction in
the NIH budget diminish scientific process. If NIH cannot sustain its
recent investments from the ARRA, a rapid diminishment of funding will
further disrupt scientific careers among promising young and early
career scientists who see little hope of promising and rewarding
careers in biomedical research. It is critical to avoid a boom and bust
cycle for NIH funding. Thus, appropriating NIH a 7 percent increase
beginning in fiscal year 2010 will help achieve the full promise of
biomedical research.
nih improves human health and is an economic engine
A 7 percent increase in fiscal year 2010 will help to reverse what
ASPET feels is a wrong signal that has been sent to the best and
brightest of our students who will not be able to or have chosen not to
pursue a career in biomedical research. Failing to address the NIH
scientific and infrastructure needs post-ARRA in 2010 and beyond will
mean a significant reduction in research grants, jobs lost and the
resulting phasing-out of research programs. Additionally, there would
be a loss of scientific opportunities to discover new therapeutic
targets to develop, and fewer discoveries that produce spin-off
companies that employ individuals in districts around the country. A 7
percent increase would provide the Institutes with an opportunity to
fund more high-quality and innovative research, and provide the
resources and incentives that will drive more young scientists to
commit to careers supporting continuing improvements in public health.
This investment will also go directly into supporting jobs for U.S.
citizens and residents and will continue to stimulate the economy.
Many important drugs have been developed as a direct result of the
basic knowledge gained from federally funded research, such as new
therapies for breast cancer, the prevention of kidney transplant
rejection, improved treatments for glaucoma, new drugs for depression,
and the cholesterol lowering drugs known as statins that prevent
125,000 deaths from heart attack each year. AIDS-related deaths have
fallen by 73 percent since 1995 and the 5-year survival rate for
childhood cancers rose to almost 80 percent in 2000 from under 60
percent in the 1970s. NIH studies have indicated that adopting
intensive lifestyle changes delayed onset of type 2 diabetes by 58
percent and that progesterone therapy can reduce premature births by 30
percent in women at risk.
Historically, our past investment in basic biological research has
led to innovative medicines that have virtually eliminated diphtheria,
whooping cough, measles and polio in the United States. Eight out of
ten children now survive leukemia. Death rates from heart disease and
stroke have been reduced by half in the past 30 years. Molecularly
targeted drugs such as Gleevec^TM to treat adult leukemia do
not harm normal tissue and dramatically improve survival rates. NIH
research has developed a class of drugs that slow the progression of
symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. The robust past investment in the NIH
has provided major gains in our knowledge of the human genome,
resulting in the promise of pharmacogenetics and a reduction in adverse
drug reactions that currently represent a major worldwide health
concern.
But unless NIH can maintain an adequate funding stream scientific
opportunities will be delayed, lost, or forfeited to biomedical
research opportunities in other countries and the human and economic
cost will continue to impact all of us.
Scientific inquiry leads to better medicine and there remain many
challenges and opportunities that need to be addressed. Two issues
specific to ASPET highlight the need for appropriate NIH funding
levels.
--The need to increase support for training and research in
integrative/whole organ science. This will help to develop
skilled scientists trained to understand how drugs act in whole
animals, including human beings. Support for training and
research in integrative whole organ sciences has been affirmed
in the fiscal year 2002 Labor, Health and Human Services, and
Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Report (107-84).
The Senate report supports ASPET recommendation that
``Increased support for research and training in whole systems
pharmacology, physiology, toxicology, and other integrative
biological systems that help to define the effects of therapy
on disease and the overall function of the human body.'' These
principles and recommendations are also affirmed in the FASEB
Annual Consensus Conference Report on Federal Funding for
Biomedical and Related Life Sciences Research for fiscal year
2002.
--The need to meet public health concerns over growing consumer use
of botanical therapies and dietary supplements. These products
have unsubstantiated scientific efficacy and may adversely
impact the treatment of chronic diseases, create dangerous
interactions with prescription drugs, and may cause serious
side effects including death among some users. Through the NIH,
research into the safety and efficacy of botanical products can
be conducted in a rigorous and high-quality manner. Sound
pharmacological studies will help determine the value of
botanical preparations and the potential for their interactions
with prescription drugs as well as chronic disease processes.
This research will allow the FDA to review the available
pharmacology and review valid evidence-based reviews to form a
valid scientific foundation for regulating these products.
conclusion
NIH and the biomedical research enterprise face a critical moment.
For the first time in 6 years, NIH has the potential to meet many of
the more promising scientific opportunities that currently challenge
medicine. Reversing the trends of the last half decade is only part of
the solution. In order to help sustain scientific progress it is
critical that NIH receive 7 percent to continue the progress made under
the ARRA. A 7 percent increase for the NIH in fiscal year 2010 will
permit the NIH to make greater strides to prevent, diagnose and treat
disease, improving the health of our Nation and restoring the NIH to
its role as a national treasure that attracts and retains the best and
brightest to biomedical research.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and
Hygiene
overview
The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH)
appreciates the opportunity to submit written testimony to the Senate
Labor, Health and Human, Services, and Education, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Subcommittee. With more than 3,300 members, ASTMH is the
world's largest professional membership organization dedicated to the
prevention and control of tropical diseases.
We respectfully request that the subcommittee provide the following
allocations in the fiscal year 2010 Labor, Health and Human, Services,
and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill to support a
comprehensive effort to enhance malaria control programming globally:
--$18 million to the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention
(CDC) for malaria research, control, and program evaluation
efforts with a $6 million set-aside for program monitoring and
evaluation;
--$32.19 billion to National Institutes of Health (NIH);
--$5.07 billion to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases (NIAID); and
--$73.5 million to the Fogarty International Center (FIC).
We very much appreciate the subcommittee's consideration of our
views, and we stand ready to work with the subcommittee members and
staff on these and other important global health matters.
astmh
ASTMH plays an integral and unique role in the advancement of the
field of tropical medicine. Its mission is to promote global health by
preventing and controlling tropical diseases through research and
education. As such, ASTMH is the principal membership organization
representing, educating, and supporting tropical medicine scientists,
physicians, researchers, and other health professionals dedicated to
the prevention and control of tropical diseases. Our members reside in
46 States and the District of Columbia and work in a myriad of public,
private, and nonprofit environments, including academia, the U.S.
military, public institutions, Federal agencies, private practice, and
industry.
ASTMH's long and distinguished history goes back to the early 20th
century. The current organization was formed in 1951 with the
amalgamation of the National Malaria Society and the ASTMH. Over the
years, the Society has counted many distinguished scientists among its
members, including Nobel Laureates. ASTMH and its members continue to
have a major impact on the tropical diseases and parasitology research
carried out around the world.
ASTMH aims to advance policies and programs that prevent and
control those tropical diseases which particularly impact the global
poor. ASTMH supports and encourages Congress to expand funding for--and
commitments to--national and international malaria control initiatives.
As part of this effort, ASTMH recently conducted an analysis of
federally funded tropical medicine and disease programs and developed
fiscal year 2010 funding requests based on this assessment.
tropical medicine and tropical diseases
The term ``tropical medicine'' refers to the wide-ranging clinical,
research, and educational efforts of physicians, scientists, and public
health officials with a focus on the diagnosis, mitigation, prevention,
and treatment of diseases prevalent in the areas of the world with a
tropical climate. Most tropical diseases are located in either sub-
Saharan Africa, parts of Asia (including the Indian subcontinent), or
Central and South America. Many of the world's developing nations are
located in these areas; thus tropical medicine tends to focus on
diseases that impact the world's most impoverished individuals.
The field of tropical medicine encompasses clinical work treating
tropical diseases, work in public health and public policy to prevent
and control tropical diseases, basic and applied research related to
tropical diseases, and education of health professionals and the public
regarding tropical diseases.
Tropical diseases are caused by pathogens that are prevalent in
areas of the world with a tropical climate. These diseases are caused
by viruses, bacteria, and parasites which are spread through various
mechanisms, including airborne routes, sexual contact, contaminated
water and food, or an intermediary or ``vector''--frequently an insect
(e.g. a mosquito)--that transmits a disease between humans in the
process of feeding.
malaria
Malaria is a global emergency affecting mostly poor women and
children; it is an acute and sometimes fatal disease caused by the
single-celled Plasmodium parasite transmitted to humans by the female
Anopheles mosquito.
Malaria is an acute, often fatal disease caused by a single-celled
parasite transmitted to humans by the female Anopheles mosquito.
Malaria can cause anemia, jaundice, kidney failure, and death. Despite
being treatable and preventable, malaria is one of the leading causes
of death and disease worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates there were 350 to 500 million malaria cases in 2000 and at
least 1 million deaths from malaria, the vast majority of which were
among young children in Africa. WHO estimates that one-half of the
world's people are at risk for malaria, and that 109 countries are
endemic for malaria. Malaria-related illness and mortality not only
take a human toll, but also severely impact economic productivity and
growth. The WHO has estimated that malaria reduces sub-Saharan Africa's
economic growth by up to 1.3 percent per year.
Fortunately, malaria can be both prevented and treated using four
types of relatively low-cost interventions: (1) indoor residual
spraying of insecticide on the walls of homes; (2) long-lasting
insecticide-treated nets; (3) Artemisinin-based combination therapies;
and (4) intermittent preventive therapy for pregnant women. However,
limited resources preclude the provision of these interventions and
treatments to all individuals and communities in need.
requested malaria-related activities and funding levels
CDC Malaria Efforts
ASTMH calls upon Congress to fund a comprehensive approach to
malaria control, including adequately funding the important
contributions of CDC. CDC originally grew out of the WWII ``Malaria
Control in War Areas'' program. Since its founding, the Atlanta-based
agency has maintained a strong role in efforts to research and mitigate
malaria. Although malaria has been eliminated as an endemic threat in
the United States for more than 50 years, CDC remains on the cutting
edge of global efforts to reduce the toll of this deadly disease.
CDC efforts on malaria fall into three broad areas--prevention,
treatment, and vaccines. The agency performs a wide range of basic
research within these categories, such as--
--investigation of the biology of host-parasite relationships;
--immune response to malaria;
--host genetic factors associated with malaria; parasite genetic
diversity and drug resistance;
--HIV and malaria interaction; the efficacy of insecticide-treated
nets in preventing illness and deaths;
--malaria and pregnancy;
--public health strategies for improving access to antimalarial
treatment and delaying the appearance of antimalarial drug
resistance;
--improved transmission reduction strategies; and
--vaccine development and evaluation.
Although endemic malaria has been eradicated in the United States,
it remains one of world's leading causes of death and disease, and a
significant proportion of CDC's malaria-focused work involves working
in and with foreign countries to prevent the spread of malaria, and to
assist in the treatment of those who have contracted the disease. CDC
funding in fiscal year 2009 for global malarial activities is
$9,396,000, which includes CDC's contribution to the $6.2 billion
President's Malaria Initiative.
CDC participates in several global efforts, including:
--The President's Malaria Initiative (PMI).--The PMI is a $6.2
billion, 9-year effort led by the U.S. Agency for International
Development in conjunction with CDC and other Government
agencies to lower the incidence of malaria in 15 targeted
countries in sub-Saharan Africa by 50 percent.
--Amazon Malaria Initiative.--This program works with countries in
South America to combat the re-emergence of malaria in that
part of the world.
--West Africa Network Against Malaria During Pregnancy.--CDC works
with countries in Francophone West Africa to encourage the use
of intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-
pyrimethamine (IPTp/SP) to prevent anemia and death in pregnant
women and malaria-related low-birthweight in their newborns.
--Preventing and Controlling Malaria During Pregnancy in Sub-Saharan
Africa.--CDC works with many partners to prevent and control
malaria among pregnant women and their newborns in sub-Saharan
Africa.
--International Red Cross and the Expanded Program for
Immunizations.--CDC works with these groups to implement and
evaluate the effectiveness of distributing ITNs during
immunization campaigns and during routine vaccine visits.
CDC collaborations support treatment and prevention policy change
based on scientific findings; formulation of international
recommendations through membership on WHO technical committees; and
work with Ministries of Health and other local partners in malaria-
endemic countries and regions to develop, implement, and evaluate
malaria programs. In addition, CDC has provided direct staff support to
the WHO; UNICEF; the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and
Malaria; and the World Bank--all stakeholders in the Roll Back Malaria
Partnership.
nih malaria programs
As the premier biomedical research agency for the United States and
the world, the NIH and its Institutes and Centers play an essential
role in the development of new anti-malarial drugs, better diagnostics,
and an effective malaria vaccine. NIH estimates that its fiscal year
2009 spending on malaria research will total $111 million while malaria
vaccine efforts will receive $35 million. ASTMH urges that NIH malaria
research portfolio and budget be increased by at least 6.6 percent in
fiscal year 2010. To support a comprehensive effort to control malaria,
ASTMH respectfully requests the following funding:
--$32.9 billion to NIH;
--$5.07 billion NIAID; and
--$73.5 million to the FIC for training that supports U.S. efforts
targeting malaria and other neglected tropical diseases.
NIAID
Malaria continues to be among the most daunting global public
health challenges we face. A long-term investment is needed to achieve
the drugs, diagnostics and research capacity needed to control malaria.
NIAID, the lead Institute for malaria research, plays an important role
in developing the drugs and vaccines needed to fight malaria. ASTMH
urges the subcommittee to increase NIAID funding so that present
malaria research efforts be maintained and new areas explored such as:
--increasing fundamental understanding of the complex interactions
among malaria parasites, the mosquito vectors responsible for
their transmission and the human host;
--developing new diagnostics, drugs, vaccines, and vector management
approaches; and
--enhancing both national and international research and research
training infrastructure to meet malaria research needs.
FIC
Although biomedical research has provided major advances in the
treatment and prevention of malaria, these benefits are often slow to
reach the people who need them most. Highly effective anti-malarial
drugs exist; when patients receive these drugs promptly, their lives
can be saved. FIC plays a critical role in strengthening science and
public health research institutions in low-income countries. By
promoting applied health research in developing countries, the FIC can
speed the implementation of new health interventions for malaria, TB,
and neglected tropical diseases.
The FIC works to strengthen research capacity in countries where
populations are particularly vulnerable to threats posed by malaria and
neglected tropical diseases. FIC efforts that strengthen the research
workforce in-country--including collaborations with U.S.-supported
global health programs--help to ensure the continuous improvement of
programs, adapting them to local conditions. This maximizes the impact
of U.S. investments and is critical to fighting malaria and other
tropical diseases.
FIC addresses global health challenges and supports the NIH mission
through myriad activities, including:
--collaborative research and capacity building projects relevant to
low- and middle-income nations;
--institutional training grants designed to enhance research capacity
in the developing world, with an emphasis on institutional
partnerships and networking;
--the Forum for International Health, through which NIH staff share
ideas and information on relevant programs and develop input
from an international perspective on cross-cutting NIH
initiatives;
--the Multilateral Initiative on Malaria, which fosters international
collaboration and co-operation in scientific research against
malaria; and
--the Disease Control Priorities Project, is a partnership supported
by FIC, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the WHO, and the
World Bank to develop recommendations on effective healthcare
interventions for resource-poor settings.
ASTMH urges the subcommittee to allocate additional resources to
the FIC in fiscal year 2010 to increase these efforts, particularly as
they address the control and treatment of malaria.
conclusion
Thank you for your attention to these important global health
matters. We know you face many challenges in choosing funding
priorities, and we hope you will provide the requested fiscal year 2010
resources to those programs identified above. ASTMH appreciates the
opportunity to share its views, and we thank you for your consideration
of our requests.
______

Prepared Statement of the American Thoracic Society
The American Thoracic Society (ATS) is pleased to submit our
recommendations for programs in the Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee
purview. ATS, founded in 1905, is an independently incorporated,
international education and scientific society that focuses on
respiratory and critical care medicine. With approximately 18,000
members who help prevent and fight respiratory disease around the
globe, through research, education, patient care and advocacy, ATS's
long-range goal is to decrease morbidity and mortality from respiratory
disorders and life-threatening acute illnesses.
respiratory disease in america
Respiratory disease is a serious problem in America. Respiratory
disease is the third leading cause of death, responsible for 1 of every
7 deaths. Diseases effecting the lungs include chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease, lung cancer, tuberculosis, influenza, sleep
disordered breathing, pediatric lung disorders, occupational lung
disease, sarcoidosis, asthma, and severe acute respiratory syndrome
(SARS). The death rate due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD) has doubled within the last 30 years and is still increasing,
while the rates for the other three top causes of death (heart disease,
cancer, and stroke) have decreased by more than 50 percent. The number
of people with asthma in the United States has surged more than 150
percent since 1980 and the root causes of the disease are still not
fully known. Cystic fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension, which jointly
affect nearly 150,000 people in the United States, have no cure.
national institutes of health (nih)
The ATS deeply appreciates the $10 billion in supplemental funding
provided for the NIH in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and
the 3.2 percent increase provided through the omnibus fiscal year 2009
appropriations legislation. This funding will allow the NIH to continue
to fund, rather than curtail, groundbreaking research into diseases
that affect millions of Americans like COPD, asthma, and tuberculosis.
It is critical that this urgently needed reinvestment in biomedical
research is reinforced through annual budget increases that include
inflationary adjustments. We ask that this subcommittee provide a 7
percent increase for NIH in fiscal year 2010 so that the institute can
respond to biomedical research opportunities and public health needs.
Despite the rising lung disease burden, lung disease research is
underfunded. In fiscal year 2008, lung disease research represented
just 20.4 percent of the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute's
(NHLBI) budget. Although COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in
the United States, research funding for the disease is a small fraction
of the money that is invested for the other three leading causes of
death. In order to stem the devastating effects of lung disease,
research funding must continue to grow to sustain the medical
breakthroughs made in recent years.
centers for disease control and prevention
In order to ensure that health promotion and chronic disease
prevention are given top priority in Federal funding, the ATS supports
a funding level for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) that enables it to carry out its prevention mission, and ensure
an adequate translation of new research into effective State and local
public health programs. We also ask that the CDC budget be adjusted to
reflect increased needs in chronic disease prevention, infectious
disease control, including TB control to prevent the spread of drug-
resistant TB, and occupational safety and health research and training.
The ATS recommends a funding level of $8.6 billion for the CDC in
fiscal year 2010. There are four lung diseases that illustrate the need
for further investment in research and public health programs: COPD,
pediatric lung disease, asthma and tuberculosis.
copd
COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States and
the third leading cause of death worldwide. Yet, the disease remains
relatively unknown to most Americans. COPD is the term used to describe
the airflow obstruction associated mainly with emphysema and chronic
bronchitis and is a growing health problem. CDC estimates that 12
million patients have COPD while an additional 12 million Americans are
unaware that they have this life threatening disease.
Today, COPD is treatable but not curable. Medical treatments exist
to relieve symptoms and slow the progression of the disease.
Fortunately, promising research is on the horizon for COPD patients.
Despite these leads, the ATS feels that research resources committed to
COPD are not commensurate with the impact the disease has on the United
States and that more needs to be done to make Americans aware of COPD,
its causes and symptoms. According to the NHLBI, COPD costs the U.S.
economy an estimated $37 billion per year. We recommend that the
subcommittee encourage NHLBI and other NIH Institutes to devote
additional resources to finding improved treatments and a cure for
COPD. The ATS commends the NHLBI for its leadership on educating the
public about COPD through the National COPD Education and Prevention
Program. As this initiative continues, we encourage the NHLBI to
maintain its partnership with the patient and physician community.
While additional resources are needed at NIH to conduct COPD
research, CDC has a role to play as well. To address the increasing
public health burden of COPD, the ATS encourages the CDC to create a
COPD program at the Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health
Promotion. We ask that the subcommittee provide an appropriation of $1
million in fiscal year 2010 for this program. We are hopeful that the
program will include development of a national COPD response plan,
expansion of data collection efforts and creation of other public
health interventions for COPD. The ATS also encourages the CDC to add
COPD-based questions to future CDC health surveys, including the
National Health and Nutrition Evaluation Survey (NHANES), the National
Health Information Survey (NHIS) and the Behavioral Risk Factor
Surveillance Survey (BRFSS).
pediatric lung disease
Lung disease affects people of all ages. The ATS is pleased to
report that infant death rates for various lung diseases have declined
for the past 10 years. However, of the seven leading causes of infant
mortality, four are lung diseases or have a lung disease component. In
2005, lung diseases accounted for more than 19 percent of all infant
deaths under 1 year of age. It is also widely believed that many of the
precursors of adult respiratory disease start in childhood. The ATS
encourages the NHLBI to continue with its research efforts to study
lung development and pediatric lung diseases.
asthma
The ATS believes that the NIH and the CDC must play a leadership
role in assisting individuals with asthma. National statistical
estimates show that asthma is a growing problem in the United States.
Approximately 22.2 million Americans currently have asthma, of which
12.2 million had an asthma attack in 2005. African Americans have the
highest asthma prevalence of any racial/ethnic group. The age-adjusted
death rate for asthma in the African-American population is three times
the rate in whites.
sleep
Sleep is an essential element of life, but we are only now
beginning to understand its impact on human health. Several research
studies demonstrate that sleep illnesses and sleep disordered breathing
affect an estimated 50-70 million Americans. A recent study conduced by
CDC found that roughly 10 percent of Americans had not gotten enough
rest at any point in the previous 30 days. The public health impact of
sleep illnesses and sleep disordered breathing is still being
determined, but is known to include traffic accidents, lost work and
school productivity, cardiovascular disease, obesity, mental health
disorders, and other sleep-related comorbidities. Despite the increased
need for study in this area, research on sleep and sleep-related
disorders has been underfunded. The ATS recommends a funding level of
$2 million in fiscal year 2010 to support activities related to sleep
and sleep disorders at the CDC, including for the National Sleep
Awareness Roundtable (NSART), surveillance activities, and public
educational activities. The ATS also recommends an increase of funding
for research on sleep disorders at the Nation Center for Sleep
Disordered Research (NCSDR) at the NHLBI.
tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is the second leading global infectious disease
killer, claiming 1.7 million lives each year. It is estimated that 9-14
million Americans have latent tuberculosis. Drug-resistant TB poses a
particular challenge to domestic TB control owing to the high costs of
treatment and intensive health care resources required. Treatment costs
for multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB range from $100,000 to $300,000, which
can cause a significant strain on State public health budgets. The
global TB pandemic and spread of drug resistant TB present a persistent
public health threat to the United States.
Despite low rates, persistent challenges to TB control in the
United States remain. Specifically: (1) racial and ethnic minorities
continue to suffer from TB more than majority populations; (2) foreign-
born persons are adversely impacted; (3) sporadic outbreaks/clusters
occur, outstripping local capacity; (4) continued emergence of drug
resistance threaten our ability to control TB; and (5) there are
critical needs for new tools for rapid and reliable diagnosis, short,
safe and effective treatments, and vaccines.
In recognition of the need to strengthen domestic TB control, the
Congress passed the Comprehensive Tuberculosis Elimination Act (Public
Law 110-392) in October, 2008. This historic legislation was based on
the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine and revitalized
programs at CDC and the NIH with the goal of putting the United States
back on the path to eliminating TB. The new law authorizes an urgently
needed reinvestment into new TB diagnostic, treatment and prevention
tools. The ATS, in collaboration with Stop TB USA, recommends a funding
level of $210 million in fiscal year 2010 for CDC's Division of TB
Elimination, as authorized under the Comprehensive TB Elimination Act.
The NIH has a prominent role to play in the elimination of
tuberculosis through the development of new tools to fight the disease.
We encourage the NIH to expand efforts, as requested under the
Comprehensive TB Elimination Act, to develop new tools to reduce the
rising global TB burden, including faster diagnostics that effectively
identify TB in all populations, new drugs to shorten the treatment
regimen for TB and combat drug resistance, and an effective vaccine.
fogarty international center tb training programs
The Fogarty International Center (FIC) at NIH provides training
grants to U.S. universities to teach AIDS treatment and research
techniques to international physicians and researchers. Because of the
link between AIDS and TB infection, FIC has created supplemental TB
training grants for these institutions to train international health
care professionals in the area of TB treatment and research. These
training grants should be expanded and offered to all institutions. The
ATS recommends Congress provide $70 million for FIC in fiscal year
2010, which would allow the expansion the TB training grant program
from a supplemental grant to an open competition grant.
researching and preventing occupational lung disease
The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is
the sole Federal agency responsible for conducting research and making
recommendations for the prevention of work-related diseases and injury.
The ATS recommends that Congress provide $340.1 million in fiscal year
2010 for NIOSH to expand or establish the following activities: the
National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA); tracking systems for
identifying and responding to hazardous exposures and risks in the
workplace; emergency preparedness and response activities; and training
medical professionals in the diagnosis and treatment of occupational
illness and injury.
conclusion
Lung disease is a growing problem in the United States. It is this
country's third leading cause of death. Lung disease and breathing
problems are a leading killer of babies under the age of one year.
Worldwide, tuberculosis is the second leading infectious disease
killer. The level of support this subcommittee approves for lung
disease programs should reflect the urgency illustrated by these
numbers. The ATS appreciates the opportunity to submit this statement
to the subcommittee.
______

Prepared Statement of the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and
Neonatal Nurses
The Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
(AWHONN) appreciates the opportunity to provide testimony on fiscal
year 2010 appropriations for the Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS).
AWHONN is a nonprofit membership organization made up of 23,000
nurses who care for mothers, their newborns, and women of all ages.
AWHONN members are registered nurses, nurse practitioners, certified
nurse-midwives, and clinical nurse specialists who work in hospitals,
independent practices, universities and community clinics throughout
the United States. Our mission is to promote the health of women and
newborns.
Nurses are typically the first and most consistent point of contact
in the healthcare setting. Evidence suggests that they spend more time
with patients--up to four times on average--than any other healthcare
provider. As such, nurses have a unique perspective on the healthcare
system and the public health programs and agencies funded under HHS.
We thank the subcommittee for providing generous funding in past
years and we are truly appreciative for the public health funding
included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Recognizing the challenges the subcommittee will face in fiscal year
2010 in reconciling various expenditures in the face of overall budget
deficits, please find our funding recommendations for fiscal year 2010
below.
health resources and services administration (hrsa)
As a member of the Friends of the Health Resources and Services
Administration coalition, AWHONN recommends $8.5 billion for HRSA in
fiscal year 2010.
HRSA programs support health professions education, healthcare
services for underserved populations, programs to address the special
needs of mothers and children, and more. For several years, HRSA has
suffered from relatively level funding. In light of these difficult
economic times, support for the Nation's safety net system is
especially critical.
One of the most important aspects of HRSA's mission is to ensure a
healthcare workforce that is sufficient to meet the needs of patients
and communities.
Nursing Workforce Development Programs, title VIII of the Public Health
Service Act
Along with the Nursing Community coalition, AWHONN recommends $215
million for title VIII programs in fiscal year 2010. An adequate supply
of nurses is essential to ensuring that all Americans receive quality
healthcare. Title VIII programs help to address the Nation's ongoing
nursing and nurse faculty shortage by providing scholarships and loan
repayment programs to nursing students, recent graduates and nursing
school faculty. Title VIII also provides grants to schools of nursing
and health centers to foster greater diversity and improved retention
rates in the nursing workforce.
Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Block Grant, Title V of the Social
Security Act
AWHONN recommends $850 million for the MCH Block Grant in fiscal
year 2010. The MCH Block Grant, the only Federal program of its kind,
is devoted to improving the health of women and children. For more than
70 years, the program has provided a source of flexible funding for
States and territories to address their unique needs related to
improving the health of mothers and children. Today, this program
provides prenatal services to more than 2 million mothers--almost half
of all mothers who give birth annually--and primary and preventive care
to more than 17 million children, including almost 1 million children
with special needs. Fully funding the MCH block grant will enable
States to expand critical health services.
We recommend $30 million for newborn screening activities, which
are currently funded under the MCH block grant Special Projects of
Regional and National Significance. Newborn screening is a vital public
health activity used to identify and treat genetic, metabolic,
hormonal, and functional conditions in newborns. Screening detects
disorders in newborns that, if left untreated, can cause disability,
mental retardation, serious illnesses or even death. While nearly all
babies born in the United States undergo newborn screening for genetic
birth defects, the number and quality of these tests vary from State to
State.
national institutes of health (nih)
AWHONN, along with others in the science advocacy community,
support increased funding for NIH in fiscal year 2010. Scientific
research done at the NIH is leading to better patient care. In fact,
federally funded research is responsible for nearly every major medical
advancement in the last 50 years. While AWHONN supports the NIH in its
entirety, several Institutes are especially important to the
advancement of nursing and the health of women and newborns.
The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development (NICHD)
The rate of preterm birth has increased 20 percent since 1990. The
NICHD supports critical research into the causes and treatments for
preterm birth.
AWHONN, along with the March of Dimes, recommends that Congress
provide at least a 7 percent increase for NICHD in fiscal year 2010, a
portion to be used to begin establishing transdisplinary research
centers that focus on preterm birth. NICHD needs additional resources
to expand research on the underlying causes of preterm birth taking
into account the recommendations of the experts who participated in the
Surgeon General's Conference on Preterm Birth in the summer of 2008.
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
AWHONN, along with the American Nurses Association and the American
Association of Colleges of Nursing, recommends $178 million for NINR in
fiscal year 2010.
NINR supports nurse-led research that contributes to advancing
high-quality, evidence-based care across the lifespan. Research at NINR
has targeted, among other topics, health disparities, risk reduction,
chronic illnesses, and care for rural and underserved populations. NINR
promotes a uniquely important nursing perspective, as there is no
caregiver that interacts with patients more or is more trusted by
patients than nursing professionals. There is no other body that funds
important nursing research similarly in this country, and NINR research
has contributed measurably to more efficient and effective healthcare
as our Nation struggles to fill continuing staffing shortages and gaps
in healthcare services.
centers for disease control and prevention (cdc)
The CDC is dedicated to protecting health and promoting quality of
life through the prevention and control of disease, injury, and
disability. While AWHONN supports the CDC in its entirety, several
agencies and programs are especially important to the advancing the
health of women and newborns.
Safe Motherhood/Infant Health
The Safe Motherhood/Infant Health program works to promote infant
and reproductive health. AWHONN is especially concerned with issues
associated with prematurity. Preterm birth is the leading cause of
neonatal death in the United States. In 2006, more than half a million
babies--1 in 8 babies--were born prematurely in the United States.
In 2005, AWHONN launched its Late Preterm Initiative to address the
special needs of infants born between 34 and 36 completed weeks of
gestation. While many late preterm infants may appear healthy at birth,
they are at risk for prematurity-related complications, increased
morbidity and mortality and have an increased rate of rehospitalization
in the first month of life.
Currently, the CDC is partnering with a number of universities and
organizations to support research related to preterm birth and the
reasons for disparities between racial and ethnic groups. AWHONN
recommends a $6 million increase in the preterm birth line fiscal year
2010. This funding will allow the CDC to expand epidemiological work to
evaluate the social, biological, and medical factors associated with
preterm birth as authorized in the PREEMIE Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-
450).
National Center on Health Statistics (NCHS)
NCHS is the Nation's principal health statistics agency, providing
critical data on all aspects of the U.S. healthcare system. The agency
provides data on healthcare trends, information that is essential for
public health planning. However, current funding levels are threatening
the collection of vital information, especially complete data on
maternity and infant health status.
AWHONN, along with the Friends of NCHS, recommends at least $137.5
million for NCHS in fiscal year 2010. Additionally, we urge Congress to
allocate $15 million bolus funding to support States and territories as
they implement the 2003 birth certificates and electronic systems to
collect these data.
______

Prepared Statement of the Animal Welfare Institute
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) respectfully requests that the
subcommittee include the following report language regarding the
funding of research involving the use of dogs and/or cats:

None of these funds shall be used for the purchase of, or research
on, dogs or cats obtained from those USDA licensed Class B dealers who
acquire dogs or cats from third parties (i.e., individuals, dealers,
breeders, and animal pounds) and resell them.

In response to the request included in last year's appropriation
bill, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) established a committee in
the summer of 2008 to assess if there is a scientific rationale for
relying on dogs and cats obtained from United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) licensed Class B dealers. Information on the
Committee on Scientific and Humane Issues in the Use of Random-source
Dogs and Cats for Research (ILAR-K-08-01-A) can be found at: http://
www8.nationalacademies.org/cp/projectview.aspx?key=48974. The results
of its deliberations are expected to be public later this month.
Based on our review of the data submitted to the NAS Committee, the
presentations given during those portions of the meetings that were
open to public, and our own extensive experience regarding Class B-
licensed dealers, we anticipate findings in keeping with the proposed
report language above.
According to USDA, of the nearly 95,000 total dogs and cats used in
research, 2,863 dogs and 267 cats were supplied by random source
dealers during fiscal year 2007. There are a mere 10 Class B dealers
currently licensed by USDA and selling live random source dogs and cats
for experimentation. One other dealer is presently under a 5-year
license suspension. These dealers are notorious for selling to
laboratories animals who have been acquired illegally and for their
widespread failure to comply with other minimum requirements under the
Animal Welfare Act. In fact, at this time, half of the remaining 10
dealers are under investigation by USDA for apparent violations of the
Animal Welfare Act (AWA), and USDA is pursuing seven separate
investigations regarding apparent supply violations identified during
tracebacks conducted of dealer records.
Data from USDA inspection reports reveal myriad problems with
licensed Class B dealers (we can supply copies of these inspection
reports if they are of interest): Needed veterinary care is lacking for
many random source animals. Hookworm and mange are a widespread problem
as is heartworm, particularly in the South. An Ohio dealer had a dog
with mange on his head, around the eyes, ears and neck. Another dog had
enlarged pupils and bulging eyes, and a third had dried loose dark
stool. An Indiana dealer was cited by USDA for dogs suffering from
``loose stool with some blood,'' ``loose stool with a drop of blood,''
``infected or irritated eye,'' ``mange-like lesions,'' ``ring-worm like
lesions,'' ``sore on left carpus which was red and warm to the touch,''
and an animal with ``a bite wound to the right front foot.'' At another
inspection, this dealer had two animals who were limping; one had a
large tumor on his foot. A third animal had a bite laceration on his
face. Another record notes a chronic cough in an underweight dog and a
dog with a purulent discharge from his nose. In most cases there is no
record of any veterinary care, and after being cited by USDA
inspectors, given the poor status of the animals, they are typically
killed. An Illinois dealer was cited by USDA for ``euthanizing dogs
with truck exhaust and tying sick dogs out at the corner of the
property where they would die.'' Later he shifted to use of an electric
current administered via clips.
Research institutions may reject animals delivered by a dealer
because of the poor condition of the dogs and cats, leaving them to be
hauled from location to location in search of a taker. If not, the
animal may be taken back and left to die or may simply be shot. Some at
research institutions have let USDA know of their concerns. One such
email identified a cat ``in very poor condition: cache[c]tic, severely
matted hair coat and a severe case of ear mites.'' It went on to note:

``Many of the cats that we receive are wild or are almost wild. I
do not understand where these cats come from and how they are examined
for health certificates. I thought the animals had to come from someone
who had raised and bred the animals on their property or from a
specific shelter.''

The conditions for housing, feeding, and care can be problematic as
well. An Ohio dealer was cited by USDA inspectors for contaminated
straw, wet with urine and excessive feces. Excessive flies. Water
receptacles contaminated with black and green algae--a thick layer. A
dealer in Indiana had dogs unable to avoid contact with excreta.
Another dealer's inspection report notes, ``Some 70-75 percent dogs
have water and bread and little bits of dog food floating in water.
There were some dogs that had only bread and water. Some had dog food
floating in water. Most of dogs had not eaten the watery food blend.
About 70 percent of the total dogs had nonpotable water. Water was
mixed with bread and dog food and sitting in the direct sun.''
In addition, there are widespread problems with record-keeping and
acquiring animals from illegal sources. Further, dealers commonly
network with each other; that is, animals are sold from buncher (an
unlicensed dealer) to dealer to another dealer before being sold for
research. Also, typically, the buncher is immune from prosecution until
he is caught by USDA and warned not to sell more than 25 animals in a
year without a license again. Then he drops down to selling fewer
animals so he is exempt from licensure, he sells some of the animals
using the name of someone else he knows, or he steps forward and gets
licensed for a while, makes a lot of money and then when USDA appears
to be catching up with him, he turns in his license.
One example is the case of Clayton McDowell, a buncher with hunting
dog kennels who didn't let the fact that he had no license stop him
from selling 60 dogs to a USDA licensed Class B dealer in Illinois.
According to USDA, he ``knew about USDA licensing requirements. He
stated he would quit selling dogs to B dealers. He stated there was too
much hassle with identification, record keeping.'' McDowell received a
Letter of Warning from USDA, and he addressed the matter by getting
licensed. Ultimately, he decided to quit operating as a licensed Class
B dealer, though he continued selling hunting dogs, claiming he would
only sell the dogs retail for hunting purposes.
Then there's a Kentucky dealer cited by a USDA inspector who
repeatedly failed to include essential details on the acquisition
sheets, such as the seller's address, driver's license number, and
vehicle tag number. He was found to have failed to collect this
information on 3 different dates regarding 13 animals. And a Michigan
dealer was cited for receiving stray cats from the city of Howard City.
The city has no pound, but the licensed dealer was willing to step in
and collect cats. An Illinois dealer was cited on at least three
separate occasions for his failure to maintain complete records.
A veterinarian at a research facility expressed concern in an email
to USDA that the animals it received from a dealer appeared to be
``companion animals.'' A neutered male Airedale, an intact male
Weimeriner and a male chocolate Labrador all were affectionate and
obeyed commands. Similarly, the cats received by the facility were
``some of the most obedient and affectionate cats that we ever met.''
Another common pattern is for individuals to pass the business on
to other members of the family after carefully showing them the ropes.
Sometimes a former employee of a dealer, who has also learned how to
work the system, may go off on his own and get licensed as well. Though
it's not a formal program, in essence some dealers offer an
apprenticeship.
Brothers living in Missouri ran their licensed Class B dealer
operation as a team, then one of them retired and the other's wife
joined him in running the business. USDA finally caught up with the
pair, and they were charged with a laundry list of violations,
including failure to maintain records that fully and correctly disclose
the identities and other required information of the persons from whom
dogs were acquired on 51 separate occasions, including one incident
that pertained to 43 dogs. Further, they were charged with failing to
provide complete certifications on seven separate occasions, including
one that pertained to 195 dogs. The husband died before the case was
resolved and though the wife was fined $107,250, the judge suspended
$100,000 of it. The story doesn't end here. The couple's son and
daughter-in-law, after helping mom close down her business, set up
their own Class B dealer operation.
During a House Agriculture Subcommittee hearing held back in 1996,
then Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Michael Dunn described his
frustration with random source dealers: ``Every time we develop a new
way to look for something, they develop a new way to hide it.'' An
insurmountable hurdle for USDA is that the AWA allows anyone who claims
to have bred and raised an animal to profit by selling the animal to a
random source dealer--and how can USDA be expected to disprove it? In
addition, with animals transported back and forth across the country,
how on earth is USDA supposed to keep up with the movement of animals?
USDA has spent years inspecting random source dealers four times a year
instead of once a year as is done with all other licensees and
registrants under the AWA. In the meantime, unlike any other licensees
covered under the AWA, this one group of licensees--Class B dealers
selling dogs and cats for research--have a long-standing problem
maintaining complete and accurate records.
The Animal Welfare Act was passed in 1966 to address the illegal
supply of dogs and cats to laboratories, and here we are 43 years
later, and these problems are still widespread. What has changed
significantly over this lengthy period of time is the availability of
animals from sources other than random source dealers. Given the
problems inherent in the use of licensed Class B dealers, researchers
have increasingly and successfully shifted to acquiring most of their
dogs and cats from licensed Class A breeders--and by using these
dealers instead, the researchers will receive animals who have been
raised under controlled conditions, and the health and vaccination
status and the genetic background on each individual animal will be
known. In addition, some dogs and cats are being bred for
experimentation at registered research facilities, and in some cases,
inexpensive random type animals are purchased directly from animal
pounds.
NIH has told this subcommittee that it is ``committed to ensuring
the appropriate care and use of animals in research.'' However, NIH has
left the decision of whether or not to buy dogs and cats from random
source dealers ``to the local level on the basis of scientific need.''
NIH defends the use of licensed Class B dealers, arguing that these
dealers are needed to obtain ``animals that may not be available from
other sources, such as genetically diverse, older, or larger animals.''
In fact, in the rare circumstance that a researcher asserts the need
for such animals, they can be obtained directly from pounds, as noted
previously.
The distinction between nonpurpose-bred animals from pounds versus
licensed Class B dealers must be made. By using licensed Class B
dealers (middlemen) instead of pounds, researchers are contributing to
the problem. In their search to fill researchers' demands for
``genetically diverse, older or larger animals,'' random source dealers
and their suppliers may be stealing pets from backyards and farms or
they may be acquiring them from individuals who did not breed and raise
them as required by the AWA.
All animals used in research should be obtained from lawful
sources. Taxpayer dollars, in the form of NIH extramural grants, must
not continue to fund research using dogs and cats from dealers whose
modus operandi is illegal acquisition of animals, fraudulent or
incomplete records, and other illicit activities. Proper oversight of
NIH's dispersal of extramural grants to those engaged in research using
dogs and/or cats is urgently needed.
______

Prepared Statement of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) supports $17 million in
fiscal year 2010 for the Department of Education's Mentoring programs,
$50 million for the Mentoring Children of Prisoners program and $50
million for the Volunteer Generation Fund.
Chairman Harkin and Ranking Member Cochran, thank you for the
opportunity to submit this testimony for the subcommittee's record.
BBBSA is the Nation's oldest and largest mentoring organization. We
have grown over the last 105 years to serve more than 250,000 at-risk
youth in communities across the Nation. Our 392 agencies are located in
all 50 States, Guam, and Puerto Rico. We match at-risk youth with a
caring adult in a one-to-one mentoring relationship. These matches make
a significant difference in the life of a child and are the foundation
for developing the full potential of boys and girls as they grow to
become competent, confident, and caring men and women. BBBSA offers an
array of programs and services that focus on promoting positive youth
development, helping each child discover his or her full potential.
With 17 million at-risk children growing up in America, the need
for a proven strategy to reverse the statistics and to support their
successful development has never been more critical. We believe that
BBBS mentoring provides a significant return on investment,
particularly compared to the consequences of social and educational
failure. According to Independent Sector, the value of volunteer work
was estimated at $20.25 per hour in 2008. Last year, our Bigs
contributed more than 13 million volunteer hours at an estimated value
of $676 million.
BBBSA original, core program model is its community-based match.
Bigs are matched with Littles referred to the program by a parent, and
typically a match will spend about 3 hours per week together.
Professional case-management staff at each local agency guide Bigs and
provide them with the support necessary to ensure a healthy and lasting
relationship with their Littles. It is through the relationship with
these committed adults that at-risk children can to begin to gain their
own sense of self-confidence and develop healthy aspirations for the
future.
Research has shown that BBBS mentoring works as a strategy to
support at-risk youth. In 1995, Public/Private Ventures released its
landmark impact study, which found that children matched with a Big
Brother or Big Sister were:
--46 percent less likely to begin using illegal drugs;
--27 percent less likely to begin using alcohol;
--52 percent less likely to skip school;
--37 percent less likely to skip a class;
--more confident of their performance in schoolwork; and
--getting along better with their families.
school-based mentoring (mentoring for success grants)
Our mentoring programs have grown exponentially over the last 10
years. A major source of this growth is the expansion of BBBSA school-
based program model. Locating our service in schools has offered a
strong complement to the traditional community-based approach and has
resulted in a significant increase in volunteer recruitment. Further,
because children are referred by teachers, it connects the positive
impact of the BBBSA relationships directly with the educational
enrichment for each matched child.
The President's fiscal year 2010 budget outline for the Department
of Education has recommended that the Department's mentoring program be
eliminated. This recommendation was made in follow-up to a Federal
study examining outcomes for school-based mentoring. The findings of
the study are generating important and welcome dialogue. BBBSA
appreciates the focus on quality programs and has reached out to the
administration to offer our input in finding the most effective way to
achieve positive outcomes for children.
We believe that well-run school based mentoring programs can and do
have real impact. We have both the local and national evidence to prove
this, including a more recent evaluation by P/PV. In fact, findings
from the P/PV study led us to adopt significant changes to the way we
run our own school-based programs in order to ensure longer and
stronger matches that lead to concrete and measurable outcomes for the
young people we serve. As a learning organization, we take seriously
our responsibility to respond to research and continually improve our
service delivery.
In 2003, with support from Atlantic Philanthropies, BBBSA began a
comprehensive study of our school-based mentoring program and evaluated
impacts on randomly selected mentored youth compared to nonmentored
youth in a control group. The scope of the study paralleled the BBBS
Impact Study of Community-Based Mentoring conducted by P/PV in the
1990s and was the first nationwide, randomized study of school-based
mentoring ever undertaken.
Among the findings:
--Three factors lead to better outcomes--
--Socio-emotional match activities;
--Matches that met more often and for longer periods; and
--A strong school environment and involvement by teachers and
principals;
--School-based mentoring has positive academic outcomes during the
first year of the match, including higher grades, higher
feelings of academic competence, greater number of assignments
completed, fewer serious school infractions, and less skipping
of school;
--But largely because so many matches did not continue into the
second year, these outcomes were for the most part not
sustained in the second year;
--Training, supervision, and school support are critical in fostering
stronger and longer relationships; and
--The cost of school-based mentoring is only slightly less than
community-based mentoring.
The challenge was clear: longer matches and closer relationships
meant stronger impacts and so how were we going to create longer
matches and their corresponding increased, longer-lasting outcomes? The
recommendations, coming out of the Study, of our internal School-Based
Mentoring Task Force were:
--Start matches as early in the school year as possible;
--Ensure that volunteers provide at least one school year of
mentoring;
--Build programs in feeder schools to sustain matches and provide
youth with consistency through school transitions;
--Select supportive schools for program involvement and continually
foster these partnerships;
--Explore ways to bridge the summer gap such as taking school-based
mentoring out of the school year and increasing match contacts
and treating school-based mentoring as a year-round program
with strong match support;
--Develop indices of match length that reflect the summer break and,
in this way, are more sensitive predictors of impacts; and
--Explore more ways to provide volunteers (particularly young
volunteers) with the support and ongoing training they need to
create high-quality, effective mentoring relationships.
While BBBSA supports the administration's position of only funding
effective programs going forward, we have proposed partnering with the
Department of Education to ensure that existing grantees do not have to
prematurely close any current mentoring relationships. We understand
that the cost of honoring the last class of grants which were awarded
in fiscal year 2008 would require Congress to provide $17 million for
the program in fiscal year 2010.
amachi (mentoring children of prisoners)
An estimated 2.4 million children have an incarcerated parent--and
BBBS' Amachi program addresses this critical need. The goal of Amachi
is to demonstrate that the best way to stop the vicious cycle of
substance abuse, delinquency, and incarceration among children of
incarcerated parents is to give the children what they need the most--a
supportive and stable adult who will help them discover their own
strengths, abilities, and resistance skills. Volunteers for the program
are recruited through their congregations and matched with at-risk
children and youth, spending time each week with the child to gradually
build a supportive relationship. Research has shown that children and
youth of incarcerated parents are at higher risk of child abuse,
neglect, illiteracy, drug and alcohol abuse, crime, violence, and
premature death than are their peers. A BBBS mentor in the life of an
at-risk child can dramatically reduce a child's chance of falling prey
to these risks. We respectfully request level funding for the
``Mentoring Children of Prisoners'' program in fiscal year 2010.
volunteer generation fund (corporation for national service)
In the wake of President-elect Obama's ``call to service'' in
January, also known as National Mentoring Month, BBBSA saw a
significant increase in volunteer applications. As the economic crisis
deepens, these Big Brothers and Big Sisters will be helping to meet the
critical demand our disadvantaged youth have for friendship, especially
during these challenging times. There is an interest among Americans to
serve the community and BBBSA is anxious to harness this hope. The
bipartisan citizen service legislation signed in to law by President
Obama on April 21 will expand opportunities for citizens to serve, will
direct this service toward the Nation's most urgent challenges, and
provides Congress the change to invest in new and innovative solutions
to our most persistent social problems. In particular, BBBSA
respectfully requests that $50 million for the Volunteer Generation
Fund in fiscal year 2010 to spur innovation in volunteer recruitment
and management.
As we all work to change how our children grow up in America, BBBSA
is your proud partner.
______

Letter From the Brain Injury Association of America
May 6, 2009.
Hon. Tom Harkin,
Chairman, Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human
Services, and Education, and Related Agencies, Washington, DC.
Hon. Thad Cochran,
Ranking Member, Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman Harkin and Ranking Member Cochran: Thank you for
the opportunity to submit this written testimony with regard to the
fiscal year 2010 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and
Related Agencies appropriations bill. My testimony is on behalf of the
Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA), our national network of
State affiliates, and hundreds of local chapters and support groups
from across the country.
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a blow or a jolt to the head that
temporarily or permanently disrupts brain function--i.e., who we are
and how we think, act, and feel. In the civilian population alone every
year, more than 1.5 million people sustain brain injuries from falls,
car crashes, assaults and contact sports. Males are more likely than
females to sustain brain injuries. Children, teens, and seniors are at
greatest risk.
And now we are seeing an increasing number of servicemembers
returning from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan with TBI, which
has been termed one of the signature injuries of the war. A recent
study conducted by the RAND Corporation found that 320,000 troops, or
19 percent of all service members, returning from Operations Enduring
Freedom and Iraqi Freedom may have experienced a TBI during deployment.
Many of these returning servicemembers are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed
and subsequently they and their families will look to community and
local resources for information to better understand TBI and to obtain
vital support services to facilitate successful reintegration into the
community.
For the past 12 years Congress has provided minimal funding through
the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Federal TBI
Program to assist States in developing services and systems to help
individuals with a range of service and family support needs following
their loved one's TBI. Similarly, the grants to State Protection and
Advocacy Systems to assist individuals with traumatic brain injuries in
accessing services through education, legal, and advocacy remedies are
woefully underfunded. Rehabilitation, community support, and long-term
care systems are still developing in many States, while stretched to
capacity in others. Additional numbers of individuals with TBI as the
result of war-related injuries only adds more stress to these
inadequately funded systems.
BIAA respectfully urges you to provide States with the resources
they need to address both the civilian and military populations who
look to them for much needed support in order to live and work in their
communities.
With broader regard to all of the programs authorized through the
TBI Act, BIAA specifically requests:
--$11 million for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) TBI Registries and Surveillance, Prevention and National
Public Education/Awareness;
--$20 million for the HRSA Federal TBI State Grant Program; and
--$6 million for the HRSA Federal TBI Protection & Advocacy (P&A)
Systems Grant Program.
The TBI Act Amendments of 2008, authorizes the Department of Health
and Human Services, HRSA to award grants to (1) States, American Indian
Consortia, and territories to improve access to service delivery and to
(2) State P&A Systems to expand advocacy services to include
individuals with TBI. For the past 12 years the HRSA Federal TBI State
Grant Program has supported State efforts to address the needs of
persons with TBI and their families and to expand and improve services
to underserved and unserved populations including children and youth;
veterans and returning troops; and individuals with co-occurring
conditions
In fiscal year 2009, HRSA reduced the number of State grant awards
to 15, in order to increase each monetary award from $118,000 to
$250,000. This means that many States that had participated in the
program in past years have now been forced to close down their
operations, leaving many unable to access TBI care.
Increasing the program to $20 million will provide funding
necessary for each State including the District of Columbia, the
American Indian Consortium to sustain and expand State service
delivery; and to expand the use of the grant funds to pay for such
services as Information & Referral (I&R), service coordination and
other necessary services and supports identified by the State.
Similarly, the HRSA TBI P&A Program currently provides funding to
all State P&A systems for purposes of protecting the legal and human
rights of individuals with TBI. State P&As provide a wide range of
activities including training in self-advocacy, outreach, I&R, and
legal assistance to people residing in nursing homes, to returning
military seeking veterans benefits, and students who need educational
services.
Effective Protection and Advocacy services for people with a TBI
leads to reduced government expenditures and increased productivity,
independence, and community integration. However, advocates must
possess specialized skills, and their work is often time-intensive. A
$6 million appropriation would trigger a formula that would ensure that
each P&A can provide a significant PATBI program with appropriate staff
time and expertise.
Funding for the TBI Model Systems is urgently needed to ensure that
the Nation's valuable TBI research capacity is not diminished, and to
maintain and build upon the 16 TBI Model Systems research centers
around the country.
The TBI Model Systems of Care program represents an already
existing vital national network of expertise and research in the field
of TBI, and weakening this program would have resounding effects on
both military and civilian populations. The TBI Model Systems are the
only source of nonproprietary longitudinal data on what happens to
people with TBI. They are a key source of evidence-based medicine, and
serve as a ``proving ground'' for future researchers.
In order to make this program more comprehensive, Congress should
provide $13.3 million in fiscal year 2010 funding for the National
Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research's TBI Model Systems
of Care Program, in order to add four new centers and two collaborative
research projects. In addition, given the national importance of this
research program, the TBI Model Systems of Care program should receive
``line-item'' status within the broader NIDRR budget.
We ask that you consider favorably these requests for the HRSA
Federal TBI Program, NIDRR TBI Model Systems Program, and for CDC to
gather needed data, shepherd public awareness, education, and
prevention programs; as well as the sustain and bolster TBI Model
Systems that conduct vital research.
Sincerely,
Susan H. Connors,
President/CEO.
______

Prepared Statement of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, thank you for the
opportunity to submit testimony on behalf of the 1.4 million Americans
living with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. My name is Gary
Sinderbrand and I have the privilege of serving as the Chairman of the
National Board of Trustees for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of
America (CCFA). CCFA is the Nation's oldest and largest voluntary
organization dedicated to finding a cure for Crohn's disease and
ulcerative colitis--collectively known as inflammatory bowel diseases
(IBD).
Let me say at the outset how appreciative we are for the leadership
this subcommittee has provided in advancing funding for the National
Institutes of Health (NIH). Hope for a better future for our patients
lies in biomedical research and we are grateful for the recent
investments that you have made in this critical area.
Mr. Chairman, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are
devastating inflammatory disorders of the digestive tract that cause
severe abdominal pain, fever and intestinal bleeding. Complications
include arthritis, osteoporosis, anemia, liver disease and colorectal
cancer. We do not know their cause, and there is no medical cure. They
represent the major cause of morbidity from digestive diseases and
forever alter the lives of the people they afflict--particularly
children. I know, because I am the father of a child living with
Crohn's disease.
Seven years ago, during my daughter, Alexandra's sophomore year in
college, she was taken to the ER for what was initially thought to be
acute appendicitis. After a series of tests, my wife and I received a
call from the attending GI who stated coldly: Your daughter has Crohn's
disease, there is no cure and she will be on medication the rest of her
life. The news froze us in our tracks. How could our vibrant, beautiful
little girl be stricken with a disease that was incurable and has
ruined the lives of countless thousands of people?
Over the next several months, Alexandra fluctuated between good
days and bad. Bad days would bring on debilitating flares which would
rack her body with pain and fever as her system sought equilibrium. Our
hearts were filled with sorrow as we realized how we were so incapable
of protecting our child.
Her doctor was trying increasingly aggressive therapies to bring
the flares under control.
Asacol, Steroids, Mercaptipurine, Methotrexate, and finally
Remicade. Each treatment came with its own set of side effects and
risks. Every time A would call from school, my heart would jump before
I picked up the call in fear of hearing that my child was in pain as
the flares had returned. Ironically, the worst call came from one of
her friends to report that A was back in the ER and being evaluated by
a GI surgeon to determine if an emergency procedure was needed to clear
an intestinal blockage that was caused by the disease. Several hours
later, a brilliant surgeon at the University of Chicago, removed over a
foot of diseased tissue from her intestine. The surgery saved her life,
but did not cure her. We continue to live every day knowing that the
disease could flare at any time with devastating consequences.
From the point of hearing the news, I refused to accept the fact
that this disease could not be cured. As I studied all the relevant
data I could find, I reached out to the organization that seemed to be
repeatedly mentioned, The CCFA. This organization is leading the fight
in research, education and support on behalf of the 1.4 million
Americans that suffer from these illnesses.
I made a pest of myself at the national office seeking knowledge
about how the fight was being staged. The more I learned the more I
believed that we could do better. I was invited to join the national
board and 6 years later, I have the privilege of leading an
extraordinary staff of professionals and a network of volunteers across
our entire country.
We are making dramatic progress that is the result of the
scientific excellence of our funded researchers and our volunteer
scientific leadership as well as the rapid advancement of available
technology. It is now not ``if'' we will cure IBD, but ``when.''
Mr. Chairman, I will focus the remainder of my testimony on our
appropriations recommendations for fiscal year 2010.
recommendations for fiscal year 2010
NIH
Throughout its 40-year history, CCFA has forged remarkably
successful research partnerships with the NIH, particularly the
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
(NIDDK), which sponsors the majority of IBD research, and the National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). CCFA provides
crucial ``seed-funding'' to researchers, helping investigators gather
preliminary findings, which in turn enables them to pursue advanced IBD
research projects through the NIH. This approach led to the
identification of the first gene associated with Crohn's--a landmark
breakthrough in understanding this disease.
To further accelerate genetic research and advance understanding of
IBD, NIDDK issued a research solicitation to establish an IBD Genetics
Consortium approximately 8 years ago. This effort was informed by
recommendations from external experts. Funding for the Consortium's six
centers began in 2002, and intensive data and sample collection,
genetic analysis, and recruitment of new patients and their families
have been under way. In 2006, the Consortium published the major
discovery of a new IBD gene. Some sequence variations in this gene,
called IL23R, were found to increase susceptibility to IBD, while
another variant actually confers protection. This gene was known
previously to be involved in inflammation, and its newly discovered
association with IBD may lead to the development of better therapies
for IBD. In recognition of the success of the Consortium's large-scale
collaborative effort, NIDDK decided to continue support for the program
beyond its initial 5-year period which was slated to end in fiscal year
2007.
Renewed funding in fiscal year 2008 has enabled the Consortium to
continue its genetic studies and recruit additional patients and
relatives (as well as subjects without IBD for comparison). This
expansion will facilitate the identification of additional predisposing
genes and enable genetic analyses of certain patient subgroups, such as
those from minority populations or those who experience an early onset
form of IBD. These findings may then be used to pursue genetically
based diagnostic tests that allow for earlier diagnosis and treatment
intervention. In addition, the data can be used to identify new
molecular targets for therapeutic development that are specifically
targeted to a unique subset of patients.
Mr. Chairman, we are grateful for the leadership of Dr. Stephen
James, Director of NIDDK's Division of Digestive Diseases and
Nutrition, for pursuing this and other opportunities in IBD research
aggressively. Fortunately, the field of IBD is widely viewed within the
scientific community as one of tremendous potential. CCFA's scientific
leaders, with significant involvement from NIDDK, have developed an
ambitious research agenda entitled ``Challenges in Inflammatory Bowel
Diseases'' that seeks to address many opportunities that currently
exist. We look forward to working with NIDDK and the subcommittee to
pursue these research goals in the coming years.
For fiscal year 2010, CCFA joins with other patient and medical
organizations in recommending a 7 percent increase in funding for the
NIH. We specifically encourage the subcommittee to support the
invaluable work of the NIDDK and NIAID.
centers for disease control and prevention (cdc)
IBD Epidemiology Program
Mr. Chairman, as I mentioned earlier CCFA estimates that 1.4
million people in the United States suffer from IBD, but there could be
many more. We do not have an exact number due to these diseases'
complexity and the difficulty in identifying them.
We are extremely grateful for your leadership in providing funding
over the past 5 years for an epidemiology program on IBD at CDC. This
program is yielding valuable information about the prevalence of IBD
and increasing our knowledge of the demographic characteristics of the
IBD patient population. If we are able to generate an accurate analysis
of the geographic makeup of the IBD patient population, it will provide
us with invaluable clues about the potential causes of IBD.
I should note that the latest phase of this project focuses on
Rhode Island. The ``Ocean State Crohn's & Colitis Area Registry'' is
identifying each new case of inflammatory bowel disease diagnosed in
the State. The result will be a unique, population-based cohort of
newly diagnosed patients to be followed prospectively over time--the
first of its kind in the United States, and one of very few such
cohorts in the world. The goals of the study include: (1) describing
the incidence rates of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis; (2)
describing disease outcomes; and (3) identifying factors that predict
disease outcomes. To date more than 85 newly diagnosed patients of all
ages have been enrolled into the study.
Mr. Chairman, to continue this important epidemiological work in
fiscal year 2010, CCFA recommends a funding level of $700,000, an
increase of $16,000 more than fiscal year 2009.
pediatric ibd patient registry
Mr. Chairman, the unique challenges faced by children and
adolescents battling IBD are of particular concern to CCFA. In recent
years we have seen an increased prevalence of IBD among children,
particularly those diagnosed at a very early age. To combat this
alarming trend CCFA, in partnership with the North American Society for
Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, has instituted an
aggressive pediatric research campaign focused on the following areas:
--Growth/Bone Development.--How does inflammation cause growth
failure and bone disease in children with IBD?
--Genetics.--How can we identify early onset Crohn's disease and
ulcerative colitis?
--Quality Improvement.--Given the wide variation in care provided to
children with IBD, how can we standardize treatment and improve
patients' growth and well-being?
--Immune Response.--What alterations in the childhood immune system
put young people at risk for IBD, how does the immune system
change with treatment for IBD?
--Psychosocial Functioning.--How does diagnosis and treatment for IBD
impact depression and anxiety among young people? What
approaches work best to improve mood, coping, family function,
and quality of life.
The establishment of a national registry of pediatric IBD patients
is central to our ability to answer these important research questions.
Empowering investigators with HIPPA compliant information on young
patients from across the Nation will jump-start our effort to expand
epidemiologic, basic and clinical research on our pediatric population.
We encourage the subcommittee to support our efforts to establish a
Pediatric IBD Patient Registry with the CDC in fiscal year 2010.
Once again Mr. Chairman, thank you very much for the opportunity to
be with you today. I look forward to any questions you may have.
______

Prepared Statement of the Children's Environmental Health Network
The Children's Environmental Health Network (the Network)
appreciates this opportunity to comment on the fiscal year 2010
appropriations to the Departments of Health and Human Services and
Education for activities that protect children from environmental
hazards. The Network appreciates the wide range of priorities that you
must consider for funding. We urge you to give priority to those
programs that directly protect and promote children's environmental
health. In so doing, you will improve not only our children's health,
but also their educational outcomes and their future.
The Network is a national organization whose mission is to promote
a healthy environment and to protect the fetus and the child from
environmental health hazards. We recognize that children, in our
society, have unique moral standing. The Children's Environmental
Health Network was created to promote the incorporation of basic
pediatric facts such as these in policy and practice:
--Children's bodies and behaviors differ from adults. In general,
they are more vulnerable than adults to toxic chemicals.
--Children are growing. Pound for pound, children eat more food,
drink more water and breathe more air than adults. Thus, they
are likely to be more exposed to substances in their
environment than are adults. Children are different from adults
in how their bodies absorb, detoxify, and excrete toxicants.
--Children's systems, such as their nervous, reproductive, and immune
systems, are developing. This process of development creates
periods of vulnerability when toxic exposures may result in
irreversible damage when the same exposure to a mature system
may result in little or no damage.
--Children behave differently than adults, leading to a different
pattern of exposures to the world around them. For example,
because of their hand-to-mouth behavior, they ingest whatever
may be on their hands, toys, household items, and floors.
Children play and live in a different space than do adults. For
example, very young children spend hours close to the ground
where there may be more exposure to toxicants in dust and
carpets as well as low-lying vapors such as radon or
pesticides.
--Children have a longer life expectancy than adults; thus they have
more time to develop diseases with long latency periods that
may be triggered by early environmental exposures, such as
cancer or Parkinson's disease.
Clear, sound science underlies these principles. A solid consensus
in the scientific community supports these concepts. The world in which
today's children live has changed tremendously from that of previous
generations. There has been a phenomenal increase in the substances to
which children are exposed. According to the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), more than 83,000 industrial chemicals are currently
produced or imported into the United States. Traces of hundreds of
chemicals are found in all humans and animals. Every day, children are
exposed to a mix of chemicals, most of them untested for their effects
on developing systems.
We urge the subcommittee to provide the necessary resources for the
Federal programs and activities that help to protect children from
environmental hazards. The key programs in your jurisdiction are below.
centers for disease control and prevention (cdc) and the national
environmental health center (nehc)
The Network strongly supports the work of the CDC and the NEHC,
especially NEHC's efforts to continue and expand its biomonitoring
program and to continue its national report card on exposure
information, using the highly respected National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey. A vital CDC responsibility in pediatric
environmental health is to assist in filling the major information gaps
that exist about children's exposures.
The Network supports a funding level of $8.6 billion for CDC's core
programs in fiscal year 2010. The Network urges the subcommittee to
provide an additional $19.6 million for CDC's Environmental Health
Laboratory in fiscal year 2010. The Network believes it is especially
critical for the NEHC to gather and publish expanded information in the
report card on children's exposures.
public health tracking
The CDC's National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program
helps to track environmental hazards and the diseases they may cause,
coordinating and integrating local, State, and Federal health agencies'
collection of critical health and environmental data. We urge the
subcommittee to provide $50 million for the tracking network in fiscal
year 2010 to expand it to additional States and support the continued
development of a sustainable, nationwide Network.
Additionally, data on children's ``real world'' exposure and
disease are critically needed. Since children spend hours every day in
school and child care, we urge you to direct the Tracking Program to
include grants for pilot methods for tracking children's health in
schools and child care settings.
global climate change
We strongly urge the subcommittee to designate $50 million for the
CDC to help the public prepare for and adapt to the potential health
effects of global climate change in fiscal year 2010.
Global climate change presents major challenges to public health.
Children, as a vulnerable subpopulation, are among those at greatest
risk of harm. Children in communities that are already disadvantaged
will be the most harmed. Recent studies have detailed how children's
physical and social health may be harmed, ranging from respiratory
diseases and melanoma (due to atmospheric changes), to gastrointestinal
diseases (due to increased water contamination), to an increased range
for some diseases (malaria, dengue, encephalitides, Lyme disease), to
increased rates of malnutrition (due to severe drought and severe
precipitation), to the harm caused by displacement, water and food
insecurity, and forced migration (caused by drought, increased rain and
severe storms, and rising sea levels) and the resulting international
conflict and political unrest.
It is imperative that the Federal Government undertake efforts to
mitigate and adapt to climate change. Providing funding to the CDC for
preparing for the potential health effects of global climate change is
an important step.
national institute of environmental health sciences (niehs) and
children's environmental health research centers of excellence
NIEHS is a vital institution in our efforts to understand how to
protect children, whether it is identifying and understanding the
impact of substances that are endocrine disruptors, or better
understanding childhood exposures that may not affect health until
decades later, or seeking answers to many other important questions.
The Children's Environmental Health Research Centers, funded by
NIEHS and the EPA, play a key role in protecting children from
environmental hazards. With budgets of $1 million per year per center
(unchanged over more than 10 years), this program generates valuable
research. A unique aspect of this program is the requirement that each
Center actively involves its local community in a collaborative
partnership, leading both to community-based participatory research
projects and to the translation of research findings into child-
protective programs and policies. Researchers have embraced this
funding mechanism because of the ability it gives them to do
interdisciplinary research and to be involved in the community--things
that are not easy to do using other grant mechanisms. The scientific
output of these centers has been outstanding. For example, four of the
Centers had findings that clearly showed that prenatal exposure to a
widely used pesticide affected developmental outcomes at birth and
early childhood. Another recent example is the finding of a biomarker
in newborns for childhood leukemia, firmly establishing the important
role of prenatal environment factors in causation of this disease.
Unfortunately, almost all of the existing 12 centers are currently
operating on no-cost extensions. We strongly support the center concept
and the network of centers. We also support current efforts by NIEHS
and the EPA to competitively renew and to expand this valuable program
by adding four formative centers. However, only five of the existing
centers are to be renewed. If centers are shuttered, we will lose
access to valuable populations such as urban children with asthma or
children in farm communities exposed to pesticides. We will lose the
ability to learn about issues like early puberty concerns, exposures in
school settings, and pre-adolescent and adolescent outcomes.
Thus, we urge the subcommittee to appropriate at least $15 million
for the NIEHS share of funding so that, in concert with the EPA
contribution, an adequate number of centers (old and new) will have
funding in fiscal year 2010.
In addition, the Network urges the subcommittee to support NIEHS by
increasing its overall budget, and that of the Superfund research
program, by 5 percent more than last year's level and directing that
included in this increase would be a $5 million increase specifically
for research on children's environmental health issues. The Superfund
research program has supported some vital children's research but
funding has been level over the last 4 years.
national children's study (ncs)
The NCS is examining the effects of environmental influences on the
health and development of more than 100,000 children in 105 communities
across the United States, following them from before birth until age
21. The NCS will be one of the richest research efforts ever geared
toward studying children's health and development and will form the
basis of child health guidance, interventions, and policy for
generations to come. The NCS will provide a better understanding of how
children's genes and their environments interact to affect their health
and development, thus improving the health and well-being of all
children.
Enrollment in the NCS began this January, after 8 years of planning
and development. The Network urges the subcommittee to continue its
enthusiastic support for the NCS in this and future years, including
full funding of $195 million in fiscal year 2010. The Network also asks
the subcommittee to direct the National Institute of Child Health and
Human Development to assure that protocols are in place for measuring
exposures in the child care and school settings. The Network believes
it is critically important to understand how school and child care
exposures differ from home exposures very early in the NCS.
pediatric environmental health specialty units (pehsu)
A key, but dramatically underfunded, program is the PEHSU network.
Funded by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and the
EPA, the PEHSUs form a network with a center in each of the U.S.
Federal regions, plus one center in Canada and one in Mexico. PEHSU
professionals provide quality medical consultation for health
professionals, parents, caregivers, and patients. Last year, the entire
program, covering the 10 U.S. centers, received less than $2 million.
These centers have done tremendous work on these small budgets. We urge
the subcommittee to provide funding for this program in fiscal year
2010 at the level of $200,000 per center (compared to the $120,000 for
each center last year).
school environmental health
Each school day, about 54 million children and 7 million adults
spend a full week inside schools. Unfortunately, many of the Nation's
public and private school facilities are shoddy or even ``sick''
buildings whose environmental conditions harm children's health and
undermine attendance, achievement, and productivity. In 1996, GAO
reported that more than 13 million children were compelled to be in
schools that threatened their health and safety. Two Federal statutes
that would create a foundation for healthy schools are already in
place, authorizing the U.S. Department of Education and the EPA to
address school environments. Unfortunately, to date neither of these
programs have been funded.
We strongly urge the subcommittee to provide the $25 million
authorized by the Healthy and High Performance Schools Act (Public Law
107-110) to the grant program for State agencies to develop and
disseminate information and assistance on high performance school
design standards. The subcommittee should also direct the Department of
Education to conduct a National Priority Study, as required under HHPS,
on the impacts of decayed facilities on children and to report to
Congress. To date, Education has only produced a brief review of the
scientific literature.
These programs and activities are especially vital in light of the
``stimulus'' funds for school modernization or renovation. The stimulus
bill does not require consideration of environmental health or
children's health and safety. Yet, without specific consideration of
health, steps to ``green'' a school--such as increasing insulation at a
school to improve energy efficiency--can have unintended harmful side
effects, such as creating or exacerbating indoor air quality problems.
child care environmental health
Thirteen million preschoolers--60 percent of young children--are in
child care. Millions of preschoolers--our youngest and most vulnerable
population--enter care as early as 6 weeks of age and can be in care
for more than 40 hours per week. Yet little is known about the
environmental health status of our child care centers nor how to assure
that they are protecting this important group of children. The Network
is working to correct these gaps.
We ask the subcommittee to direct the Department of Health and
Human Services Assistant Secretary for Children and Families to report
on the Administration for Children and Families activities that protect
children from environmental hazards in childcare settings, especially
in the Office of Head Start.
In conclusion, investments in programs that protect and promote
children's health will be repaid by healthier children with brighter
futures, an outcome we can all support. That is why the Network asks
you to give priority to these programs. Thank you for the opportunity
to testify on these critical issues.
______

Prepared Statement of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
national institutes of health (nih)
On behalf of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF), and the 30,000
people with cystic fibrosis (CF), we are pleased to submit the
following testimony regarding fiscal year 2010 appropriations for CF-
related research at NIH and other agencies.
about cf
CF is a life-threatening genetic disease for which there is no
cure. People with CF have two copies of a defective gene, known as
CFTR, which causes the body to produce abnormally thick, sticky mucus
that clogs the lungs and results in fatal lung infections. The thick
mucus in those with CF also obstructs the pancreas, making it difficult
for patients to absorb nutrients from food.
Since its founding, CFF has maintained its focus on promoting
research and improving treatments for CF. More than thirty drugs are
now in development to treat CF, some which treat the basic defect of
the disease, while others target its symptoms. Through the research
leadership of CFF, the life expectancy of individuals with CF has been
boosted from less than 6 years in 1955 to 37 years in 2007. This
improvement in the life expectancy for those with CF can be attributed
to research advances and to the teams of CF caregivers who offer
specialized care. Although life expectancy has improved dramatically,
we continue to lose young lives to this disease.
The promise for people with CF is in research. In the past 5 years,
the CFF has invested more than $660 million in its medical programs of
drug discovery, drug development, research, and care focused on life-
sustaining treatments and a cure for CF. A greater investment is
necessary, however, to accelerate the pace of discovery and development
of CF therapies. This testimony focuses on the investment required to
more rapidly and efficiently discover and develop new CF treatments
aimed at controlling or curing CF.
sustaining the federal investment in biomedical research
This subcommittee and Congress are to be commended for their
steadfast support for biomedical research, and their commitment to the
National Institutes of Health (NIH), particularly the effort to double
the NIH budget between fiscal year 1999 and fiscal year 2003 as well as
the significant investment provided by the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA). These increases in funding brought a new era
in drug discovery that has benefited all Americans. Congress must
adequately fund the NIH so that it can capitalize on scientific
advances in order to maintain the momentum that the doubling and the
infusion of funds from ARRA generated.
The flat-funding of the NIH since 2003 has decreased purchasing
power, limiting the pursuit of critical research. CFF joins the
Coalition for Health Funding to recommend increasing the budget for all
health discretionary spending by 13 percent in fiscal year 2010, or
$7.4 billion over the fiscal year 2009 Omnibus. This increased
investment will help maintain the NIH's ability to fund essential
biomedical research today that will provide tomorrow's care and cures.
If the subcommittee is not able to recommend funding at this level,
Congress should advise the NIH to focus on contributing funds to
research partnerships that will accelerate therapeutic development to
improve peoples' lives.
strengtheing our nation's research infrastructure
Because CF is a disease that impacts several systems in the body,
several Institutes at the NIH share responsibility for CF research. We
urge the NIH to pay special attention to advances in treatment methods
and mechanisms for translating basic research across Institutes into
therapies that can benefit patients across Institutes. CFF has been
recognized for its own research approach that encompasses basic
research through phase III clinical trials, and has created the
infrastructure required to accelerate the development of new CF
therapies. As a result, we now have a pipeline of more than 30
potential therapies that are being examined to treat people with CF.
the clinical and translational science awards (ctsa)
CTSA program was a key component of the NIH's Roadmap initiative.
The program is designed to transform how clinical and translational
research is conducted, ultimately enabling researchers to provide new
treatments more efficiently to patients. Tremendous effort brought
institutions together to rally around this program, yet current funding
levels make it difficult for the 39 programs (out of a planned 60) to
succeed.
Key to the success of the CTSAs is the development of cost-sharing
for use of infrastructure services. An example of this mechanism is the
General Clinical Research Centers (GCRC), which allowed Institutes to
reduce their research budgets by having investigators use the GCRC when
clinical care such as inpatient stays, lab tests, nursing staff, was
made available at no additional cost. Today, individual investigators
must provide funds for clinical care cost-sharing from grants funded
from other NIH Institutes. As research becomes more expensive and
private capital dries up, it becomes even more critical to ensure
support for translational research, that is, research that moves a
potential therapy from development to the market. In order to maximize
the potential of the CTSA, multiple Institutes within NIH must be able
to provide financial resources for this critical program.
Supporting Clinical Research
A significant discrepancy persists between the funding awarded to
clinical and basic laboratory investigators for first awards. The
difference is even greater for second awards and prolonged funding of
clinical investigators. The NIH must maintain support for translational
research and the investigators piloting those projects. Without this
support, the NIH stands to lose an entire generation of clinically
trained individuals committed to clinical research. The ``generation
gap'' that would be created by the loss of these clinical researchers
would affect the ability of the NIH to conduct world-class clinical
investigation and jeopardize the standing of the United States as the
world's premiere source for biomedical research.
facilitating clinical research and drug development
CFF applauds the NIH's efforts to encourage greater efficiency in
clinical research. CFF has been a leader in creating a clinical trials
network to achieve greater efficiency in clinical investigation.
Because the CF population is so small, a more significant portion of
people with the disease must partake in clinical trials than in most
other diseases. This unique challenge prompted CFF to streamline our
clinical trials processes. Research conducted by CFF is more efficient
than ever before and we are a model for other disease groups.
The Model of the Cystic Fibrosis Therapeutics Development Network
CFF's established clinical research program, the Therapeutics
Development Network (TDN), plays a pivotal role in accelerating the
development of new treatments to improve the length and quality of life
for CF patients. Lessons learned from its centralization of data
management and analysis and data safety monitoring in the TDN will be
useful in designing clinical trial networks in other diseases. We urge
the subcommittee to direct the NIH and other agencies to allocate
additional funds for innovative therapeutics development models like
the TDN. CFF urges the subcommittee to allocate additional resources
for clinical research in order meet the demand for testing the
promising new therapies for CF and other diseases.
Alterative Models for Institutional Review Boards
We are pleased that the Department of Health and Human Services has
encouraged the exploration of alternative models of IRBs, including
central IRBs, by the CTSA. We encourage Congress to urge the Department
to demonstrate more aggressive leadership in persuading all academic
institutions to accept review by a central IRB--without insisting on
parallel and often duplicative review by their own IRB--at least in the
case of multi-institutional trials in rare diseases. Such oversight
could help provide greater expertise to improve trial design and enable
critical research to move forward in a timelier manner without
undermining patient safety.
research compensation for supplemental security income (ssi)
An additional impediment in our effort to accelerate the
development of new therapies is the Social Security Administration's
(SSA) current SSI rules, which count research compensation for
participation in a clinical drug study as income for determining SSI.
This policy creates an unnecessary barrier to clinical trial
participation for a significant number of people with CF, and thus
severely limits efforts to develop new therapies. We urge the
subcommittee to direct the SSA to disregard any compensation to an
individual who is participating in a clinical trial testing rare
disease treatments that has been reviewed and approved by an
institutional review board and meets the ethical standards for clinical
research for the purposes of determining that individual's eligibility
for the SSI program.
Partnership with the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR)
The CTSA program, administered by the NCRR, encourages novel
approaches to clinical and translational research, enhances the
utilization of informatics, and strengthens the training of young
investigators. CFF has enjoyed a productive relationship with the NCRR
to support our vision for improving clinical trials capacity through
its early financial support of the TDN. Recently, however, the NCRR
decided to reject funding for disease-specific networks in favor of
those without a disease focus. As a result of this policy, some of the
best clinical research consortia are prohibited from competing for NCRR
grants, including but not limited to the CF TDN. We urge the NCRR to
reverse this decision.
supporting drug discovery
CFF's clinical research is fueled by a vigorous drug discovery
effort; early stage translational research of promising strategies to
find successful treatments for this disease. Several research projects
at the NIH will expand our knowledge about the disease, and could
eventually be the key for controlling or curing CF.
Exploring Protein Misfolding and Mistrafficking
We applaud the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI),
and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
Diseases (NIDDK) for their initiatives that target research on protein
misfolding, and urge an aggressive commitment to facilitate continued
exploration in this area to build upon promising discoveries. We urge
the NIH to continue to devote special attention to research in protein
misfolding and mistrafficking, an area which could yield significant
benefits for patients with CF and other diseases where misfolding is an
issue.
Opportunities In Animal Models
CFF is encouraged by the NIH's investment in a research program at
the University of Iowa to study the effects of CF in a pig model. The
program, funded through research awards from both NHLBI and CFF, bears
great promise to help make significant developments in the search for a
cure. While a company has been established to produce the animals, the
infrastructure and extensive animal husbandry required to keep the
animals alive and conduct research on them is available at few academic
institutions. We urge additional funding to create a facility that
would enable researchers from multiple institutions to conduct research
with these models.
Facilitating Scientific Data Connections
An explosion of data is emerging from ``big science'' projects such
as the Human Genome Project and the International HapMap Project. We
encourage investments by NIH into the development of systems that
permit the linkage of gene expression, protein expression and protein
interaction data from independent laboratories. While construction of
such an interface would be difficult, it would undoubtedly facilitate
generations of new ideas and open new areas of medically important
biology.
Increasing Investment in Inflammatory Response Research
CF, like diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, chronic
bronchitis, and rheumatoid arthritis, cause an intense inflammatory
response. CFF enthusiastically supports investments by the NIH to gain
a greater understanding of inflammatory signaling and inflammatory
cascades, which would lead to improved methods of safely interfering
with the inflammatory process and contributing to the health and well
being of the U.S. population.
Supporting High Throughput Screening
The subcommittee should urge the NIH to continue to fund high
throughput screening initiatives in keeping with the NIH Roadmap
suggestions. Support for the follow-up and optimalization of compounds
identified through this type of screening can help to bridge the
development gap and bring about more drugs that can make it to
patients' bedsides.
Funding Systems Biology Platforms
In order to rapidly accelerate the identification of potential
biomarkers and understand the mechanisms of action of CFTR function,
data generated from multiple laboratories and scientific must be
integrated. To address this, CFF has partnered with a systems biology
company called GeneGo to generate a CF-focused systems biology platform
to illustrate the various effects of CFTR dysfunction in multiple cell
systems. CFF urges NIH to provide additional funding to support
research efforts aimed at leveraging systems biology platforms to
integrate multiple disciplines within the CF research community in
order to accelerate drug development and biomarker validation for CF.
Small Business Innovation Research Program at NIH
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program grants allocated
by the NIH have helped many small biotechnology and pharmaceutical
companies to develop vital treatments for a variety of diseases.
Several companies developing CF treatments have used SBIR grants to
fund their development process.
The SBIR program could provide further support by directing that a
portion of all grants awarded be used for rare disease research. With
such a small portion of the population likely to purchase the drugs,
research to produce drugs to treat rare diseases is often considered
too large a financial risk to take on. It is important to note, however
that there are more than 25 million Americans with a rare disease. By
directing even small dollar grants to develop drugs for these diseases,
Congress can eliminate some of the risk that keeps biotechnology and
pharmaceutical companies from developing drugs for rare diseases.
The NIH has wisely focused on translational research as a
touchstone for ensuring the relevance of the agency to the American
public. CFF is the perfect example of this notion, having devoted our
own resources to developing treatments through drug discovery, clinical
development, and clinical care. Several of the drugs in our pipeline
show remarkable promise in clinical trials and we are increasingly
hopeful that these discoveries will bring us even closer to a cure.
Encouraged by our successes, we believe the experience of CFF in
clinical research can serve as a model of drug discovery and
development for research on other orphan diseases and we stand ready to
work with NIH and congressional leaders. On behalf of CFF, we thank the
subcommittee for its consideration.
______

Prepared Statement of the Center for Global Health Policy
The Center for Global Health Policy of the Infectious Diseases
Society of America (IDSA) is pleased to submit testimony about the
urgent need to increase funding for the Department of Health and Human
Services' programs that address two deadly global pandemics--HIV/AIDS
and tuberculosis.
IDSA represents more than 8,000 infectious diseases and HIV
physicians and scientists devoted to patient care, education, research,
prevention, and public health. Nested within the IDSA is the HIV
Medicine Association (HIVMA), representing more than 3,500 physicians,
scientists, nurse practitioners, and other health professionals working
in HIV medicine. In 2008, IDSA and HIVMA launched the Infectious
Diseases Center on Global Health Policy and Advocacy to address global
HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and HIV/TB co-infection. Under the leadership
of a scientific advisory committee of world-renowned scientific experts
in these areas, IDSA works to educate policymakers, U.S. Government
program implementers and the media about evidence-based policies and
programs and the value of U.S. leadership in combating these deadly and
synergistic epidemics.
global hiv/aids pandemic
There are 33 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the world, with
22 million of them or 67 percent living in sub-Saharan Africa. AIDS
kills 2 million people annually. U.S. leadership has been the
catalyzing force for preventing millions of infections, ensuring access
to lifesaving HIV treatment for 3 million persons in developing
countries, and providing care and support to millions of additional
people, including orphans and vulnerable children. Despite tremendous
progress, only about one-third of persons in developing countries who
are clinically eligible for antiretroviral therapy are receiving it,
and an ongoing and robust prevention campaign is essential to reduce
the more than 7,000 new HIV infections that still occur on a daily
basis.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded HIV research at the
NIH research led to the development of lifesaving antiretroviral
therapy, identified the efficacy of antiretroviral therapy during
pregnancy to prevent mother-to-child transmission, demonstrated the HIV
prevention benefits of male circumcision, and is paving the road to the
availability of an effective microbicide. The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) have been a critical implementing partner
in the U.S. response to the global HIV epidemic, working with health
ministries in developing countries to launch HIV prevention and
treatment programs, conducting public health evaluation research, and
supporting heavily impacted countries in their efforts to monitor and
to employ evidence based strategies in response to their particular
epidemics.
tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is the second leading global infectious disease
killer, claiming more than 1.7 million lives annually. Worldwide, one-
third of the world's population is infected with TB and nearly 9
million people develop active TB disease each year. In recent years,
highly drug-resistant forms of TB have emerged. Drug-resistant
tuberculosis is a direct result of human failure--failure to adequately
detect and treat TB and to develop the necessary tools to effectively
address this ancient and deadly scourge.
In 2006, the CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO) reported
the findings from a survey of TB reference laboratories around the
world indicating that 20 percent of M. tuberculosis isolates were
multi-drug resistant (MDR)--that is, TB strains resistant to the two
most potent drugs in the four-drug TB regimen. Four percent of these
MDR-TB strains were resistant to multiple second-line drugs and were
deemed extensively drug-resistant TB or XDR-TB. Mortality from XDR-TB
can be as high as 85 percent, and close to 100 percent in individuals
co-infected with HIV/AIDS. The increase in MDR-TB and the advent of
XDR-TB have triggered grave alarm in the scientific community about the
potential for an untreatable XDR-TB epidemic. In 2007, WHO estimated
that there were 500,000 cases of MDR-TB and only 1 percent of these
cases were treated according to WHO standards.
The global pandemic and alarming spread of drug-resistant TB
present a persistent public health threat to the United States.
Tuberculosis is an airborne infection.
Drug-resistant TB anywhere in the world easily translates into
drug-resistant TB everywhere.
deadly synergy of hiv/tb co-infection
The costly MDR TB epidemic in the United States in the early 1990s
emerged against a background of HIV infection in high HIV prevalence
cities like New York City and Miami. Today, HIV-TB co-infection is
ravaging sub-Saharan Africa. TB is the leading cause of death of
persons with HIV worldwide. Tuberculosis facilitates HIV disease
progression, and persons with HIV have poorer TB treatment outcomes
than their non-HIV-infected counterparts. According to the WHO, in
2007, there were at least 1.37 million cases of HIV positive TB--nearly
15 percent of the total incident cases. There were 456,000 deaths among
this group.
cdc--tuberculosis
Last year, Congress passed landmark legislation--the Comprehensive
Tuberculosis Elimination Act of 2008--Public Law 110-873. This bill
authorizes a number of actions that will shore up State TB control
programs, enhance United States capacity to deal with the serious
threat of drug-resistant tuberculosis and escalate our efforts to
develop urgently needed new ``tools'' in the form of drugs,
diagnostics, and vaccines. Realizing these goals will require
additional resources; at a minimum, it is critical that the funding
authorized for fiscal year 2010 in this important new law--$210
million--be appropriated for the CDC Division of TB Elimination. While
this represents an increase more than current funding, the scientific
community, including the National Coalition for the Elimination of
Tuberculosis, has estimated that $528 million will be needed annually
to implement strategies through the CDC that will advance the goal of
TB elimination.
Funds are desperately needed to increase the clinical trial
capacity of the Tuberculosis Trials Consortium (TBTC) to evaluate
promising new drugs for MDR TB and to support clinical trials for
vaccine candidates that hold the hope of eliminating the scourge of TB
from the face of the earth. Additional financial support is also needed
for the Tuberculosis Epidemiologic Studies Consortium (TBESC)--critical
partnerships between TB control programs and academic institutions
aimed at designing, conducting and evaluating programmatically relevant
research.
Strengthening CDC's Division of TB Elimination to conduct research
and support State TB control programs will protect our communities, and
help ensure that another devastating outbreak of drug-resistant
tuberculosis that plagued several American cities in the late 1980s
does not recur. Ultimately, modest Federal investments will prevent the
necessity to expend huge resources treating MDR-TB and XDR-TB, which
can cost $468,000 per case to treat.
cdc--global aids program (gap)
CDC's Global AIDS Program (GAP) helps resource-poor countries
prevent HIV infection; improve treatment, care, and support for people
living with HIV; and build healthcare capacity and infrastructure. To
meet these objectives, CDC sends clinicians, epidemiologists and other
health professionals to help foreign governments and health
institutions with a range of prevention, care, and support activities.
Working closely with health ministries in developing countries, CDC
helps build sustainable public health capacity in laboratory services
and systems, including country capacity to design and implement HIV
surveillance systems and surveys.
The CDC GAP also plays an important role in helping governments
monitor and evaluate the impact of HIV prevention, care and treatment
programs. CDC GAP also works with the Office of the Global AIDS
Coordinator as the lead on HIV prevention, and also works to evaluate
the impact of US HIV prevention, treatment and care and support
funding. For example, CDC GAP is currently conducting a public health
evaluation (PHE) to assess the impact of PEPFAR funding on developing
country health systems and access to other healthcare services. A
funding level for CDC'GAP program of at least $218 million is
essential.
nih
NIH is the world's flagship biomedical research institution,
supporting basic science research, behavioral research, drug and
diagnostic development and research training. Unfortunately in recent
years, NIH funding has eroded, and stagnant funding has resulted in
decreasing support for original research and cuts in clinical trial
networks. With only 1 in 4 approved research applications receiving
funding, the pipeline for critical discoveries is dwindling and young
scientists are being forced to turn their attention to different
professional pursuits.
IDSA is extremely pleased that the recently enacted stimulus bill
contained an infusion of billions of desperately needed dollars for the
NIH research enterprise. Congress rightfully acknowledged the role of
scientific research in stimulating the economy. It is vital, however,
that the long overdue increases in funding enjoyed by the NIH in the
economic stimulus bill are maintained and enhanced in this year's
funding bill--funding that will ultimately translate into improvements
in individual and public health, both domestically and globally.
hiv/aids research
The successes of the HIV research investment is a testament to the
value of research investment. A robust and comprehensive research
portfolio was responsible for the rapid and dramatic gains in our HIV
knowledge base, gains that resulted in reductions in mortality from
AIDS of nearly 80 percent in the United States and in developing
countries where treatment has been made available. Remarkable
discoveries helped us to reduce mother-to-child HIV transmission to
nearly 1 percent in the United States and this intervention has
prevented HIV infection in hundreds of thousands of children worldwide.
A continued robust HIV research effort is essential to accelerate our
progress in developing more effective prevention strategies, and
supporting the basic research necessary to continue our work developing
a vaccine that may end the deadliest pandemic in human history.
Research to improve treatment strategies to aid prevention and to
maximize the benefits of antiretroviral therapy, especially in
underserved populations in the United States and in resource-limited
settings is a high priority.
The National Institute on Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
is the principal funding resource for basic and clinical HIV research,
but critical HIV research is conducted through a range of NIH
Institutes under the leadership of the Office for AIDS Research (OAR).
tuberculosis research
NIAID is also a critical player in tuberculosis research. In 2007,
NIAID developed a research strategy for drug-resistant tuberculosis,
but limited resources have slowed implementation of this strategy.
According to the NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tool, RePORT,
NIH funding for tuberculosis research, including vaccine research
totaled $160 million in fiscal year 2008--a modest level for an
infectious disease that kills millions through a pathogen that is
showing increasing resistance to available medications. In fact,
funding for TB research has gone in the wrong direction since NIH spent
$211 million on TB research in fiscal year 2007. A doubling of funding
for TB research would be a reasonable response to the world disease
burden and the current scientific opportunities.
We must increase our investment in TB research as highlighted in
the enacted Comprehensive TB Elimination Act of 2008. We must have the
resources to conduct clinical trials on new therapeutics for both drug-
susceptible and drug-resistant TB, to test new diagnostics in point-of-
care settings, and to evaluate promising TB vaccine candidates. We
urgently need treatment regimens that are shorter in duration and less
toxic. Research related to pediatric tuberculosis, including drug
development, must be stepped up.
It is also imperative that research activities focused on HIV/TB
co-infection continue with enhanced funding. Tuberculosis is the
leading cause of death among persons with HIV/AIDS worldwide. TB is
more difficult to diagnose in persons with HIV and a number of
important anti-TB drugs interact with HIV antivirals. Critical
questions remain about how best to sequence HIV and TB treatment in co-
infected individuals--questions with life and death ramifications for
millions of individuals, especially those living in sub-Saharan Africa.
Tuberculosis threatens to undermine the tremendous progress that has
been made in saving the lives of persons in developing countries
through the provision of antiretroviral therapy.
global fund to fight aids, tuberculosis and malaria
Historically, one-third of U.S. funding for the Global Fund has
been appropriated through the NIAID budget and IDSA strongly supports a
significant U.S. contribution to the Global Fund. U.S. support for the
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is a crucial part
of U.S. global health diplomacy. The Global Fund is a country-led,
performance-based partnership that embraces transparency and
accountability, and fosters multilateral cooperation. The Global Fund
provides a quarter of all international financing for AIDS globally,
two-thirds for tuberculosis, and three-quarters for malaria. Through
these efforts, the Global Fund has helped save 3.5 million lives in 140
countries
In Pakistan, for example, an American-based international aid group
called Mercy Corps has, using Global Fund resources, partnered with the
private sector on a broad TB public education campaign, training
thousands of health workers, and strengthening lab capacity to test for
TB. This work has dramatically increased Pakistan's ability to detect
TB cases, and now Pakistan is counting on the Fund's strong, continued
support to ensure medication is available to people with TB. Continued
progress on TB is essential to development in Pakistan, since 80
percent of Pakistanis afflicted with tuberculosis are in the most
economically productive years of their lives, and the disease sends
many self-sustaining families into poverty.
The Global Fund projects an $8 billion need for new and continuing
programs in 2010, but only $3 billion in pledges are in place. The
Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies
budget, through NIH, has been a crucial source of funding for the U.S.
contribution to the Fund, providing $300 million in fiscal year 2009.
The Global Fund has requested that the United States triple its total
contribution for fiscal year 2010. The portion of the U.S. contribution
provided by NIH should therefore be tripled to $900 million. The
economic, strategic and moral case for this contribution to the Global
Fund is clear, and the United States must do its part to help close
this funding gap.
The IDSA and the HIVMA have many funding priorities to champion in
the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related
Agencies appropriations bill including funds to address antimicrobial
resistance, child and adult immunizations, pandemic influenza, the Ryan
White CARE Act, and domestic HIV prevention. Thank you for the
opportunity to highlight our funding priorities for research and
programs related to global HIV and TB in the Labor, Health and Human
Services, and Education, and Related Agencies account.
______

Prepared Statement of Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/
Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD)
background
At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 1999
conference titled ``Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Public
Health Perspective,'' more than 150 experts gathered to discuss the
public health concerns related to AD/HD and to explore areas for future
research. The conference developed a public health research agenda
which included recommendations on the establishment of: a resource for
both professionals and the public regarding what is known about the
epidemiology of AD/HD; an avenue of dissemination of educational
materials related to the diagnosis of and intervention opportunities
for AD/HD to primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, physicians
assistants, mental health providers and educators; collaborations with
other organizations to educate and promote what is known about AD/HD
interventions, appropriate standards of practice, their effectiveness,
and their safety; and a resource to the public for accurate and valid
information about AD/HD and evidence-based interventions.
Congress responded to this research agenda in fiscal year 2002 by
providing resources for the CDC to begin a partnership with CHADD \1\
to develop the National Resource Center on AD/HD (NRC)--a significant
development in recognizing the unique challenges faced by individuals
with AD/HD across the lifespan.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity
Disorder (CHADD) was founded by parents in 1987 in response to the
frustration and sense of isolation experienced by parents and their
children. CHADD is the leading national nonprofit organization for
children and adults with AD/HD, providing the public and providers with
education, advocacy, and support.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The NRC's goals include improving the health and quality of life of
individuals with AD/HD and their families; raising awareness and
facilitating access to scientifically valid information and support
services; and improving the understanding of the impact of AD/HD among
healthcare specialists, educators, employers, and individuals with AD/
HD. The NRC fulfills these goals by disseminating evidence-based
research on AD/HD through a variety of mechanisms, including:
--a Web site (www.help4adhd.org) receiving on average 129,274 visits
each month;
--a national call center, staffed by five professional health
information specialists, including one bilingual health
information specialist. The health information specialists
responded to 9,051 individual inquiries during the last year on
10,018 different topical issues from parents, adults with AD/
HD, mental health professionals, and educators;
--partnerships with minority health organizations to reach
underserved populations;
--a series of more than 25 ``What We Know'' fact sheets on AD/HD, in
both English and Spanish; and
--a comprehensive library and online bibliographic database of more
than 3,000 evidence-based journal articles and reports on AD/
HD.
The overwhelming demand for information and support on AD/HD by the
public and the professional community has created an unprecedented need
for additional resources to keep pace with the requests for information
received by the NRC and to provide outreach and resources to unserved
and underserved populations.
what is ad/hd?
A 2005 report by the CDC found that parents reported approximately
7.8 percent of school-age children (4 to 17 years) had a diagnosis of
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD).\2\ Other evidence-
based studies have documented that more than 70 percent of children
with AD/HD will continue to experience symptoms of AD/HD into
adolescence, and almost 65 percent will exhibit AD/HD characteristics
as adults.\3\ In addition, up to two-thirds of children with AD/HD will
have at least one co-occurring disability with 50 percent of these
children having a co-occurring learning disability.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2005). Mental
Health in the United States: Prevalence of Diagnosis and Medication
Treatment for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Retrieved March
25, 2005, from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5434a2.htm.
\3\ Dulcan, M., and the Work Group on Quality Issues. (1997,
October). AACAP official action: Practice parameters for the assessment
and treatment of children, adolescents, and adults with Attention-
Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Journal of the American Academy of
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Supplement, 36(10), 85S-121S.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Only half of all children with AD/HD receive the necessary
treatment, with lower diagnostic and treatment rates among girls,
minorities, and children in foster care. If untreated or inadequately
treated, AD/HD can have serious consequences, increasing an
individual's risk for school failure, unemployment, interpersonal
difficulties, other mental health disorders, substance and alcohol
abuse, injury, antisocial and illegal behavior, contact with law
enforcement, and shortened life expectancy.\4\ The availability of
appropriate services and access to treatment can help individuals with
AD/HD avoid negative outcomes and lead successful lives.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ Barkley, R. A. (1997). ADHD and the nature of self-control. New
York: The Guilford Press.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
fiscal year 2010 appropriations request
The NRC has met and continues to meet the goals of improving the
health and quality of life for individuals with AD/HD and their
families; raising awareness and facilitating access to evidence-based
information and support services; and improving the understanding of
the impact of AD/HD among healthcare specialists, educators, employers,
and individuals with AD/HD.\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ Cuffe, S.P., Moore, C.G., & McKeown, R. (2009). ADHD and health
services utilization in the National Health Survey. Journal of
Attention Disorders, 12(4), 330-340.; Chan, E., Zhan, C., & Homer, C.J.
(2002). Health care use and costs for children with Attention-Deficit/
Hyperactivity Disorder, Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine,
156, 504-511.; Rowland, A.S., Umbach, D.M., Stallone, L., Naftel, J.,
Bohlig, E.M., & Sandler, D. P. (2002). Prevalence of medication
treatment for Attention Deficit--Hyperactivity Disorder among
elementary school children in Johnston County, North Carolina, American
Journal of Public Health, 92(2), 231-234.; Ray, T.G., Levine, P.,
Croen, L.A., Bokhari, F.A.S., Hu., T., & Habel, L.A. (2006). Attention-
Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in children, Archives of Pediatrics &
Adolescent Medicine, 160, 1063-1069.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Both the National Institutes of Health Consensus Conference on AD/
HD (Nov. 1998) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Conference on Public Health and AD/HD (September 1999) concluded that
AD/HD is a serious public health concern that needs to be addressed
because of the potential economic burden associated with AD/HD.
Numerous peer-reviewed journal articles have documented the significant
healthcare cost of individuals with AD/HD.
In ``AD/HD in Adults: What the Science Says,'' Barkley, Murphy &
Fisher discuss the results of the few empirical studies that have been
conducted regarding occupational functioning of clinic-referred adults
with AD/HD. ``Although opinions abound on the topic in trade books on
ADHD in adults, there is very little research on the occupational
functioning of clinic-referred adults with ADHD'' (p. 276). One study
conducted at UMASS found that adults with a diagnosis of AD/HD are more
likely to self-report and have employers report difficulties with
occupational functioning than their clinic-referred or community
counterparts. In addition, the Milwaukee study (2006) found that
individuals diagnosed as having AD/HD as children that persists until
age 27 tend to be more severely affected in occupational functioning
than clinic-referred adults or community counterparts. In addition,
another study conducted by Biederman & Faraone (2006) concluded that
individuals with AD/HD are less likely to be employed full time (34
percent of individuals with AD/HD compared to 59 percent of individuals
without AD/HD).\7\ In addition, the study found that the household
incomes of adults older than the age of 25 were significantly lower
among individuals with AD/HD when compared to individuals without AD/HD
regardless of academic achievement or personal characteristics. The
results of these three studies indicate the need for further research
into the impact of AD/HD on the occupational functioning of adults and
how best to reasonably accommodate their disability in the workplace
because more than 30 percent of requested accommodations are at no cost
to the employer but yet according to Biederman & Faraone the total cost
of work loss among men and women with AD/HD is $2.6 billion, or 53
percent of the total $13 billion cost of adult ADHD in the United
States.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ Biederman, J.,& Faraone, S.V. (2006). The effects of attention-
deficit/hyperactivity disorder on employment and household income.
MedGenMed, 8(3),12, Retrieved March 25, 2005, from http://
www.medscape.com/viewarticle/536264.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Therefore, we are asking that the National Center on Birth Defects
and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) AD/HD line item be increased
from $1.777 million to $2.377 million and that the funding for the NRC
be increased from $980,000 to $1.280 million. This is a $600,000
increase in the AD/HD line and $300,000 increase in the NRC line.
Historically, half of the increase to the AD/HD line item has been used
to fund research on AD/HD. This increase will allow the NRC to further
develop its outreach to the African-American and Hispanic-Latino
communities, restore education campaigns at nurse, educator, and
related conferences, and most importantly during this current economic
climate to initiate an employment information specialist service.
requested report language for fiscal year 2010
The subcommittee continues to support the activities of the CDC's
NCBDDD and the National Resource Center (NRC) on AD/HD and has provided
$2.377 million to continue this support, including $1.28 million to
maintain and expand the activities at the NRC as it responds to the
overwhelming demand for information and support services, reaches
special populations in need, and educates health and education
professionals on the impact of AD/HD on the ability individuals with
AD/HD to lead successful, economically self-sufficient, and independent
lives integrated into their communities with the necessary
accommodations and supports.
______

Prepared Statement of the Coalition for Health Services Research
The Coalition for Health Services Research is pleased to offer this
testimony regarding the role of health services research in improving
our Nation's health. The Coalition's mission is to support research
that leads to accessible, affordable, high-quality healthcare. As the
advocacy arm of AcademyHealth, the Coalition represents the interests
of 3,500 researchers, scientists, and policy experts, as well as 150
organizations that produce and use health services research.
Healthcare in the United States has the potential to improve
people's health dramatically, but often falls short and costs too much.
Health services research is used to understand how to better finance
the costs of care, measure and improve the quality of care, and improve
coverage and access to affordable services. Indeed, health services
research is changing the face of American healthcare, uncovering
critical challenges facing our Nation's healthcare system. For example,
the 2000 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report To Err is Human found that
up to 98,000 Americans die each year from medical errors in the
hospital. Health services research also uncovered that disparities and
lack of access to care in rural and inner cities result in poorer
health outcomes. And, it found that obesity accounts for more than $92
billion in medical expenditures each year and has worse effects on
chronic conditions than smoking or problem drinking.
Health services research does not just lift the veil on problems
plaguing American healthcare; it also seeks ways to address them.
Health services research framed the debate over healthcare reform in
Massachusetts--forming the basis for that State's 2006 health reform
legislation--and continues to frame the debate on the national stage
today. It offers guidance on implementing and making the best use of
health information technology, and getting the best care at the best
value across a menu of treatment options. And there are increasing
examples that demonstrate how comparative effectiveness research--an
emerging science in the broader field of health services research--
provides the scientific basis needed to determine what treatments work
best, for whom, and in what circumstances.
Health services research can contribute greatly to better
healthcare at better value. It is a true public good, providing a basis
for improvements in our healthcare system that will benefit the general
public. Americans overwhelmingly agree. A recent opinion survey
commissioned by Research!America found that 95 percent of Americans say
it is important to support research focused on how well our healthcare
system is functioning. After all, the investment in basic research and
the development of new medicines and equipment is wasted if the health
system cannot safely and effectively deliver that care.
For the last 6 years, the Coalition has been collecting data to
track the Federal Government's expenditures for health services
research and health data. From information provided to us by these
funders--including Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ),
National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC)--funding for this field remained
relatively constant from fiscal year 2003--2008 and did not kept pace
with inflation. In stark contrast, spending on healthcare overall has
risen faster than the rate of inflation--from $1.4 trillion in 2000 to
nearly $2.2 trillion in 2007. The total Federal investment in health
services research and data by our estimates approaches $1.7 billion in
fiscal year 2008--representing just 0.074 percent of the $2.2 trillion
we spend on healthcare annually.
The Coalition for Health Services Research greatly appreciates the
subcommittee's recent efforts to increase the Federal investment in
health services research and comparative effectiveness research through
the fiscal year 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act and the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This funding provides a new high
watermark for the field and represents the largest single funding
increase health services research has experienced. With comprehensive
health reform on the horizon, we ask that the subcommittee continue to
strengthen the capacity of the health services research field to
address the pressing challenges America faces in providing access to
high-quality, cost-effective care for all its citizens.
ahrq
AHRQ is the lead Federal agency charged with supporting unbiased,
scientific research to improve healthcare quality, reduce costs,
advance patient safety, decrease medical errors, and broaden access to
essential services. Steady, incremental increases for AHRQ's Effective
Health Care Program in recent years, as well as the $300 million
provided to AHRQ in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as a
down payment on health reform will help AHRQ generate more comparative
effectiveness research and expand the infrastructure needed to increase
capacity to produce this evidence. However, funding for AHRQ's broader
health services research portfolio on health disparities, healthcare
financing and organization, and access and coverage has languished as
funding for AHRQ's base has remained relatively flat. Future
investments should bolster these other important research topics to
balance the recent investments in comparative effectiveness research.
Comparative effectiveness research alone will not solve our health
system challenges; the full spectrum of health services research on
healthcare costs, quality, and access will be needed to support broader
health reform efforts.
In fiscal year 2009, Congress provided AHRQ $13 million to reverse
a decline in the number of, and funding for, grants that support
researcher innovation and career development. AHRQ is using this
funding for investigator initiated research grants to rejuvenate the
free marketplace of ideas through the agency's new Innovations Research
Portfolio. We request that Congress provide additional funding to
sustain and expand investigator initiated grants in fiscal year 2010.
The Coalition remains concerned about AHRQ's limited investment in
training grants for young researchers, which hit new lows in fiscal
year 2009--just 40 awards totaling $5 million--down from nearly double
that amount just 2 years ago. The Coalition requests that Congress will
provide AHRQ more funding in fiscal year 2010 for training grants to
ensure the field's capacity to respond to the growing public and
private sector demand for health services research.
While targeted funding increases in recent years have moved AHRQ in
the right direction, more core funding is needed to help AHRQ fulfill
its mission. We join the Friends of AHRQ--a coalition of more than 250
health professional, research, consumer, and employer organizations
that support the agency--in recommending a fiscal year 2009 base
funding level of at least $405 million, an increase of $32 million more
than the fiscal year 2009 level. This investment will allow AHRQ to
restore its critical healthcare safety, quality, and efficiency
initiatives; strengthen the infrastructure of the research field; and
reignite innovation and discovery.
cdc
Housed within CDC, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
is the Nation's principal health statistics agency, providing critical
data on all aspects of our healthcare system. Thanks to NCHS, we know
that too many Americans are overweight and obese, cancer deaths have
decreased, average life expectancy has increased, and emergency rooms
are overcrowded. We also know how many people are uninsured, how many
children are immunized, how many Americans are living with HIV/AIDS,
and how many teens give birth.
Despite recent funding increases secured through your leadership,
NCHS continues to feel the effects of long-term underinvestment,
forcing the agency to eliminate or further postpone the collection of
such vital information to the point where key data users now question
whether NCHS itself is in good health. Years of flat funding and budget
shortfalls forced the elimination of data collection and quality
control efforts, threaten the collection of vital statistics, stymied
the adoption of electronic systems, and limited the agency's ability to
modernize surveys to reflect changes in demography, geography, and
health delivery.
The Coalition joins the Friends of NCHS--a coalition of more than
250 health professional, research, consumer, industry, and employer
organizations that support the agency--in recommending a base funding
level of $137.5 million in fiscal year 2010 to ensure uninterrupted
collection of vital statistics; restore other important data collection
and analysis initiatives; to revise, pretest, and plan data collection
activities for future calendar years, and modernize its systems to
increase efficiency, interoperability, and security. In addition, we
respectfully request that you provide NCHS $15 million in one-time
funding to support the States and territories as they implement the
2003 birth certificates and electronic systems to collect birth data in
real-time to facilitate public health monitoring and planning. Future
supplemental funding will be required to implement the 2003 death
certificates in all States and complete the automation of data
collection. The Coalition greatly appreciates that through your
leadership early versions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
in the House and Senate included $40 million for this infrastructure
development; we were disappointed that it had to be eliminated from the
final package.
While significant funding has been provided to improve the public
health system's capacity to respond to a terrorist attack or a public
health crisis such as pandemic flu, insufficient funding has been
provided to support research that evaluates the effectiveness of our
preparedness interventions and seeks to improve the delivery of public
health services. For example, how cost effective are public health and
prevention programs? How can the medical care and public health
delivery systems be better linked? CDC's important Public Health
Research program and Prevention Research Centers-a network of academic
health centers that conduct public health research-have been flat
funded since fiscal year 2006 at levels of $31 million and $29 million,
respectively. The Coalition requests at least $35 million for Public
Health Research and at least $33 million for Prevention Research
Centers in fiscal year 2010. The programs seek ways to development,
translate, and disseminate research to address obesity, diabetes, and
heart disease, healthy aging and youth development, cancer risk, and
health disparities.
centers for medicare and medicaid services (cms)
Steady funding decreases for the Office of Research, Development
and Information, together with an increasingly earmarked budget, has
hindered CMS' ability to meet its statutory requirements and conduct
new research to strengthen our public insurance programs--including
Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP--which together provide coverage to
nearly 100 million Americans and comprise 45 percent of America's total
health expenditures. At a time when these programs pose significant
budget challenges for both the Federal and State governments, it is
critical that we adequately fund research to evaluate these programs'
efficiency and effectiveness, and seek ways to manage their projected
spending growth.
The Coalition supports increasing CMS's discretionary research and
development budget from $31 million in fiscal year 2009 to a base
fiscal year 2010 funding level of $45 million--in addition to funding
for programmatic earmarks--as a critical down payment to help CMS
recover lost resources and restore research to evaluate their programs,
analyze pay for performance and other tools to update payment
methodologies, and to further refine service delivery methods.
nih
The NIH reported that it spent $743 million on health services
research in fiscal year 2008--roughly 2.9 percent of its entire
budget--making it the largest Federal sponsor of health services
research. For fiscal year 2010, the Coalition recommends a health
services research base funding level of at least $940 million--2.9
percent of the $32 billion the broader health community is seeking for
NIH in fiscal year 2010. We encourage NIH to increase the proportion of
their overall funding that goes to health services research from 2.9 to
5 percent to assure that discoveries from clinical trials are
effectively translated into health services. We also encourage NIH to
foster greater coordination of its health services research investment
across its Institutes.
In conclusion, the accomplishments of health services research
would not be possible without the leadership and support of this
subcommittee. As you know, the best healthcare decisions are based on
relevant data and scientific evidence. At a time when you, your
congressional colleagues, and members of the new administration are
considering major health reform including ways to get more value for
current expenditures, health services research and health data are
needed more than ever to yield better information and lead to improved
quality, accessibility, and affordability. We urge the subcommittee to
accept our fiscal year 2010 funding recommendations for the Federal
agencies funding health services research and health data.
______

Prepared Statement of the Coalition of Northeastern Governors
The Coalition of Northeastern Governors (CONEG) is pleased to
submit this testimony for the record to the Senate Subcommittee on
Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies
regarding fiscal year 2010 appropriations for the Low Income Home
Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
The governors appreciate the subcommittee's continued support for
the LIHEAP program, and we thank you for providing the full authorized
amount of $5.1 billion in fiscal year 2009 LIHEAP funding. The
governors recognize the considerable fiscal challenges facing the
subcommittee this year. However, we urge you to maintain the $5.1
billion level in regular fiscal year 2010 LIHEAP block grant funding as
well as contingency funds to address unforeseen energy emergencies.
LIHEAP is a vital safety net for millions of vulnerable low-income
households--the elderly and disabled living on fixed incomes, the
working poor, and families with young children. The highest level of
LIHEAP assistance is provided to households with the lowest incomes
that pay a high proportion of their income (up to 17 percent) for home
energy. A December 2007 study by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory
found that, in recent years, the increase in the cost of home energy
has far outpaced the rate of inflation and the increase in household
income. Even with continued belt-tightening, there is just no room in
the budget of these low-income households to pay for increasing energy
bills.
The current economic crisis exerts additional pressures on these
households, making energy assistance more important now than ever
before. In 2007, even before the current recession took hold, 8.7
million residential consumers had their electricity or natural gas
service terminated for failing to pay their bills, according to a
survey by the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners
(December 2008). The same survey found at the end of the 2007-2008
winter heating season, the number of electricity and natural gas
residential households with past due accounts had jumped to almost 40
million consumers, and represented nearly $8.7 billion in past due
accounts.
According to the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association,
the $5.1 billion in fiscal year 2009 LIHEAP funding makes it possible
for States to serve approximately 7.3 million households this year.
This record number represents a 25 percent increase more than last year
and reflects the increased unemployment rate and rise in home energy
costs. Yet this is only a small portion of the LIHEAP-eligible
households in today's economy.
If the $5.1 billion level of LIHEAP funding is not sustained in
fiscal year 2010, States nationwide will be forced to eliminate more
than 1.5 million families from the program in order to maintain some of
the purchasing power of the LIHEAP grant for the program's poorest
families, or to reduce benefit levels overall. States in the Northeast
already incorporate various administrative strategies that allow them
to deliver maximum program dollars to households in need. These include
using uniform application forms to determine program eligibility,
establishing a one-stop shopping approach for the delivery of LIHEAP
and related programs, sharing administrative costs with other programs,
and using mail recertification. Opportunities to further reduce LIHEAP
administrative costs are limited, since they are already among the
lowest of the human service programs.
In spite of these State efforts to stretch Federal and State LIHEAP
dollars, the need for the program is far too great. Increased,
predictable and timely Federal funding is vital for LIHEAP to assist
the Nation's vulnerable, low-income households faced with exorbitant
home energy bills. The CONEG governors urge the Subcommittee to provide
$5.1 billion in regular block grant funding for LIHEAP in fiscal year
2010 as well as contingency funds to address unforeseen energy
emergencies. This sustained level of funding will help States to
provide meaningful assistance to households in need as millions of low-
income citizen's struggle with simply unaffordable home energy bills.
LIHEAP can continue to provide a vital safety net protecting these
vulnerable households from the potentially deadly heat and cold.
______

Prepared Statement of the Council on Social Work Education
On behalf of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), I am
pleased to offer this written testimony to the Senate Appropriations
Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and
Related Agencies for inclusion in the official subcommittee record. I
will focus my testimony on the importance of fostering a skilled,
sustainable and diverse social work workforce through training and
financial support programs at the Department of Health and Human
Services and the Department of Education.
CSWE is a nonprofit national association representing more than
3,000 individual members as well as 650 graduate and undergraduate
programs of professional social work education. Founded in 1952, this
partnership of educational and professional institutions, social
welfare agencies, and private citizens is recognized by the Council for
Higher Education Accreditation as the sole accrediting agency for
social work education in the United States. Social work education
focuses students on leadership and direct practice roles helping
individuals, families, groups, and communities by creating new
opportunities that empower people to be productive, contributing
members of their communities.
Vulnerable populations from all walks of life--defined here as
children and adults with physical or mental disabilities, those living
in poverty, trauma victims, aging individuals, returning veterans,
individuals under stress or facing coping challenges both temporary and
permanent, and segments of society needing assistance to adjust to
changing circumstances or overcome injustices--are faced with hurdles
which for some cannot be overcome alone. Social workers help vulnerable
populations in society be as healthy and productive as possible by
working with them to navigate societal and personal challenges. Social
workers are employed in schools, hospitals, VA facilities,
rehabilitation centers, social service locations, child welfare
organizations, assisted living centers, nursing homes, and faith-based
organizations.
training opportunities and debt load relief for social workers
Recruitment and retention pose the most significant challenge to
the success of the social work profession. This is true across all
sectors (public and private), at all levels (from BSW to the doctoral
level), and in all fields of practice (child welfare, public health,
mental health, geriatrics, veterans, etc.).
The Nation needs a workforce that is skilled, diverse, and able to
keep pace with demand. In 2004, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
reported that by 2012 a total of 209,000 social workers will be needed
in the fields of child, family, and school social work; medical and
public health social work; and mental health and substance abuse social
work. In 2006, the BLS estimated there would be a total of 258,000 job
openings for social workers due to growth and net replacement between
2006 and 2016 in the same fields.
While recruitment and retention can be a significant challenge for
many professions, especially those dealing with public health and the
delivery of social services, the problem is exceptionally widespread
for social work. Recruitment into the social work profession faces many
obstacles, the most prevalent being low wages.
As we look toward reforming the American healthcare system, we must
consider the needs of the workforce that will be responsible for
ensuring the health of the population. The recommendations for fiscal
year 2010 would help to ensure that we are fostering a sustainable,
skilled, and diverse workforce that will be able to keep up with the
increasing demand.
department of health and human services (hhs)
The various agencies within the HHS provide training and fellowship
opportunities for social workers, as well as loan forgiveness programs
to help social workers stay in the field. CSWE urges the subcommittee's
support of the following HHS programs; this is not an exhaustive list:
Minority Fellowship Program, Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration (SAMHSA).--The goal of the SAMHSA Minority
Fellowship Program (MFP), which is administered through the Center for
Mental Health Services, is to achieve greater numbers of minority
doctoral students preparing for leadership roles in the mental health
and substance abuse field. According to SAMHSA, ``Minorities make up
approximately one-fourth of the population, but only about 10 percent
of mental health providers are ethnic minorities.'' CSWE has been a
grantee of this critical program for years, administering funds to
exceptional minority social work students. Together with a program at
the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), CSWE has supported more
than 500 minority fellows since the program's inception, with about
two-thirds of those students having gone on to receive their doctoral
degrees. For fiscal year 2010, CSWE urges the subcommittee to fund the
SAMHSA Minority Fellowship Program at $7.5 million. This program has
suffered from flat and declining budgets over the last several years.
Thankfully, due to congressional support, it has been restored year
after year, despite efforts by the Bush administration to cancel it.
President Obama's fiscal year 2010 budget request includes level
funding for the MFP at about $4 million. Funding the MFP at $7.5
million would directly encourage more social workers of minority
background to pursue doctoral degrees in mental health and substance
abuse and will turnout minority mental health professionals equipped to
provide culturally competent, accessible mental health and substance
abuse services to diverse populations.
Institutional Research Training Program in Social Work (T32),
NIMH.--NIMH within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) initiated a
training program in the 1970s that sought to increase the number of
minority doctoral students focusing their research in mental health.
Like the SAMHSA program mentioned above, CSWE has ably administered a
grant from NIMH for many years, which provides mentored training
opportunities to minority social work researchers. The social work
profession depends on culturally competent and culturally relevant
research to assess the circumstances facing vulnerable populations and
the needs of those populations to succeed in their circumstances;
evaluate the accessibility to and effectiveness of existing social
services; and determine best practices for social work educators and
practitioners for serving the community. While this program has been
successful in enhancing diversity among social workers conducting
mental health research and has allowed more underrepresented social
work researchers to be brought into the fold as NIH investigators, NIMH
recently announced its plan to cancel the program in 2010 and
transition the funds to support the traditional, nondiversity-focused
T32 training program at NIMH. CSWE is very concerned about the
implications of this decision, both on the diversity of researchers at
NIMH and what we feel could lead to an absence of social work research
at NIMH. We hope the subcommittee will encourage NIMH to take the
necessary steps to enhance diversity of the NIH/NIMH grant pool and
express to NIMH the value and importance of social work research to the
study of mental health.
Title VII Health Professions Programs, Health Resources and
Services Administration (HRSA).--The title VII health professions
programs at HRSA provide financial support for education and
development of the healthcare workforce. The emphasis of these programs
is on improving the quality, diversity, and geographic distribution of
the health professions workforce, and is currently the only Federal
program to do so. These programs provide loans, loan guarantees and
scholarships to students and grants to institutions of higher education
and nonprofit organizations to help build and maintain a robust
healthcare workforce. Social work students and practioners are eligible
for title VII funding. We thank you for recognizing the value of these
programs by providing $200 million in stimulus funding to the title VII
and title VIII (nursing) programs in the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). CSWE urges the
subcommittee to provide $330 million for the title VII health
professions programs for fiscal year 2010.
Loan Repayment Program, Indian Health Service (IHS).--The Loan
Repayment Program at IHS offers repayment of health professions
educational loans in exchange for a commitment to work at an IHS or
other Indian health program priority site for a minimum of 2 years.
Social workers are eligible to participate in this program, as defined
in section 4(n) of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (Public Law
94-437). With appropriate funding, this program can serve as an
effective recruitment tool. However, the program has been grossly
underfunded for a number of years. For example, last year IHS denied
funding to 231 healthcare professionals already working in IHS as well
as 95 recruits, due to a lack of resources. CSWE, a member of the
Friends of Indian Health Coalition, urges the subcommittee to provide
an additional $18.5 million above fiscal year 2009 funding for the IHS
Loan Repayment Program for fiscal year 2010 in order to address the
critical recruitment needs of the agency.
department of education
The last few years have seen the creation of a number of loan
forgiveness and training programs for which social work would benefit,
if adequately funded. CSWE urges the subcommittee to support the
following programs at the Department of Education:
Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) Program.--The
GAANN program provides graduate traineeships in critical fields of
study. Currently, social work is not defined as an area of national
need for this program; however it was recognized by Congress as an area
of national need in the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 as
discussed below. We are hopeful that the Department of Education will
recognize the importance of including social work in the GAANN program
in future years. Inclusion of social work would help to significantly
enhance graduate education in social work, which is critically needed
in the country's efforts to foster a sustainable health professions
workforce. CSWE supports a budget of at least $41 million for GAANN in
fiscal year 2010. However, if social work were to be added by the
Department as a new area of national need, additional resources would
need to be provided so as not to take funding away from the already
determined areas of national need.
Loan Forgiveness for Service in Areas of National Need Program.--
The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-315)
created the Loan Forgiveness for Service in Areas of National Need
program. This program applies to full-time workers who are employed in
areas of national need, such as social workers working in public or
private child welfare agencies or mental health professionals with at
least a master's degree in social work. CSWE urges full funding for
this new program for fiscal year 2010.
In addition to these discretionary programs, a number of mandatory
programs were created in the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007 (Public
Law 110-84). We look forward to working with the Department of
Education as these programs are implemented. Among the programs that
include social work education are:
Income-based Repayment (IBR)Program.--IBR program will begin
operation in July 2009. This new program caps Federal student loan
payments at a reasonable percentage of income and cancels most
remaining balances of student loans after 25 years. CSWE will be
monitoring the implementation of this new program to assess the extent
to which it is assisting social workers address their debt load
reduction needs.
Income Contingent Payment for Public Sector Employment Program
(Public Service Loan Forgiveness).--The College Cost Reduction Act of
2007 revised the Income Contingent Payment for Public Sector Employment
program, which previously allowed a borrower who works in public
service to pay their loans more than 25 years after which their debt
would be forgiven. The law now states that public service workers
working for an eligible nonprofit can cancel their loans after 10 years
of service for loans taken out after October 1, 2007. Like the IBR
program, CSWE plans to monitor the implementation of this program to
assess its success in assisting social workers address high educational
debt load.
We hope the subcommittee will take these points into consideration
as you move forward in the fiscal year 2010 appropriations process.
______

Prepared Statement of Central Technical Services
summary of recommendations for fiscal year 2010
Continue the Commitment to Providing the National Institutes of
Health (NIH) and the National Library of Medicine (NLM) with meaningful
funding increases on an annual basis. Continue to support and defend
the NIH's public access policy, which requires that all final, peer-
reviewed manuscripts are made available through NLM's pubmed central
database within 12 months of publication. Continue to support the
medical library community's important role in NLM's outreach,
telemedicine, disaster preparedness and health information technology
(health IT) initiatives.
On behalf of the Medical Library Association (MLA) and the
Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL), thank you
for the opportunity to present testimony regarding fiscal year 2010
appropriations for the NLM.
MLA is a nonprofit, educational organization with more than 4,000
health sciences information professional members worldwide. Founded in
1898, MLA provides lifelong educational opportunities, supports a
knowledge base of health information research, and works with a global
network of partners to promote the importance of quality information
for improved health to the healthcare community and the public.
AAHSL is comprised of the directors of the libraries of 142
accredited American and Canadian medical schools belonging to the
Association of American Medical Colleges. AAHSL's goals are to promote
excellence in academic health sciences libraries and to ensure that the
next generation of health professionals is trained in information-
seeking skills that enhance the quality of healthcare delivery.
Together, MLA and AAHSL address health information issues and
legislative matters of importance through a joint legislative task
force and a Government Relations Committee.
the importance of annual funding increases for nlm
I thank the subcommittee for its leadership and hard work on the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5), the
economic stimulus package. As you know, the important mission of NIH
and the important role that NLM plays in fulfilling that mission were
hampered by past-years of near level funding. The investment in NIH and
NLM provided by the stimulus package will not only create meaningful
employment opportunities, it will also revitalize NLM's programs, which
are focused on improving the public health.
We are pleased that the recently passed fiscal year 2009 omnibus
appropriations package contains funding increases for NIH and NLM that
will bolster their baseline budgets. We hope that this funding is an
indication of the subcommittee's intention to provide annual,
meaningful increases for NIH and NLM in the coming years.
I am confident that the recovery funding and the fiscal year 2009
budget increases will stimulate the economy, stimulate biomedical
research, and in the case of NLM, improve the dissemination of health
information to researchers, practitioners, and the general public.
Moving forward, it will be critical to provide NIH's baseline budget
with the funding increases necessary to allow the short-term growth
generated by the stimulus to become a long-term investment towards
improved public health through bolstered health information programs.
Building and Facility Needs
NLM has had tremendous growth in its basic functions related to the
acquisition, organization, and preservation of an ever-expanding
collection of biomedical literature. It also has been assigned a
growing set of set of responsibilities related to the collection,
management, and dissemination genomic information, clinical trials
information, and disaster preparedness and response. As a result, NLM
faces a serious shortage of space, for staff, library materials, and
information systems. Digital archiving--once thought to be a solution
to the problem of housing physical collections--has only added to the
challenge, as materials must often be stored in multiple formats
(physical and digital) and as new digital resources demand increasing
amounts of storage space. As a result, the space needed for computing
facilities has also grown. In order for NLM to continue its mission as
the world's premier biomedical library, a new facility is urgently
needed. The NLM Board of Regents has assigned the highest priority to
supporting the acquisition of a new facility. Further, Senate Report
108-345 that accompanied the fiscal year 2005 appropriations bill
acknowledged that the design for the new research facility at NLM had
been completed, and the subcommittee urged NIH to assign a high
priority to this construction project so that the information-handling
capabilities and biomedical research are not jeopardized.
The Growing Demand for NLM's Basic Services
As the world's foremost digital library and knowledge repository in
the health sciences, NLM provides the critical infrastructure in the
form of data repositories and integrated services such as GenBank and
PubMed that are helping to revolutionize medicine and advance science
to the next important era--individualized medicine based on an
individual's unique genetic differences.
NLM's clinical trials database, ClinicalTrials.gov, which was
launched in February 2000 and lists registration information on more
than 70,000 U.S. and international trials for a wide range of diseases,
also now serves as a repository for summary results information. The
expanded system serves not only as a free, but invaluable resource for
patients and families who are interested in participating in trials of
new treatments for a wide range of diseases and conditions, but also as
an important source of information for clinicians interested in
understanding new treatments and for those involved in evidence-based
medicine and comparative effectiveness research.
As the world's largest and most comprehensive medical library,
services based on NLM's traditional and electronic collections continue
to steadily increase each year.
These collections stand at more than 11.4 million items--books,
journals, technical reports, manuscripts, microfilms, photographs, and
images. By selecting, organizing and ensuring permanent access to
health science information in all formats, NLM is ensuring the
availability of this information for future generations, making it
accessible to all Americans, irrespective of geography or ability to
pay, and ensuring that each citizen can make the best, most-informed
decisions about their healthcare. Without NLM our Nation's medical
libraries would be unable to provide the quality information services
that our Nation's health professionals, educators, researchers, and
patients have all come to expect.
defend public access
The Appropriations Committee has shown unprecedented foresight and
leadership by using the annual spending bills as the vehicle to
establish a public access policy at the NIH. The current policy
requires that all NIH-funded researchers deposit their final, peer-
reviewed manuscripts in NLM's PubMed Central database within 12 months
of publication. This policy will not only help NIH better manage its
portfolio of research, but will contribute to the development of a
biomedical informatics infrastructure that will stimulate further
discovery by enabling a much greater and tighter interlinking of
information from NLM's wide-ranging set of databases. It also
contributes to outreach initiatives by providing much-needed access to
health literature to those without direct access to medical libraries.
While the fiscal year 2009 omnibus package made this policy permanent
moving forward, challenges remain and we urge the subcommittee to
continue to defend this policy.
support and encourage nlm partnerships with the medical library
community
Outreach and Education
NLM's outreach programs are of particular interest to both MLA and
AAHSL. These activities are designed to educate medical librarians,
health professionals and the general public about NLM's services. NLM
has taken a leadership role in promoting educational outreach aimed at
public libraries, secondary schools, senior centers and other consumer-
based settings. Furthermore, NLM's emphasis on outreach to underserved
populations assists the effort to reduce health disparities among large
sections of the American public. One example of NLM's leadership is the
``Partners in Information Access'' program, which is designed to
improve the access of local public health officials to information
needed to prevent, identify and respond to public health threats. With
nearly 6,000 members in communities across the country, the National
Network of Libraries of Medicine (NNLM) is well-positioned to ensure
that every public health worker has electronic health information
services that can protect the public's health.
With help from Congress, NLM, NIH and the Friends of NLM, launched
NIH MedlinePlus Magazine in September 2006. This quarterly publication
is distributed in doctors' waiting rooms, and provides the public with
access to high-quality, easily understood health information.
Collaborating with the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, a Spanish
version is now available, NIH MedlinePlus Salud. NLM also continues to
work with medical librarians and health professionals to encourage
doctors to provide MedlinePlus ``information prescriptions'' to their
patients. This initiative also encourages genetics counselors to
prescribe the use of NLM's Genetic Home Reference Web site.
``Go Local'' is another exciting service that engages health
sciences libraries and other local and State agencies in the creation
of Web sites that link from MedlinePlus to relevant information on
local pharmacies, hospitals, doctors, nursing homes, and other health
and social services. In Iowa, for example, University of Iowa
librarians developed an Iowa Go Local site that enables users to find
local health resources by Iowa county or city. It allows Iowa citizens
to link directly from a MedlinePlus health topic, for example asthma,
to local services, such as clinics, pulmonary specialists, and support
groups in the geographic area selected. By collecting such information
in one place, Go Local also provides a platform for enhancing access to
the information needed to prepare for and respond to disasters and
emergencies.
MLA and AAHSL applaud the success of NLM's outreach initiatives,
particularly those initiatives that reach out to medical libraries and
health consumers. We ask the subcommittee to encourage NLM to continue
to coordinate its outreach activities with the medical library
community in fiscal year 2010.
emergency preparedness and response
MLA and AAHSL are pleased that NLM has established a Disaster
Information Management Research Center to expand NLM's capacity to
support disaster response and management initiatives, as recommended in
the NLM Board of Regents Long Range Plan for 2006-2016. We ask the
subcommittee to show its support for this initiative, which has a major
objective of ensuring continuous access to health information and
effective use of libraries and librarians when disasters occur.
Following Hurricane Katrina, for example, NLM worked with health
sciences libraries across the country to provide health professionals
and the public with access to needed health and environmental
information by: (1) quickly compiling web pages on toxic chemicals and
environmental concerns; (2) rapidly providing funds, computers and
communication services to assist librarians in the field who were
restoring health information services to displaced clinicians and
patients; and (3) rerouting interlibrary loan requests from the
afflicted regions through the NNLM. Presently, libraries are a
significant, but underutilized resource for community disaster planning
and management efforts, which NLM can help to deploy. With assistance
from its NNLM, NLM is working with health sciences libraries to develop
continuity of operations and backup plans and is exploring the role
that specially trained librarians--disaster information specialists--
can play in providing information services to emergency personnel
during a crisis. MLA and AAHSL see a clear role for NLM and the NNLM in
the Nation's disaster preparedness and response activities.
health it and bioinformatics
NLM has played a pivotal role in creating and nurturing the field
of biomedical informatics. Not only has NLM developed key biomedical
databases, but for nearly 35 years, NLM has supported informatics
research and training and the application of advanced computing and
informatics to biomedical research and healthcare delivery including a
variety of telemedicine projects. Many of today's informatics leaders
are graduates of NLM-funded informatics research programs at
universities across the country. Many of the country's exemplary
electronic health record systems benefited from NLM grant support.
A leader in supporting, licensing, developing, and disseminating
standard clinical terminologies for free U.S.-wide use (e.g., SNOMED),
NLM works closely with the Office of the National Coordinator for
Health Information Technology (ONCHIT) to promote the adoption of
interoperable electronic records.
MLA and AAHSL encourage the subcommittee to continue its strong
support of NLM's medical informatics and genomic science initiatives,
at a point when the linking of clinical and genetic data holds
increasing promise for enhancing the diagnosis and treatment of
disease. MLA and AAHSL also support health information technology
initiatives in ONCHIT and the Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality that build upon initiatives housed at NLM.
______

Prepared Statement of the Close Up Foundation
Mr. Chairman, my name is Timothy S. Davis, President and CEO of the
Close Up Foundation and I submit this testimony in support of our $5
million appropriations request for the Close Up Fellowship Program.
Close Up Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan civic education
organization dedicated to the idea that, within a democracy, informed,
active citizens are essential to a responsive Government. Close Up's
mission is to inform, inspire, and empower students and their teachers
to exercise their rights and accept the responsibilities of citizens in
a democracy. Close Up's experiential methodology emphasizes that
democracy is not a spectator sport, and provides young people with the
knowledge and skills to participate in the democratic process. Our
students are a diverse group--coming from every State and beyond and
from all walks of life. More than 650,000 have graduated from our
experiential programs.
Three core principles of Close Up are: (1) family income should not
be a barrier to a students' participation, (2) commitment to
diversity--outreach should reach a broad cross section of young people,
and (3) enrollment should be open to all students, not just student
leaders or high academic achievers.
The Close Up Fellowship Program provides financial assistance to
economically disadvantaged students and their teachers to participate
on week-long Close Up Washington civic education programs. The
Fellowship Program, authorized in Federal law since 1972 and currently
authorized under section 1504 of the No Child Left Behind Act, has been
continuously funded by a Congressional appropriation, through a U.S.
Department of Education grant, for more than 35 years. Close Up makes
every effort to ensure the participation of students from rural, small
town, and urban areas and gives special consideration to students with
special educational needs, including students with disabilities, ethnic
minority students, and students with migrant parents. Student
fellowships recipients are selected by their schools and must qualify
according to the income eligibility guidelines.
As in most years, funding for the Close Up Fellowship Program was
not included in the President's budget submitted to Congress. Close Up
respectfully requests that Congress again include funding for this
important program through the appropriations process. I also wish to
address some of the arguments made by the administration for
eliminating the Close Up Fellowship Program.
The administration's claim that peer organizations of Close Up
provide scholarships to participants without Federal assistance is
misleading. The average family income of a Close Up Fellowship
recipient is approximately $24,000. To the extent that other nonprofit
civic education organizations claim to provide scholarships, they
usually are provided only to high academic achievers and certainly not
on the scale and volume provided by Close Up. None of these
organizations reach the numbers of economically disadvantaged students
and teachers from under-resourced schools as Close Up does. Twenty-five
percent of Close Up participants each year receive fellowship support
provided through a mix of Federal funds and contributions raised from
private sources by the Close Up Foundation.
Close Up is also concerned with the administration's statement that
our private fundraising efforts would allow our civic education program
to continue. The statement misses the point. The result of elimination
of the Close Up Fellowship Program would immediately deny participation
to deserving and diverse students who, but for the fellowship program,
would be unable to attend. In turn, this would make Close Up's student
composition dramatically less diverse. While Federal funding represents
a small portion of Close Up's revenue, it is a critical portion of our
funding that permits us to reach as many economically disadvantaged
students as we do.
Finally, the administration wrongly asserted that it had minimal
evidence that Close Up had a positive impact on the participating
students and teachers. Close Up measures impact in four principle ways:
Qualitative Data (some of our findings include):
--97 percent of teachers said the program helped their students
understand the role of a citizen in a democracy; 94 percent
of students agreed.
--94 percent of teachers said the program helped their students
understand current policy issues facing the United States;
94 percent of students agreed.
--91 percent of teachers said the program complements what they
teach in school.
--95 percent of students said the program helped them understand
that other students have views other than their own.
--78 percent of students said that the program inspired them to
become more involved in activities in civic activities when
they return home.
Qualitatively Data:
--Close Up conducts weekly focus groups with students and teachers
about their program experience and its impact on their
lives.
--Close Up assembles anecdotal information from teachers regarding
the performance of their students and their community
action projects.
College Credit:
--The University of Virginia and the University of Indiana, after a
comprehensive evaluation of the academic value of the Close
Up civic education programs, grant the opportunity for
Close Up participants to receive undergraduate credit
(students) and graduate credit (teachers), respectively.
Local Support:
--Thousands of schools organize and fundraise each year to send
their young people on a Close Up program. Approximately
18,000 students and teachers participate annually.
--Local education officials have concluded that Close Up is of such
value as to permit students and teachers to sacrifice a
week of school and absence from all of their classes to
participate.
--Many school systems contribute scarce budget dollars to help
students attend while most others provide resources for
substitute teachers.
Close Up Fellowship recipients add diversity to the student body on
Close Up programs. The fellowship program thus benefits not only the
recipient but all Close Up student program participants.
Close Up is grateful to the United States Congress for its long-
standing support of the Close Up Fellowship Program through the
appropriations process. Tens of thousands of young people have been
able to participate on Close Up Washington civic education programs as
a result of the Federal funding.
Close Up's fiscal year 2010 request is based on its desire to
significantly increase the number of economically disadvantaged young
people who participate on Close Up Washington civic education programs.
The funds, which assist the disadvantaged and provide seed money for
at-risk schools and communities to participate on these life
transforming programs, are more important now than ever. Given the
current economic climate, it will be more challenging for communities
to raise the necessary funds for participation on Close Up programs.
The Federal funding bridges that gap and Close Up feels that with
aggressive outreach into economically distressed communities we can
continue to provide these experiences to our young people.
Close Up's appropriations request reflects the increasing cost of
providing these important Washington programs. The cost of airfare,
accommodations, food and local transportation skyrocketed during the
decade that Close Up Fellowship funding remained flat at just under
$1.5 million. The increase in the appropriations amount to $1.942
million in fiscal year 2008 has helped combat a small portion of those
increased costs but still results in a sharp decrease in the number of
economically disadvantaged students that Close Up has been able to
serve. We believe that during hard economic times it is even more
imperative for the Federal Government to invest in the civic education
of young people. And, by investing in a Close Up education, the
Government also supports the suffering transportation and hospitality
economic sectors.
Senators have the opportunity to meet with Close Up groups from
their States during Close Up ``Capitol Hill Day''. They see the
excitement and pride as our students gain the confidence to express
their views on the public policy issues that most directly affect their
lives. Through workshops, seminars and the experience of being in
Washington, Close Up instills these students with the knowledge and
skills to become active citizens in our democracy.
Many of your constituents would not be able to participate in this
life altering program without the benefit of the Close Up Fellowship
Program. There is no better investment that we can make in our Nation's
future than building educated and responsible citizens, one person at a
time.
Close Up respectfully requests that the Senate Appropriations
Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and
Related Services appropriate $5 million for the Close Up Fellowship
Program.
______

Letter From the Digestive Disease National Coalition
Washington, DC, May 22, 2009.
Hon. Tom Harkin,
Chairman, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and
Education, and Related Agencies, Washington, DC.
Hon. Thad Cochran,
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and
Education, and Related Agencies, Washington, DC.
Dear Senators Harkin and Cochran: Thank you very much for your
continued leadership in advancing healthcare policy.
The Digestive Disease National Coalition (DDNC) is an advocacy
organization comprised of the major national voluntary and professional
societies concerned with digestive diseases. The DDNC focuses on
improving public policy related to digestive diseases and increasing
public awareness with respect to the many diseases of the digestive
system. The DDNC works cooperatively to improve access to and the
quality of digestive disease healthcare in order to promote the best
possible medical outcome and quality of life for current and future
patients with digestive diseases.
In this capacity, the DDNC applauds the long-range research agenda
as stated in the March 2009 publication Opportunities and Challenges in
Digestive Diseases Research: Recommendations of the National Commission
on Digestive Diseases by the National Institute of Diabetes, and
Digestive, and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The DDNC requests that the
subcommittee consider the following recommendations for the fiscal year
2010 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related
Agencies appropriations bill:
--A 6.5 percent funding increase for the National Institutes of
Health, with a proportional increase for the NIDDK; and
--An increase of $75 million for the VA Medical and Prosthetic
Research Program for a total of $555 million.
Thank you for the opportunity to present the views of the digestive
disease community. Please do not hesitate to contact me if there is any
more information you would like us to provide for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Dr. Peter Banks,
President.
Linda K. Aukett,
Chair.
______

Prepared Statement of the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation
summary of recommendations for fiscal year 2010
Provide a funding increase of at least 7 percent for the National
Institutes of Health (NIH) and its Institutes and Centers.
Urge the National Institute on Neurological Disorders and Stroke
(NINDS), the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication
Disorders (NIDCD), and the National Eye Institute (NEI) to expand their
research portfolios on dystonia.
Urge the NIH Office of Rare Diseases (ORD) to explore opportunities
to partner with the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation (DRMF) and
advance dystonia research.
Dystonia is a neurological movement disorder characterized by
powerful and painful involuntary muscle spasms that cause the body to
twist, repetitively jerk, and sustain postural deformities. There are
several different variations of dystonia, including; focal dystonias,
which affect specific parts of the body, and generalized dystonia,
which affect many parts of the body at the same time. Some forms of
dystonia are genetic and others are caused by injury or illness.
Dystonia does not affect a person's consciousness or intellect, but is
chronic and progressive. In North America alone, conservative estimates
indicate that between 300,000 and 500,000 individuals suffer with
dystonia. Currently, there is no known cure and treatment options
remain limited.
While the underlying mechanisms of dystonia remain a mystery and
the onset of symptoms can occur for a number of reasons, two therapies
have emerged with proven health benefits to the dystonia patient
community. Botulinum toxin injections and deep brain stimulation have
shown varying degrees of success, depending on the individual, in
alleviating a dystonia patient's symptoms. More research is needed to
fully understand how to combat and cure dystonia, and in the mean time,
maintaining patient access to life-improving therapies remains
critical.
deep brain stimulations (dbs)
DBS is a surgical procedure that was originally developed to treat
Parkinson's disease, but is now being applied to severe cases of
dystonia. A neurostimulator, or brain pacemaker, is surgically
implanted and delivers electrical stimulation to the areas of the brain
that control movement. While the exact reasons for effectiveness are
unknown, the electrical stimulation blocks abnormal nerve signals that
cause abnormal muscle spasms and contractions.
Since DBS was approved for use by dystonia patients in 2003, it has
drastically improved the lives of many individuals. Results have ranged
from quickly regaining the ability to walk and speak, to regaining
complete control over ones body and returning to an independent life as
an able-bodied person. DBS is currently used to treat severe cases of
generalized dystonia, but its promising role in treating focal
dystonias is being explored and requires continuous support. Surgical
interventions are a crucial and active area of dystonia research and
may continue to lead to the development of promising treatment options.
botulinum toxin injections (botox/myobloc)
The introduction of botulinum toxin as a therapeutic tool in the
late 1980s revolutionized the treatment of dystonia by offering a new,
localized method to significantly relieve symptoms for many people.
Botulinum toxin, a biological product, is injected into specific
muscles where it acts to relax the muscles and reduce excessive muscle
contractions.
Botulinum toxin is derived from the bacterium Clostridium
botulinum. It is a nerve ``blocker'' that binds to the nerves that lead
to the muscle and prevents the release of acetylcholine, a
neurotransmitter that activates muscle contractions. If the message is
blocked, muscle spasms are significantly reduced or eliminated.
Injections of botulinum toxin should only be performed by a
physician who is trained to administer this treatment. The physician
needs to know the clinical features and study the involuntary movements
of the person being treated. The physician doing the treatment may
palpate (touch) the muscles carefully, trying to ascertain which
muscles are over-contracting and which muscles may be compensating. In
some instances, such as in the treatment of laryngeal dystonia, a team
approach including other specialists may be required.
For selected areas of the body, and particularly when injecting
muscles that are difficult or impossible to palpate, guidance using an
electromyograph (EMG) may be necessary. For instance, when injecting
the deep muscles of the jaw, neck, or vocal cords, an EMG-guided
injection may improve precision since these muscles cannot be readily
palpated. An EMG measures and records muscle activity and may help the
physician locate overactive muscles.
Injections into the overactive muscle are done with a small needle,
with one to three injections per muscle. Discomfort at the site of
injections is usually temporary, and a local anesthetic is sometimes
used to minimize any discomfort associated with the injection. Many
dystonia patients frequently rely on botulinum toxins injections to
maintain their improved standard of living due to the fact that the
benefits of the treatment peak in approximately 4 weeks and lasts just
3 or 4 months. Currently, FDA-approved forms of botulinum toxin include
Botox and Myobloc.
dystonia and nih
Currently, three Institutes at NIH conduct medical research into
dystonia. They are NINDS, NIDCD, and NEI.
NINDS has released important Program Announcements in recent years
to study the causes and mechanisms of dystonia. These awards cover a
wide range of research areas, which included gene discovery, the
genetics and genomics of dystonia, the development of animal models of
primary and secondary dystonia, molecular and cellular studies
inherited forms of dystonia, epidemiology studies, and brain imaging.
DMRF often works with NINDS to support as much critical research as
possible and advance understating of dystonia.
NIDCD has funded many studies on brainstem systems and their role
in spasmodic dysphonia. Spasmodic dysphonia is a form of focal
dystonia, and involves involuntary spasms of the vocal cords causing
interruptions of speech and affecting voice quality. Our understanding
of spasmodic dysphonia has been greatly enhanced by research
initiatives at NIDCD, like the brainstem systems studies.
NEI focuses some of its resources on the study of blepharospasm.
Blepharospasm is an abnormal, involuntary blinking of the eyelids from
an unknown cause that is associated with abnormal function of the basal
ganglion. The condition can progress to the point where facial spasms
develop. Presently, NEI is conducting a study entitled, Mexiletine for
the Treatment of Focal Dystonia and a Doxilr Blepharospasm Treatment
Trial, both of which have the potential to significantly improve
treatment options for blepharospasm patients.
An emerging area of NIH that has the potential to stimulate
important, new research into dystonia is ORD housed in the Office of
the Director. ORD can facilitate research networks into certain rare
conditions by pulling together resources housed at other NIH Institutes
and Centers. Given the prevalence of dystonia, the DMRF would like to
work more closely with ORD to stimulate and support new research
opportunities.
DMRF also supports many extramural researchers studying dystonia.
Research includes: exploring improved clinical rating scales for
dystonia, elevations of sensory motor training, utilizing Botox as a
possible treatment for focal hand dystonia, characterization of
abnormalities in sensory regions of the brain, treatments for spasmodic
dysphonia, DBS (the direct electrical stimulation of specific brain
targets), noninvasive transcranial brain stimulation, anatomy imaging
of the effect of dystonia on brain activity, and exploring the link
between laryngitis and spasmodic dysphonia.
Recent years of near level-funding at NIH have negatively impacted
the mission of its Institutes and Centers. For this reason, DMRF
applauds initiatives like Senator Arlen Specter's (D-PA) successful
effort to provide NIH with $10.4 billion in stimulus funds. IFFGD urges
this subcommittee to show strong leadership in pursuing substantial
funding increase through the regular appropriations process in fiscal
year 2010.
For fiscal year 2010, DMRF recommends a funding increase of at
least 7 percent for NIH and its Institutes and Centers.
For fiscal year 2010, DMRF recommends that NINDS, NIDCD, and NEI be
urged to increase their research activities regarding dystonia and
partner with voluntary health organizations to promote dystonia
research and awareness.
For fiscal year 2010, DMRF asks the subcommittee to urge ORD to
consider ways it can partner with DMRF and support dystonia research.
dmrf
DMRF was founded more than 30 years ago and has been a membership-
driven organization since 1993. Since our inception, the goals of DMRF
have remained: to advance research for more effective treatments of
dystonia and ultimately find a cure; to promote awareness and
education; and support the needs and well being of affected individuals
and their families.
Thank you for the opportunity to present the views of the dystonia
community.
______

Prepared Statement of the Federation of American Societies for
Experimental Biology
The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
(FASEB), respectfully requests a funding increase of at least 7 percent
above the fiscal year 2009 baseline level for the National Institutes
of Health (NIH) in fiscal year 2010. This funding level is an important
step toward President Obama's campaign pledge to double funding for
basic research over 10 years and is necessary to maintain both the
existing and future scientific infrastructure. We are in a crucial time
for science in the United States. After years of stagnant funding for
research, Congress has recently made significant new investments in
NIH. The scientists and researchers represented by FASEB are sincerely
grateful to Congress for your faith in the research community and your
generosity in providing the resources that are essential for progress
in science.
As a Federation of 22 professional scientific societies, FASEB
represents nearly 90,000 life scientists, making us the largest
coalition of biomedical research associations in the Nation. FASEB's
mission is to advance health and welfare by promoting progress and
education in biological and biomedical sciences, including the research
funded by NIH, through service to its member societies and
collaborative advocacy. FASEB enhances the ability of biomedical and
life scientists to improve--through their research--the health, well-
being, and productivity of all people.
We especially thank and commend Congress for including the
extraordinary investment in medical research at NIH that was included
as part of in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA, Public
Law 111-5) as well as the $938 million increase in NIH funding in the
Omnibus Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2009 (Public Law 111-8). In
particular, we are deeply grateful to the chairman and this
subcommittee for your long-standing leadership in support of NIH. These
are difficult times for our Nation and for people all around the globe,
but the affirmation of science is the key to a better future is a
strategic step forward.
The recent history of the NIH budget has hindered scientific
discovery and limited the capacity of a key engine for today's
innovation-based economy. The additional funding in the ARRA and the
fiscal year 2009 omnibus are critical first steps to returning the NIH
to a course for even greater discovery. These investments give
patients, their families and researchers renewed hope for the future,
and will help ensure the success of America's medical research
enterprise and leadership.
The funding increases in the ARRA and the fiscal year 2009 omnibus
will provide an immediate infusion of funds into the Nation's proven
and highly competitive medical research enterprise to sustain the
pursuit of improved diagnostics, better prevention strategies and new
treatments for many devastating and costly diseases as well as support
innovative research ideas, state-of-the-art scientific facilities and
instrumentation, and the scientists, technicians, laboratory personnel,
and administrators necessary to maintain the enterprise. These funds
will are also reinvigorating this Nation's ability to produce the human
and intellectual capital that will continue to drive scientific
discovery, transform health, and improve the quality of life for all
Americans. Moreover, we see this as the first step in renewing a
national commitment to sustained, predictable growth in NIH funding,
which we believe is an essential element in restoring and sustaining
both national and local economic growth and vitality as well as
maintaining this Nation's prominence as the world leader in medical
research.
As a result of this subcommittee's prior investment in NIH, we have
made critical advances in understanding basic science, saved and
improved the lives of millions of Americans and provided doctors with
tools to prevent and treat costly and devastating diseases including:
--Cardiovascular Disease.--New results from multiple studies provided
the strongest evidence to date that a simple blood test for
high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), whose
characterization was funded by NIH, is a useful marker for
cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, scientists have discovered
that a daily dose of a commonly used statin, rosuvastatin
(Crestor), reduced the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death
by nearly half (44 percent) in individuals with high levels of
hsCRP but with normal or low levels of low density lipoprotein
(LDL), the so-called ``bad cholesterol.'' These developments
show great promise in helping clinicians better identify and
treat individuals at risk for cardiovascular disease--
potentially saving millions more lives.
--Cancer.--For the first time in a decade, incidence rates for all
cancers combined are decreasing, driven largely by declines in
some of the most common types of cancer, including breast
cancer (2.2 percent decline among women) and prostate cancer
(4.4 percent decline). Death rates declined for 10 of the top
15 causes of cancer death among both men and women.
--Alzheimer's.--Researchers isolated a toxic substance that appears
to be a key to understanding Alzheimer's disease, suggesting a
possible new target for developing drug therapies to combat the
irreversible and progressive disorder. In addition, further
insights into the early stages of Alzheimer's may answer
questions not only about the disease, but also about age-
related memory impairments.
--Type 2 Diabetes.--An international team that included NIH-funded
scientists identified six new genetic variants associated with
increased risk of type 2 diabetes. By pinpointing particular
pathways involved in diabetes risk, this discovery can empower
new approaches to understanding environmental influences and to
the development of better, more precisely targeted drugs.
investment in nih is critical to taking advantage of emerging
scientific opportunities
Prior investment in NIH has begun to unlock the secrets of the
human genome and allowed scientists to gain new insight into how
disease works at the most basic levels within our bodies. Scientists
are working tirelessly to translate research results into interventions
for our most debilitating medical conditions. NIH also serves an
invaluable role in communicating research findings to patients and
their families, healthcare providers, and the general public in
critical areas such as increasing knowledge about infectious diseases,
improving cognitive health, and reducing health disparities.
the consequences of stagnant funding for research
The re-emergence of previously eradicated diseases such as mumps,
the development of new health threats, a rapidly aging population, and
significant increases in longevity lends a sense of urgency to the need
to expedite scientific discovery. Yet even as our need to prevent
disease becomes greater and the opportunities to succeed become more
numerous, our national commitment to medical research has stagnated:
--``Success rates'' dropped to an estimated 18 percent in fiscal year
2009. This means that more than 80 percent of the highly
qualified, peer-reviewed research proposals go unfunded. With
every unfunded idea, we risk missing or delaying critical
discoveries leading to therapies for our most debilitating
health conditions.
--The competition for funding is coming at a time when both the
interest in careers in the science field and the number of
newly trained researchers entering the workforce is increasing.
Doctorates in the critical fields of engineering and biological
sciences increased 10 percent and 11 percent respectively, in 1
year.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Council of Graduate Schools. 2008. Graduate Enrollment and
Degrees: 1997-2007. http://www.cgsnet.org/portals/0/pdf/N_pr_ED2007.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
--The medical schools, teaching hospitals, universities, and research
institutes where NIH research takes place are among the largest
employers in their respective communities. In fiscal year 2007,
NIH grants and contracts created and supported more than
350,000 jobs that generated wages in excess of $18 billion in
the 50 States.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ Families USA. 2008. In your own backyard: How NIH funding helps
your state's economy. http://www.familiesusa.org/assets/pdfs/global-
health/in-your-own-backyard.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
the importance of sustained, predictable funding for research
The research engine needs a predictable, sustained investment in
science to maximize our return on investment. The discovery process--
while it produces tremendous value--often takes a lengthy and
unpredictable path. Recent experience has demonstrated how cyclical
periods of rapid funding growth followed by periods of stagnation is
disruptive to training, to careers, long-range projects, and ultimately
to progress. NIH needs sustainable and predictable budget growth to
achieve the full promise of medical research to improve the health and
longevity of all Americans. We must ensure that after the stimulus
money is spent we do not have to dismantle our newly built capacity and
terminate valuable, on-going research.
The fiscal year 2009 omnibus and the ARRA provided $38.5 billion
for NIH to provide more than 16,000 new research grants for live-saving
research into diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's.
Keeping up with the rising cost of medical research in the 2010
appropriations will help NIH begin to prepare for the ``post-stimulus''
era. In 2011 and beyond we need to make sure that the total funding
available to NIH does not decline and that we can resume a steady,
sustainable growth that will enable us to complete the President's
vision of doubling our investment in basic research. Consistent with
the President's proposal, we respectfully urge this subcommittee to
increase funding for NIH in fiscal year 2010 by at least 7 percent more
than the fiscal year 2009 level.
The Federal commitment to biomedical research is profoundly
transforming medical practice, preventing disease, and creating better
therapies but additional resources are needed to pursue the historic
level of scientific opportunity that is available today. We recognize
this subcommittee has the especially difficult task of providing
funding for a wide range of critical human service programs and thank
you for recognizing that prosperity and quality of life are
increasingly shaped by investments in science and technology.
______

Prepared Statement of the Friends of the Health Resources and Services
Administration
The Friends of the Health Resources and Services Administration
(HRSA) is a nonprofit and nonpartisan alliance of more than 140
national organizations, collectively representing millions of public
health and healthcare professionals, academicians, and consumers. The
coalition's principal goal is to ensure that HRSA's broad health
programs have continued support in order to reach the populations
presently underserved by the Nation's patchwork of health services.
Through its programs in every State and thousands of communities
across the country, HRSA is a national leader in providing a health
safety net for medically underserved individuals and families,
including 86.7 million Americans who were uninsured for some or all of
2007-2008; 50 million Americans who live in neighborhoods where primary
health services are scarce; more than 1 million people living with HIV/
AIDS, and 34 million vulnerable mothers and children, including
children with special health needs. In the best professional judgment
of the members of the Friends of HRSA, to respond to this challenge,
the agency will require an overall funding level of at least $8.5
billion for fiscal year 2010.
For several years, HRSA has suffered from relatively level funding,
undermining the ability of its successful programs to grow. Our request
reflects the minimum amount necessary for HRSA to adequately meet the
needs of the populations they serve in fiscal year 2010, especially
during these difficult economic times that are causing an increase in
demand for HRSA programs and funding. Much more is needed for the
agency to achieve its ultimate mission of ensuring access to culturally
competent, quality health services for all; eliminating health
disparities; and rebuilding the public health and healthcare
infrastructure.
The coalition is very appreciative of the $2.5 billion HRSA
received in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for
community health centers and health professions workforce development
to prepare our health infrastructure for health system reform. This
investment recognizes the critical role HRSA plays in building the
foundation for health service delivery. However, we urge the
subcommittee to support adequately funding all of HRSA's broad health
programs and ensure that vulnerable populations transition smoothly
into a new health system and receive continued, quality health
services. By supporting, planning for and adapting to change, we can
build on the successes of the past and address the new gaps that emerge
as a result of health system reform.
Our $8.5 billion funding request is based on recommendations
provided by coalition members for the various programs they focus on.
It includes $2.602 billion for the Health Centers program, the fully
authorized level under the Health Care Safety Net Act of 2008, as part
of a long-term plan to provide care to 30 million Americans by 2015.
Thanks to the leadership of the subcommittee, more than 7,000 health
centers in every State and territory provide a healthcare home for more
than 18 million medially underserved and low-income patients, and
demand for their services continues to grow. The Health Centers program
targets populations with special needs, including migrant and seasonal
farm workers, homeless individuals and families, and those living in
public housing. Health centers provide access to high-quality, family-
oriented, culturally and linguistically competent primary care and
preventive services, including mental and behavioral health, vision,
and dental services. While recent growth in the health centers program
has been substantial, a significant need remains in underserved
communities across the country. We strongly encourage the subcommittee
to continue its support of existing health centers and efforts to
expand the reach and scope of the Health Centers program into new
communities.
Coalition members recommend $235 million for the National Health
Service Corps (NHSC), the amount authorized under the Health Care
Safety Net Amendments of 2002. Approximately 50 million Americans live
in communities with a shortage of health professionals, lacking
adequate access to primary care. The Corps supports the recruitment and
retention of primary care clinicians to practice in underserved
communities in exchange for scholarships and loan repayment. The Corps
supports more than 4,000 clinicians, with over half working in
community health centers. Growth in the Health Centers program must be
complemented with growth in the recruitment and retention of primary
care clinicians to ensure adequate staffing.
Coalition members recommend $550 million for health professions
programs under title VII and VIII of the Public Health Service Act.
These programs are an essential component of America's health safety
net and work in concert with the Health Centers Program and National
Health Service Corps to enhance the supply, distribution and diversity
of the health professions workforce. They are the only Federal programs
that support the education and training of primary care providers in
interdisciplinary settings to work in underserved communities and
increase minority representation in the health professions workforce.
Through loans, scholarships, and grants to academic institutions and
nonprofit organizations, these programs provide support for the
training of primary care physicians, nurses, dentists, optometrists,
physician assistants, nurse practitioners, public health personnel,
mental and behavioral health professionals, pharmacists, health
educators, and other allied health providers. Adequate funding will
reduce provider shortages in rural, medically underserved and federally
designated health professions shortage areas and strengthen the
pipeline of new providers that Health Centers and other safety-net
health facilities need to meet the long-term needs of underserved
communities. In addition, we recommend funds be appropriated to re-
establish the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis to conduct
and support statistical and epidemiological activities for assessing
and improving decisionmaking to enhance the supply, distribution,
diversity, and development of the current and future public health
workforce. Finally, we urge the subcommittee to provide funding for the
grant program under section 758 of the Public Health Service Act to
develop interdisciplinary training and education programs on domestic
violence and other types of violence and abuse as authorized by the
Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of
2005.
We recommend $330 million for the Children's Hospital Graduate
Medical Education (GME) Program, the amount authorized under the
Children's Hospital GME Support Reauthorization Act of 2006. This
program provides funds to freestanding children's hospitals to support
the training of pediatric and other residents in GME programs. This
program ensures that pediatric hospitals receive Federal funding
comparable to other types of hospitals. We also request a significant
investment in the Patient Navigator program that places navigators in
underserved communities to help people with cancer and/or other chronic
diseases make their way through the health systems and utilize
community services that will help them beat chronic disease for longer,
healthier lives.
We recommend $850 million for the Maternal and Child Health (MCH)
block grant, the fully authorized level under title V of the Social
Security Act. For more than 70 years, the MCH block grant has provided
a source of flexible funding for States and territories to address
their unique needs related to improving the health of mothers, infants,
children, adolescent, and children with special healthcare needs.
Today, this program provides prenatal services to more than 2 million
mothers--almost half of all mothers who give birth annually--and
primary and preventive care to more than 17 million children, including
almost 1 million children with special needs. Fully funding the MCH
block grant will enable States to expand critical health services and
cope with ever increasing medical costs.
Newborn screening is a vital public health activity used to
identify and treat genetic, metabolic, hormonal, and functional
conditions in newborns. Screening detects heritable disorders in
newborns that, if left untreated, can cause disability, mental
retardation, serious illnesses, or even death. While nearly all babies
born in the United States undergo newborn screening for genetic birth
defects, the number of these tests varies from State to State. We
recommend $30 million for the Heritable Disorders Program to support
State efforts to improve programs, to acquire innovative testing
technologies, and to increase capacity to reach and educate health
professionals and parents on newborn screening programs and follow-up
services. These activities and the funding level are authorized by the
Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act.
We recommend $16 million for the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
program in order to better serve the 5.3 million Americans with a long-
term or lifelong need for help to perform daily activities as a result
of a TBI, including many of our returning war veterans. The TBI Program
provides grants to States to coordinate, expand, and enhance service
delivery systems in order to improve access to services and support for
persons with TBI and their families. The TBI program also provides
funds to State protection and advocacy programs that work to ensure
that people with TBI get access to the supports and services they need.
We recommend $25 million for the Emergency Medical Services for
Children (EMSC) program to address significant shortcomings in
pediatric emergency care. The EMSC program is a national initiative
designed to reduce child and youth disability and death due to severe
illness and injury. EMSC grants provide funding for States and
territories to improve existing emergency medical services systems and
develop better procedures and protocols for treating children.
Additional funding is needed to maintain and improve the program's
activities, take advantage of important opportunities and address
emerging threats such as terrorism.
We recommend $2.816 billion for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS programs,
which is the estimated amount necessary to provide health services to
all eligible individuals. The Ryan White programs provide the largest
source of Federal discretionary funding to support health services for
more than 500,000 low-income, uninsured, and underinsured people living
with HIV/AIDS. Through grants to State and local governments and
community-based organizations, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS programs support
comprehensive care, drug assistance and support services for people
living with HIV/AIDS; provide training for health professionals
treating people with HIV/AIDS; provide assistance to metropolitan and
other areas most severely affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic; and
address the disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS on women and
minorities. A significant funding increase is needed to meet growing
medical costs and incidence of HIV, particularly among underserved
populations.
The Office of Rural Health Policy promotes better health services
for the 60 million Americans who live in rural communities. These
communities suffer from inadequate access to quality health services
and experience the higher rates of illness associated with lower
socioeconomic status. Rural Health Outreach and Network Development
Grants, and other programs are designed to support community-based
disease prevention and health promotion projects, help rural hospitals
and clinics implement new technologies and strategies, and build health
system capacity in rural and frontier areas. In addition, Rural Health
Research Centers help policymakers better understand the challenges
that rural communities face in assuring access to health services and
improving the health of their residents. Finally, the Rural and
Community Access to Emergency Devices Program provides States with
grants to train lay rescuers and first responders to use automated
external defibrillators (AEDs) and purchase and place them in public
areas where sudden cardiac arrests are likely to occur. We encourage
the subcommittee to adequately fund these important programs that
address the many unique health service needs of rural communities.
We recommend $700 million for the Family Planning programs under
title X of the Public Health Service Act. Title X programs provide
comprehensive, voluntary, and affordable family planning services to
nearly 5 million low-income women at more than 4,500 clinics
nationwide. Title X funded clinics help improve access to
contraceptives, which help women plan the number and timing of their
pregnancies, improve maternal and infant health, and help to prevent
approximately 1.94 million unintended pregnancies each year, including
nearly 400,000 teenage pregnancies. The Guttmacher Institute estimates
that unintended pregnancies prevented each year would have resulted in
810,000 abortions and without publicly funded family planning programs,
the U.S. abortion rate would be nearly two-thirds higher than the
current level. Family planning is also cost-saving and for every public
dollar invested in family planning, $3.80 is saved in costs associated
with unintended births to women who are eligible for Medicaid. Today,
almost 17 million women need publicly supported contraceptive care--a
number which continues to grow. Title X programs require a substantial
increase in investment to meet the growing demand.
The Healthcare Systems Bureau provides national leadership on the
transplantation of organs, bone marrow and cord blood. The recently
passed Budget Resolution Conference Agreement calls for increased
funding for ``the organ transplant program.'' Coalition members
recommend $35 million for the Division of Transplantation in order to
meet the Office of Management and Budget's goal of doubling the number
of transplants by 2013 and reduce the waiting list of 101,951 people in
need of a life saving organ transplant. We recommend $38 million for
the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program, the amount authorized
by the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005. This program
helps patients who need a potentially life-saving bone marrow or cord
blood transplant, including patients with diseases like leukemia,
lymphoma, sickle cell anemia, or other inherited metabolic or immune
system disorders. We also recommend the fully authorized $15 million
for the National Cord Blood Inventory, which collects and maintains
high-quality cord blood units and makes them available for
transplantation through the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation
Program.
Poison Control Centers, also administered by the Healthcare Systems
Bureau, are a critical resource for people, health professionals, and
organizations. Poisoning can happen to anyone, at anytime in any place
and can lead to serious illness or even death. Each year, more than 2
million possible poisonings are reported to the nation's poison
centers. On average, poison centers handle one possible poisoning every
13 seconds. These critical centers cannot afford to lose any resources
and we encourage the subcommittee to fully fund this program.
Finally, we recommend a significant funding increase for HRSA's
program management and staffing needs. Since 2001, HRSA has experienced
a decline of almost 600 full-time equivalent employees. While HRSA has
continued to administer its many programs effectively, the agency if
facing ever growing demands as a result of the economic crisis and a
changing health system. We strongly urge the subcommittee to increase
program management funds to provide the agency with the necessary human
and other resources to ensure the programs it administers are effective
and improve the health of the American public.
We appreciate the subcommittee's hard work in advocating for HRSA's
programs in a climate of competing priorities. The members of the
Friends of HRSA thank you for considering our fiscal year 2010 request
for $8.5 billion for HRSA and are grateful for this opportunity to
present our views to the subcommittee.
We the undersigned organizations, thank you for your attention to
this matter.
Academic Pediatric Association; Advocates for
Youth; AIDS Action; AIDS Alliance for
Children, Youth and Families; AIDS
Foundation of Chicago; AIDS Project Los
Angeles; The Alan Guttmacher Institute;
Allergy and Asthma Network Mothers of
Asthmatics; Alliance for Academic Internal
Medicine; American Academy of Family
Physicians.
American Academy of Nurse Practitioners; American
Academy of Nursing; American Academy of
Ophthalmology; American Academy of
Pediatrics; American Academy of Physician
Assistants; American Association of
Colleges of Podiatric Medicine; American
Association for Dental Research; American
Association of Colleges of Nursing;
American Association of Colleges of
Osteopathic Medicine; American Association
of Colleges of Pharmacy; American
Association of Family and Consumer
Services.
American Association of Nurse Anesthetists;
American Association of Orthopedic
Surgeons; American Association on
Intellectual and Developmental
Disabilities; American Cancer Society;
American College of Nurse-Midwives;
American College of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists; American College of
Physicians; American College of
Preventative Medicine; American Counseling
Association; American Dental Association.
American Dental Education Association; American
Dental Hygienists' Association; American
Dietetic Association; American Federation
of State, County and Municipal Employees;
American Foundation for AIDS Research;
American Heart Association; American
Hospital Association; American Medical
Student Association; American Medical
Women's Association; American Nephrology
Nurses' Association.
American Nurses Association; American Occupational
Therapy Association; American Optometric
Association; American Pediatric Society;
American Physical Therapy Association;
American Podiatric Medicine Association;
American Psychiatric Association; American
Psychological Association; American Public
Health Association; American Red Cross.
American School Health Association; American
Society for Microbiology; American Society
for Reproductive Medicine; Americans for
Democratic Action; The Arc; Asian and
Pacific Islander American Health Forum;
Association for Prevention Teaching and
Research; Association of Academic Health
Centers; Association of American Medical
Colleges; Association of American
Veterinary Medical Colleges.
Association of Clinicians for the Underserved;
Association of Departments of Family
Medicine; Association of Family Medicine
Residency Directors; Association of
Maternal and Child Health Programs;
Association of Medical School Pediatric
Department Chairs; Association of Minority
Health Professions Schools; Association of
Organ Procurement Organizations;
Association of Professors of Medicine;
Association of Public Health Laboratories;
Association of Reproductive Health
Professionals.
Association of Schools of Allied Health
Professionals; Association of Schools of
Public Health; Association of State and
Territorial Directors of Nursing;
Association of State and Territorial Health
Officials; Association of University
Centers on Disabilities; Association of
Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal
Nurses; Avancer Health Policy; CAEAR
Coalition; Catholic Health Association of
the U.S.; Center for Health Policy Research
and Ethics, GMU.
Center for the Advancement of Health; Center for
Women Policy Studies; Center on Disability
and Health; Charles Drew University;
Children's Defense Fund; Coalition for
American Trauma Care; Coalition for Health
Funding; Coalition for Health Services
Research; Consortium of Social Science
Associations; Council of Accredited MPH
Programs.
Easter Seals; Emergency Nurses Association;
Epilepsy Foundation; Families USA; Family
Violence Prevention Fund; Health and
Medicine Counsel of Washington; HIV
Medicine Association; Human Rights
Campaign; Infectious Diseases Society of
America; Institute for Children's
Environmental Health.
Latino Council on Alcohol and Tobacco; Legal Action
Center; March of Dimes; Meharry Medical
College; Morehouse School of Medicine;
NAADAC, the Association for Addiction
Professionals; National AHEC Organization;
National Alliance of State and Territorial
AIDS Directors; National Assembly on
School-Based Health Care; National
Association of Addiction Treatment
Providers; National Association of
Community Health Centers.
National Association of Councils on Developmental
Disabilities; National Association of
County and City Health Officials; National
Association of Local Boards of Health;
National Association of People with AIDS;
National Association of Public Health
Statistics and Information Systems;
National Association of Public Hospitals
and Health Systems; National Association of
Rural Health Clinics; National Association
of Social Workers; National Associations of
Children's Hospitals; National Black Nurses
Association.
National Coalition for the Homeless; National
Council for Diversity in the Health
Professions; National Council of La Raza;
National Disability Rights Network;
National Episcopal AIDS Coalition; National
Family Planning and Reproductive Health
Association; National Health Care for the
Homeless Council; National Hemophilia
Foundation; National Hispanic Medical
Association; National League for Nursing.
National Marrow Donor Program; National Medical
Association; National Minority AIDS
Council; National Network for Youth;
National Rural Health Association; North
American Primary Care Research Group;
Oncology Nursing Society; Organizations of
Academic Family Medicine; Partnership for
Prevention; Planned Parenthood Federation
of America.
Sexuality Information and Education Council of the
United States; Society for Adolescent
Medicine; Society for Pediatric Research;
Society for Public Health Education;
Society for the Psychological Study of
Social Issues; Society of General Internal
Medicine; Society of Teachers of Family
Medicine; The AIDS Institute; Trust for
America's Health; U.S. Conference of
Mayors.
______

Letter From The Friends of the National Institute on Aging
Dear Chairman Harkin and members of the subcommittee: I am writing
to request the opportunity to testify at the fiscal year 2010 public
witness hearing on behalf of The Friends of the National Institute on
Aging regarding the important role that the National Institute on Aging
(NIA) plays among the National Institutes of Health and the need for
increased appropriations to ensure sustained, long-term growth in aging
research in the fiscal year 2010 budget and beyond.
The Friends of the NIA is a coalition of 50 academic, patient-
centered and not-for-profit organizations that conduct, fund, or
advocate for scientific endeavors to improve the health and quality of
life for Americans as we age. We support the continuation and expansion
of NIA research activities and seek to raise awareness about important
scientific progress in the area of aging research currently guided by
the Institute. I serve as Chair of the Friends of the NIA and as such,
am respectfully requesting permission to testify on behalf of the
Friends of the NIA before the subcommittee.
Our testimony highlights the relevance of the work of the NIA to
each and every American, as well as opportunities for future progress
that are dependent on Congressional action to build upon the
unprecedented $10.4 billion in the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act for NIH research and training activities in fiscal year 2010. I
have attached a copy of our testimony for your review.
Mr. Chairman, The Friends of the NIA thanks you in advance for this
opportunity to outline the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead
as you consider the fiscal year 2010 appropriations for the NIH.
Regards,
Kimberly D. Acquaviva,
Chair.
______

Prepared Statement of the FSH Society, Inc.
Mr. Chairman, it is a great pleasure to submit this testimony to
you today.
My name is Daniel Paul Perez, of Bedford, Massachusetts, and I am
testifying today as President and CEO of the FSH Society, Inc.
(facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy) and as an individual who has
this common and most prevalent form of muscular dystrophy.
the need for national institute of health (nih) funding for fshd
My testimony is about the profound and devastating effects of a
disease known as facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy which is also
known as facioscapulohumeral muscular disease, FSH muscular dystrophy
or FSHD, and the urgent need for increased NIH funding for research on
this disorder.
According to our research, only a limited amount of work is going
on across all the Institutes at the NIH. In fact, only 3 of the 27
Institutes at the NIH are funding FSHD research, e.g., the National
Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the National
Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease (NIAMS), and
the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development (NICHD). Currently, the level of funding from NINDS, NICHD,
and NIAMS for FSHD research is approximately $3,093,269.
Since 1994, I have submitted testimony before both House and Senate
Appropriations Committees' Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human
Services, and Education and Related Agencies which stated that NIH and
Congress with modest investments could help bring about a significant
research and scientific opportunity which would benefit hundreds of
thousands of people worldwide.
Today, I am asking Congress to communicate to the Public Health
Service and National Institutes of Health the need for research funding
on the FSHD disorder at a level of $10,000,000 annually in fiscal year
2010.
living with fshd
As a man with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, I will tell
you that it is a hard way to live, and that FSHD is a strong fort--it
will last a lifetime. Unless Congress mandates that the NIH ensure that
it receives sufficient grant applications of highest quality on FSHD
and to spend an equitable ratio of NIH muscular dystrophy dollars on
FSHD, which is now conservatively $10 million.
At 47 years of age, I consider myself a lifelong survivor of the
severe trauma and tension of FSHD, and I do not say this lightly. I
have dealt with the continuing, unrelenting, and unending loss caused
by FSHD from the first second, into the first minute, hour, day, week,
over the months and through the years. Not for a moment is there a
reprieve from continual loss of my physical ability; not for a moment
is there a time for me to mourn; not for a moment is there relief from
the physical and mental pain that is a result of this disease. There is
no known treatment and no known cause for this disease.
Look at what this disease does to people. Look at me. Look at what
I see--a child with a profound hearing loss, the broken innocence of a
child, alienation at an early age, a decision not to marry, a decision
not to have biological children, disability in the prime of life,
incapacitation in middle age, the guilt of a parent, a lifetime of
physical challenge, a suicide, a premature death, anxiety caused by
uncontrollable loss, decades spent somewhere between the able and the
disabled, the loss of ambulating, the unstoppable atrophy and loss of
muscle and the humiliation endured in the process.
For men, women, and children the major consequence of inheriting
the most prevalent form of muscular dystrophy, FSHD, is a lifelong
progressive and severe loss of all skeletal muscles. FSHD is a
terrible, crippling and life shortening disease. No one is immune, it
is genetically and spontaneously (by mutation) transmitted to children
and it affects entire family constellations.
the most prevalent form of muscular dystrophy is now markedly
underfunded at nih
It is a fact that FSHD is now published in the scientific
literature as the most prevalent muscular dystrophy in the world. The
incidence of the disease is conservatively estimated to be 1 in 14,285.
The prevalence of the disease, those living with the disease ranges to
two or three times as many as that number based on our increasing
experiences with the disease and more available and accurate genetic
diagnostic tests.
The French Government research agency INSERM (Insitut National de
la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale) is comparable to the NIH, and it
recently published prevalence data for hundreds of diseases in Europe.
Notable is the ``Orphanet Series'' reports covering topics relevant to
all rare diseases. The ``Prevalence or reported number of published
cases listed in alphabetical order of disease''. This update contains
new epidemiological data and modifications to existing data for which
new information has been made available. This new information ranks
facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) as the most prevalent
muscular dystrophy followed by Duchenne (DMD) and Becker Muscular
dystrophy (BMD) and then, in turn, myotonic dystrophy (DM). FSHD is
historically presented as the third-most prevalent muscular dystrophy
in the Muscular Dystrophy Community Assistance, Research and Education
Amendments of 2001 and 2008 (the MD-CARE Act). This new data ranks FSHD
as the first and most prevalent.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated prevalence Cases/100,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD)........... 7/100,000
Duchenne (DMD) and Becker Muscular dystrophy (BMD) types 5/100,000
Steinert myotonic dystrophy (DM)........................ 4.5/100,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

nih muscular dystrophy funding has tripled since the inception of the
md care act ($21 million to $56 million)
Between fiscal year 2006 and 2007, NIH overall funding for muscular
dystrophy increased from $39,913,000 to $47,179,000, an 18 percent
increase.
Between fiscal year 2007 and 2008, NIH overall funding for muscular
dystrophy decreased as shown in the ``Estimates of Funding for Various
Research, Condition, and Disease Categories (RCDC)'' report on the new
Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tool (RePORT) from $58 million to
$56 million, a 3 percent decrease. These figures are from the new
``2007/2008 NIH Revised Method'' columns. The same RCDC RePORT system
report shows $47 million as the 2007 figure under the ``2007 NIH
Historical Method'' column, a 23 percent increase and restatement when
converting to the new system.
Figures from the RCDC RePORT and the NIH Appropriations History for
Muscular Dystrophy report historically provided by NIH/Office of the
Director (OD) Budget Office and NIH OCPL show that from the inception
of the MD CARE Act 2001, funding has nearly tripled from $21 million to
$56 million for muscular dystrophy.
nih fshd funding has remained level since the inception of the md care
act ($3 million/$56 million)
Between fiscal year 2006 and 2007, NIH funding for FSHD increased
from $1,732,655 to $4,108,555. In fiscal 2007, FSHD was 8.7 percent of
the total muscular dystrophy funding ($4.109 million/$47.179 million).
Between fiscal year 2007 and 2008, NIH funding for FSHD decreased
from $4,108,555 to $3 million under the ``2007 and 2008 NIH Revised
Method.'' The ``2007 NIH Historical Method'' was restated to $3
million. In fiscal 2008 under ``NIH Revised Method,'' FSHD was 5.3
percent of the total muscular dystrophy funding ($3 million /$56
million). The previous years 2006/2007 figures are revised and restated
under ``2007 NIH Historical Method'' as ($3 million/$58 million) which
is 5.1 percent of the total muscular dystrophy funding. FSHD funding
has merely kept its ratio in the NIH funding portfolio and has not
grown in the last 7 years.
We highly commend the Director of the NIH on the ease of use and
the accuracy of the Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tool (RePORT)
report ``Estimates of Funding for Various Research, Condition, and
Disease Categories (RCDC)'' with respect to reporting projects on
facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH) APPROPRIATIONS HISTORY
[Dollars in millions]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FSHD
FSHD research percentage of
Fiscal year dollars muscular
dystrophy
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2002.................................... $1.3 5
2003.................................... 1.5 4
2004.................................... 2.2 6
2005.................................... 2 5
2006.................................... 1.7 4
2007.................................... 3 5
2008.................................... 3 5
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The MD CARE Act 2008 mandates the NIH Director to intensify efforts
and research in the muscular dystrophies, including FSHD, across the
entire NIH. It should be very concerning that in the last 7 years
muscular dystrophy has tripled to $56 million and that FSHD has
remained at 5 percent of the NIH muscular dystrophy portfolio or $3
million. Only three of the Institutes at the NIH are funding FSHD. OD,
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institute of
General Medical Sciences, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and
Bioengineering, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication
Disorders, National Human Genome Research Institute , NEI, National
Institute on Aging, National Cancer Institute, and National Center for
Research Resources are all aware of the high impact each could have on
FSHD. FSHD is certainly still far behind when we look at the breadth of
research coverage NIH-wide.
Now, FSHD is published as the most prevalent muscular dystrophy,
and given the extraordinary interest of the scientific and clinical
communities in its unique disease mechanism, it defies gravity that it
still remains the most prevalent and one of the most underfunded
dystrophies at the NIH and in the Federal research agency system
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Defense, and
Food and Drug Administration). In 2008, the third most prevalent
dystrophy, Duchenne (DMD) and Becker Muscular dystrophy (BMD) type,
received $22 million from NIH. In 2008, the second most prevalent
dystrophy myotonic dystrophy (DM), received $9 million from NIH. In
2008, the most prevalent dystrophy, FSHD, received $3 million from NIH.
It is now time to flip the stack and to make sure that FSHD with its
equal burden of disease and highest prevalence gets more funding,
stimulus and that NIH program staff initiates request for applications
specifically in FSHD. It is crystal clear, if not completely black and
white, that the open mechanism program announcement and investigator
driven model are not achieving the goal mandated by the MD CARE Acts
2001/2008 and by the NIH Action Plan for the Muscular Dystrophies as
submitted to the Congress by the NIH. Efforts of excellent program
staff and leadership at NIH, excellent reviewers and study sections,
excellent and outstanding researchers working on FSHD and submitting
applications to the NIH, and extraordinary efforts of the volunteer
health agencies working in this area have not yet enabled FSHD funding
to increase at the NIH. It is time for NIH requests, contracts, and
calls for researcher proposals on FSHD to bootstrap existing FSHD
research worldwide.
I am here once again to remind you that FSHD is taking its toll on
your citizens. FSHD illustrates the disparity in funding across the
muscular dystrophies and recalcitrance in growth over 20 years despite
consistent pressure from appropriations language and Appropriations
Committee questions, and an authorization and a reauthorization from
Congress mandating research on FSHD.
our request to the nih appropriations subcommittee
We request this year in fiscal year 2010, immediate help for those
of us coping with and dying from FSHD. We ask NIH to fund research on
FSHD at a level of $10 million in fiscal year 2010.
We implore the Appropriations Committee to request that the
Director of NIH, the chairman/chairwoman, and executive secretary of
the Federal advisory committee Muscular Dystrophy Coordinating
Committee mandated by the MD CARE Act of 2008, to increase the amount
of FSHD research and projects in its portfolios using all available
passive and pro-active mechanisms and interagency committees. Given the
knowledge base and current opportunity for breakthroughs in treating
FSHD it is inequitable that only 3 of the 12 NIH Institutes covering
muscular dystrophy have a handful of research grants for FSHD. We
request that the Director of the NIH be more proactive in facilitating
grant applications (unsolicited and solicited) from new and existing
investigators and through new and existing mechanisms, special
initiatives, training grants and workshops--to bring knowledge of FSHD
to the next level.
Thanks to your efforts and the efforts of your subcommittee, Mr.
Chairman, the Congress, the NIH and the FSH Society are all working to
promote progress in FSHD. Our successes are continuing and your support
must continue and increase.
We ask you to fund NIH research on FSHD at a level of $10 million
in fiscal year 2010.
Mr. Chairman, thank you for this opportunity to testify before your
subcommittee.
______

Prepared Statement of the Family Violence Prevention Fund
The Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF) works to end violence
against women and children around the world, because every person has
the right to live free of violence. The FVPF's National Health Resource
Center on Domestic Violence provides critical information to thousands
of healthcare providers, institutions, domestic violence service
providers, Government agencies, researchers, and policy makers each
year. Its public education campaigns, conducted in partnership with The
Advertising Council, have shaped public awareness and changed social
norms for 15 years.
strengthening the healthcare system's response to domestic violence,
dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking
Through our work as the National Health Resource Center on Domestic
Violence, I know the critical role healthcare providers can play in
preventing and responding to violence against women and children,
particularly during this difficult economic time when rates of abuse in
families seem to be rising. But it is not simply a moral imperative
that we try to reduce violence and abuse in this country; it is an
economic necessity that Congress supports prevention and intervention
efforts in the healthcare system. The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) classifies violence and abuse as a ``substantial
public health problem in the United States,'' noting the long-term
impact of violence and abuse has huge implications for health outcomes
and costs.
Children who experience childhood trauma, including witnessing
incidents of domestic violence, are at a greater risk of having serious
adult health problems including tobacco use, substance abuse, cancer,
heart disease, depression and a higher risk for unintended pregnancy.
Twenty years of research links childhood exposure to violence with
chronic health conditions including obesity, asthma, arthritis, and
stroke. It is worth noting that victims, particularly of sexual
violence, are linked with obesity. A meta-analysis of research on the
impact of adult intimate partner violence finds that victims of
domestic violence are at increased risk for conditions such as heart
disease, stroke, hypertension, cervical cancer, chronic pain including
arthritis, neck and pain, and asthma. In addition to injuries, adult
intimate partner violence also contributes to a number of mental health
problems including depression and PTSD, risky health behaviors such as
smoking, alcohol and substance abuse, and poor reproductive health
outcomes such as unintended pregnancy, pregnancy complications,
postpartum depression, poor infant health outcomes and sexually
transmitted infections including HIV.
According to a CDC survey, women who have experienced domestic
violence are 80 percent more likely to have a stroke, 70 percent more
likely to have heart disease, 60 percent more likely to have asthma and
70 percent more likely to drink heavily than women who have not
experienced intimate partner violence.
When Congress joined together to reauthorize the Violence Against
Women Act (VAWA) of 2005 (Public Law 109-162), the law included new
provisions to educate and train healthcare providers and public health
professionals on how to safely screen and intervene in cases of
domestic and sexual violence. These provisions were added after years
of work by medical associations, health professionals, advocates and a
National Health Care Standards Campaign on Domestic Violence funded by
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. These collaborations
successfully developed strategies, tools, and policies to identify and
help victims in health settings.
We know that most women seek healthcare services regularly, either
for routine, emergency, perinatal, or pediatric care. As a result,
healthcare providers are in a unique position to identify and reach out
to victims of violence, long before they may seek help from a domestic
violence shelter, rape crisis center, law enforcement agency, or family
member. However, fewer than 10 percent of primary care physicians
routinely screen patients for domestic violence during regular office
visits, according to a study published by the Journal of the American
Medical Association.
Research on the most effective interventions in the healthcare
setting and prevention messages would have significant public health
benefits and cost savings to the healthcare system. While we do not
know the full cost of violence and abuse to the healthcare system,
previous studies have shown that those who experience abuse access
healthcare 2 to 2.5 times more frequently than those without that
history. Research shows that intimate partner violence alone costs a
health plan $19.3 million each year for every 100,000 women between the
ages of 18 and 64 enrolled.
Far more important is the cost of violence and abuse over time.
Even 5 years after abuse has ended, healthcare costs for women with a
history of intimate partner violence remain 20 percent higher than
those for women with no history of violence. A study by the CDC in 2003
estimated the direct medical costs of only injuries and mental health
services related to intimate partner violence at $4.1 billion alone,
this does not include any evaluation of costs associated with chronic
health issues or reproductive health issues discussed above and known
to be highly prevalent among victims of abuse. A recent report by the
Academy on Violence and Abuse estimated the actual cost to the
healthcare system of violence and abuse may be nearly 17 percent of the
total healthcare dollar or $333 billion in 2008.
But early identification and treatment of victims can financially
benefit the healthcare system. Initial and unpublished findings from
one study found that hospital-based domestic violence interventions may
reduce healthcare costs by at least 20 percent. Preventing abuse or
associated health risks and behaviors clearly could have long term
implications for decreasing chronic disease and costs. Because of the
long-term impact of abuse on a patient's health, I recommend
integrating assessment for current and lifetime physical or sexual
violence exposure and interventions into routine care. Regular, face-
to-face screening of women by skilled healthcare providers markedly
increases the identification of victims of intimate partner violence
(IPV), as well as those who are at risk for verbal, physical, and
sexual abuse. Routine inquiry of all patients, as opposed to indicator-
based assessment, increases opportunities for both identification and
effective interventions, validates IPV as a central and legitimate
healthcare issue, and enables providers to assist both victims and
their children.
When victims or children exposed to IPV are identified early,
providers may be able to break the isolation and coordinate with
domestic violence (DV) advocates to help patients understand their
options, live more safely within the relationship, or safely leave the
relationship. Expert opinion suggests that such interventions in adult
health settings may lead to reduced morbidity and mortality. Assessment
for exposure to lifetime abuse has major implications for primary
prevention and early intervention to end the cycle of violence.
Just as the healthcare system has always played an important role
in identifying and preventing other serious public health problems, I
believe it can and must play a pivotal role in domestic and sexual
violence prevention and intervention. It is clear that by funding these
innovative and life-saving health provisions established by title V in
VAWA 2005, we can help save the lives of victims of violence and
greatly reduce healthcare expenses.
In order to advance necessary and needed health goals, I urge you
to provide $13 million to the Department of Health and Human Services
to fully fund the Violence Against Women Act's Health Care Programs for
fiscal year 2010, and specifically fund the following Labor, Health and
Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies programs
accordingly:
--Training and Education of Health Professionals Program.--$3 million
to train healthcare providers and students in health
professional schools how to identify and screen victims of
domestic and sexual violence; ensure immediate safety; document
their injuries; and refer them to appropriate services;
--Fostering Public Health Responses.--$5 million to promote public
health programs that integrate domestic and sexual violence
assessment and intervention into basic care, as well as
encourage collaborations between healthcare providers, public
health programs, and domestic and sexual violence programs; and
--Research on Effective Interventions.--$5 million to support
research and evaluation on effective interventions in the
healthcare setting to improve abused women's health and safety
and prevent initial victimization.
protect nonabusive parents and children
Another area of concern is the intersection of domestic violence
and child abuse, which often occur in the same family. Approximately 45
percent of female caregivers of children reported for child
maltreatment have experienced intimate partner violence in their
lifetime and 29 percent in the past year. In a study of families
investigated for child maltreatment, 31 percent of female caregivers
reported experiencing intimate partner violence in the past year;
however child welfare workers only identified this abuse in 12 percent
of the families.
When child welfare agencies work alone in responding to child
maltreatment, they may not understand the complexity of the domestic
violence situation and ``pre-emptively'' remove the child without
offering services to the adult victim. This can have a devastating
result for both the child and the nonabusive caretaker. In addition,
the opposite approach may also be taken. Frequently, the child
protective system fails to take seriously the threat posed by an
abusive husband or partner and fails to take any action to support the
mother's efforts to keep her and her children safe and hold him
accountable for his actions.
By supporting agencies in cooperative efforts to provide services
to victims--both children and their nonabusive caretakers--it is
possible to keep families safe and united during the difficult process
of ending abuse.
the solution: improve cooperation between child welfare and domestic
violence advocates
Building on what was commonly known as the ``Greenbook Project,'' a
federally funded demonstration grant program, VAWA 2005 authorized a
program to create grants for training and collaboration on the
intersection between domestic violence and child maltreatment. The
intent is to ensure that nonabusive family members receive the services
they need to keep their families safe, and community services can deal
with both problems simultaneously, allowing for a better use of our
limited resources. As the two problems often occur together, dealing
with one problem and not the other is at the peril of our children.
I urge you to fully fund Training and Collaboration on the
Intersection Between Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment Program
at $5 million to help serve families experiencing violence.
In addition, I ask that you continue to support full funding for
the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, the Nation's only
designated Federal funding source for domestic violence shelters and
services. As leaders committed to both the prevention of intimate
partner violence and to the health and safety of victims, I urge you to
fund these critical programs.
______

Prepared Statement of the HIV Medicine Association
The HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA) of the Infectious Diseases
Society of America (IDSA) represents more than 3,600 physicians,
scientists, and other healthcare professionals who practice on the
frontline of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Our members provide medical care
and treatment to people with HIV/AIDS throughout the United States,
lead HIV prevention programs and conduct research to develop effective
HIV prevention and treatment options. As medical providers and
researchers dedicated to the field of HIV medicine, we work in
communities across the country and around the globe. We appreciate the
fiscal challenges that you currently face, but the state of the economy
makes it imperative that our Nation has a strong healthcare safety net,
effective programs for preventing infectious diseases like HIV and a
vibrant scientific research agenda.
The U.S. investment in HIV/AIDS programs has revolutionized HIV
care globally making HIV treatment one of the most effective medical
interventions available. A robust research agenda and rapid public
health implementation of scientific findings have transformed the HIV
epidemic reducing morbidity and mortality due to HIV disease by nearly
80 percent in the United States. The Ryan White program has played a
critical role in ensuring that many low-income people with HIV have
access to lifesaving HIV treatment. However, the impact of our
diminished investment in public health and research programs over the
last several years has taken its toll in communities across the
country. HIV clinics are cutting hours and services while new HIV cases
are increasing by at least 15 percent.
We face a critical juncture when we must either shore up our
healthcare safety net, public health infrastructure, and research
programs or risk serious regression in our fight against this deadly
disease. The funding requests in our testimony largely reflect the
consensus of the Federal AIDS Policy Partnership (FAPP) a coalition of
HIV organizations from across the country, and are estimated to be the
amounts necessary to sustain and strengthen our investment in combating
HIV disease.
center for disease control and prevention's (cdc) national center for
hiv/aids, viral hepatitis, std, and tb prevention (nchhstp)
HIVMA strongly supports an increase of $1.27 billion in funding for
the CDC's NCHHSTP with an increase of $878 million for HIV prevention
and surveillance, an increase of $31.7 million for viral hepatitis and
$66.1 million for Tuberculosis prevention.
Every 9\1/2\ minutes a new HIV infection happens in the United
States with more than 60 percent of new cases occurring among African
Americans and Hispanic/Latinos. While new HIV cases have increased, the
CDC's HIV prevention budget has declined 19 percent compared to
inflation since 2002. A failure to invest now in HIV prevention will be
costly. The CDC estimates that the 56,300 new HIV infections each year
in the United States may result in $56 billion in medical care and lost
productivity.
We strongly support the CDC initiative to integrate HIV screening
into medical care and remain seriously concerned about the lack of
Federal resources available to State health departments, medical
institutions, community health centers, and other community-based
organizations for implementing these programs. Increased HIV screening
with linkage to care and treatments will help lower HIV incidence and
prevalence in the United States. Effective treatment reduces the virus
to very low levels in the body and greatly reduces the risk of HIV
transmission. Furthermore through education, counseling and treatment,
individuals who are aware that they have HIV are less likely to
transmit the virus. The transmission rates among people who know their
status is 1.7 percent to 2.4 percent compared to transmission rates of
8.8 percent to 10.8 percent for those who are unaware they are infected
with HIV.
Despite the known benefit of effective treatment, 21 percent of
people living with HIV in the United States are still not aware of
their status and as many as 36 percent of people newly diagnosed with
HIV progress to AIDS within 1 year of diagnosis. Identifying people
with HIV earlier through routine HIV testing and linking them to HIV
care saves lives and is more cost effective for the healthcare system.
One study found that people living with HIV disease receiving care at
the later stages of the disease expended 2.6 times more in healthcare
dollars than those receiving treatment according to the standard of
care recommended in the Federal HIV treatment guidelines.
An infusion of HIV prevention funding is critical to restore and
enhance HIV prevention cooperative agreements with State and local
health departments; to optimize core surveillance cooperative
agreements with health departments and to expand HIV testing in key
healthcare venues by funding testing infrastructure, the purchase of
approved testing devices, including rapid HIV tests and confirmatory
testing.
Finally, we also must increase support for science-based,
comprehensive sex education programs. We strongly urge Congress to
discontinue funding for unproven abstinence-only sex education programs
and shift these funds to support comprehensive, age-appropriate sex
education programs.
cdc--tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is the major cause of AIDS-related mortality
worldwide. Congress passed landmark legislation--the Comprehensive
Tuberculosis Elimination Act of 2008--Public Law 110-873 last year that
authorizes a number of actions that will shore up State TB control
programs, enhance U.S. capacity to deal with the serious threat of
drug-resistant tuberculosis and escalate our efforts to develop
urgently needed new ``tools'' in the form of drugs, diagnostics, and
vaccines. It is critical that the $210 million in funding authorized
for fiscal year 2010 in this important new law is appropriated for the
CDC Division of TB Elimination. This represents an increase of $66.1
million more than current funding levels. Funding to support the
prevention, control, and elimination of tuberculosis must increase
substantially if we are going to make headway against this deadly
disease and to address the emerging threat of highly drug resistant
tuberculosis.
cdc--viral hepatitis
Funds are urgently needed to provide core public health services
and to track chronic cases of hepatitis. Hepatitis is a serious co-
infection for nearly one-third of our HIV patients. We strongly urge
you to boost funding for viral hepatitis at the CDC by $31 million for
a total funding of $50 million.
hiv/aids bureau of the health resources and services administration
We strongly urge you to increase funding for the Ryan White program
by $577 million in fiscal year 2010 with at least an increase of $68.4
million for part C for a total appropriation of $270,254,000. We also
strongly support the $4 million included in the President's budget to
support in-depth, long-term HIV training opportunities for primary care
clinicians.
Ryan White part C funds comprehensive HIV care and treatment--the
services that are directly responsible for the dramatic decreases in
AIDS-related mortality and morbidity over the last decade. While the
patient load in part C programs has been rising in number, funding for
part C has effectively decreased. Part C programs expect a continued
increase in patients due to higher diagnosis rates and declining
insurance coverage. During this economic downturn people with HIV
across the country will rely on part C comprehensive services more than
ever. An increase in funding is critical to ensure that clinics are
able to prevent staffing cuts, as well as, to ensure the public health
of our communities. Part C of the Ryan White program has been under-
funded for years, but new pressures are creating a crisis in
communities across the country. The HIV medical clinics funded through
part C have been in dire need of increased funding for years. Years of
near flat funding, combined with large increases in the patient
population, are negatively impacting the ability of part C providers to
serve their patients.
With the rapid cost increases in all aspects of healthcare
delivery, despite small funding increases, programs are still operating
at a funding deficit because they are serving more patients than ever.
In 2008, part C programs will treat an estimated 248,070--a dramatic 30
percent increase in less than 10 years. Part C clinics are laying off
staff, discontinuing critical services such as laboratory monitoring,
creating waitlists, and operating on a 4-day work week just to get by.
HIVMA strongly supports the effort led by the Ryan White Medical
Providers Coalition to double funding for Ryan White part C programs by
fiscal year 2012. These funds are urgently critical to meet the needs
of HIV patients served by part C around the country.
The $4 million proposed in the President's budget to support
longer-term training opportunities in HIV medicine or clinical HIV
fellowships for primary care practitioners is vital to drawing
clinicians into the field of HIV medicine and ensuring new HIV
clinicians have the skills and expertise to provide effective HIV care.
More that a one-quarter of a century into the HIV epidemic, we are
seeing the graying of our Nation's HIV clinical workforce, and we have
serious concerns about ensuring a new generation of HIV medical
providers to care for Americans with HIV. In a recent survey of Ryan
White part C clinics--nearly 70 percent reported difficulty recruiting
and retaining HIV clinicians. One of the top barriers identified to
retention and to recruitment was lack of a qualified workforce. We must
promptly and swiftly address this issue before its effects are felt in
increases in morbidity and mortality from HIV and the proposed $4
million for more intensive training in HIV medicine would be an
important first step.
We also respectfully urge you to include at least $1 million in
this year's Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and
Related Agencies appropriations bill for a study to evaluate the
capacity of the HIV medical workforce as well as potential strategies
to increase the numbers of young physicians, nurse practitioners and
physician assistants entering HIV medicine.
national institutes of health (nih)--office of aids research
HIVMA strongly supports an increase of at least $3.7 billion for
all research programs at the NIH, including at least a $500 million
increase for the NIH Office of AIDS. This level of funding is vital to
sustain the pace of research that will improve the health and quality
of life for millions of Americans.
HIVMA strongly supported the infusion of NIH research dollars
included in the economic recovery bill. The desperately needed funding
came at a critical time to sustain our Nation's scientific research
capacity while stimulating the economy in communities across the
country.
Prior to the boost in NIH funding, the declining U.S. investment in
biomedical research had taken its toll in deep cuts to clinical trials
networks and significant reductions in the numbers of high-quality,
investigator-initiated grants that were approved. With only 1 in 4
research applications receiving funding, the pipeline for critical
discoveries and HIV scientists has been dwindling and our role as a
leader in biomedical research is at serious risk.
Our past investment in a comprehensive portfolio was responsible
for the dramatic gains that we made in our HIV knowledge base, gains
that resulted in reductions in mortality from AIDS of nearly 80 percent
in the United States and in other countries where treatment is
available. Gains that also helped us to reduce the mother to child HIV
transmission rate from 25 percent to nearly 1 percent in the United
States and to very low levels in other countries where treatment is
available.
A continued robust AIDS research portfolio is essential to sustain
and to accelerate our progress in offering more effective prevention
technologies; developing new and less toxic treatments; and supporting
the basic research necessary to continue our work developing a vaccine
that may end the deadliest pandemic in human history. The sheer
magnitude of the number of people affected by HIV--more than 1 million
people in the United States; more than 33 million people globally--
demands a continued investment in AIDS research if we are going to
truly eradicate this devastating disease. We believe a high priority
should be research to discover novel prevention strategies, to improve
available treatment strategies, to aid prevention and to maximize the
benefits of antiretroviral therapy, especially in the populations
disproportionately affected by HIV in the United States and in
resource-limited settings.
We also continue to support the NIH's Fogarty International Center
(FIC) and recommend an expansion of its programs and funding. The FIC
training programs play a critical role in developing self-sustaining
healthcare infrastructures in resource-limited countries. These
important programs offer invaluable training and mentoring to
indigenous physicians from the countries hardest hit by the HIV
pandemic and other deadly infectious diseases, such as malaria and
tuberculosis. Physicians trained through the FIC are able to develop
research programs that more effectively address the healthcare,
cultural and resource needs of their country's residents while also
fostering the development of ongoing, robust research and clinical
programs.
Historically, our Nation has made significant strides in responding
to the HIV pandemic here at home and around the world, but we have lost
ground in recent years, particularly domestically, as funding
priorities have shifted away from public health and research programs.
We appreciate the many difficult decisions that Congress faces this
year but urge you to recognize the importance of investing in HIV
prevention, treatment, and research now to avoid the much higher cost
that individuals, communities, and broader society will incur if we
fail to sustain these programs now. We have the opportunity to limit
the toll of this deadly infectious disease on our planet and to save
the lives of millions who are infected or at risk of infection here in
the United States and around the globe.
______

Letter From the HIV Law Project
New York, NY, May 22, 2009.
Hon. Tom Harkin,
Chairman, Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Services, and
Education, and Related Agencies, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Harkin: We respectfully request that you eliminate
all funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs (in particular
the Community-Based Abstinence Education Program as well as the Title V
Abstinence Education Programs), and instead fund programs that provide
medically accurate, age-appropriate comprehensive sex education.
President Obama has recently released a budget that zeroes out
these funding streams for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. We
applaud his leadership in stopping the flow of dollars that has funded
these ineffective and inaccurate programs for too long. Yet the
President's budget proposes to replace these programs with a new Teen
Pregnancy Prevention Initiative that falls short of the needed
comprehensive sexuality education programming, and opens the door to
again funding ineffectual abstinence-only programs with new dollars.
Moving forward, we ask that you follow President Obama's lead in
advancing public health over ideology by embracing evidence- and
science-based educational programs through the elimination of funding
for abstinence-only programs. But we believe that new funds to protect
the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents through educational
programming must be comprehensive in nature, and not limited to the
single issue of teen pregnancy prevention.
what is comprehensive sexuality education?
Comprehensive sexuality education programs include age-appropriate,
medically accurate information on a wide range of topics related to
sexuality including relationships, decisionmaking, abstinence,
contraception, and disease prevention. They provide students with
opportunities for developing interpersonal and relationship skills as
well as learning accurate information. Comprehensive sexuality
education programs help young people exercise responsibility regarding
sexual relationships by addressing abstinence, pressures to engage in
sexual intercourse prematurely, and the use of contraception.
Comprehensive sexuality education also addresses prevention against the
triple threats of unwanted teen pregnancies, sexually transmitted
infections, and HIV in order to preserve the sexual and reproductive
health of our young people.
abstinence-only programs are ineffective and inaccurate
Contrary to the claims of abstinence-only proponents, these
programs have had no positive impact on teen sexuality. A study
commissioned by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found
that youth who participated in abstinence-only programs were no more
likely than their peers to abstain from sex, and participants reported
having similar numbers of sexual partners and having initiated sex at
the same average age as their counterparts who did not participate in
the programs.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Trenholm, Christopher, Barbara Devaney, Ken Fortson, et al. for
Mathematica Policy Research. ``Impacts of Four Title V, Section 510
Abstinence Education Programs. Final Report.'' April 2007. Available at
http://www.mathematica-mpr.com/publications/PDFs/impactabstinence.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Teaching abstinence is appropriate if discussed as one among many
possible approaches to staying healthy, and avoiding unintended
pregnancy. The problem is teaching abstinence only. Abstinence-only-
until-marriage programs are prohibited from teaching about
contraceptives, except to emphasize their failure rates. Many of the
most popular federally funded, abstinence-only curricula are rife with
false and misleading information, including that condoms fail to
prevent the spread of HIV approximately 31 percent of the time in
heterosexual sex, and that HIV is spread through sweat and tears. By
their very definition, abstinence-only programs perpetuate ignorance as
well as homophobia by teaching that a mutually faithful monogamous
relationship in the context of marriage is the expected standard of
sexual activity, and that sexual activity outside of the context of
marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects.
comprehensive sexuality education programs are effective
A rigorous review of 48 studies evaluating the efficacy of domestic
comprehensive sexuality education programs found numerous positive
outcomes, and debunked all the myths that serve to hamper governmental
support of comprehensive sexuality education:\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ Douglas Kirby, Ph.D. et al. ``Emerging Answers 2007: Research
Findings on Programs to Reduce Teen Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted
Diseases.'' November 2007. Available at http://
www.thenationalcampaign.org/EA2007/EA2007_full.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Comprehensive sexuality education program participants were found
to delay sexual initiation in 40 percent of the programs
reviewed, and no study found that comprehensive sexuality
education programs hasten the initiation of sex.
--Of the studies that measured the programs' impact on frequency of
sexual activity among participants, 30 percent found that
programs reduced the frequency of sexual activity, and none
found an increase in frequency.
--A decrease in the number of sexual partners was documented by 41
percent of those studies measuring for this.
--An increase in condom use among program participants was found by
41 percent of the studies.
--56 percent of the programs found that sexuality and STD/HIV
education programs significantly reduced sexual risk-taking.
Reducing risk-taking reduces the transmission of STIs and HIV,
and helps to prevent unwanted pregnancies. None of the programs
increased sexual risk-taking.
--One of the studies estimated the cost-effectiveness of a sex
education program, and found that for every $1 invested in the
comprehensive sexuality program studied, $2.65 was saved in
medical and social costs, attributable to pregnancy prevention
and prevention of the transmission of sexually transmitted
infections, including HIV.
the public supports comprehensive sex education
A 2004 poll by Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, the Kaiser
Family Foundation, and National Public Radio found that 77 percent of
Americans believe that giving teens information about how to obtain and
use condoms makes it more likely that teens will practice safe sex now
or in the future. Further, a mere 7 percent of Americans said sex
education should not be taught in schools.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ National Public Radio, Kaiser Family Foundation, and Kennedy
School of Government, ``Sex Education in America: General Public/
Parents Survey.'' January 2004. Available at http://www.kff.org/
newsmedia/upload/Sex-Education-in-America-Summary.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
youth are sexually active
One of the fundamental problems with abstinence-only programs is
that they ignore the reality of teenage sexuality. According to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2007, 47 percent of high
school students had sex at some time. In addition, nearly 15 percent of
students had sex with four or more sexual partners.\4\ Further, that
same year 38 percent of high school students who were then sexually
active had not used a condom during last sexual intercourse. In other
words, sexually active youth are engaging in risky sexual behaviors.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ``Youth Risk
Behavior Surveillance--United States, 2007''. June 6, 2008. Available
at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5704a1.htm
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
negative health outcomes are prevalent among youth
--Almost half of all new STD infections are among youth aged 15 to
24.
--Approximately 14 percent of the persons diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in
2006 were young people, between the ages of 13 and 24.
--In 2002, there were approximately 757,000 pregnancies among
adolescents aged 15-19.\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ``Sexual Risk
Behaviors''. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/
sexualbehaviors/index.htm
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comprehensive sex education has great potential to influence safer
sexual behavior among youth and reduce the risk of HIV and STI
transmission, as well as prevent unwanted pregnancies. Yet many young
people still lack both the knowledge and the skills to minimize their
risk. Prevention is not possible without knowledge of risk and
appropriate risk-reduction strategies.
schools are failing to educate students about sexual and reproductive
health
Unfortunately, recent history indicates that young people are
becoming less able to protect themselves due to their schools' failure
to provide comprehensive sexuality education. In 2006, only 38.5
percent of high schools provided students with information regarding
proper condom use,\6\ a decrease from 2000 when 55.1 percent of high
schools provided this information.\7\ Additionally, while 96 percent of
States provided funding for or offered staff development on HIV
prevention to health educators in 2000, only 84 percent did so in
2006.\8\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ SHPPS 2006. ``HIV Prevention''. Available at: http://
www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/SHPPS/2006/factsheets/pdf/
FS_HIVPrevention_SHPPS2006.pdf
\7\ SHPPS 2000. ``Fact Sheet: HIV Prevention''. Available at:
http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/SHPPS/2000/factsheets/pdf/hiv.pdf
\8\ SHPPS 2006. ``HIV Prevention''.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In sum, young people need prevention information and skills in
order to make healthy decisions. Funding for abstinence-only
programming, which has been proven ineffective, must be eliminated and
replaced with funds for comprehensive sexuality education. We cannot
afford to continue to spend money on ineffective programs. Our young
people deserve, and it is Government's obligation to provide, programs
that give them the information they need to make responsible decisions
to maintain their own sexual and reproductive health.
Sincerely yours,
ADAP Advocacy Association; African Services
Committee; AIDS Alabama; AIDS Alliance for
Children, Youth and Families; AIDS Law
Project of Pennsylvania; Alliance of AIDS
Services--Carolina; Cascade AIDS Project;
Center for HIV Law & Policy; Center for
Women & HIV Advocacy at HIV Law Project;
CHAMP.
Christie's Place; Colorado AIDS Project; Community
Access National Network; Global Life Works;
HIVictorious, Inc.; Housing Works; Positive
Women's Network; Latino Commission on AIDS;
Lifelong AIDS Alliance; National Alliance
of State and Territorial AIDS Directors.
New York City AIDS Housing Network (NYCAHN);
Sisterlove; SMART (Sisterhood Mobilized for
AIDS/HIV Research & Treatment); The Women's
Collective; Women's HIV Collaborative of
New York; Women's Initiative to Stop HIV--
NY of the Legal Action Center; Women's
Lighthouse Project; Women Organized to
Respond to Life-Threatening Diseases
(WORLD); Young Women of Color HIV/AIDS
Coalition.
______

Prepared Statement of HONOReform
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: As president and
cofounder of Hepatitis Outbreaks National Organization for Reform
(HONOReform), I want to take this opportunity to thank you for the
leadership role this subcommittee has played on healthcare acquired
infections (HAIs). HONOReform is a nonprofit foundation that advances
the lessons learned in hepatitis outbreaks and seeks to prevent future
healthcare-associated hepatitis epidemics through education and policy
reform.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates
there are 1.7 million infections resulting in approximately 99,000
deaths annually in the United States, making HAIs the fourth-leading
cause of death. Beyond the human toll, there is an enormous financial
burden to our healthcare system.
We are deeply concerned with the rise in the number of disease
outbreaks related to the reuse of syringes and misuse of multidose
vials in the outpatient setting. In the January 2009 edition of the
Annals of Internal Medicine, an article by the CDC, revealed the
occurrence of 33 outbreaks of viral hepatitis in healthcare settings
over the last decade. All of these documented outbreaks occurred in
nonhospital settings and involved failure on the part of healthcare
providers to adhere to basic infection control practices, most notably
by reusing syringes and other equipment intended for single use.
I am a victim of what was the largest single source outbreak of
Hepatitis C in U.S. history, until last year's Las Vegas, Nevada
outbreak that potentially exposed more than 63,000 patients to
hepatitis C. In 2001, I contracted hepatitis C through an oncology
clinic (nonhospital setting), in Fremont, Nebraska as I was fighting to
survive breast cancer for the second time. Ninety-eight other patients
from the oncology clinic became infected with hepatitis C. The nurse
would reuse the syringe for port flushes, which would then contaminated
a 500cc saline bag. The saline bag was used for other patients, which
in turn became the source of infection for multiple cancer patients.
This improper practice was repeated on a regular basis over a 2-year
period.
I utilized my malpractice settlement to establish HONOReform in
2007 to put an end to these completely preventable outbreaks. More than
100,000 patients seeking healthcare and treatment have received letters
notifying them of potential exposure to hepatitis and HIV due to
improper injection practices in the last 10 years. In April 2009, two
outbreaks in New Jersey--a cancer clinic and hospital--and an outbreak
at a South Dakota outpatient urology clinic, conducted large patient
notifications which further illustrates that this problem requires
immediate action to protect the citizens that are accessing our
healthcare system each day.
Moreover, these hepatitis outbreaks are entirely preventable when
healthcare providers adhere to proper infection control procedures. A
2002 study by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA)
found that 1 percent of practitioners felt it was acceptable to reuse a
syringe for multiple patients and more than 30 percent of healthcare
providers believed it was acceptable to reuse a syringe on the same
patient if the needle is changed.
Mr. Chairman, beyond the significant risk posed to the physical
health of patients, even the receipt of a notification of potential
exposure can cause significant mental anguish and lead to an even
greater danger--a loss of faith in the medical system by the public.
Victims feel that they have been personally violated and betrayed by
those to whom they entrusted their health. We, as a Nation, can not
afford to ignore the issue and hope it goes away.
Through its foundation, HONOReform has joined forces with the
Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, AANA, Association
for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Ambulatory
Surgery Foundation, Becton, Dickinson and Company, CDC, CDC Foundation,
Nebraska Medical Association, and the Nevada State Medical Association,
to establish the One & One Campaign. The One & Only Campaign is an
effort aimed at re-educating healthcare providers that syringes and
other medical equipment must not be reused and empowering patients to
ask the right questions when seeking healthcare. If patients are
knowledgeable about injection safety, they will be empowered to speak
up in their provider's office to ask if they are getting ``One Needle,
One Syringe, and Only One Time.
In fiscal year 2009, the CDC received $2.5 million to establish a
pilot campaign in Nevada for the launch of the One & Only Campaign,
which we hope will be expanded to the national campaign with your
support for continued and expanded funding in fiscal year 2010.
Each of these requests will have a profound impact on all patients
and consumers. They are aimed at reducing the knowledge gap for
providers, empowering patients, tracking HAIs to limit the spread of
disease, and improving the quality and standards of care in our
Nation's ambulatory care facilities. By focusing on prevention, this
subcommittee can realize savings for healthcare systems and promote
increased patient safety for all Americans.
Mr. Chairman, we respectfully request that the subcommittee
continue supporting prevention efforts at CDC, HHS, and the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to help prevent future hepatitis
and HIV outbreaks through the following fiscal year 2010 appropriations
requests:
HONOReform requests $26 million for CDC's Division of Healthcare
Quality and Promotion to build infrastructure for complete and
consistent adherence to injection safety and infection control
guidelines in the delivery of outpatient care.
As you know, the migration of healthcare delivery from primarily
acute care hospitals to other nonhospital settings (e.g., home care,
ambulatory care, free-standing specialty care sites, long-term care,
etc.) requires that common principles of infection control practice be
applied to the spectrum of healthcare delivery settings. The CDC needs
additional resources to use the knowledge gained through these
activities to detect infections and develop new strategies to prevent
healthcare-associated transmission of blood borne pathogens. This
request includes the following elements:
--Provider Education and Awareness.--Nine million dollars to be used
to support CDC's efforts around provider education and patient
awareness activities. Currently, the CDC along with patient
advocacy organizations, foundations, provider associations and
societies and industry partners have established the Safe
Injection Practices Coalition. The requested funding would be
used to roll out a national public health campaign focused on
safe injection practices. Additionally, funds will be used to
develop and disseminate safe practice materials and develop
related tools designed for inpatient and outpatient settings.
Innovative tools will be developed in conjunction with key
partners and stakeholders for use by providers and healthcare
personnel, including training tools to be used by professional
organizations and accreditation and licensing groups to
increase adherence to recommendations
--Engineering and Innovation.--Eight million dollars would be used to
support CDC in promoting private-sector healthcare solutions to
injection safety and infection control problems by engage and
incentivizing the private sector to innovate and create fast
track engineering solutions to injection safety and infection
control problems through the development of innovative products
to reduce infection transmission for inpatient and outpatient
healthcare settings. With this funding, CDC will convene a
roundtable with industry, conduct a study on available
technology, assess opportunities for investment in research and
development, and examine incentives required for adoption of
equipment designed with engineering controls (e.g., sharps
disposal containers, self-sheathing needles, safer medical
devices, such as sharps with engineered sharps injury
protections and needless systems, etc.). CDC will also pursue
mechanisms such as grants or CRADAs with industry to accelerate
the development of products that have the potential for
eliminating the opportunity for human error from process of
administering injections.
--Detection and Tracking.--Nine million dollars would be used for
detection and tracking in order to enable States to investigate
outbreaks of hepatitis and other potential pathogens related to
injection safety. In addition, this funding would provide
support to CDC for emergency response to assist States in
responding to hepatitis outbreaks (i.e., Nevada), including
genetic sequencing tests. Funding would support efforts
including training at health departments related to safe
injection practices and recognition of errors, and to enable
rapid investigation and intervention when errors are detected.
The funding would also support the augmentation of survey
capacity in outpatient settings to strengthen State capacity to
detect infections that indicate systemic patient safety errors.
The funding will enable CDC to provide support to States by
providing training tools for surveyors, health department staff
and epidemiologists to improve methods of monitoring adherence
to correct practices and to provide tools for investigation,
response and intervention strategies. Funds will also enable
CDC to provide data analysis and feedback to States.
HONOReform requests $1 million for the Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS) to expand its current focus for reducing
healthcare acquired infections (HAIs) from hospitals to all healthcare
settings, including outpatient facilities. We are deeply concerned with
the number of HAIs occurring in office-based settings, such as
ambulatory care centers, infusion centers, and endoscopy clinics, due
to a lack of adherence to basic infection control procedures. In the
past year, more than 100,000 patients across the country have been
exposed to hepatitis and HIV from healthcare providers failing to
adhere to proper safe injection practices and infection control.
HONOReform requests $10 million in general patient safety funds for
the AHRQ's Ambulatory Patient Safety Program. While much is known about
risk and hazards in the hospital setting, the same cannot be said of
ambulatory care setting. Few safety practices have been identified, and
there is limited data on the nature of risk and hazards to patients and
the threat to quality in the ambulatory care setting. As part of the
overall AHRQ patient safety and quality improvement efforts, the
identification, assessment, and modeling of risk and hazards prior to
designing or implementing intervention strategy in ambulatory care is
critical. In light of the growing number of incidents involving syringe
reuse and hepatitis C transmission, this funding would enable AHRQ to
expand its ambulatory safety and quality program ``to identify the
inherent risks in ambulatory settings and to develop potential
solutions for protecting patients.''
Mr. Chairman, on behalf of HONOReform, I would like to express my
appreciation for this opportunity to present written testimony before
the subcommittee. The growing number of incidents involving syringe
reuse and hepatitis C transmission in non-hospital settings across the
country highlights the need for enhancing education, awareness and
public health activities related to proper infection control and safe
injection practices.
______

Prepared Statement of the Health Professions and Nursing Education
Coalition
The members of the Health Professions and Nursing Education
Coalition (HPNEC) are pleased to submit this statement for the record
in support of $550 million in fiscal year 2010 for the health
professions education programs authorized under titles VII and VIII of
the Public Health Service Act and administered through the Health
Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). HPNEC is an informal
alliance of more than 60 national organizations representing schools,
programs, health professionals, and students dedicated to ensuring the
healthcare workforce is trained to meet the needs of our diverse
population.
As you know, the title VII and VIII health professions and nursing
programs are essential components of the Nation's healthcare safety
net, bringing healthcare services to our underserved communities. These
programs support the training and education of healthcare providers to
enhance the supply, diversity, and distribution of the healthcare
workforce, filling the gaps in the supply of health professionals not
met by traditional market forces. Through loans, loan guarantees, and
scholarships to students, and grants and contracts to academic
institutions and nonprofit organizations, the title VII and VIII
programs are the only Federal programs designed to train providers in
interdisciplinary settings to meet the needs of special and underserved
populations, as well as increase minority representation in the
healthcare workforce.
We are thankful to the subcommittee for the $200 million provided
for the health professions programs in the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (Public Law 111-5). We also greatly appreciate that
the recently enacted fiscal year 2009 Omnibus Appropriations bill
(Public Law 111-8) provides some increases for most title VII and VIII
programs. These investments provide a crucial springboard to begin to
wholly reverse chronic underfunding of these programs and address
existing and looming shortages of health professionals.
According to HRSA, an additional 30,000 health practitioners are
needed to alleviate existing health professional shortages. Combined
with faculty shortages across health professions disciplines, racial/
ethnic disparities in healthcare, and a growing, aging population,
these needs strain an already fragile healthcare system. Because of the
time required to train health professionals, we must make appropriate
investments today. Yet, despite some increases in recent years, many of
the health professions programs remain well below their comparable
fiscal year 2005 funding levels. HPNEC's $550 million recommendation
will help sustain the health workforce expansion supported by funding
in the recovery package. Further, this appropriation will restore
funding to critical programs that sustained drastic funding reductions
in fiscal year 2006 and remain well below fiscal year 2005 levels.
We are grateful to President Obama for highlighting the need to
strengthen the health professions workforce as a national priority.
This strategy is in line with numerous recent, highly regarded
recommendations. In a December 2008 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report,
HRSA's health professions programs were characterized as ``an
undervalued asset'' and the Department of Health and Human Services was
encouraged to support additional investments in the programs. Another
IOM report on the future workforce for older Americans from April 2008
also called for increased funding for the health professions programs.
The November 2008 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Academic Medicine
chronicles the effectiveness of the programs, and the primary care
programs in particular, while the December 2008 issue of the Mt. Sinai
Journal of Medicine highlights the impact of the diversity programs.
These most recent publications showcase the network of title VII and
VIII initiatives across the country supporting the education and
training of the full range of health providers. Together, the programs
work in concert with other programs at the Department of Health and
Human Services--including the National Health Service Corps and
Community Health Centers (CHCs)--to strengthen the health safety net
for rural and medically underserved communities.
The Health Professions Education Partnerships Act of 1998 (Public
Law 105-392) consolidated the programs into seven general categories:
--The purpose of the Minority and Disadvantaged Health Professionals
Training programs is to improve healthcare access in
underserved areas and the representation of minority and
disadvantaged healthcare providers in the health professions.
Minority Centers of Excellence support programs that seek to
increase the number of minority health professionals through
increased research on minority health issues, establishment of
an educational pipeline, and the provision of clinical
opportunities in community-based health facilities. The Health
Careers Opportunity Program seeks to improve the development of
a competitive applicant pool through partnerships with local
educational and community organizations. The Faculty Loan
Repayment and Faculty Fellowship programs provide incentives
for schools to recruit underrepresented minority faculty. The
Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) make funds
available to eligible students from disadvantaged backgrounds
who are enrolled as full-time health professions students.
Nurses received $15.1 million in fiscal year 2007 from SDS
grants, 32 percent of funds appropriated for SDS.
--The Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry programs, including General
Pediatrics, General Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, General
Dentistry, Pediatric Dentistry, and Physician Assistants,
provide for the education and training of primary care
physicians, dentists, and physician assistants to improve
access and quality of healthcare in underserved areas. Two-
thirds of all Americans interact with a primary care provider
every year. Approximately one- half of primary care providers
trained through these programs go on to work in underserved
areas, compared to 10 percent of those not trained through
these programs. The General Pediatrics, General Internal
Medicine, and Family Medicine programs provide critical funding
for primary care training in community-based settings and have
been successful in directing more primary care physicians to
work in underserved areas. They support a range of initiatives,
including medical student training, residency training, faculty
development and the development of academic administrative
units. The General Dentistry and Pediatric Dentistry programs
provide grants to dental schools and hospitals to create or
expand primary care dental residency training programs.
Recognizing that all primary care is not only provided by
physicians, the primary care cluster also provides grants for
Physician Assistant programs to encourage and prepare students
for primary care practice in rural and urban Health
Professional Shortage Areas. Additionally, these programs
enhance the efforts of osteopathic medical schools to continue
to emphasize primary care medicine, health promotion, and
disease prevention, and the practice of ambulatory medicine in
community-based settings.
--Because much of the Nation's healthcare is delivered in areas far
removed from health professions schools, the Interdisciplinary,
Community-Based Linkages cluster provides support for
community-based training of various health professionals. These
programs are designed to provide greater flexibility in
training and to encourage collaboration between two or more
disciplines. These training programs also serve to encourage
health professionals to return to such settings after
completing their training. The Area Health Education Centers
(AHECs) provide clinical training opportunities to health
professions and nursing students in rural and other underserved
communities by extending the resources of academic health
centers to these areas. AHECs, which have substantial State and
local matching funds, form networks of health-related
institutions to provide education services to students, faculty
and practitioners. Geriatric Health Professions programs
support geriatric faculty fellowships, the Geriatric Academic
Career Award, and Geriatric Education Centers, which are all
designed to bolster the number and quality of healthcare
providers caring for our older generations. Given America's
burgeoning aging population, there is a need for specialized
training in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease
and other health concerns of the elderly. The Quentin N.
Burdick Program for Rural Health Interdisciplinary Training
places an emphasis on long-term collaboration between academic
institutions, rural healthcare agencies, and providers to
improve the recruitment and retention of health professionals
in rural areas. This program has received no funding since
fiscal year 2006. The Allied Health Project Grants program
represents the only Federal effort aimed at supporting new and
innovative education programs designed to reduce shortages of
allied health professionals and create opportunities in
medically underserved and minority areas. Health professions
schools use this funding to help establish or expand allied
health training programs. The need to address the critical
shortage of certain allied health professionals has been
acknowledged repeatedly. For example, this shortage has
received special attention given past bioterrorism events and
efforts to prepare for possible future attacks. The Graduate
Psychology Education Program provides grants to doctoral,
internship and postdoctoral programs in support of
interdisciplinary training of psychology students with other
health professionals for the provision of mental and behavioral
health services to underserved populations (i.e., older adults,
children, chronically ill, and victims of abuse and trauma,
including returning military personnel and their families),
especially in rural and urban communities.
--The Health Professions Workforce Information and Analysis program
provides grants to institutions to collect and analyze data on
the health professions workforce to advise future
decisionmaking on the direction of health professions and
nursing programs. The Health Professions Research and Health
Professions Data programs have developed a number of valuable,
policy-relevant studies on the distribution and training of
health professionals, including the Eighth National Sample
Survey of Registered Nurses, the Nation's most extensive and
comprehensive source of statistics on registered nurses.
However, the Workforce Information and Analysis program has
received no appropriation since fiscal year 2006.
--The Public Health Workforce Development programs are designed to
increase the number of individuals trained in public health, to
identify the causes of health problems, and respond to such
issues as managed care, new disease strains, food supply, and
bioterrorism. The Public Health Traineeships and Public Health
Training Centers seek to alleviate the critical shortage of
public health professionals by providing up-to-date training
for current and future public health workers, particularly in
underserved areas. Preventive Medicine Residencies, which
receive minimal funding through Medicare GME, provide training
in the only medical specialty that teaches both clinical and
population medicine to improve community health. Dental Public
Health Residency programs are vital to the Nation's dental
public health infrastructure. The Health Administration
Traineeships and Special Projects grants are the only Federal
funding provided to train the managers of our healthcare
system, with a special emphasis on those who serve in
underserved areas. However, the traineeships have received no
appropriation since fiscal year 2006.
--The Nursing Workforce Development programs under title VIII provide
training for entry-level and advanced degree nurses to improve
the access to, and quality of, healthcare in underserved areas.
These programs provide the largest source of Federal funding
for nursing education, providing loans, scholarships,
traineeships, and programmatic support to 51,657 nursing
students and nurses in fiscal year 2008. Healthcare entities
across the Nation are experiencing a crisis in nurse staffing,
caused in part by an aging workforce and capacity limitations
within the educational system. Each year, nursing schools turn
away between 50,000 and 88,000 qualified applications at all
degree levels due to an insufficient number of faculty,
clinical sites, classroom space, clinical preceptors, and
budget constraints. At the same time, the need for nursing
services and licensed, registered nurses is expected to
increase significantly over the next 20 years. Congress
responded to this dire national need by passing the Nurse
Reinvestment Act (Public Law 107-205) in 2002, which increases
nursing education, retention, and recruitment. The Advanced
Education Nursing program awards grants to train a variety of
advanced practice nurses, including nurse practitioners,
certified nurse-midwives, nurse anesthetists, public health
nurses, nurse educators, and nurse administrators. For example,
this funding has been instrumental in doubling nurse anesthesia
graduates in the last 8 years. However, even though the number
of graduates doubled, the vacancy rate for nurse anesthetists
has remained the same at 12 percent, due to a retiring nursing
profession and an aging population requiring more care.
Workforce Diversity grants support opportunities for nursing
education for disadvantaged students through scholarships,
stipends, and retention activities. Nurse Education, Practice,
and Retention grants are awarded to help schools of nursing,
academic health centers, nurse-managed health centers, State
and local governments, and other healthcare facilities to
develop programs that provide nursing education, promote best
practices, and enhance nurse retention. The Loan Repayment and
Scholarship Program repays up to 85 percent of nursing student
loans and offers full-time and part-time nursing students the
opportunity to apply for scholarship funds. In return these
students are required to work for at least 2 years of practice
in a designated nursing shortage area. The Comprehensive
Geriatric Education grants are used to train RNs who will
provide direct care to older Americans, develop and disseminate
geriatric curriculum, train faculty members, and provide
continuing education. The Nurse Faculty Loan program provides a
student loan fund administered by schools of nursing to
increase the number of qualified nurse faculty.
--The loan programs under Student Financial Assistance support needy
and disadvantaged medical and nursing school students in
covering the costs of their education. The Nursing Student Loan
(NSL) program provides loans to undergraduate and graduate
nursing students with a preference for those with the greatest
financial need. The Primary Care Loan (PCL) program provides
loans covering the cost of attendance in return for dedicated
service in primary care. The Health Professional Student Loan
(HPSL) program provides loans covering the cost of attendance
for financially needy health professions students based on
institutional determination. The NSL, PCL, and HPSL programs
are funded out of each institution's revolving fund and do not
receive Federal appropriations. The Loans for Disadvantaged
Students (LDS) program provides grants to health professions
institutions to make loans to health professions students from
disadvantaged backgrounds.
These programs work collectively to fulfill their unique, three-
pronged mission of improving the supply, diversity, and distribution of
the health professions workforce. HPNEC members respectfully urge
support for funding of at least $550 million for the title VII and VIII
programs, an investment essential not only to the development and
training of tomorrow's healthcare professionals but also to our
Nation's efforts to provide needed healthcare services to underserved
and minority communities. We greatly appreciate the support of the
subcommittee and look forward to working with Members of Congress and
the new administration to reinvest in the health professions programs
in fiscal year 2010 and into the future.
______

Prepared Statement of the Home Safety Council
introduction
Chairman Harkin, Ranking Member Cochran, and members of the
subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony on the
fiscal year 2010 appropriations for the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention's (CDC) National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
(NCIPC).
I am Patricia Adkins, chief operating office and director of public
policy for the Home Safety Council which is located in Washington, DC.
about the home safety council (hsc)
The mission of the HSC is to help prevent and reduce the nearly
20,000 deaths and 21 million medical visits each year from such hazards
as falls, poisoning, fires and burns, choking and suffocation, and
drowning. Through national programs, partnerships and the support of
volunteers, HSC educates people of all ages to help keep them safer in
and around their homes.
Our vision for our Nation is safer homes that provide the
opportunity for all individuals to lead healthy, active, and fulfilling
lives.
increased funding for cdc's ncipc
CDC's NCIPC has the mission of preventing injuries and violence,
and reducing their consequences. It strives to help every American live
his or her life to its fullest potential. Funds are utilized by NCIPC
for intramural and extramural research and in assisting State and local
health agencies in implementing injury prevention programs.
HSC and a coalition of 30 like-minded nonprofit organizations are
requesting an increase of $10 million to the ``Unintentional Injury
Prevention'' account to begin to comprehensively address the large-
scale growth of older adult falls.
Ultimately, success in reducing the number and severity of older
adult falls will be reached through partnerships with Federal, State,
and local agencies along with the cooperation of many nongovernmental
organizations.
why injury prevention is a critical element of healthcare reform
In 1998, the National Academy of Sciences stated, ``Injury is
probably the most under-recognized public health threat facing the
nation today.''
Each year, injuries resulting from a wide variety of physical and
emotional causes--motor vehicle crashes, sports trauma, violence,
poisoning, fires, and falls--keep millions of children and adults from
achieving their goals and making the most of their talents and
abilities.
This is what we know:
--Nationally and in every State in the United States, injuries are
the leading cause of death in the first 44 years of a person's
life.
--In a single year, more than 50 million injuries required medical
attention, with an estimated total lifetime cost of $406
billion.
--This total lifetime cost includes $80 billion in medical care costs
and $326 billion in productivity losses, including lost wages
and benefits and the inability to perform normal household
functions.
These three statistics clearly show the consequences of injuries
and its major burden on the healthcare system.
Fortunately, injury research has proven that there are steps that
can be taken to prevent injuries and increase the likelihood for full
recovery when they do occur. By incorporating these strategies into our
communities and everyday activities, we can help to ensure that
Americans remain healthy and live their lives to the fullest potential.
protecting older adults from injury
We all want a society where people, including our older citizens,
can live healthy and productive lives. A key component of achieving
this is helping older adults avoid injuries. There are actions we can
take to prevent injuries and premature death to our parents,
grandparents, and friends. Some of the most important include
preventing older adults from falling and being injured in fires or
motor vehicle crashes.
One of the injuries affecting the quality of life for older adults
is falls. Falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries
for those 65 and older. Each year, 1.8 million older adults are treated
in emergency departments. Every day, 5,000 adults 65 and older are
hospitalized due to fall-related injuries, and every 35 minutes, an
older adult dies from a fall-related injury.
We know one of the greatest financial challenges facing the U.S.
Government, its citizens, and their employers is the rising cost of
healthcare services needed by older Americans. CDC reports that $80.2
billion is spent annually for medical treatment of injuries, of which
fully $19.2 billion ($12 billion for hospitalization, $4 billion for
emergency department visits, and $3 billion for outpatient care) is for
treating older adults injured by falls. That's almost one-quarter of
all healthcare expenses for injuries each year spent on older adult
falls and the majority of these expenses are paid by CMS through
Medicare. If we cannot stem this rate of increase, it is projected that
the direct treatment costs will reach $54.9 billion annually in 2020,
at which time the cost to Medicare would be $32.4 billion.
While falls are a threat to the health and independence of older
adults and can significantly limit their ability to remain self-
sufficient, the opportunity to reduce falls among older adults has
never been better. Today there are proven interventions and strategies
that can reduce falls and in turn help older adults live better and
longer. Studies show that prescription medications have an effect on
balance. A medication review and adjustment is a simple, cost-effective
way to help prevent a fall. Additionally, older adults who actively
participate in physical exercise and receive vision exams are at a
lower risk for falling. These evidence-based interventions can help
save healthcare costs and greatly improve the lives of older adults.
The costs are small compared to the potential for savings. For every $1
invested in a comprehensive falls prevention program for an older
adult, it returns close to a $9 benefit to society.
how congress can help
Congress took a major step forward in preventing older adult falls
with passage of the Safety of Seniors Act of 2007 (S. 845 and Public
Law 110-202) which authorized increased research, education, and
demonstration projects. Further evidence of support included the
passage of S. Res. 674 and the introduction of H. Res. 1478 for the
first National Falls Prevention Awareness Day in September 2008. For
the good intentions of Congress to bear fruit, an appropriation of $10
million is needed for fiscal year 2010 for CDC's NCIPC.
NCIPC's funding in this area is severely inadequate to address the
scale of human suffering and the impact of falls on our healthcare
system. Additional funding would enable NCIPC to expand research,
evaluation of demonstrations, public education, professional education,
and policy analysis. At present, CDC can only allocate $2 million per
year to address a problem costing $19.2 billion a year. The benefits of
increased funding would be enormous, vastly improving the quality of
life for those 65 and older and greatly reducing healthcare costs for
falls and related disabilities.
Increased funding for older adult falls prevention efforts is
supported by a broad-based coalition of nonprofit organizations and a
growing number of State falls prevention coalitions that are dedicated
to improving the safety and health of older Americans.
cdc activity in falls prevention among older adults
If the CDC NCIPC's falls prevention budget is increased by $10
million, the next steps would be to:
--Develop additional program demonstrations to test and replicate the
most cost effective interventions to reduce the risk of falls;
--Undertake additional extramural research into the causes of falls;
and
--Develop more public education programs to raise awareness about
falls and what individuals, family members, professionals,
nonprofit organizations, and the private sector can do to
reduce them.
On behalf of HSC and our supporting organizations, thank you for
the opportunity to share our fiscal year 2010 appropriations request
for the CDC NCIPC on the very costly, but often preventable problem of
falls among older adults.
______

Prepared Statement of The Humane Society Legislative Fund
The Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSLF) supports a strong
commitment by the Federal Government to research, development,
standardization, validation, and acceptance of nonanimal and other
alternative test methods. We are also submitting our testimony on
behalf of The Humane Society of the United States and Doris Day Animal
League, representing more than 11 million members and supporters. Thank
you for the opportunity to present testimony relevant to the fiscal
year 2010 budget request for the National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences (NIEHS) for activities of the National Toxicology
Program Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Test
Methods (NICEATM), the support center for the Interagency Coordinating
Committee for the Validation of Alternative Test Methods (ICCVAM).
Function of the ICCVAM
The ICCVAM performs a valuable function for regulatory agencies,
industry, public health and animal protection organizations by
assessing the validation of new, revised, and alternative toxicological
test methods that have interagency application. After appropriate
independent peer review of the test method, the ICCVAM recommends the
test to the Federal regulatory agencies that regulate the particular
endpoint the test measures. In turn, the Federal agencies maintain
their authority to incorporate the validated test methods as
appropriate for the agencies' regulatory mandates. This streamlined
approach to assessment of validation of new, revised, and alternative
test methods has reduced the regulator burden of individual agencies,
provided a ``one-stop shop'' for industry, animal protection, public
health, and environmental advocates for consideration of methods and
set uniform criteria for what constitutes a validated test methods. In
addition, from the perspective of animal protection advocates, ICCVAM
can serve to appropriately assess test methods that can refine, reduce
and replace the use of animals in toxicological testing. This function
will provide credibility to the argument that scientifically validated
alternative test methods, which refine, reduce or replace animals,
should be expeditiously integrated into Federal toxicological
regulations, requirements, and recommendations.
History of the ICCVAM
The ICCVAM is currently composed of representatives from the
relevant Federal regulatory and research agencies. It was created from
an initial mandate in the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 for NIEHS to
``(a) establish criteria for the validation and regulatory acceptance
of alternative testing methods, and (b) recommend a process through
which scientifically validated alternative methods can be accepted for
regulatory use.'' In 1994, NIEHS established the ad hoc ICCVAM to write
a report that would recommend criteria and processes for validation and
regulatory acceptance of toxicological testing methods that would be
useful to Federal agencies and the scientific community. Through a
series of public meetings, interested stakeholders, and agency
representatives from all 14 regulatory and research agencies, developed
the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Publication No. 97-3981,
``Validation and Regulatory Acceptance of Toxicological Test Methods.''
This report, and subsequent revisions, has become the sound science
guide for consideration of new, revised, and alternative test methods
by the Federal agencies and interested stakeholders.
After publication of the report, the ad hoc ICCVAM moved to
standing status under the NIEHS' NICEATM. Representatives from Federal
regulatory and research agencies and their programs have continued to
meet, with advice from the NICEATM's Advisory Committee and independent
peer review committees, to assess the validation of new, revised and
alternative toxicological methods. Since then, several methods have
undergone rigorous assessment and are deemed scientifically valid and
acceptable.
Request for Committee Report Language
In 2006, the NICEATM/ICCVAM at the request of the U.S. Congress
began a process of developing a 5-year roadmap for assertively setting
goals to prioritize ending the use of antiquated animal tests for
specific endpoints. The HSLF and other national animal protection
organizations provided extensive comments on the process and priorities
for the roadmap.
While the stream of methods forwarded to the ICCVAM for assessment
has remained relatively steady, it is imperative that the ICCVAM take a
more proactive role in isolating areas where new methods development is
on the verge of replacing animal tests. These areas should form a
collective call by the Federal agencies that compose
ICCVAM to fund any necessary additional research, development,
validation, and validation assessment that is required to eliminate the
animal methods. We also strongly urge the NICEATM/ICCVAM to closely
coordinate research, development, and validation efforts with its
European counterpart, the European Centre for the Validation of
Alternative Methods (ECVAM) to ensure the best use of available funds
and sound science. This coordination should also reflect a willingness
by the Federal agencies comprising ICCVAM to more readily accept
validated test methods proposed by the ECVAM to ensure industry has a
uniform approach to worldwide chemical safety evaluation.
We respectfully request the subcommittee consider the following
report language for the fiscal year 2010 Senate Labor, Health and Human
Services, and Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill:

``The Committee acknowledges the publication of the NICEATM/ICCVAM
Five-Year Plan but remains concerned by the slow pace at which federal
agencies have moved to adopt regulations that would replace, reduce or
refine the use of animals in testing. The Committee therefore requests
that NICEATM/ICCVAM hold an initial workshop, based upon input received
from a workshop steering committee with representation of scientists
from academia, federal government, animal welfare organizations and
industry, on ``Challenges to Incorporating Alternative Methods into US
Federal Agency Programs.'' The Committee also requests that NICEATM/
ICCVAM convene a workshop in fiscal year 2010 to assess the difficulty
of obtaining high-quality relevant data for validating alternative
methods, which is a significant barrier to validation and acceptance.
NICEATM/ICCVAM are also urged to establish timetables for completion of
all validation reviews that are currently under way.''

National Institutes of Health Support for--``Toxicity Testing in the
21st Century: A Vision and a Strategy''
NIH has launched an ambitious collaboration with the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) to dramatically transform the way drugs,
consumer products, pesticides, and other chemicals are assessed for
safety. The new approach will use isolated cells, molecular targets,
and lower organisms such as roundworms, instead of laboratory animals.
According to the NIH, the research collaboration is expected ``to
generate data more relevant to humans; expand the number of chemicals
that are tested; and reduce the time, money and number of animals
involved in testing.''
The tripartite arrangement is designed to capitalize on the NIH
Chemical Genomics Center's high-speed, automated screening robots to
test compounds for toxicity; the experimental toxicology expertise of
the National Toxicology Program, which is headquartered at the NIH's
NIEHS; and the computational toxicology capabilities at the EPA's
National Center for Computational Toxicology.
The Government collaboration seeks to implement a June 2007 report
by the National Research Council (NRC) entitled Toxicity Testing in the
21st Century: A Vision and a Strategy, which calls for a sustained,
well-funded effort across the toxicology community to shift the
traditional toxicity-testing paradigm away from its heavy reliance on
animal testing and towards high-throughput systems that monitor
perturbations in toxicity pathways.
The Government project could be seen as a successor, with equally
visionary possibilities for biology, to Dr. Collins and NHGRI's highly
successful Human Genome Project. In order for the new vision to be
fully realized within a decade, what is needed is a well-funded
Government effort that would attract additional partners and resources
from interested industries and overseas governments. We urge the
subcommittee to support the efforts of the NIH to implement the NRC
report.
______

Prepared Statement of The Humane Society of the United States
On behalf of The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and our
11 million supporters nationwide, we appreciate the opportunity to
provide testimony on our top funding priority for the Labor, Health and
Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations
Subcommittee in fiscal year 2010. We are also submitting our testimony
on behalf of The Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSLF) and the Doris
Day Animal League. Thank you for the opportunity to present testimony
relevant for the fiscal year 2010 budget request.
The HSUS requests that no Federal funding be appropriated for (1)
the breeding of chimpanzees for research, or (2) the transfer of
Government-owned chimpanzees to private hands (including endowments for
their maintenance) unless for retirement to appropriate sanctuary. The
basis of our request can be found below.
breeding of chimpanzees for research
The National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) of the National
Institutes of Health (NIH), responsible for the oversight and
maintenance of federally owned chimpanzees, has announced a permanent
end to funding the breeding of federally owned and supported
chimpanzees primarily due to the excessive costs of lifetime care of
chimpanzees in laboratory settings. We recently discovered that the
Government has provided millions of dollars in recent years for
chimpanzee breeding. Therefore, we seek to ensure that neither the NIH
nor any other Federal agency provides funding for breeding of
Government-owned chimpanzees due to the future financial implications
to the Government and taxpayers of continuing to do so, particularly
during this difficult economic time.
The cost of maintaining chimpanzees in laboratories is exorbitant,
totaling up to $8.5 million each year for the current population of
approximately 500 federally owned or supported chimpanzees
(approximately $54 per day per chimpanzee; more than $1,000,000 per
chimpanzee's 60-year lifetime). Breeding of additional chimpanzees into
laboratories will only perpetuate a number of burdens on the
Government.
The United States currently has a surplus of chimpanzees available
for use in research due to overzealous breeding for HIV research and
subsequent findings that they are a poor HIV model.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ NRC (National Research Council) (1997) Chimpanzees in research:
strategies for their ethical care, management and use. National
Academies Press: Washington, D.C.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Expansion of the chimpanzee population in laboratories only creates
more concerns than presently exist about their quality of care.
Use of chimpanzees in research raises strong public concerns.
transfer of ownership of government-owned chimpanzees
If the Government-owned and supported chimpanzees leave the Federal
system and are transferred into private hands with an accompanying
federally funded endowment, their lifetime support will not be
guaranteed as required now by the CHIMP Act and their transfer to a
suitable sanctuary will be highly unlikely. These chimpanzees will
instead of warehoused and/or used for research for their entire
lifetime--with the backing of the Government through an endowment. This
will surely lead to a public outcry.
--If private industry breeds and uses chimpanzees in invasive
research with Federal endowment money, the private sector would
be unfairly, and perhaps illegally, benefiting from federally
owned ``resources'' meant for the betterment of the American
public, not for the profit of private industry.
--To date, the private sector has been less than fiscally responsible
for the lifetime care of chimpanzees who they have used for
private profit. Even in the situations where they eventually
retire their chimpanzees, private users rarely offer financial
compensation for their chimpanzees' lifetime care and on the
few occasions that they have offered some financial
compensation, it falls far short of what is actually needed.
We instead urge the Government to transfer all 500 Government-owned
chimpanzees to the national sanctuary system and appropriate a portion
of the funding currently being given to chimpanzee laboratories to the
sanctuary system. A transfer of the chimpanzees to sanctuary would: (1)
consolidate and lessen chimpanzee maintenance costs, (2) provide the
chimpanzees with better care, and (3) offer the public the humane
solution they are asking for.
background and history
Beginning in 1995, the National Research Council (NRC) confirmed a
chimpanzee surplus and recommended a moratorium on breeding of
federally owned or supported chimpanzees \1\, who now number
approximately 500 of the more than 1,000 total chimpanzees available
for research in the United States. On May 22, 2007, the NCRR of NIH
announced a permanent end to the funding of chimpanzee breeding, which
applies to all federally owned and supported chimpanzees as well as
NIH-funded research. Further, it has also been noted that ``a huge
number'' of chimpanzees are not being used in active research protocols
and are therefore ``just sitting there.'' \2\ If no breeding is
allowed, it is projected that the Government will have almost no
financial responsibility for the chimpanzees it owns within 30 years
due to the age of the population--any breeding today will extend this
financial burden to 90 years.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ Cohen, J. (2007) Biomedical Research: The Endangered Lab Chimp.
Science. 315:450-452.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
There is no justification for breeding of additional chimpanzees
for research; therefore lack of Federal funding for breeding will
ensure that no breeding of federally owned or supported chimpanzees for
research will occur in fiscal year 2010.
concerns regarding chimpanzee care in laboratories
A 9-month undercover investigation by the HSUS at University of
Louisiana at Lafayette New Iberia Research Center (NIRC)--the largest
chimpanzee laboratory in the world--revealed some chimpanzees living in
barren, isolated, conditions and documented more than 100 alleged
violations of the Animal Welfare Act at the facility in regards to
chimpanzees. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and NIH's Office
of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) have since launched formal
investigations into the facility and NIRC was cited for several
violations of the Animal Welfare Act during an initial site visit.
Aside from the HSUS investigation, inspections conducted by the
USDA demonstrate that basic chimpanzee housing requirements are often
not being met. Inspection reports for two other federally funded
chimpanzee facilities reported housing of chimpanzees in less than
minimal space requirements, inadequate environmental enhancement, and/
or general disrepair of facilities. These problems add further argument
against the breeding of even more chimpanzees.
chimpanzees have often been a poor model for human health research
The scientific community recognizes that chimpanzees are poor
models for HIV because chimpanzees do not develop AIDS. Similarly,
chimpanzees do not model the course of the human hepatitis C virus yet
they continue to be used for this research, adding to the millions of
dollars already spent without a sign of a promising vaccine. According
to the chimpanzee genome, some of the greatest differences between
chimpanzees and humans relate to the immune system,\3\ calling into
question the validity of infectious disease research using chimpanzees.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ The Chimpanzee Sequencing and Analysis Consortium/Mikes, TS, et
al.,(1 September 2005) Initial sequence of the chimpanzee genome and
comparison with the human genome, Nature 437, 69-87.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
ethical and public concerns about chimpanzee research
Chimpanzee research raises serious ethical issues, particularly
because of their extremely close similarities to humans in terms of
intelligence and emotions. Americans are clearly concerned about these
issues: 90 percent believe it is unacceptable to confine chimpanzees
individually in Government-approved cages (as we documented during our
investigation at NIRC); 71 percent believe that chimpanzees who have
been in the laboratory for more than 10 years should be sent to
sanctuary for retirement;\4\ and 54 percent believe that it is
unacceptable for chimpanzees to ``undergo research which causes them to
suffer for human benefit.'' \5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ 2006 poll conducted by the Humane Research Council for Project
Release & Restitution for Chimpanzees in laboratories.
\5\ 2001 poll conducted by Zogby International for the Chimpanzee
Collaboratory.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
We respectfully request the following bill or subcommittee report
language:

``The Committee directs that no funds provided in this Act be used
to support the breeding of chimpanzees for research, research that
requires breeding of chimpanzees, or the transfer of ownership of
federally owned chimpanzees to private entities, including endowments
for their maintenance, with the exception of a transfer to an
appropriate sanctuary that meets the national chimpanzee sanctuary
system standards.''

We appreciate the opportunity to share our views for the Labor,
Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2010. We hope the subcommittee will
be able to accommodate this modest request that will save the
Government a substantial sum of money, benefit chimpanzees, and allay
some concerns of the public at large. Thank you for your consideration.
______

Prepared Statement of the Harlem United Community AIDS Center, Inc.
funding request overview
Harlem United Community AIDS Center, Inc. (Harlem United)
appreciates the opportunity to submit written comments for the record
regarding fiscal year 2010 funding for HIV/AIDS related programs.
Harlem United was founded in 1988 as a community-based, nonprofit
organization providing comprehensive, integrated care in a healthy and
healing environment. We serve individuals and families living with HIV
and AIDS in the greater Harlem and South Bronx neighborhoods of New
York City. Touching the lives of more than 6,000 people each year
through our programs, Harlem United offers its clients an array of
evidence-based, outcomes-driven, culturally sensitive medical and
support services, including: primary healthcare and dental care; mental
health and substance use counseling; individual psychotherapy and case
management; and supportive housing.
For far too long, Federal funding for domestic HIV/AIDS programs
has been inadequate, leaving communities struggling to meet the
prevention, care, and treatment needs of people at risk for and living
with HIV/AIDS. Harlem United values working with policymakers at the
local, State, and Federal levels to advance policies and programs that
support HIV prevention, care, and treatment. We respectfully request
the subcommittee provide the following allocations in fiscal year 2010
to promote HIV prevention and HIV related research and treatment
innovations:
--$1.57 billion for HIV prevention and surveillance at the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help stem the tide
of the Nation's HIV/AIDS epidemic, particularly among
individuals and communities of color.
--At least $2.81 billion in overall funding for the Ryan White
Program, including the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, to provide
essential services for more than 530,000 uninsured and
underinsured low-income individuals and families impacted by
HIV/AIDS.
--A minimum of $610 million for the Minority AIDS Initiative, which
funds programs across 8 Federal agencies to address HIV
infection-related disparities among racial and ethnic groups.
--At least $34 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH),
with $3.35 billion allocated to HIV/AIDS research to help
identify and deliver new therapies.
introduction and overview
Despite ongoing prevention efforts, approximately 56,300 new HIV
infections occur each year, and an estimated 21 percent of infected
individuals are unaware of their HIV status. Moreover, CDC estimates
that there are 430,000 people with HIV in the United States, who are
not currently receiving HIV-related medical care. In 2004, the
Institute of Medicine estimated that more than 50 percent of Americans
living with HIV had no reliable access to the care they needed to stay
alive. Evidence has shown that new infections have been driven in large
part by (1) people who were unaware of their status and unwittingly
transmitted the virus, and (2) individuals who were diagnosed, but who
were not treatment eligible and who were engaging in risk behaviors.\1\
Prevention programs, routine HIV testing and universal access to care
are essential to stemming the tide of the HIV/AIDS epidemic nationwide.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Federal guidelines do not allow for treatment until an
individual's viral load reaches 350 or lower.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
To prevent the incidence of HIV and ensure that all people living
with HIV/AIDS have access to comprehensive and quality care that they
need and deserve, Harlem United advocates ongoing and significant
Federal funding for domestic HIV/AIDS programs.
bolster cdc hiv prevention and surveillance efforts
The CDC estimates that there are more than 1.1 million people
living with HIV/AIDS in the United States and an estimated 56,300 new
infections occur each year. With these staggering statistics, it
becomes clear that a sustained Federal investment in and commitment to
HIV/AIDS initiatives are essential to advancing efforts to prevent and
treat HIV infections. However, over the past 6 years, as the number of
people living with HIV/AIDS has increased, Federal funding for HIV
prevention programs at CDC has decreased by 19.3 percent. In fiscal
year 2009, CDC HIV related prevention and surveillance programs were
flat-funded after facing a $3.5 million cut in fiscal year 2008. Harlem
United calls upon the subcommittee to provide a specific allocation of
$1.57 billion, an increase of $877 million, for HIV prevention efforts
at CDC.
The current body of knowledge and research surrounding HIV
prevention provides evidence for effective interventions, yet CDC and
State and local public health departments do not always have the
resources to implement them. With increased Federal funding, gaps in
resources and fiscal needs will be alleviated and prevention efforts
can be scaled up. Specifically, additional funding will allow CDC to
expand HIV testing efforts and prevention outreach, particularly among
high-risk populations and communities of color, where the epidemic is
disproportionately concentrated. CDC also would be able to assist State
and local health departments fund prevention programs that go beyond
just testing for HIV. Furthermore, additional funding would allow CDC
to continue to build the capacity of community-based organizations to
implement evidenced-based interventions and provide technical
assistance, Lastly, CDC would also be able to improve HIV monitoring
and surveillance activities to ensure that accurate data on the disease
is captured.
preserve access to hiv treatment for low-income individuals through the
ryan white program
Each year, the Ryan White Program provides care and treatment to
more than half a million low-income individuals living with HIV/AIDS.
This program is vital to those who have no medical coverage or face
coverage limits, as it steps in as the ``payer of last resort.'' While
the Ryan White Program was initially implemented as an emergency
measure, it has become an integral part of the Nation's response to
HIV, providing treatment for individuals who would otherwise not have
access to care.
The AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), a critical component of
the Ryan White Program that exists under part B, provides HIV
medications to program participants and funds for purchasing health
insurance for eligible participants and services that enhance drug
treatment therapies.
Unfortunately, growing caseloads and costs of treatment have left
current funding levels inadequate. As such, Harlem United calls upon
the subcommittee to allocate at least $2.81 billion in overall funding
for the Ryan White Program, including the AIDS Drug Assistance Program.
strengthen the minority aids initiative
The HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States has hit racial and
ethnic minority communities hard. While only 12 percent of the U.S.
population is African American, this racial group accounts for 49
percent of all new AIDS cases. Hispanics account for 19 percent of new
AIDS diagnoses, yet comprise only 12 percent of the total U.S.
population. Combined, minorities represent 71 percent of new AIDS
cases, 67 percent of all people living with HIV/AIDS, and 70 percent of
deaths caused by AIDS. These grim statistics demonstrate the critical
need for the Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI).
MAI provides funding to community-based organizations and
healthcare providers to implement prevention and treatment programs
specifically tailored to racial and ethnic minority populations. The
Initiative, designed to complement other HIV efforts, strengthens the
capacity of organizations serving communities of color to implement
culturally appropriate HIV prevention programs and treatment services,
in order to reduce the incidence of HIV and improve HIV related health
outcomes among these communities.
Given the urgent need to reduce HIV/AIDS disparities among racial
and ethnic communities in the United States, Harlem United urges the
subcommittee to allocate a minimum of $610 million for the Minority
AIDS Initiative.
enhance hiv treatment and therapeutics research
Despite breakthroughs in HIV treatment and prevention research,
currently, no vaccine or cure exists for HIV/AIDS. With approximately
56,300 new HIV cases each year, it is crucial that the United States
increase its commitment to research aimed at the prevention and
treatment of this disease.
The NIH is the global leader in AIDS research. It conducts research
on drug therapies, vaccines, and evidenced-based behavior and
biomedical prevention interventions. Previous breakthroughs in NIH AIDS
research include advances in antiretroviral therapy and drug regimens
that have decreased HIV-related morbidity and mortality and reduced the
risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. While NIH research has
significantly contributed to HIV prevention and treatment programs that
have improved the quality-of-life for many, additional and on-going
research is needed to advance existing HIV/AIDS treatments. Therefore,
Harlem United calls upon the subcommittee to allocate at least $34
billion for NIH, with $3.35 billion allocated to HIV/AIDS research.
conclusion
Harlem United maintains a strong commitment to working with Members
of Congress, other community-based organizations, and stakeholders to
curtail the HIV epidemic and ensure that individuals living with HIV/
AIDS have access to quality care and treatment. By providing the fiscal
year 2010 funding levels detailed above, we believe the subcommittee
will be taking the necessary steps towards accomplishing the goals of
HIV prevention and universal access to care, ensuring that this disease
will no longer threaten our Nation.
______

Letter From The Interstitial Cystitis Association
May 22, 2009.
Hon. Tom Harkin,
Chairman, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and
Education, and Related Agencies, Washington, DC.
Hon. Thad Cochran,
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and
Education, and Related Agencies, Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Harkin and Cochran: Thank you very much for your
continued leadership in advancing healthcare policy.
Interstitial cystitis (IC) is pelvic pain, pressure, or discomfort
related to the bladder typically associated with high urinary frequency
and urgency, in the absence of infection or other pathology. IC is also
called chronic pelvic pain syndrome, painful bladder syndrome (PBS),
and bladder pain syndrome (BPS).
The Interstitial Cystitis Association (ICA) is a nonprofit
organization committed to finding more effective treatments and a cure
for interstitial cystitis. ICA promotes IC research; educates the
medical community and public; advocates for IC patients, healthcare
providers and researchers; and offers support for IC patients and their
families. In this capacity the ICA requests the following funding
considerations for the fiscal year 2010 Labor, Health and Human
Services, and Education, and Related Agencies bill:
--A 7 percent increase for the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
for fiscal year 2010. A 7 percent increase will allow NIH to
continue to expand basic biomedical research on all diseases,
and take advantage of the explosion of opportunities that exist
in reducing suffering from debilitating medical disorders.
--A 7 percent increase for the National Institute of Diabetes and
Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). NIDDK is the key NIH
agency funding research on interstitial cystitis (IC). ICA
urges that NIDDK continue to expand the research portfolio on
IC, so millions of American women and men can benefit from
advances and breakthroughs in medical care and treatments.
NIDDK supports the Multidisciplinary Approach to Chronic Pelvic
Pain clinical trial-a critical priority of ICA.
--A 7 percent increase for the NIH Office of Research on Women's
Health. Located in the NIH Office of the Director, the NIH
Office of Women's Health supports research and program
activities that contribute to the understanding of interstitial
cystitis which primarily affects women.
--$1 million for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
interstitial cystitis program. A funding level of $1 million
will allow the modest expansion of IC program activities at CDC
and continue the critical CDC/ICA cooperative agreement on
public and professional awareness on interstitial cystitis.
Thank you for the opportunity to present the views of the IC
community. Please do not hesitate to contact me if there is any more
information you would like us to provide for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Barbara Gordon,
Executive Director.
______

Prepared Statement of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) appreciates this
opportunity to speak in support of Federal efforts to prevent, detect,
and respond to infectious diseases in the United States and abroad as
part of the fiscal year 2010 funding cycle. IDSA represents more than
8,500 infectious diseases physicians and scientists devoted to patient
care, prevention, public health, education, and research. Our members
care for patients of all ages with serious infections, including
meningitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis (TB), antibiotic-resistant
bacterial infections such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus (MRSA), and those with cancer or transplants who have life-
threatening infections caused by unusual microorganisms, food
poisoning, and HIV/AIDS, as well as emerging infections like the 2009
H1N1 virus (swine influenza) and severe acute respiratory syndrome
(SARS).
2009 H1N1 Virus (Swine Influenza)
IDSA's leadership strongly commends the administration's efforts to
date in managing and responding to the 2009 H1N1 outbreak. Of critical
importance, experts and scientists are driving key decisions. The
leadership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and
the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has been strong, and
their coordination with other Federal, State, and local governments is
clear. Undeniably, the investments and subsequent preparations the
country has made since the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza was
issued in November 2005 are paying off. As the 2009 H1N1 virus outbreak
unfolds, we are witnessing firsthand the important role a robust public
health infrastructure plays in rapidly detecting and containing disease
outbreaks. Yet, additional resources are needed to adequately respond
to the 2009 H1N1 outbreak as well as to continue to prepare our Nation
for other bioemergencies.
We thank the subcommittee for providing funding for pandemic
influenza preparedness and response activities in the recent fiscal
year 2009 supplemental bill. IDSA supports a funding level of $2.05
billion to complete the funding to implement the National Strategy for
Pandemic Influenza, as well as to develop a 2009 H1N1 virus vaccine and
replenish the Strategic National Stockpile, support grants to State and
local health departments so they may adequately prepare for and respond
to the 2009 H1N1 virus and other infectious diseases outbreaks, and
provide additional funding for global pandemic preparedness activities.
IDSA further believes that funding is needed annually to adequately
maintain State and local pandemic preparedness activities. IDSA also
strongly supports strengthening funding for ongoing pandemic influenza
preparedness activities at CDC, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA),
National Institutes of Health (NIH), and HHS' Office of the Secretary.
Congress also must fully fund the Biomedical Advanced Research and
Development Authority (BARDA) within HHS so that the United States can
begin to realize goals envisioned under the Pandemic and All-Hazards
Act enacted in 2006 to address a broad spectrum of biological threats
in addition to pandemic influenza. IDSA recommends that $1.7 billion of
multi-year appropriations be allocated to BARDA in fiscal year 2010 to
fund biological therapeutics, diagnostics, vaccines, and other
technologies. Such funding would help ensure the availability of
resources throughout the stages of development and the flexibility for
BARDA to partner effectively with industry.
CDC
A strong CDC is essential to the United States' efforts to rapidly
detect and control infectious diseases as witnessed by the current H1N1
outbreak. CDC is the primary Federal agency responsible for conducting
and supporting public health protection through health promotion,
prevention, preparedness, and research. IDSA recommends increasing
funding for CDC's core programs to $8.6 billion, to enable it to
maintain a strong public health infrastructure and protect Americans
from public health threats and emergencies.
IDSA is especially concerned about CDC's Infectious Diseases
program budget, which supports critical management and coordination
functions for infectious diseases science, program, and policy,
including related specific epidemiology and laboratory activities. IDSA
recommends an fiscal year 2010 funding level of $2.7 billion for CDC's
Infectious Diseases programs.
Within the Infectious Disease programs' proposed budget, the
agency's already severely strapped Antimicrobial Resistance budget
stands at $16.9 million. This vital program is necessary to help combat
the rising tide of drug resistance, a critical medical problem marked
most publicly by the upsurge in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus (MRSA) and other drug-resistant bacterial infections.
Antimicrobial resistance also has serious implications for our
collective response to the 2009 H1N1 virus. Viruses are unpredictable,
and should the 2009 H1N1 virus develop resistance to oseltamivir and
zamamir, our ability to respond effectively to the influenza outbreak
will significantly diminish. For these reasons, IDSA recommends
increasing fiscal year 2010 funding for resistance programs at CDC by
$48 million, to a total of $65 million. Such funding increases will
enable CDC to more effectively gather morbidity and mortality data
related to resistance, track the development of dangerous resistant
bugs as they develop, educate physicians, patients and the public about
the need to protect the long-term effectiveness of antimicrobial drugs,
and strengthen infection control activities across the United States.
This recommended level coincides well with an internal CDC professional
judgment prepared last year which, unfortunately, was not provided to
Congress.
The Emerging Infectious Diseases (EI) budget line boosts the
agency's capacity to nimbly identify and respond to emerging
infections, such as the 2009 H1N1 virus. Much of CDC's infectious
diseases funding is highly disease-targeted, making it difficult to
fund cross-cutting or emergent needs. Unique in its flexibility, the EI
line supports dozens of research and surveillance programs that address
new and unpredictable threats. Such threats have included rabies,
rotavirus, food-borne diseases, Ebola and SARS. Inadequate funding
would severely affect CDC's laboratory capacity, research grants to
academic partners, and support for State public health departments and
public health laboratories and would reduce CDC's flexibility in
setting priorities and taking action against new infections that may
emerge throughout the year. IDSA recommends, at a minimum, that the
Other Emerging Infectious Diseases line item be increased to $160
million for fiscal year 2010.
Immunizing our population against vaccine--preventable diseases is
one of our country's greatest public health achievements. Through CDC's
Section 317 Program, which funds State and local immunizations efforts,
the United States has made significant progress toward eliminating
vaccine-preventable diseases among children. IDSA applauds the actions
by the Congress over the past year to increase funding for this program
in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and in the fiscal year
2009 omnibus appropriations bill. At a time when new CDC-recommended
vaccines are available and a greater commitment to immunizations for
both children and adults is necessary, we need to continue to increase
access to this critical intervention that saves lives and millions of
dollars in unnecessary medical spending. To build on this important
effort, IDSA recommends a funding level for the Section 317 Program of
$802 million in fiscal year 2010.
IDSA also supports changes which will significantly strengthen the
Section 317 Program's support for adult and adolescent immunization.
Each year, more than 46,000 adults die of vaccine-preventable diseases.
Costs related to illnesses from adult vaccine-preventable diseases are
approximately $10 billion. IDSA recommends the establishment of
distinct funding floors for adult vaccine purchase and infrastructure
in amounts sufficient to cover immunization of the majority of under-
insured and uninsured adults with all CDC-recommended vaccines.
Last year, Congress passed landmark legislation in the
Comprehensive Tuberculosis Elimination Act of 2008. This bill
authorizes a number of actions that will shore up State TB control
programs, enhance U.S. capacity to deal with the serious threat of
drug-resistant tuberculosis, and escalate our efforts to develop
urgently needed ``tools,'' such as drugs, diagnostics, and vaccines.
Realizing these goals will require additional resources. At a minimum,
it is critical that the funding authorized for fiscal year 2010 in this
important law--$210 million--be appropriated for the CDC Division of TB
Elimination. The bill also separately authorized $100 million for
development of TB diagnostics, treatments and prevention tools, which
IDSA also supports for inclusion in fiscal year 2010 appropriations.
HIV prevention and surveillance activities at CDC are critical to
reducing the number of new cases occurring annually in the United
States. Sufficient resources must be devoted to HIV prevention to
support CDC's portfolio of prevention programs, including the
initiative to identify people with HIV/AIDS earlier through routine HIV
screening. This program will lead to lifesaving care sooner and will
help to prevent further transmissions. IDSA supports funding in the
amount of $1.57 billion for these programs in fiscal year 2010. We also
support funding of $2.81 billion for the Ryan White CARE Act programs
within the Health Resources and Services Administration and urge you to
increase funding for critical part C medical care by $68.4 million, to
a total of $270.3 million for part C programs. Ryan White programs
provide a vital link in our healthcare safety net and are currently
struggling to meet the need for HIV services in communities across the
country.
NIH
NIH is the single-largest funding source for infectious diseases
research in the United States and the life-source for many academic
research centers. The NIH-funded work conducted at these centers lays
the groundwork for advancements in treatments, cures, and other medical
technologies. Between 2003 and 2009, NIH lost 13 percent of its
purchasing power due to the rate of biomedical research inflation and
stagnating annual budgets. Because of the flat budget, 3 out of 4
research proposals submitted to NIH were not funded. Peer reviewers
were forced to become more risk averse, leading to a narrowing of
scientific vision and a diminishing rate of medical advancement.
Without medical advancements, thousands of Americans will have to wait
longer for the cures they need.
IDSA is extremely pleased that the recently enacted American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided $10 billion in additional
funding to support NIH's research efforts in 2009 and 2010. Congress
rightfully acknowledged the role of scientific research in stimulating
the economy. It is vital, however, that this long overdue increase in
funding be sustained and become part of NIH's baseline. Making this
increase permanent ultimately will translate into long-term
improvements in human health, both domestically and globally.
NIH's Fogarty International Center is at the forefront of global
health and is a leader in extending the U.S. Federal biomedical
enterprise abroad. It taps innovative thinking from all parts of the
world and fosters important scientific partnerships. Through Fogarty,
the United States has supported research and research training programs
conducted by both U.S. and foreign investigators across a wide range of
infectious diseases and needs, including HIV/AIDS, malaria, and
tuberculosis. The Center's efforts have led to improved local health
outcomes--but so much more can be done. For this reason, IDSA strongly
supports increasing Fogarty's funding level in fiscal year 2010 to $100
million--an increase of $31.3 million. These additional resources will
enable Fogarty to increase research training initiatives, forge new
partnerships between U.S. and foreign research institutions, and
conduct much-needed implementation research to increase the
effectiveness of international programs.
IDSA also urges the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious
Diseases (NIAID) at NIH to increase its antimicrobial resistance
research funding by $100 million in fiscal year 2010, bringing overall
funding in this area to $271 million. This will allow NIAID to
strengthen clinical research and establish a clinical trials network to
study resistant infections as well as antibacterial use and
development. Well-designed, multi-center, randomized, controlled trials
would create an excellent basis of evidence from which coherent and
defensible recommendations could be developed.
FDA
Additionally, in the Agriculture Appropriations bill, IDSA supports
a strengthening of antimicrobial resistance efforts at FDA.
Specifically we support a $20 million increase in antimicrobial
resistance funding for FDA in fiscal year 2010, bringing the agency's
resistance funding to $44 million. This will allow FDA to establish and
periodically update antibiotic susceptibility breakpoints based on
testing and data collection, including through the purchase of vendor
data; fund Critical Path initiatives for antibiotics; more aggressively
review the safety of antibiotic use in food animals; and quicken its
pace in developing critical guidance for industry on antibiotic
clinical trial designs.
Today's investment in infectious diseases research, prevention, and
treatments will pay significant dividends in the future by dramatically
reducing healthcare costs and improving the quality of life of millions
of Americans and others. It also will continue to enable Federal
agencies to respond effectively and efficiently to the 2009 H1N1 virus
and other potentially devastating outbreaks.
______

Prepared Statement of the International Foundation for Functional
Gastrointestinal Disorders
summary of recommendations for fiscal year 2010
Provide a funding increase of at least 7 percent for the National
Institutes of Health (NIH) and its Institutes and Centers.
Urge the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
Diseases (NIDDK) to prioritize and implement the recently released
research recommendations of the National Commission on Digestive
Diseases.
Urge NIH And NIDDK to expand the research portfolio on functional
gastrointestinal and motility disorders, such as Irritable Bowel
Syndrome (IBS).
Thank you for the opportunity to present this written statement
regarding the importance of functional gastrointestinal and motility
disorders research.
Since our establishment in 1991, the International Foundation for
Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD) has been dedicated to
increasing awareness of functional gastrointestinal and motility
disorders among the public, health professionals, and researchers. We
also work to bolster digestive disease research and generate new
treatment option for patients. For example, IFFGD worked with the
NIDDK, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
(NICHD), and the Office of Medical Applications of Research (OMAR) to
facilitate an NIH State-of-the-Science Conference on the Prevention of
Fecal and Urinary Incontinence in Adults, which was held in December of
2007. Furthermore, I served on the National Commission on Digestive
Diseases (NCDD) which recently released a long-range road map for
digestive disease research, entitled Opportunities and Challenges in
Digestive Diseases Research: Recommendations of the National Commission
on Digestive Diseases
The majority of diseases and disorders we address have no cure and
treatment options are often limited. We have yet to completely
understand the mechanisms of the underlying conditions. Patients face a
life of learning to manage a chronic illness that is accompanied by
pain and an unrelenting myriad of gastrointestinal symptoms. The
medical and indirect costs associated with these diseases are enormous;
estimates range from $25 billion-$30 billion annually. Economic costs
spill over into the workplace, and are reflected in work absenteeism
and lost productivity. Furthermore, the human toll is not only on the
individual but also on the family. In essence, these diseases account
for lost opportunities for the individual and society.
ibs
IBS strikes people from all walks of life. It affects 30 million to
45 million Americans and results in significant human suffering and
disability. This chronic disease is characterized by a group of
symptoms, which include abdominal pain or discomfort associated with a
change in bowel pattern, such as diarrhea and/or constipation. Although
the cause of IBS is unknown, we do know that this disease needs a
multidisciplinary approach in research and treatment.
IBS can be emotionally and physically debilitating. Due to
persistent pain and bowel unpredictability, individuals who suffer from
this disorder may distance themselves from social events, work, and
even may fear leaving their home.
Numerous research recommendations regarding IBS were included as
components of the NCDD's Long-Range Research Plan for Digestive
Diseases. For fiscal year 2010, IFFGD urges Congress to review the
NCDD's Report, and provide NIH and NIDDK with the resources necessary
to adequately implement the plan's recommendations.
fecal incontinence
At least 12 million Americans suffer from fecal incontinence.
Incontinence is neither part of the aging process nor is it something
that affects only the elderly. Incontinence crosses all age groups from
children to older adults, but is more common among women and in the
elderly of both sexes. Often it is a symptom associated with various
neurological diseases and many cancer treatments. Yet, as a society, we
rarely hear or talk about the bowel disorders associated with spinal
cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, prostate cancer, colon
cancer, uterine cancer, and a host of other diseases.
Damage to the anal sphincter muscles; damage to the nerves of the
anal sphincter muscles or the rectum; loss of storage capacity in the
rectum; diarrhea; or pelvic floor dysfunction can cause fecal
incontinence. People who have fecal incontinence may feel ashamed,
embarrassed, or humiliated. Some don't want to leave the house out of
fear they might have an accident in public. Most attempt to hide the
problem for as long as possible. They withdraw from friends and family,
and often limit work or education efforts. Incontinence in the elderly
burdens families and is the primary reason for nursing home admissions,
an already huge social and economic burden in our increasingly aged
population.
In November 2002, IFFGD sponsored a consensus conference entitled,
Advancing the Treatment of Fecal and Urinary Incontinence Through
Research: Trial Design, Outcome Measures, and Research Priorities.
Among other outcomes, the conference resulted in six key research
recommendations including more comprehensive identification of quality
of life issues; improved diagnostic tests for affecting management
strategies and treatment outcomes; development of new drug treatment
compounds; development of strategies for primary prevention of fecal
incontinence associated with childbirth; and attention to the process
of stigmatization as it applies to the experience of individuals with
fecal incontinence.
In December 2007, IFFGD collaborated with NIDDK, NICHD, and OMAR on
the NIH State-of-the-Science Conference on the Prevention of Fecal and
Urinary Incontinence in Adults. The goal of this conference was to
assess the state-of-the-science and outline future priorities for
research on both fecal and urinary incontinence; including, the
prevalence and incidence of fecal and urinary incontinence, risk
factors and potential prevention, pathophysiology, economic and quality
of life impact, current tools available to measure symptom severity and
burden, and the effectiveness of both short and long term treatment.
For fiscal year 2010, IFFGD urges Congress to review the Conference's
Report and provide NIH with the resources necessary to effectively
implement the report's recommendations.
gastroesophageal reflux disease (gerd)
Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, is a common disorder
affecting both adults and children, which results from the back-flow of
acidic stomach contents into the esophagus. GERD is often accompanied
by persistent symptoms, such as chronic heartburn and regurgitation of
acid. Sometimes there are no apparent symptoms, and the presence of
GERD is revealed when complications become evident. One uncommon but
serious complication is Barrett's esophagus, a potentially pre-
cancerous condition associated with esophageal cancer. Symptoms of GERD
vary from person to person. The majority of people with GERD have mild
symptoms, with no visible evidence of tissue damage and little risk of
developing complications. There are several treatment options available
for individuals suffering from GERD. Nonetheless, treatment response
varies from person to person, is not always effective, and long-term
medication use and surgery expose individuals to risks of side-effects
or complications.
Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) affects as many as one-third of all
full term infants born in America each year. GER results from an
immature upper gastrointestinal motor development. The prevalence of
GER is increased in premature infants. Many infants require medical
therapy in order for their symptoms to be controlled. Up to 25 percent
of older children and adolescents will have GER or GERD due to lower
esophageal sphincter dysfunction. In this population, the natural
history of GER is similar to that of adult patients, in whom GER tends
to be persistent and may require long-term treatment.
gastroparesis
Gastroparesis, or delayed gastric emptying, refers to a stomach
that empties slowly. Gastroparesis is characterized by symptoms from
the delayed emptying of food, namely: bloating, nausea, vomiting, or
feeling full after eating only a small amount of food. Gastroparesis
can occur as a result of several conditions, including being present in
30 percent to 50 percent of patients with diabetes mellitus. A person
with diabetic gastroparesis may have episodes of high and low blood
sugar levels due to the unpredictable emptying of food from the
stomach, leading to diabetic complications. Other causes of
gastroparesis include Parkinson's disease and some medications,
especially narcotic pain medications. In many patients the cause of the
gastroparesis cannot be found and the disorder is termed idiopathic
gastroparesis. Over the last several years, as more is being found out
about gastroparesis, it has become clear this condition affects many
people and the condition can cause a wide range of symptom severity.
cyclic vomiting syndrome
Cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) is a disorder with recurrent
episodes of severe nausea and vomiting interspersed with symptom-free
periods. The periods of intense, persistent nausea, vomiting, and other
symptoms (abdominal pain, prostration, and lethargy) lasts hours to
days. Previously thought to occur primarily in pediatric populations,
it is increasingly understood that this crippling syndrome can occur in
a variety of age groups including adults. Patients with these symptoms
often go for years without correct diagnosis. The condition leads to
significant time lost from school and from work, as well as substantial
medical morbidity. The cause of CVS is not known. Better understanding,
through research, of mechanisms that underlie upper gastrointestinal
function and motility involved in sensations of nausea, vomiting and
abdominal pain is needed to help identify at risk individuals and
develop more effective treatment strategies.
support for critical research
IFFGD urges Congress to provide the necessary funding for the
expansion of the research activities at NIDDK and the Office of
Research on Women's Health (ORWH) regarding functional gastrointestinal
disorders and motility disorders. Additional funding will allow
necessary growth of the research portfolios on functional
gastrointestinal disorders and motility disorders at NIDDK and ORWH,
and also facilitate implementation of the NCDD's research
recommendations.
Recent years of near level-funding at NIH have negatively impacted
the mission of its Institutes and Centers. For this reason, IFFGD
applauds initiatives like Senator Arlen Specter's (R-PA) successful
effort to provide NIH with $10.4 billion in stimulus funds. IFFGD urges
this subcommittee to show strong leadership in pursuing substantial
funding increase through the regular appropriations process in fiscal
year 2010.
For fiscal year 2010, IFFGD recommends a funding increase of at
least 7 percent for NIH and its Institutes and Centers.
______

Prepared Statement of the International Myeloma Foundation
The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) appreciates the
opportunity to submit written comments for the record regarding fiscal
year 2010 funding for myeloma cancer programs. The IMF is the oldest
and largest myeloma foundation dedicated to improving the quality of
life of myeloma patients while working toward prevention and a cure.
To ensure that myeloma patients have access to the comprehensive,
quality care they need and deserve, the IMF advocates on-going and
significant Federal funding for myeloma research and its application.
The IMF stands ready to work with policymakers to advance policies and
programs that work toward prevention and a cure for myeloma and for all
other forms of cancer.
myeloma background
Myeloma is a cancer in the bone marrow affecting production of red
cells, white cells, and stem cells. It is also called ``multiple
myeloma,'' because multiple areas of bone marrow may be involved.
Myeloma is the second most common blood cancer after lymphomas,
affecting an estimated 750,000 people worldwide and its prevalence
appears to be is increasing significantly.
No one knows the exact causes of myeloma. Doctors can seldom
explain why one person develops this disease and another does not.
Research has shown that people with certain risk factors such as age
and race are more likely than others to develop myeloma. Growing older
increases the chance of developing multiple myeloma as most people with
myeloma are diagnosed after age 65. However, in recent years the
diagnosis of myeloma in people 40 years of age and younger appears to
have become more common as our ability to detect and diagnose this
disease has improved. The risk of myeloma is highest among African
Americans and lowest among Asian Americans.
Scientists are studying other possible risk factors for myeloma.
Toxic chemicals (for example, agricultural chemicals and Agent Orange
used in Vietnam), radiation (including atomic radiation), and several
viruses (including HIV, hepatitis, herpes virus 8, and others) are
associated with an increased risk of myeloma and related diseases.
According to the American Cancer Society, 19,920 Americans were
expected to be diagnosed with myeloma and 10,690 would lose their
battle with this disease in 2008. Even while they live with the
disease, myeloma patients can suffer debilitating fractures and other
bone disorders, severe side effects of their treatment, and other
problems that profoundly affect their quality of life, and
significantly impact the cost of their healthcare. Despite these grim
statistics, significant gains in the battle against myeloma have been
made through our Nation's investment in cancer research and its
application. Research holds the key to improved myeloma prevention,
early detection, diagnosis, and treatment, but such breakthroughs are
meaningless unless we can deliver them to all Americans in need.
sustain and seize cancer research opportunities
Our Nation has benefited immensely from past Federal investment in
biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The IMF
advocates $33.3 billion for NIH in fiscal year 2010. This will allow
NIH to sustain and build on its research progress resulting from the
recent doubling of its budget while avoiding the severe disruption to
that progress that would result from a minimal increase. Myeloma
research is producing extraordinary breakthroughs--leading to new
therapies that translate into longer survival and improved quality of
life for myeloma patients. Although myeloma was once considered a death
sentence with limited options for treatment, myeloma is an example of
the progress that can be made and the work that still lies ahead in the
war on cancer. Many myeloma patients are living proof of what
innovative drug development and clinical research can achieve--
sequential remissions, long-term survival and good quality of life. But
these achievements are not a substitute for a cure and therefore the
IMF calls upon Congress to allocate $6 billion to the National Cancer
Institute in fiscal year 2010 to continue our battle against myeloma
and its sequelae.
boost our nation's investment in myeloma prevention, early detection,
and awareness
As the Nation's leading prevention agency, the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) plays an important role in translating and
delivering at the community level what is learned from research.
Therefore, the IMF joins with our partners in the cancer community--
including One Voice Against Cancer--in calling on Congress to provide
additional resources for the CDC to support and expand much-needed and
proven efforts in such areas as cancer prevention, early detection, and
risk reduction. Specifically, the IMF advocates the appropriation of
$471 million in fiscal year 2010 for CDC's cancer prevention and
control initiatives.
Within that allocation, the IMF specifically advocates $6 million
for the Geraldine Ferraro Blood Cancer Program. Authorized under the
Hematological Cancer Research Investment and Education Act of 2002,
this program was created to provide public and patient education about
blood cancers, including myeloma.
With grants from the Geraldine Ferraro Blood Cancer Program, the
IMF has successfully promoted awareness of myeloma, particularly in the
African-American community and other underserved communities. IMF
accomplishments include the production and distribution of more than
4,500 copies of an informative video which addresses the importance of
myeloma awareness and education in the African-American community to
churches, community centers, inner-city hospitals, and Urban League
offices around the country, increased African-American attendance at
IMF Patient and Family Seminars (these seminars provide invaluable
treatment information to newly diagnosed myeloma patients), increased
calls by African-American myeloma patients, family members, and
caregivers to the IMF myeloma hotline, and the establishment of
additional support groups in inner city locations in the United States
to assist underserved areas with myeloma education and awareness
campaigns. Furthermore, the more than 90 IMF-affiliated patient support
groups in the United States also made this effort their main goal
during ``Myeloma Awareness Week'' in October 2005.
An allocation of $6 million in fiscal year 2010 will allow this
important program to continue to provide patients--including those
populations at highest risk of developing myeloma--with educational,
disease management and survivorship resources to enhance treatment and
prognosis.
conclusion
The IMF stands ready to work with policymakers to advance policies
and support programs that work toward prevention and a cure for
myeloma. Thank you for this opportunity to discuss the fiscal year 2010
funding levels necessary to ensure that our Nation continues to make
gains in the fight against myeloma.
______

Prepared Statement of the Jeffrey Modell Foundation
Thank you for the opportunity to present to you our testimony
concerning the activities of the Jeffrey Modell Foundation (JMF)
dedicated to Primary Immunodeficiency (PI). As you know, most of our
programs are conducted in partnership with various governmental
agencies under the jurisdiction of this subcommittee. We very much
appreciate the support, generosity, and kindness of spirit that we have
received from the members and staff of this subcommittee and look
forward to continuing to work together closely in the future.
As a baseline, Mr. Chairman, please let me make clear the following
four fundamental points:
--JMF programs always include our own investment of funds and
resources, thereby assuring accountability.
--JMF programs improve patients' quality of life issues through
prevention and earliest possible diagnosis.
--JMF programs, therefore, lower healthcare costs.
--JMF programs save lives as demonstrated in the 2008 Wisconsin
newborn screening program.
All of the data concerning the impact of the education and
awareness program that this subcommittee has long supported has been
published in a leading scientific journal, ``Immunologic Research'',
Humana Press, January 13, 2009 and is entitled, ``From Genotype to
Phenotype. Further Studies Measuring the Impact of a Physician
Education and Public Awareness Campaign on Early Diagnosis and
Management of Primary Immunodeficiencies''.
physician education and public awareness campaign on primary
immunodeficiencies
Five years ago, Mr. Chairman, this subcommittee set us on a path to
work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to
create a physician education and public awareness program. Today, that
program has far exceeded even our most optimistic dreams.
JMF has now generated more than $100 million in donated media from
television, radio, print, Web site, airport, and mall dioramas. This
translates to more than $18 million annually and represents $7 donated
to support this campaign for every $1 of Government support
appropriated by this subcommittee. But all that visibility would be
meaningless if there were not real impact on the health of these
patients. And, there are.
The number of patients referred, tested, diagnosed, and treated has
more than doubled every year for the past 5 years in which the campaign
has been conducted.
The Jeffrey Modell Centers Network of Research, Diagnostic and
Referral Centers now include 304 physicians, from 138 academic teaching
hospitals and medical schools. Twenty-three of the 30 ``Best Pediatric
Hospitals'' in the United States are designated Jeffrey Modell Centers.
The physician-experts at these centers have provided JMF with data on
more then 30,000 patients. And we can now pinpoint the specific
disease, where the patient is treated, who is treating the patient, and
how the patient is treated. This data can make an enormous contribution
to registries not only in the United States, but on a global platform.
After diagnosis and treatment, physicians reported annual decreases
of more than 70 percent in the number of severe infections, physician,
hospital, and emergency room visits, pneumonias, school/work days
missed, days in hospital, acute infections, and days with chronic
infections.
The consequences of these changes in patient outcomes were assigned
economic values. JMF's published study drew from the hospital
accounting reports at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services.
The specific hospital charges and length of stay data was obtained from
the Hospital Cost and Utilization Project, Nationwide In-patient
Sample, under the auspices of the Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality.
The study showed that each undiagnosed patient costs the healthcare
system $102,736 annually in emergency room visits, hospitalizations,
and medical treatment for severe complications. It costs $22,696
annually to treat patients after they have been diagnosed-a savings of
more than $80,000 per patient per year.
The National Institutes of Helath (NIH) states that ``while
individual primary immunodeficiency diseases are somewhat rare,
affecting 500,000 Americans, this group of diseases may affect 1-2
percent of the U.S. population or 3 million-6 million Americans.''
Using the most conservative estimate, the minimum cost to the U.S.
healthcare system for undiagnosed PI patients is more than $40 billion
annually. Ensuring that these patients are properly diagnosed makes
enormous economic sense, not to mention their improved quality of life.
research collaboration with nih
JMF established a $12 million research partnership with four of the
U.S. National Institutes of Health. The RO1 research grants solicit
investigations on Primary Immunodeficiency (PI) diseases. JMF also
established the Robert A. Good/Jeffrey Modell International Fellowship
Program, funding the brightest young investigators from around the
world, focused on PI and stem cell transplantation. JMF awarded 4
Fellowships in 2008 under this program.
Finally, in 2008, JMF established Endowed Chairs in Pediatric
Immunology Research at Children's Hospital Boston, Children's Hospital
Seattle, as well as the Jeffrey Modell Endowed Fellowship in Immunology
Research at the University of Washington.
newborn screening for primary immunodeficiencies
JMF and the State of Wisconsin launched the first newborn screening
program for Severe Combined Immune Deficiency. Since January 2008,
every baby born in the State of Wisconsin has been screened. The T Cell
Receptor Excision Circles assay was utilized and the screening test
identified a patient with a combined immunodeficiency disease. The baby
received a life-saving bone marrow transplant. The screening protocol
has picked up several other newborns with life threatening disorders
including Complete Di George Syndrome, T-Cell lymphopenia, and a
disorder where white blood cells are unable to migrate to sites of
infection. We anticipate that Massachusetts, Illinois, Connecticut,
Texas, and New York will move forward with pilot programs in 2009.
At this date, the cost to screen for these life threatening
diseases is $5 per child. It is anticipated that this cost will
decrease. There are approximately 4 million newborns per year in the
United States. Thus, the outside cost to screen every newborn in the
United States is estimated to be less than $20 million.
spirit--software for primary immunodeficiency recognition intervention
and tracking
JMF brought its 2008 data to the annual meeting of the Managed Care
Network (MCN). Senior executives and medical directors of private and
Medicare/Medicaid health plans nationwide, as well as the leadership of
pharmacy groups representing more than 150 million covered lives,
attended the 2-day meeting. JMF was asked to develop an early warning
system software program matching the ICD-9 codes to the 10 Warning
Signs and Physician Algorithm. This software, known as SPIRIT, is now
in development and will be piloted with National managed care carriers
during 2009. The software protocol is being developed by JMF and its
Medical Advisory Board, and the technology will be produced by Xcenda,
a division of AmeriSource Bergen Corporation. Besides the listing of
the ICD-9 codes, the program assigns relative weights for each code,
identifies each code as a chronic or acute condition, and provides
specific exclusion criteria.
summary
Mr. Chairman, I hope you will agree that the many programs run by
the Jeffrey Modell Foundation are a ``perfect fit'' with the announced
approach to reforming healthcare articulated by the President and
currently being addressed by this Congress. Specifically we have
focused our attention on:
--Prevention through physician education and public awareness;
--Quality of care through the JMF Network of specialized centers;
--Control of healthcare costs through early diagnosis and Newborn
Screening; and
--Use of technology to streamline records and generate electronic
data though new software developed by JMF for third-party
payers.
For fiscal year 2010, we bring you what we consider to be a very
modest agenda:
--We ask for no new appropriations or programs from the subcommittee.
--We ask for continuation of the successful programs that we are now
operating.
--We ask for Government encouragement and support for these programs.
In exchange, we can assure you that we will continue to contribute
our own funds to every program with which we are involved. We will
continue to operate these programs by fully exercising good management
and ever-cognizant of our responsibilities to this subcommittee and to
the taxpayers who have supplied the funds that you pass on to us.
Mr. Chairman, we are at a critical time in our Nation's healthcare
history. JMF is proud of the contributions we have made to the
healthcare system and look forward to continuing to work with you and
with all members of Congress to continue to serve the American people.
______

Prepared Statement of the Mentor Consulting Group
``It must not for a moment be forgotten that the core of any
social plan must be the child.''
President Franklin
Roosevelt
U.S. Committee on
Economic Security,
Report to the
President, 1935

Senator Harkin and distinguished members of the subcommittee:
Mentor Consulting Group (MCG) is pleased to submit testimony for the
outside witness record to ask the subcommittee to direct its attention
to the President's fiscal year 2010 proposed budget recommendation
calling for the elimination of the U.S. Department of Education's (ED)
mentoring program. MCG is seeking your help in restoring the funding
for this important and much needed program to enable agencies from
Storm Lake, Iowa, to McAllen, Texas, from Rhinelander, Wisconsin to
Starkville, Mississippi, to continue supporting match relationships for
a third year.
It is our understanding that the cost of restoring the third year
of funding for 2008 mentoring program grantees is estimated at $17
million.
Mentoring is fundamentally predicated on creating healthy and
meaningful relationships for youngsters who are in jeopardized
circumstances with respect to their potential for achieving long-term
educational and socio-emotional success. Research demonstrates that
youth who successfully transition from risk-filled backgrounds to
responsible adulthood are consistently distinguished by the presence of
a caring adult in their lives. Prematurely ending matches, such as
those that have been recently established through the mentoring program
grants, can be potentially harmful to mentees. MCG strongly urges the
subcommittee to prevent this possibility from turning into a tragic
reality for thousands of vulnerable children.
The ED mentoring program, authorized under the No Child Left Behind
Act (NCLB) of 2002, section 4130, is a competitive Federal grant
program managed by the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools (OSDFS). It
addresses the lack of supportive adults at critical turning points in
the lives of youngsters in grades 4-8. The funding supports mentoring
programs operating in local education agencies (LEAs); nonprofit
community- and faith-based organizations; and partnerships between LEAs
and local nonprofits. Funded programs are designed to:
--improve interpersonal relationships with peers, teachers, family
members, and other adults;
--increase personal responsibility and community involvement;
--discourage the use of drugs and alcohol;
--discourage the use of weapons;
--reduce delinquency;
--improve academic achievement; and,
--reduce school dropout.
Since 2004, MCG has worked on-site with 57 ED mentoring program
grantees serving in the capacity of overall technical assistance
provider, e.g., mentor/mentee training, mentor recruitment, marketing,
sustainability planning, and/or as the external evaluator. Our client
sample is rich with diversity both with respect to the size and scope
of their grants, e.g., we work with the agency receiving the smallest
of the 2008 awards, as well as their experience in operating a formal
mentoring program. Another of our clients, also a 2008 grantee, is
among the 30 largest school districts in Texas and is working with 17
partnering school campuses. This grantee exceeded their 1 to 1 match
goal of 150 matches before the end of the first year of the grant. The
potential impact on 150 youngsters, in this one community alone, should
this program be eliminated, is unimaginable.
A key ``lesson learned'' based on our experience with all of these
clients is that the complexities of operating a mentoring program
cannot be overstated. Building safe and secure relationships between
youngsters and caring adults requires the attention and involvement of
trained, committed, and competent staff who understand the quality
assurance standards of the mentoring field.
Beyond the potential benefits for the youth, the ED mentoring
program has enabled grantees to forge strategic community partnerships
between concerned citizens and multiple youth serving organizations to
maximize the use of community resources. Also negatively affected by
this proposed termination of funds is those staff hired to work with
the ED mentoring program who have worked diligently over the past 13
months to introduce and promote these programs in their community and
to build these vital new mentor/mentee relationships. Premature
termination of this grant program would, of course, force layoffs in
110 communities across the country. By contrast, the economic stimulus
package is working hard to counter just such layoffs.
Research over the past decade has demonstrated that mentoring is a
viable intervention strategy that holds considerable promise. Studies
of structured mentoring programs, including those that have received
Federal funding, suggest that the programs are likely to be more
successful when they include a strong infrastructure and facilitate
caring relationships. Infrastructure refers to a number of activities
including identifying the youth population to be served and the
activities to be undertaken, screening and training mentors, supporting
and supervising mentoring relationships, collecting data on youth
outcomes, and creating strategies for long-term sustainability. (Ref.
Jean Balwin Grossman, ed., Contemporary Issues in Mentoring, Public/
Private Ventures, p.6). The ED mentoring program is providing much
needed funding to ensure the integrity of the requisite infrastructure
and facilitation of caring relationships in programs that would
otherwise be severely marginalized.
Another signal research finding is that mentoring relationships are
likely to promote positive outcomes for youth and avoid harm when they
are close, consistent, and enduring. (Ref. Rhodes and DuBois,
``Understanding and Facilitating the Youth Mentoring Movement,'' p. 9).
Closeness is the bond that is created between the youth and mentor. The
characteristics of the volunteer mentors (no mentors in ED mentoring
program matches are able to be remunerated) have also proven to be
important in shaping the relationships and strengthening the bond. For
example, individuals with prior experience in helping roles or
occupations, an ability to understand and respect cultural differences,
and an overall sense of commitment to mentoring all appear to
contribute positively to the relationship and overall match quality.
Further, it appears that relationships may be especially beneficial
when they remain part of the youth's life for multiple years (Klaw,
Fitzgerald & Rhodes, 2003: McLearn et al., 1998) and have the
opportunity to facilitate adaptation throughout significant portions of
their development (DuBois & Silverthorn, 2005b; Werner, 1995). These
findings are of particular importance to the 4th through 8th grade
population served by the ED mentoring program.
The ED mentoring program garnered national attention recently
following publication of the Impact Evaluation of the U.S. Department
of Education's Student Mentoring Program report prepared by Abt
Associates for the Institute of Education Sciences (March 2009). ED
contracted with Abt in 2005 to conduct the study which used an
experimental design in which students were randomly assigned to a
treatment or control group. The study involved 32 ED Mentoring Program
grantee sites that were funded beginning in 2004 or 2005. Grantees
selected for participation in the Impact Study were required to meet
three criteria:
--Be operational so that it could recruit and match students to
mentors in the fall of 2005 for the first group of grantees and
fall 2006 for the second group;
--Able to oversubscribe or identify excess demand supporting
experimental study needs for an unserved control group (i.e.,
able to provide tangible evidence of a pool of 4th through 8th
grade students referred to the mentoring program) of adequate
size to support study requirements; and
--Willing and able to cooperate with the data collection and
logistical needs of the national evaluation, including random
assignment.
While the findings of the impact evaluation study are indeed mixed,
MCG is encouraged that this study has captured several of the inherent
challenges that often confront early cohorts of federally funded
mentoring initiatives. This study contributes to the growing body of
research evidence, however, the field warrants additional comparative
evaluation studies that look at different program models. Each and
every cohort of a federally funded initiative should be evaluated and
this study helps to make that very point. More recently funded ED
mentoring program grantees, including those in 2008, have had the
benefit of an expanded comprehensive technical assistance package that
includes conference trainings, webinars, resource materials (available
online), and site visits designed to help program coordinators with all
aspects of program implementation, data tracking, and operation. In
addition, grantees are now trained on specific aspects of program
sustainability.
In closing, we would like to share with you a comment from a mentee
who met with us during a recent site visit. When asked what having a
mentor meant to him, Isaiah, a fourth grade student replied, ``Having a
mentor has been the best thing that has happened to me in my whole
life.''
MCG fully acknowledges and appreciates the widespread economic and
social challenges facing our country at this time. However,
reinstatement of the ED mentoring program funding in the 2010 budget is
a clarion call for moral policymaking.
That call is befitting of your role as members of this august body
and will ensure that youngsters like Isaiah will one day achieve their
full potential and enjoy their opportunity to sit as a distinguished
member of Congress.
Thank you for the opportunity to submit this testimony.
______

Prepared Statement of the Montgomery County Stroke Association
I am Flora Ingenhousz, a psychotherapist in private practice in
Silver Spring, Maryland. I have always been in excellent health and
live an active, healthy lifestyle. Doctors always commented on my low
blood pressure and my excellent cholesterol numbers. But I suffered a
stroke 3 years ago. It was a shock to me and my family, friends, and
clients.
One morning 3 years ago, when doing a load of laundry, I had no
idea how to set the dials, despite the fact that I had used them weekly
for the last 10 years. I stood there for what seemed an eternity before
I figured out how to set the dials.
Next, I went to do yoga. In one of the poses, I noticed my right
arm was hanging limp. When my husband asked me a question, my answer
was just the opposite of what I wanted to say. I caught my error and
tried again, but it soon became clear that something was wrong. My
symptoms kept getting worse.
When we walked into the emergency room (ER), my right leg was weak,
and I could not sign my name at the desk. Twelve hours later, I could
not move my right side, and my speech was reduced to ``yes'' and
``no''. Not a good thing for a psychotherapist, where language is a
primary tool.
In the emergency room, a CT scan showed a hemorrhagic or bleeding
stroke where an artery burst, destroying millions of brain cells within
minutes, affecting my speech and my ability to perform activities like
dressing in the correct order. Also, my right arm and leg were
extremely weak. However, I could understand everything, and I was never
completely paralyzed. But, I was scared.
I was in intensive care for 4 days of observation and lots of
testing, but the tests provided no answers. Two days after my stroke,
while still in intensive care, I started occupational, physical, and
speech therapy. It was extremely challenging to feed myself with my
right hand, requiring all my concentration. After a meal or brushing my
teeth, I was exhausted. Speaking was the hardest of all. My brain
seemed devoid of words.
After being stabilized, I was transferred to the National
Rehabilitation Hospital. For a week, I endured speech, physical,
occupational and recreational therapies.
Speech therapy was the hardest, but also the most important given
my profession. Several times, the speech therapist challenged me to the
brink of tears.
After a week at the Rehabilitation Hospital, I went home and to
outpatient therapies. Speech therapy lasted the longest. After being
discharged from speech therapy, I still had deficits in my
organizational skills and abstract thinking.
As I struggled with starting to see my clients again, I slid into a
deep depression. I was not confident that I could continue to practice.
For months, I saw no point in living. Recovery from my poststroke
depression was harder than the recovery of my arms and legs and even
speech.
Being a psychotherapist, I know how to treat depression, so I went
to a psychiatrist who prescribed anti-depressant medication and, I also
found a psychotherapist.
After months on anti-depressants and excellent psychotherapy, my
depression began to lift. I continue on the drugs and to see my
psychotherapist. Emotionally, the aftermath of my stroke cut deep.
I am fortunate that 3 years poststroke, I am back to my practice
full time. I lead support groups for stroke survivors and caregivers
through the Montgomery County Stroke Association and served on its
Board. I now lecture on stroke, stroke prevention and stroke recovery.
I founded ``hope for stroke''--individual and family counseling for
stroke survivors and caregivers. And I have developed, together with a
colleague, a seminar for professionals in the stroke field on the role
of mental health providers in stroke recovery. In addition, I have
participated in a National Institutes of Health (NIH) study about
stroke recovery.
Once again, I am in excellent health and have resumed my active
lifestyle. I thank my brain for having the capacity to work around the
dead cells. But most of all, I thank my therapists for my recovery.
Their ability to zero in so effectively would not have been possible
without NIH research.
Because stroke is a leading cause of death and disability and major
cost to society, I urge you to provide stroke research with a
significant funding increase. I am concerned that NIH continues to
invest only 1 percent of its budget in stroke research.
Thank you.
______

Prepared Statement of MENTOR
Chairman Harkin and Ranking Member Cochran, we thank you for the
opportunity on behalf of MENTOR to submit written testimony in support
of resources for youth mentoring.
Primarily, this includes $100 million in Federal funding for youth
mentoring--$50 million for the Department of Health and Human Services'
Mentoring for Children of Prisoners program and $50 million for the
Department of Education's Mentoring Programs grants. MENTOR has
appreciated the support of the subcommittee in previous years, in
funding these programs at these levels since fiscal year 2004.
Mentoring has been recognized as an important form of service by
the Obama administration and the 111th Congress, given its inclusion in
several portions of the recently signed Edward M. Kennedy Serve America
Act. The act, in its wide-ranging call to significantly increase
service opportunities, will also augment the pool of volunteers who can
become mentors to young people.
We would like to appeal that the Serve America Act be fully funded
in fiscal year 2010 to ensure that this historical boost in national
and community service is allowed to occur. We also are recommending
that Congress continue to provide $50 million each for the U.S.
Department of Education Mentoring Programs grants and the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services' Mentoring for Children of
Prisoners program.
Background on MENTOR and Youth Mentoring.--MENTOR is the Nation's
leading advocate and resource for mentoring, delivering the research,
policy recommendations, advocacy, and practical performance tools that
facilitate the expansion of mentoring initiatives. We believe that,
with the help and guidance of an adult mentor, each child can unlock
his or her potential.
For nearly two decades, MENTOR has worked to expand the world of
quality mentoring. In cooperation with a national network of Mentoring
Partnerships and with more than 4,100 mentoring programs nationwide,
MENTOR helps connect young Americans who want and need caring adults in
their lives with the power of mentoring.
We build the infrastructure that enables mentoring programs to
flourish, and we leverage resources and provide tools that local
mentoring programs need to operate high-quality mentoring. We also
assist mentoring programs nationwide in building greater awareness of
the need for mentors, and raising the profile of mentoring among
corporate leaders, foundation executives, policymakers and researchers.
Three million young people are currently benefiting from the
guidance of caring adult mentors under our system. And through the
combined efforts of the mentoring field, we seek to close the mentoring
gap so that the 15 million children who currently need mentors also can
benefit from caring mentors.
It is on behalf of these 4,100 mentoring programs, the national
network of mentoring partnerships and 15 million children who need
mentors all across our country that we submit this testimony today.
Benefits of Mentoring.--Youth mentoring is a simple, yet powerful
concept: an adult provides guidance, support and encouragement to help
a young person achieve success in life. Mentors serve as role models,
advocates, friends and advisors.
Mentoring today offers many options--the traditional one-to-one
format, team and group mentoring, peer mentoring, and even online
mentoring. And mentoring programs are run by nonprofit community-based
organizations, schools, faith-based organizations, local government
agencies, workplaces, and more.
Numerous program evaluations have demonstrated that high-quality
mentoring relationships can lead to a range of positive outcomes. A
meta-analysis of 55 mentoring program evaluations found benefits of
participation in the areas of emotional/psychological well-being,
involvement in problem/high-risk behavior and academic outcomes.
Looking at a broader range of outcomes, conducted a meta-analysis of 40
youth mentoring evaluations, and found that youth in mentoring
relationships fared significantly better than nonmentored youth.
Likewise, a recent, large randomized evaluation of Big Brothers Big
Sisters of America's newer, school-based mentoring revealed
improvements in mentored youth's academic performance, perceived
scholastic efficacy, school misconduct, and attendance relative to a
control group of nonmentored youth. In short, mentoring is an effective
strategy that addresses both the academic and nonacademic needs of
struggling young people. It can help ensure that students come to
school and are ready and able to learn.
high-quality mentoring generates the strongest impact
Like any youth-development strategy, mentoring works best when
measures are taken to ensure quality and effectiveness. Money,
personnel and resources are required to initiate and support quality
mentoring relationships. The average per-child expenditure for a
mentoring match that adheres to The Elements of Effective Mentoring
Practice^TM--the mentoring industry standard--is between
$1,000 and $1,500 per year, depending on the program model.
Successful mentoring programs must have well-trained staff familiar
with the needs of the community. One-third of mentoring programs
indicate that hiring and retaining quality staff can be a challenge due
to low salaries. A recruitment campaign must be conducted to attract
volunteers, as many programs have young people on their waiting lists
for mentors.
Program staff must interview each potential volunteer, check
references, and perform criminal background checks. Thorough background
checks alone can cost as much as $50-$90 per volunteer. Once the
screening process is complete, each mentor must receive first-rate
training before being matched with a mentee. The work of the mentoring
program does not end with the first meeting of the mentor and young
person--both require ongoing support, monitoring, and guidance.
All of these elements are critical because research clearly links
program quality with positive outcomes. According to Dr. Jean Rhodes,
professor of psychology at University of Massachusetts at Boston,
careful screening, training and ongoing support are essential to the
longevity of mentoring relationships and to the ultimate success of
mentoring relationships.
Rhodes also found that the longer a mentoring relationship lasts,
the greater the positive, long-lasting effect it has on a young person.
Other researchers in the field have substantiated her findings. In
essence, when properly prepared and supported, a mentor is more likely
to connect with the young person and to stick with the relationship
when times get hard.
Need for Federal Dollars.--The mentoring field needs continued
access to Federal funds if we are to be able to serve more children,
and serve them well. Once again, America has a wide mentoring gap of
nearly 15 million young people. The demand for mentoring far exceeds
the current capacity of local mentoring programs and the number of
adults who volunteer as mentors, and thousands of children sit on
waiting lists for mentors. As noted above, it takes financial resources
to be able to adhere to mentoring best practices and provide quality
mentoring experiences to young people.
Since fiscal year 2004, Congress has devoted approximately $100
million annually for youth mentoring, split evenly between two critical
grant programs:
--Department of Education, Mentoring Programs Grants.--These grants
go to local mentoring organizations to establish or expand
their mentoring program. It can support recruiting, screening,
and training of mentors, as well as hiring and professional
development of mentoring coordinators and support staff.
Community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, and
schools are eligible to apply for funding.
--Department of Health and Human Services, Mentoring for Children of
Prisoners.--This program provides funding to organizations that
match mentors with young people whose parents are incarcerated.
It also is open to community-based and faith-based
organizations.
Both of these programs provide much-needed Federal dollars to help
mentoring programs get established or to expand to serve more children.
Both programs are competitive grant programs, with all funding being
awarded to local organizations. The request for proposals for both
programs require applicants to detail how they will be able to carry
out key mentoring best practices. Since 2004, coinciding with this
significant increase in Federal support, we have seen the number of
young people in mentoring relationships grow from 2.5 million to the
current level of 3 million. Clearly, this funding is having an impact
on the mentoring gap.
President Obama stated in remarks about his fiscal year 2010 budget
February 26, 2009, ``Education Secretary Duncan is set to save tens of
millions of dollars more by cutting an ineffective mentoring program
for students, a program whose mission is being carried out by 100 other
programs in 13 other agencies.'' Once again, we are not certain that
this means the total elimination of school-based mentoring programs in
the Department of Education, but even in the absence of a detailed
budget justification, we feel that comment is warranted.
We understand that this decision may rest in large part on a recent
evaluation that showed that school-based mentoring, as practiced by
many programs around the country, failed to increase grades or test
scores. However, just 2 years ago, another rigorous evaluation of
school-based mentoring found that teachers reported the quality of the
mentored students' school work improved.
To understand these apparently contradictory findings, it is
important to note that the earlier evaluation answered the question,
``What effect does a well-run, school-based mentoring program have?''
The more recent evaluation answered the question, ``What effect does
the average school-based mentoring program have?'' Findings from both
studies reveal that strong programs can improve academic performance,
while programs that do not incorporate best practices cannot.
Interestingly, both types of programs have increased attendance.
School-based mentoring was never designed to be a program that
primarily improved academic achievement. Mentoring aims more broadly to
keep children on a constructive, responsible path (such as encouraging
behaviors like coming to school and following the rules). Mentors are
not supposed to be teachers, but friends and role models. Even so, the
earlier evaluation did show that well-run programs improved academic
performance and behavior by the end of the school year.
Mentoring addresses a particular challenge facing our Nation today:
the high rate at which young people drop out of high school. Nearly
one-third of all high school students drop out before receiving their
diploma, a rate which approaches 50 percent for minority students.
Research on the dropout rate shows that young people can fail to
graduate for a wide variety of reasons, including: lack of connection
to the school environment, lack of motivation or inspiration, chronic
absenteeism, lack of parental involvement, personal reasons such as
teen pregnancy, and failing in school.
We know that young people who drop out will face a future of
unemployment, Government assistance, and even criminal involvement. We
need to help these young people before they reach the point of dropping
out of high school. Fortunately, youth mentoring can play in important
role in addressing the issues young people face within the learning
environment. Research demonstrates that many of the impacts of
mentoring can directly address the underlying causes of our Nation's
dropout crisis. Specific impacts of mentoring include:
--Mentored youth feel greater competence in completing their
schoolwork, which is linked to higher levels of classroom
engagement and higher grades.
--School-based mentoring enhances connectedness to schools, peers and
society, and mentored youth have more positive attitudes toward
school and teachers;
--Evaluations of mentoring programs indicated that both one-to-one
mentoring and group mentoring result in better school
attendance for mentored youth;
--Mentored youth experience improvements in parental relationships
and their own sense of self-worth; and
--Mentored youth are significantly less likely to participate in
high-risk behaviors, including substance abuse, carrying a
weapon, unsafe sex, and violent behaviors.
Mentoring is an important tool to help address dropout risk factors
and help ensure that young people are supported in their effort to
graduate from high school and make a successful transition to
adulthood.
These are tough economic times that warrant tough decisions.
However, rather than eliminating or cutting funding for school-based
mentoring, Congress and the administration could restrict the funding
to programs that truly incorporate best practices--the kind of programs
that have been shown to produce results. MENTOR recommends that the
request for proposals issued for the program be revisited to ensure
that it focuses on the key functions mentoring programs must perform
and their adherence to The Elements of Effective Mentoring Practice--
research-based industry standards now in their third edition. These
standards work to ensure that programs do their utmost to ensure that
mentoring does, in fact, work for America's young people by providing
the best mentoring experience possible. Within the Elements, Program
Design and Planning includes comprehensive guidelines to launch an
effective new mentoring initiative. Program Management and Program
Operations contain guidelines for managing and implementing the many
elements of a new program or fine-tuning certain elements for an
established program. Program Evaluation provides guidance for analyzing
a program to ensure it is safe, effective and able to meet its goals.
It is important to ensure that funding is going to high-quality
programs with real potential to make a difference, rather than
dismantle a strong infrastructure for service that is now in place in
thousands of American schools.
Thus, MENTOR recommends that $50 million once again be provided to
the Department of Education's Mentoring Programs grants in fiscal year
2010. Some of this funding is needed to simply support commitments
already made to existing grantees. All grants awarded under this
program are 3-year projects and require continued appropriations. We
also expect new grants to be made out of fiscal year 2009 funding,
approved at $48.5 million. Those organizations that see their funding
terminate early would likely have to downsize or even close. This would
likely result in the premature end to hundreds--if not thousands--of
mentoring relationships. Research shows that when mentoring
relationships terminate unexpectedly, it can have a detrimental impact
on the child.
Besides the immediate 1-year impact, the elimination of this
program will mean the end of the only authorized Federal program
specifically focused on providing mentors for young people at risk of
failing academically--this is not a function that is duplicated in many
programs more than 13 different agencies as the President mentioned in
February. In the 7 years the program has been in existence, more than
600 grants have been awarded to local mentoring programs in every
State, including rural, suburban, and urban settings. These grants have
totaled nearly $300 million. At the average per-child mentoring cost of
$1,500 per year, this means that approximately 200,000 young people are
benefiting from a mentoring relationship that otherwise likely would
not have been possible.
To conclude this portion of my testimony, we respectfully request
that Congress provide $50 million each for the Department of Education
Mentoring Programs grants and the Department of Health and Human
Services Mentoring Children of Prisoners program.
The Call to Fund Service.--MENTOR joined the strong ranks of
community organizations delighted when the Edward M. Kennedy Serve
America Act became law last week. With significant, bi-partisan
support, this legislation provides for the largest expansion of
national and community service since the 1930s and expands major
initiatives, such as AmeriCorps and the Retired Senior Volunteer
Program, which emerged during the course of the past 20 years. The
legislation also includes key new provisions that recognize mentoring
as an important form of national and community service and support its
growth.
As enacted, the Serve America Act provides many more opportunities
to support quality mentoring. For example, mentoring is an eligible
activity for those engaged in the newly expanded AmeriCorps, Volunteers
In Service To America (VISTA) and Retired and Senior Volunteer
Programs, as well as the newly created Education Corps and Veterans'
Corps. In addition, mentoring partnerships, which support the expansion
of quality mentoring in many States throughout the country, are now
eligible for funding through the National Service Trust Program and
Volunteer Generation Fund.
Now that it is authorized, it is doubly important that the act's
provisions be funded properly in fiscal year 2010 and beyond. mentoring
programs and our national network of Mentoring Partnerships already
rely on the tremendous contributions that AmeriCorps and VISTA
volunteers make, as mentors to youth in need and staff support at those
organizations. The boost in service represented by the Serve America
Act would allow programs and Partnerships to make an even more
meaningful impact in our communities and help us close the gap of 15
million young people who want and need high-quality mentoring
relationships.
conclusion
On behalf of the thousands of mentoring programs and millions of
mentored children across the country, we commend you for your past
support of mentoring and national and community service funding. We
strongly encourage you to continue this wise investment in our young
people and in our country. Thank you for your consideration.
______

Letter From Maui Family Support Services
Wailuku, HI, May 12, 2009.
Hon. Tom Harkin,
Chairman, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and
Education, and Related Agencies, Washington, DC.
I write to express support for increased funding for the Child
Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) programs. We propose to
increase CAPTA basic State grant funding to $84 million, community-
based prevention grants funding to $80 million, and research and
demonstration grants funding to $37 million in fiscal year 2010.
CAPTA's title II authorizes grants to States to help develop
community-based prevention services to support families, including
parenting education classes, home visiting services, respite care, as
well as family resource centers to connect families and children to the
services they need. While we spend billions of dollars every year on
foster care to protect the children who have been the most seriously
injured, we can do a much better job at protecting children before the
damage is so bad that we have no other choice than to remove them from
their homes. Community prevention services to at-risk families are far
less costly than the damage inflicted on children from abuse and
neglect. Increasing for CAPTA prevention grants to $80 million would
help communities support proven, cost-effective approaches to
preventing child abuse and neglect.
It is extremely important that we give the highest priority to the
children of this Nation for they are the most vulnerable population
that needs protection and support to grow into a well-balanced,
healthy, and productive citizenry.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Ave Diaz,
Healthy Start Home Visiting Supervisor.
______

Prepared Statement of the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and
Associated Disorders
Founded in 1976, the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and
Associated Disorders (ANAD) is our Nation's first nonprofit
organization dedicated to education, early detection, and prevention of
anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, obesity, and
related eating disorders.
Eating disorders are severe mental illnesses which often have
significant physical health consequences for their victims, including
malnutrition, obesity, and diabetes, as well as death due to cardiac
arrest, organ failure, blood imbalances, and suicide. Anorexia nervosa
has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. An estimated 6
percent of those who have the disease die as a result. These disorders
also frequently lead to or co-occur with other serious illnesses such
as severe depression, alcoholism, and drug abuse.
Eating disorders are at epidemic levels in America. An estimated 7
million women and 1 million men have eating disorders. These illnesses
affect all segments of society--the young and old, the rich and poor,
and all races and ethnicities, including African Americans, Asian
Americans, Latino Americans, and Native Americans. But this is an
epidemic that can be averted with education and prevention programs,
and cured with early diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Data from an ANAD survey of 18 middle and high schools in 15 States
indicates that eating disorders are almost as prevalent as alcohol or
drug problems among female middle school and high school students. The
survey also indicates that our schools are spending far less time on
eating disorder prevention than on alcohol or drug prevention programs.
Seventeen percent of the schools surveyed spent 1 hour per year on
eating disorder education. Eleven percent of the schools surveyed had
no eating disorder prevention program of any kind.
The failure to fund eating disorder education and prevention in
schools is especially troubling in light of the fact that eating
disorders are often accompanied by or lead to alcoholism or drug
addiction, as well as diabetes, severe depression, and suicide.
Tens of millions of dollars are spent each year at the local,
State, and Federal levels to ensure that our children are properly
educated to the dangers of alcohol and drugs. The value of such
programs has been proven and accepted in schools throughout the
country. With eating disorders almost as prevalent as alcohol and drug
abuse in our schools, it is imperative that we provide more support for
eating disorder prevention efforts in our middle schools and high
schools. Millions of our youth can benefit from proven, low-cost
educational and preventive measures that help faculty and students to
understand and avoid the dangers of eating disorders.
Eating disorder research into the underlying causes and risk
factors associated with eating disorders is just as important as
education and prevention. As we continue to learn more about underlying
causes, risk factors and predictors through medical research, it will
undoubtedly improve the efficacy of our education and prevention
efforts.
Based on the foregoing, ANAD respectfully makes this request of the
subcommittee with regard to funding priorities for fiscal year 2010.
Millions of our youth can benefit from proven, low-cost services that
assist students to understand and avoid the dangers of eating
disorders. Programs, such as those provided by ANAD's Eating Disorders
and Obesity Education/Prevention Program for Middle and High Schools,
promote the elements of a healthy lifestyle: self-acceptance, a good
diet, adequate exercise and sufficient sleep.
Given the troubling lack of education and prevention in our
schools, ANAD respectfully requests $4 million or $75.00 per school be
allocated to place these life-enhancing programs in every middle and
high school in the United States. This $4 million in funds is above and
beyond the current request in the administration's proposed budget, for
the Department of Education's Safe and Drug-Free Schools programs to
provide grants for eating disorder prevention and education programs in
our Nation's middle schools and high schools.
Eating disorders cause serious physical problems that can last a
lifetime. They rob people of their ability to function as productive
members of society because, if not properly treated, victims of these
illnesses find themselves requiring more and more costly medical
services throughout their lives. With early education and detection,
eating disorders are treatable and at a much lower economic and
personal cost to society.
summary of anad eating disorders study
Data from a 2005 ANAD study shows that eating disorders are almost
as prevalent as alcohol or drug problems in middle and high school
female students. The study also shows that far less time is spent on
eating disorder prevention than on alcohol or drug prevention programs.
This is especially significant since eating disorders are often
accompanied by or lead to severe depression, suicidal tendencies, self-
mutilation, or diabetes. Many victims become alcohol or drug addicted.
Eating disorders cause great suffering for victims and families and
are expensive to treat. Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate
of any mental illness. An estimated 6 percent of all anorexics die from
an eating disorder or from complications from their disorder. However,
these very dangerous illnesses can be cured and prevented.
Eight middle schools and 10 high schools from 15 States were
surveyed for this study.
Incidence of Alcoholism, Drugs, and Eating Disorders in Schools
Nine point eight percent of girls have problems with alcohol; 8
percent of girls have problems with drugs; and 7.8 percent of girls
have problems with eating disorders.
Time Devoted to Education/Prevention
Time devoted to Alcohol Education/prevention--12.3 percent; time
devoted to Drugs Education/Prevention--13.8 percent; and time devoted
to Eating Disorders Education/prevention--6.2 percent.
Three schools reported 1 hour per year was spent on eating
disorders education and two schools reported that they did not have any
program.
______

Prepared Statement of the National Association of County and City
Health Officials
The National Association of County and City Health Officials
(NACCHO) represents the Nation's approximately 2,860 local health
departments (LHDs). These governmental agencies work every day in their
communities to prevent disease, promote wellness, and protect health.
They organize community partnerships and facilitate community
conversations to create the conditions in which people can be healthy.
The work of local health departments and NACCHO improves economic well-
being, educational success, and nationwide competitiveness community by
community.
The current H1N1 influenza cases in the United States could signal
the onset of the next pandemic. State and local public health agencies
are actively engaged in outbreak investigation, control and response
activities to control the virus' spread and minimize illness and death.
NACCHO appreciates the past support of the subcommittee for public
health emergency preparedness and urges the subcommittee to provide the
necessary resources so that State and local health departments are able
to respond to all hazards, including a possible resurgence of pandemic
influenza in the fall.
LHDs have a unique and distinctive role and set of responsibilities
in the larger health system and within every community. The Nation
depends upon the capacity of local health departments to play this role
well. A LHD is the only local governmental entity that works from a
population-wide perspective. LHDs have statutory powers which enable
their role and enshrine a duty to serve every person and household in
their jurisdiction.
Funding to local health departments continues to be inadequate and
many people in the United States suffer from conditions whose causes
are preventable, whose costs for treatment are unsustainable into the
future, and whose treatment is of erratic quality, effectiveness and
efficiency. One clear, measured result is that the United States is not
the healthiest Nation in the world despite higher per capita
expenditures than any other Nation.
The Nation's current recession further diminishes the ability of
local health departments to measure population-wide illness and death,
organize efforts to prevent disease and prolong quality of life, and to
serve the public through organized programs not offered elsewhere.
Repeated rounds of budget cuts and layoffs in LHDs continue to erode
capacity. Reductions in local and State tax bases further undermine
these sources of support. A NACCHO survey found that in 2008, at least
7,000 LHD jobs were lost in 46 States across the country. Far more are
expected this year and many LHDs are currently reporting budget cuts in
the 20 to 40 percent range.
Protections people take for granted--from enforcement of rules
requiring safe food in restaurants and schools to early identification
of disease outbreaks to the expectation that their LHD will examine,
discover, and take action--are disappearing. In economic hard times,
people are more dependent than ever on their local health departments.
Programs offered by LHDs serve as a safety net for people in
communities where the numbers of unemployed, uninsured, and
underinsured are growing daily, compounding the numbers of formerly
working adults who need care.
NACCHO's recommendations focus on the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) and the Health Services and Resources
Administration (HRSA). Consistent funding with growth over time is
needed. NACCHO recommends an overall funding level for CDC of $8.6
billion not including funding for Vaccines for Children.
chronic disease prevention and health promotion
Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant
NACCHO recommends: Not less than fiscal year 2005 funding of $131
million. Local public health departments receive approximately 40
percent of the Preventive Health and Health Services block grant (PHHS)
nationally. The proportion received by local health departments varies
among states from less than five percent to almost 100 percent.
Increasing the availability of flexible funds is particularly important
as the gaps in public health protections grow.
PHHS funds enable States to address critical unmet public health
needs. Improving chronic disease prevention through screening programs
and programs that promote healthy nutrition and physical activity are
prime examples of activities to which many jurisdictions devote PHHS
funds. Population-based strategies which create the conditions in which
people are more likely to be healthy are also supported with these
funds. Flexible PHHS funds allow local priorities and unexpected
problems to be addressed. West Nile virus, a fully preventable disease
spread to humans by mosquitoes, is one good example. Finally, PHHS
funds provide leverage for additional support from non-Federal sources.
NACCHO also recommends that the subcommittee include language with
the appropriations bill which would require concurrence of LHDs with
State public health officials in the uses for and distribution of these
funds. Such language has been instrumental in the effective use of
preparedness funds, assuring that a reasonable proportion of funds help
local communities.
emergency preparedness
Public Health Emergency Preparedness Cooperative Agreement
NACCHO recommends not less than fiscal year 2005 funding of $919
million. Federal funding for improving State and local public health
emergency preparedness has stalled for the past several years and is
substantially down from $919 million in fiscal year 2005 to $746
million in the fiscal year 2009 omnibus appropriations bill. Local
health departments successfully responded to the outbreak of H1N1
influenza this spring, but a sustained epidemic would further tax
resources and stretch the capacity of local health professionals to
respond adequately to the influenza outbreak as well as other
responsibilities in the areas of infectious and chronic disease.
Last year more than 25 percent of LHDs reduced their preparedness
activities, delayed completion of plans, and/or delayed acquisition of
equipment and supplies as a result. Constant readiness for both new and
emerging threats requires staff, plans, training and practice, all of
which require financial support. The benefits to safety and well-being
of local communities are clear when LHDs are prepared and work
effectively with their communities to be prepared for all hazards.
Reduction in Federal financial support has reduced readiness and the
capacity to respond to emergencies.
advanced practice centers
NACCHO recommends level funding of $5.3 million plus inflation
adjustment. NACCHO appreciates the past support of the subcommittee for
the Advanced Practice Centers program. The Advanced Practice Center
(APC) program funded through CDC provides funds to seven local health
departments to develop innovative field-tested tools and models to help
other LHDs meet emergency preparedness goals. The APCs are located in
Santa Clara County, California; Cambridge, Massachusetts; Montgomery
County, Maryland; Twin Cities Metro, Minnesota; Western New York Public
Health Alliance; Tarrant County, Texas and Public Health--Seattle and
King County, Washington. The 70 unique preparedness tools produced to
date by the APCs have become essential instruments that LHDs nationwide
routinely employ to assess their vulnerability, strengthen their
response capacity, and enhance the resilience of their communities and
workforce. The APC network provides a national learning laboratory that
creates tools, resources, and technical guidance that can be used for
all LHDs and that align with public health preparedness priority areas.
public health workforce
NACCHO recommends $10 million new funding. The shortages in the
public health workforce have been well-documented, particularly in
public health nursing, epidemiology, laboratory science, and
environmental health. The Nation's wellness depends on a continuing
supply of people for this workforce. Additional funding and leadership
is required to support a program of training, continuing education, and
education for the full range of public health professions and community
workers. Section 765 of the Public Health Service Act authorizes grants
that would allow State and local health departments to provide training
and trainee support. Funds have never been appropriated for this
purpose.
emergency preparedness workforce
NACCHO recommends $10 million new funding. Workforce shortages also
exist in the area of public health preparedness. In 2006, the Pandemic
and All-Hazards Preparedness Act created two new programs within the
National Health Service Corps (NHSC) in the Health Resources and
Services Administration, yet no funding was appropriated for these
programs. Funding would allow expansion of the NHSC on a trial basis to
include loan repayment for individuals who complete their service in a
State, local, or tribal health department that serves health
professional shortage areas or areas at risk of a public health
emergency. The second program establishes grants to States to create
loan repayment programs. These programs are essential to ensure a
workforce trained to carry out specialized tasks in preparedness.
______

Prepared Statement of The National Alliance to End Homelessness
The National Alliance to End Homelessness (the Alliance) is a
nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that has several thousand partner
agencies and organizations across the country. These partners include
local faith-based and community-based nonprofit organizations and
public sector agencies that provide homeless people with housing and
services such as substance abuse treatment, job training, and physical
health and mental healthcare. The Alliance represents a united effort
to address the root causes of homelessness and challenge society's
acceptance of homelessness as an inevitable byproduct of American life.
summary of appropriations goals
Moving Forward To End Homelessness.--Communities are using Federal,
State, and local funds to help homeless persons maintain housing.
Especially during the current economic recession, it is important that
this progress not be undermined. To this end, the Alliance recommends
the following:
--Allocate $120 million for services for people experiencing
homelessness within the Programs of Regional and National
Significance accounts of both Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health
Services and Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.
--Increase funding for the Projects for Assistance in Transition from
Homelessness (PATH) program to $75 million.
--Increase funding for the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA)
Programs to $165 million.
--Provide $2.602 billion in the Community Health Center program
within the Health Resource Services Administration (HRSA). This
would result in $226.3 million for the Health Care for the
Homeless (HCH) program, a $36 million increase from fiscal year
2009.
--Fund Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) services at
$210 million.
--Increase funding for the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program to
$50 million, its authorized level.
Connecting Homeless Families, Individuals, and Youth to Mainstream
Services
People experiencing homelessness also depend on mainstream
programs. The Alliance recommends the following to meet this goal:
--Fund the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) program at $2.3
billion.
--Fund the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program at $725
million.
--Appropriate $60 million in education and training vouchers for
youth exiting foster care under the Safe and Stable Families
Program.
--Fund the Community Mental Health Services Performance Partnership
Block Grant at $486.9, a $66.1 million increase.
--Fund the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant at
$1.929 billion, a $150 million increase more than fiscal year
2009.
background
Our 2009 report, Homelessness Counts: Changes in Homelessness from
2005 to 2007, estimates that 671,859 people are homeless on any given
night. This includes 248,511 persons in families and 423,348
individuals. Eighteen percent of all homeless people are defined as
chronically homeless; these are people who have a disability and who
have been homeless repeatedly or continuously for 12 months. These
numbers are based on homeless counts performed in 2007, prior to the
current economic recession. Compared to 2005, there were decreases
across the country resulting in a 10 percent overall decline in
homelessness. Anecdotal evidence suggests there could be increases in
homelessness as communities report the results of their 2009 counts. To
help stave off drastic increases in homelessness, we need Congress to
invest in what we know works. Successful interventions for all homeless
populations couple housing with an appropriate level of services for
the family or individual. We call on Congress to adequately fund
programs that assist States and local entities in developing permanent
housing and the necessary social services to end homelessness for all
Americans.
detailed program descriptions
Goal No. 1--Moving Forward To End Homelessness
Support Services for Permanent Supportive Housing Projects
The Alliance recommends allocating $120 million for services in
permanent supportive housing within SAMHSA's Center for Mental Health
Services and Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Years of reliable
data and research demonstrate that the most successful intervention to
solve chronic homelessness is linking housing to appropriate support
services. Current SAMHSA investments in homeless programs are highly
effective and cost-efficient.
path
The Alliance recommends that Congress increase PATH funding to $75
million and adjust the funding formula to increase allocations for
small States and territories.
PATH provides outreach to eligible consumers and ensures that those
consumers are connected with mainstream services, such as Supplemental
Security Income, Medicaid, and welfare programs. Under the PATH formula
grant, approximately 30 States share in the program's annual
appropriations increases. The remaining States and territories receive
the minimum grant of $300,000 for States and $50,000 for territories.
These amounts have not been raised since the program was authorized in
1991. To account for inflation, the minimum allocation should be raised
to $600,000 for States and $100,000 for territories. Amending the
minimum allocation requires a legislative change. If the authorizing
committees do not address this issue, we hope that appropriators will
explore ways to make the change through appropriations bill language.
rhya programs
The Alliance recommends funding the RHYA programs at $165 million.
RHYA programs support cost effective, community- and faith-based
organizations that protect youth from the harms of life on the streets.
The RHYA programs can either reunify youth safely with family or find
alternative living arrangements. RHYA programs end homelessness by
engaging youth living on the street with Street Outreach Programs,
quickly providing emergency shelter and family crisis counseling
through the Basic Centers, or providing supportive housing that helps
young people develop lifelong independent living skills through
Transitional Living Programs. Recently, the Congressional Research
Service issued a report complimenting the good work of RHYA programs
but detailing the gaps in services due to limited funding. For example,
only one-tenth of the youth who connect with a RHYA program are able to
receive services. It is essential that Congress increase this program.
community health centers and hch programs
The Alliance recommends $2.602 billion in the Community Health
Center program within HRSA. This would result in $226.4 million for the
HCH program, a $36 million increase more than fiscal year 2009. Persons
living on the street suffer from health problems resulting from or
exacerbated by being homeless, such as hypothermia, frostbite, and
heatstroke. In addition, they often have infections of the respiratory
and gastrointestinal systems, tuberculosis, vascular diseases such as
leg ulcers, and hypertension. Healthcare for the homeless programs are
vital to prevent these conditions from becoming fatal. Congress
allocates 8.7 percent of the Consolidated Health Centers account for
HCH projects.
education for homeless children and youth (ehcy)
The Alliance recommends funding EHCY at $210 million. The most
important potential source of stability for homeless children is
school. The mission of the EHCY program is to ensure that these
children can continue to attend school and thrive. EHCY, within the
Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education,
removes obstacles to enrollment and retention by establishing liaisons
between schools and shelters and providing funding for transportation,
tutoring, school supplies, and the coordination of statewide efforts to
remove barriers.
homeless veterans reintegration program (hvrp)
The Alliance recommends that Congress increase HVRP funding to $50
million. HVRP, which is within the Department of Labor's Veterans
Employment and Training Service (VETS), provides competitive grants to
community-based, faith-based, and public organizations to offer
outreach, job placement, and supportive services to homeless veterans.
HVRP is the primary employment services program accessible by homeless
veterans and is the only targeted employment program for any homeless
subpopulation. It is estimated that this program only reaches about two
percent of the overall homeless veteran population. An appropriation at
the authorized level of $50 million would enable HVRP grantees to reach
approximately 19,866 homeless veterans.
Goal No. 2--Connecting Homeless Families, Individuals and Youth to
Mainstream Services
social services block grant (ssbg)
The Alliance recommends that Congress increase SSBG funding to $2.3
billion. SSBG funds are essential for programs dedicated to ending
homelessness. In particular, youth housing programs and permanent
supportive housing providers often receive State, county, and local
funds which originate from the SSBG. As the Department of Housing and
Urban Development has focused its funding on housing, programs that
provide both housing and social services have struggled to fund the
service component of their programs. This gap is often closed using
Federal programs such as SSBG.
community services block grant (csbg)
The Alliance recommends that Congress rejects cuts and fund CSBG at
$725 million. Funding cuts for CSBG will destabilize the progress
communities have made toward ending homelessness by not only ending
services directly provided by CSBG funds but limiting a community's
ability to access other Federal dollars, such as those provided by the
Department of Housing and Urban Development. Community Action Agencies
(CAAs), which are the primary local recipients of CSBG funding, are
directly involved in housing and homelessness services. In several
communities, CAAs lead the Continuum of Care (CoC). CoCs coordinate
local homeless service providers and the community's McKinney-Vento
Homeless Assistance Grant application process with the Department of
Housing and Urban Development.
In the fiscal year 2006 Community Services Block Grant Information
Systems report published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, CAAs reported expending approximately $42 million on housing-
related services. In addition, approximately $50 million was spent
nationwide on youth services, some of which related to housing. States
reported that 180,000 clients served with CSBG funds were homeless.
foster youth education and training vouchers
The Alliance recommends that Congress appropriate $60 million in
education and training vouchers for youth exiting foster care under the
Safe and Stable Families Program. The Education and Training Voucher
Program offers funds to foster youth and former foster youth to enable
them to attend colleges, universities, and vocational training
institutions. Students may receive up to $5,000 a year for college or
vocational training education. The funds may be used for tuition,
books, housing, or other qualified living expenses. Given the large
number of people experiencing homelessness who have a foster care
history, it is important to provide assistance such as these education
and training vouchers to stabilize youth, prevent economic crisis, and
prevent future homelessness.
community mental health performance partnership block grant
The Alliance recommends that Congress appropriate $486.9 million
for the Community Mental Health Performance Partnership Block Grant.
The Mental Health Block Grant provides flexible funding to states to
provide mental health services. Ending homelessness requires Federal,
State, and local partnerships. Additional mental health funds will give
States the resources to improve their mental health system and serve
all people with mental health disorders better, including homeless
populations. For example, block grant funds can be used to pay for
services linked to housing for homeless people, thereby meeting the
match requirements for projects funded through Shelter Plus Care or the
Supportive Housing Program.
substance abuse prevention and treatment (sapt) block grant
The Alliance recommends that Congress appropriate $1.929 billion
for the SAPT Block Grant. The SAPT Block Grant is the primary source of
Federal funding for substance abuse treatment and prevention for many
low-income individuals, including those experiencing homelessness.
Studies have shown that half of all people experiencing homelessness
have a diagnosable substance use disorder. States need more resources
to implement proven treatment strategies and work with housing
providers to keep homeless populations, especially chronically homeless
populations, stably housed.
conclusion
Homelessness is not inevitable. As communities implement plans to
end homelessness, they are struggling to find funding for the services
that homeless and formerly homeless clients need to maintain housing.
The Federal investments in mental health services, substance abuse
treatment, employment training, youth housing, veterans' services, and
case management discussed above will help communities create stable
housing programs and change social systems which will end homelessness
for millions of Americans.
______

Prepared Statement of the National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research
National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (NAEVR) requests a
fiscal year 2010 National Institute of Health (NIH) funding increase of
at least 7 percent, to a level of $32.4 billion, which represents a
modest 3 percent increase plus the biomedical inflation rate, estimated
at 3.8 percent in fiscal year 2009. This increase is necessary to keep
pace with inflation and rebuild the base, since NIH has lost 14 percent
of its purchasing power during the past 6 funding cycles.
NAEVR commends the congressional leadership's actions in fiscal
year 2008 and 2009 to increase NIH funding, including the $150 million
in the fiscal year 2008 supplemental dedicated to investigator-
initiated grants, the $10.4 billion in 2-year stimulative NIH funding
within the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), and the final
fiscal year 2009 appropriations inflationary increase of 3.2 percent.
However, NIH needs sustained and predictable funding to rebuild its
base and support multi-year, investigator-initiated research, which is
the cornerstone of the biomedical enterprise. Annual increases of at
least 7 percent put NIH on a pathway to budget-doubling within the next
10 years. Secure and consistent funding for biomedical research is
integral to the Nation's economic and global competitiveness. NIH is a
world-leading institution that must be adequately funded so that its
research can reduce healthcare costs, increase productivity, and save
and improve the quality of lives.
NAEVR requests that Congress make vision health a top priority by
increasing National Eye Institute (NEI) funding by at least 7 percent,
to a level of $736 million, in this year that NEI celebrates its 40th
anniversary. Over the past 6 funding cycles, NEI lost 18 percent of its
purchasing power. Despite funding challenges, NEI has maintained its
impressive record of breakthroughs in basic and clinical research that
have resulted in treatments and therapies to save and restore vision
and prevent eye disease. NEI will be challenged further, as 2010 begins
the decade in which more than half of the 78 million baby boomers will
turn 65 and be at greatest risk for developing aging eye disease.
Adequately funding the NEI is a cost-effective investment in our
Nation's health, as it can delay, save, and prevent expenditures,
especially to the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
Fiscal year 2010 funding at $736 million enables NEI to expand its
impressive record of basic and clinical collaborative research that has
resulted in treatments and therapies to save and restore vision.
NEI continues to be a leader in basic research--especially that
which elucidates the genetic basis of ocular disease--and in
translational research, as those gene discoveries can lead to
development of diagnostics and treatments. NEI Director Paul Sieving,
M.D., Ph.D., has reported that one-quarter of all genes identified to
date through NEI's collaboration with the National Human Genome
Research Institute (NHGRI) are associated with eye disease/visual
impairment. Recent examples include:
--In 2005, NEI reported that gene variants of Complement Factor H
(CFH), the protein product of which is engaged in the control
of the body's immune response, are associated with increased
risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the
leading cause of vision loss. NEI-funded researchers are now
working on potential therapies, including the manufacture and
use of a protective version of the CFH protein in an
augmentation strategy similar to that of treating diabetes with
insulin. This therapy is under development and expected to
enter phase I clinical safety trials in summer 2009.
--In March 2008, NEI-funded researchers announced that damage from
both AMD and diabetic retinopathy was prevented and even
reversed when the protein Robo4 was activated in mouse models
that simulate the two diseases. Robo4 treated and prevented the
diseases by inhibiting abnormal blood vessel growth and by
stabilizing blood vessels to prevent leakage. Since this
research into the ``Robo4 Pathway'' used animal models
associated with these diseases that are already used in drug
development, the time required to test this approach in humans
could be shortened, expediting approvals for new therapies
--In late April 2008, researchers funded by the NEI and private
funding organization Foundation Fighting Blindness reported on
their use of gene therapy to restore vision in young adults who
were virtually blind from a severe form of the
neurodegenerative disease Retinitis Pigmentosa, known as Leber
Congenital Amaurosis (LCA). Seven years earlier, the
researchers shared on Capitol Hill results of a preclinical
study of the same gene therapy, which at the time was
successfully giving vision to dogs born blind with LCA. The
subsequent human gene therapy trial validated the process of
putting genes in the body to restore vision. Although the
primary goal of the phase I study was to ensure patient safety,
the researchers reported through both objective and subjective
testing that the patients were able to read several lines on an
eye chart, had better peripheral vision, and better eyesight in
dimly lit settings. In further research, the investigators will
treat LCA patients as young as 8 years old, since they believe
the most dramatic results will be seen in young children.
--In late 2008, NEI initiated its new NEI Glaucoma Human genetics
collaBORation, known as NEIGHBOR, through which seven U.S.
research teams will lead genetic studies of the disease.
Glaucoma is called the ``stealth robber of vision'' as it often
has no symptoms until vision is lost, and anywhere from 50-75
percent of individuals with it are undiagnosed. It is also the
leading cause of preventable vision loss in African-American
and Hispanic populations, which emphasizes the vital nature of
determining the genetic basis of this disease.
fiscal year 2010 funding at $736 million enables nei to fully fund new
initiatives that more fully characterize eye disease
NEI has been a leader in collaborative research, the use of
networks to study diagnostics and treatments and their use in clinical
settings, and in ocular epidemiology to characterize the nature and
frequency of eye disease in diverse populations to better manage pubic
health. In fiscal year 2008, NEI reported on/launched the initial phase
of three important new programs to characterize eye disease requiring
adequate future funding.
--In early 2009, the NEI and the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) reported on the use of a compact fiber
optic probe developed for the space program that has proven
valuable as the first noninvasive early detection device for
cataracts, the leading cause of vision loss worldwide. Using a
laser light technique called dynamic light scattering (DLS),
which was developed to analyze the growth of protein crystals
in a zero-gravity environment, the probe measures the amount of
light scattering by an anti-cataract protein called alpha-
crystallin. The probe senses protein damage due to oxidative
stress, a key process involved in many medical conditions
including age-related cataract and diabetes, as well as
Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
--In late 2008, NEI launched a new research network, the Neuro-
Ophthalmology Research Disease Investigator Consortium, or
NORDIC. It will initially lead multi-site observational and
treatment trials, involving nearly 200 community and academic
practitioners, to address the risks, diagnosis, and treatment
of two ``rare'' diseases: idiopathic intracranial hypertension
(visual dysfunction due to increased intracranial pressure) and
thyroid eye disease (also called Graves' disease, in which
muscles of the eye enlarge and cause bulging of the eyes,
retraction of the lids, double vision, decreased vision, and
irritation). The NEI and NORDIC's principal investigator have
already begun coordinating with the Department of Defense's
(DOD) newly established Vision Center of Excellence (VCE) about
the applicability of NORDIC research to combat-related eye
injuries, especially those associated with Traumatic Brain
Injury (TBI).
--There is currently almost no information on the prevalence, risk
factors, and genetic determinants in Asian Americans--one of
the fastest growing racial groups in the United States. Studies
from East Asia have suggested that Asians have a spectrum of
eye diseases different from that of White Americans, African
Americans, and Hispanics. In late 2008, NEI launched the
Chinese American Eye Study to characterize the extent of eye
disease in Chinese Americans, the largest Asian sub-group in
the United States. Participants 50 years and older will be
evaluated for blindness, visual impairment, and eye disease.
These results will add to the expanding body of knowledge about
vision health disparities already characterized by NEI in the
African-American and Hispanic populations.
vision impairment/eye disease is a major public health problem that
increases healthcare costs, reduces productivity, and diminishes
quality of life
The NEI estimates that more than 38 million Americans age 40 and
older experience blindness, low vision, or an age-related eye disease
such as AMD, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, or cataracts. This is
expected to grow to more than 50 million Americans by year 2020. The
economic and societal impact of eye disease is increasing not only due
to the aging population, but to its disproportionate incidence in
minority populations and as a co-morbid condition of chronic disease,
such as diabetes.
Although the NEI estimates that the current annual cost of vision
impairment and eye disease to the United States is $68 billion, this
number does not fully quantify the impact of direct healthcare costs,
lost productivity, reduced independence, diminished quality of life,
increased depression, and accelerated mortality. The continuum of
vision loss presents a major public health problem and financial
challenge to the public and private sectors.
In public opinion polls over the past 40 years, Americans have
consistently identified fear of vision loss as second only to fear of
cancer. As recently as March 2008, the NEI's Survey of Public
Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Related to Eye Health and Disease
reported that 71 percent of respondents indicated that a loss of their
eyesight would rate as a ``10'' on a scale of 1 to 10, meaning that it
would have the greatest impact on their day-to-day life.
In 2009, the NEI will celebrate its 40th anniversary as the NIH
Institute that leads the Nation's commitment to save and restore
vision. During the next decade, more than half of the 78 million baby
boomers will celebrate their 65th birthday and be at greatest risk for
developing aging eye disease. As a result, sustained, adequate Federal
funding for the NEI is an especially vital investment in the health,
and vision health, of our Nation as the treatments and therapies
emerging from research can preserve and restore vision. Adequately
funding the NEI can also delay, save, and prevent health expenditures,
especially those associated with the Medicare and Medicaid programs,
and is, therefore, a cost-effective investment.
NAEVR urges fiscal year 2010 NIH and NEI funding at $32.4 billion
and $736 million, respectively, reflecting an at least 7 percent
increase more than fiscal year 2009.
______

Prepared Statement of the National Association of State Alcohol and
Drug Abuse Directors

Chairman Harkin, Ranking Member Cochran, members of the
subcommittee, on behalf of the National Association of State Alcohol
and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD), and our component organizations,
the National Prevention Network, and the National Treatment Network,
thank you for your leadership on issues related to addiction. I am Flo
Stein, NASADAD President and member from North Carolina. I am pleased
to present testimony regarding fiscal year 2010 funding priorities.
Scope of the Problem.--According to the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) National Survey on Drug Use
and Health (NSDUH), approximately 23.2 million Americans aged 12 or
older needed services for an alcohol or illicit drug problem in 2007.
During the same year, approximately 2.4 million received treatment for
such a problem at a specialty facility. As a result, approximately 20.8
million people needed but did not receive services in 2007 in a
specialty facility.
Substance Abuse Spending Represents a Tiny Fraction of all Health
Expenditures.--Substance abuse expenditures represented 1.3 percent of
all healthcare expenditures in 2003 ($21 billion for substance abuse
compared to $1,614 billion for all health expenditures). Using
inflation adjusted terms, the growth rate for all health spending from
1993 to 2003 was 4.6 percent, while the growth rate for substance abuse
spending during this same time period was 1.4 percent.
Yet Addiction is Associated With Many Other Diseases.--In a 2004
study appearing in the Journal of the American Medical Association
(JAMA), researchers examined ``actual causes of death'' defined by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as factors that
contribute to leading killers such as heart disease, cancer and stroke.
The study identified nine leading ``actual causes of death.'' Tobacco,
alcohol and illicit drugs--killing 530,000 Americans in 2000--were 3 of
the top 9. The others were diet/weight; microbial agents; toxic agents;
motor vehicles; firearms and sexual behaviors.
Unaddressed Substance Abuse Problems are Costly.--As noted in
SAMHSA's National Expenditures for Mental Health Services and Substance
Abuse Treatment, 1993-2003 (2007), when substance abuse spending was
$15.5 billion in 1998, the total economic costs of alcohol abuse were
approximately $184.6 billion and the total economic costs for drug
abuse were $143.4 billion (Harwood, 2000). These costs were linked not
only to medical consequences of alcohol/drug use, but also crime, lost
earnings, motor vehicle crashes, and more.
Financial Investments in Addiction Services Save Taxpayer
Dollars.--The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) notes that for
every $1 spent on addiction treatment programs, there is an estimated
$4 to $7 reduction in the cost of drug-related crimes. With some
outpatient programs, total savings can exceed costs by a ratio of 12:1
(NIDA InfoFacts, 2006).
Maintain SAMHSA as Strong Agency.--NASADAD supports action to
ensure that SAMHSA remains a unique, strong and vibrant agency. SAMHSA
has demonstrated excellent leadership and collaboration--promoting
innovative strategies to improve our service delivery system. NASADAD
thanks Dr. Eric Broderick, Acting Administrator of SAMHSA, for his
work. SAMHSA is to be commended and should be considered a vital voice
in discussions related to health reform.
Top Priority for Fiscal Year 2010--Increase Funding for Substance
Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant.--NASADAD recommends
$1,928.6 million for the SAPT Block Grant in fiscal year 2010--an
increase of $150 million more than fiscal year 2009 and more than the
President's request. Since 2007, as the economy and State budgets
struggled, unemployment grew by 5.5 million. This is critical news for
the SAPT Block Grant given that the NSDUH found unemployed persons need
services at almost twice the rate as those with jobs. An increase in
SAPT Block Grant funds would help our public treatment system to better
serve this increased need on the part of the low-income and uninsured
population.
Background.--The SAPT Block Grant, a program distributed by formula
to all States and territories, serves our Nation's most vulnerable,
low-income populations: those with HIV/AIDS, pregnant and parenting
women, youth, and others. This vital program helps States and
communities address their own unique needs--whether the problem is
alcohol, methamphetamine, and prescription drug abuse or persons using
multiples substances. The SAPT Block Grant represents approximately 40
percent of treatment expenditures by State substance abuse agencies
across the country.
SAPT Block Grant Funded Services Achieve Results.--The SAPT Block
Grant is an effective and efficient program that emphasizes
accountability through the reporting of outcomes data. In particular,
States have worked diligently with SAMHSA to implement the National
Outcome Measures (NOMs) initiative. The SAMHSA/State partnership on
NOMs promotes continuous quality improvement through a more systematic
approach to data management and reporting. States now measure the
impact of services on the use of alcohol and other drug use;
employment; having stable housing; involvement with criminal activity;
and efforts to live productively in the community. As noted by SAMHSA
in 2008, SAPT Block Grant funded programs had positive results, where
``. . . at discharge, clients have demonstrated high abstinence rates
from both illegal drug (68.3 percent) and alcohol (73.7 percent) use.''
In my own State of North Carolina, our Division of Mental Health,
Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services reported 21,102
to treatment admissions in State fiscal year 2006/2007. In State fiscal
year 2006/2007, North Carolina showed the following client outcomes at
discharge: 82 percent were abstinent from alcohol use; 74 percent were
abstinent from drug use; and 77 percent were involved in social support
groups.
Important Prevention Funding Within SAPT Block Grant.--Twenty
percent of the SAPT Block Grant is dedicated to funding much needed
substance abuse prevention programming. In many States set-aside
funding represents a large source of prevention funds for the agency.
Overall, SAPT Block Grant funding represents 64 percent of State
substance abuse agency prevention funding. In 21 States, the set-aside
represents 75 percent or more of the agency's prevention budget.
The prevention set-aside has also helped produce demonstrable
results. The Monitoring the Future (MTF) Survey found a 25 percent
decline in any illicit drug use in the past month by 8th, 10th, and
12th graders combined between 2001 and 2008. As a result, there were
840,000 fewer teens using drugs in 2008 compared to 2001. A strong
commitment to the SAPT Block Grant will ensure a strong commitment to
much needed prevention services for our youth.
Recent History of SAPT Block Grant Funding.--NASADAD is thankful
for the increase of $19.9 million for the SAPT Block Grant in fiscal
year 2009. However, the program has suffered over the past few years:
from fiscal year 2004 to fiscal year 2008, funding was cut by more than
$20 million. In fact, it is estimated that the 2010 SAPT Block Grant
appropriation would have to be increased by $403.7 million above the
2009 appropriation to maintain services at 2004 levels using the CPI-U
as the proxy (Data courtesy of the New York State Office of Alcoholism
and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS)]). As a result, NASADAD and others
view an increase of $150 million as a down payment to make up for lost
ground.
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT).--NASADAD recommends
$489.3 million in fiscal year 2010--an increase of $75 million compared
to fiscal year 2009 and an increase of $29.3 million compared to the
President's request. NASADAD acknowledges Dr. H. Westley Clark,
Director of CSAT, for his excellent leadership.
NASADAD is thankful for the President's proposed $45.7 million
increase for CSAT in fiscal year 2010. NASADAD is also thankful for an
increase of $14.5 million for CSAT in fiscal year 2009. This increase
reversed the previous administration's proposal to cut CSAT by $63
million. The fiscal year 2009 omnibus bill restored all or a portion of
a number of NASADAD priority programs that were set to be eliminated.
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP).--NASADAD recommends
$276.3 million--an increase of $75 million compared to fiscal year 2009
and an increase of $77.7 million compared to the President's fiscal
year 2010 request. NASADAD applauds the work of Fran Harding, Director
of CSAP, for her work and dedication.
NASADAD appreciates the $6.8 million increase for CSAP in fiscal
year 2009. Approving the fiscal year 2009 omnibus package restored
funding for CSAP programs which were slated to be eliminated or reduced
by the previous administration.
Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities--State Grants.--NASADAD
is extremely concerned with the President's proposal to eliminate or
zero out the Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities (SDFSC)--State
Grants portion in fiscal year 2010.
NASADAD believes that the SDFSC State Grants program is an
effective initiative that represents a core component of each State's
substance abuse prevention system. The efficiency of the program can in
part be attributed to principles of effectiveness that each grantee
follows. These principles include (1) an assessment of the problem; (2)
development of measurable goals and objectives; (3) implementation of
effective programs and (4) assessment of program outcomes.
We believe the program also benefits from close collaboration with
NASADAD members. In particular, certain Governors choose NASADAD
members as the designee to manage these important funds. This
designation allows for a more comprehensive and coordinated approach to
planning and implementing an effective State-wide system of care.
NASADAD recommends $346.5 million, representing a $51.8 million
increase more than fiscal year 2009 and representing a $346.5 million
increase more than the President's fiscal year 2010 request for the
program.
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).--NASADAD recommends
$1,105.1 million for NIDA, representing a $59.3 million increase
compared to the President's fiscal year 2010 request and a $72.3
million increase compared to fiscal year 2009. NASADAD wishes to thank
Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of NIDA, for her collaboration with State
substance abuse agencies through its ``Blending Initiative.'' This work
improves the translation of research into everyday practice.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).--
NASADAD recommends $481.7 million for NIAAA, which represents a $26.6
million increase compared to the President's fiscal year 2010 request
and a $31.5 million increase compared to fiscal year 2009.
______

Prepared Statement of the National Association for State Community
Services Programs
The National Association for State Community Services Programs
(NASCSP), the national association representing State administrators of
the Department of Health and Human Services' Community Services Block
Grant (CSBG) and State directors of the Department of Energy's Low-
Income Weatherization Assistance Program, would like to thank Congress
for its continued support of the CSBG and requests an appropriation of
$800 million for fiscal year 2010. We are requesting $800 million in
CSBG funding for fiscal year 2010 to ensure the CSBG Network has
adequate resources to sustain its expanded efforts to address the long-
term needs of those families affected by the current economic recession
and those transitioning from welfare to work. In addition, increased
funding would enable the network to continue and strengthen its efforts
to assist low-income workers in remaining at work through supportive
services such as transportation and child care. The across the board
cuts to the CSBG funding in past years have severely decreased the
ability of the CSBG Network to provide and enhance essential services
to low-income Americans. It is essential that the CSBG funding be
increased for fiscal year 2010.
background
The States believe the CSBG is a unique block grant that has
successfully transferred decisionmaking to the local level. Federally
funded with oversight at the State level, the CSBG has maintained a
local network of nearly 1,100 agencies which operate in 99 percent of
counties in the Nation. This network serves nearly 16.2 million low-
income individuals, members of more than 6.4 million low-income
families, CSBG eligible entities, largely local Community Action
Agencies (CAAs), provide States with a stable and guaranteed network of
designated entities which are mandated to change the conditions that
perpetuate poverty for individuals, families, and communities. There is
no other program in the United States mandated by Federal statute to
respond to poverty. To fulfill that mandate, CAAs provide services
based on the characteristics of poverty in their communities. For one
community, this might mean providing job placement and retention
services; for another, developing affordable housing. In rural areas,
it might mean providing access to health services or developing a rural
transportation system.
Since its inception, the CSBG has shown how partnerships between
States and local agencies benefit citizens in each State. We believe it
should be viewed as a model of how the Federal Government can best
promote self-sufficiency for low-income persons in a flexible,
decentralized, nonbureaucratic, and accountable way.
Long before the creation of the Temporary Assistance for Needy
Families (TANF) block grant, the CSBG set the standard for private-
public partnerships that work to revitalize local communities and
address the needs of low-income residents. Family oriented, while
promoting economic development and individual self-sufficiency, the
CSBG relies on an existing and experienced community-based service
delivery system of CAAs and other nonprofit organizations to produce
results for its clients.
what do local csbg agencies do?
One thing that is common to all CAAs is the goal of self-
sufficiency for all of their clients. But, since CAAs operate in rural
areas as well as in urban areas, it is difficult to describe a typical
CAA. Most CAAs will provide some, if not all, of the services listed
below:
--a variety of crisis and emergency safety net services;
--employment and training programs;
--transportation and child care for low-income workers;
--individual development accounts;
--micro business development help for low-income entrepreneurs;
--local community and economic development projects;
--housing, transitional housing, and weatherization services;
--Head Start;
--energy assistance programs;
--nutrition programs;
--family development programs; and
--senior services.
CSBG is the core funding which holds together a local delivery
system able to respond effectively and efficiently, without a lot of
red tape, to the needs of individual low-income households as well as
to broader community needs. In addition, CSBG funds many of these
services directly. Without the CSBG, local agencies would not have the
capacity to work in their communities developing local funding, private
donations and volunteer services and running programs of far greater
size and value than the actual CSBG dollars they receive.
CAAs manage a host of other Federal, State, and local programs
which makes it possible to provide a one-stop location for persons
whose problems are usually multi-faceted. More than half (52 percent)
of the CAAs manage the Head Start program in their community. Using
their unique position in the community, CAAs recruit additional
volunteers, bring in local school district personnel, tap into faith-
based organizations for additional help, coordinate child care and
bring needed healthcare services to Head Start centers. In many States
they also manage the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
(LIHEAP), raising additional funds from utilities for this vital
program. CAAs may also administer the Weatherization Assistance Program
and are able to mobilize funds for additional work on residences not
directly related to energy savings that, for example, may keep a low-
income elderly couple in their home. CAAs also coordinate their
programs with the Community Development Block Grant program to stretch
Federal dollars and provide a greater return for tax dollars invested.
They also administer the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program,
as well as job training programs, substance abuse programs,
transportation programs, domestic violence and homeless shelters, and
food pantries.
For every CSBG dollar they receive, CAAs leverage $5.59 in non-
Federal resources (State, local, and private) to coordinate efforts
that improve the self-sufficiency of low-income persons and lead to the
development of thriving communities.
who does the csbg serve?
National data compiled by NASCSP show that the CSBG serves a broad
spectrum of low-income persons, particularly those who are not being
reached by other programs and are not being served by welfare programs.
Based on the most recently reported data, from fiscal year 2007 CSBG
serves:
--More than 3 million families with incomes at or below the poverty
level; of these customer families, 1.4 million are severely
poor as they have incomes at or below 50 percent of the poverty
guideline.
--More than 1.3 million families headed by single mothers.
--More than 1.7 million ``working poor'' families relying on wages or
unemployment benefits as income.
--More than 384,000 TANF participant families, 23 percent of all TANF
families nationwide.
--About 4 million children.
--Almost 2.7 million people without health insurance.
--More than 1.7 million adults who had not completed high school.
major characteristics of the csbg network
Due to the unique structure of the CSBG, the CSBG Network has
earned a reputation for its:
Emergency Response.--CAAs are utilized by Federal and State
emergency personnel as a frontline resource to deal with emergency
situations such as floods, hurricanes, and economic downturns. They are
also relied on by citizens in their community to deal with individual
family hardships, such as house fires or other emergencies. In fact,
during and after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the State CSBG offices
and local CAAs quickly mobilized to provide immediate and long-term
assistance to evacuees.
Leveraging Capacity.--In fiscal year 2007, every CSBG dollar
leveraged $18.40 from all other sources. Of those leveraged funds,
$5.59 came from non-Federal resources (State, local, and private) to
coordinate efforts that improve the self-sufficiency of low-income
persons and lead to the development of thriving communities.
Volunteer Mobilization.--CAAs mobilize volunteers in large numbers.
In fiscal year 2006, the most recent year for which data are available,
the CAAs elicited more than 46 million hours of volunteer efforts, the
equivalent of almost 21,857 full-time employees. Using just the minimum
wage, these volunteer hours are valued at nearly $266 million.
Adaptability.--CAAs provide a flexible local presence that
governors have mobilized to deal with emerging poverty issues.
Moreover, the CSBG Network has also earned a reputation for its:
Accountability.--The Federal Office of Community Services, State
CSBG offices, and CAAs have worked closely to develop a results-
oriented management and accountability (ROMA) system. Through this
system, individual agencies determine local priorities within six
common national goals for CSBG and report on the outcomes that they
achieved in their communities.
Local Direction and Oversight.--Tri-partite boards of directors
guide CAAs. These boards consist of one-third elected officials, one-
third representatives from the private sector, and not less than one-
third of the members are representative of the low-income persons in
the neighborhoods served by the CAA. The boards are responsible for
establishing policy and approving business plans of the local agencies.
Since these boards represent a cross-section of the local community,
they guarantee that CAAs will be responsive to the needs of their
community.
The statutory goal of the CSBG is to ameliorate the effects of
poverty. The primary goal of every CAA is self-sufficiency for its
clients. Helping families become self-sufficient is a long-term process
that requires multiple resources. This is why the partnership of
Federal, State, local, and private enterprise has been so vital to the
successes of the CAAs.
examples of csbg at work
Since 1994, CSBG has implemented a Results-Oriented Management and
Accountability (ROMA) system. Through ROMA, the effectiveness of
programs is captured through the use of goals and outcomes measures.
Below you will find several of the network's nationally aggregated
outcomes achieved by individuals, families and communities as a result
of their participation in innovative CSBG programs during fiscal year
2007:
--Increased Economic Asset Enhancement and Utilization.--694,000 low-
income households achieved an increase in financial assets or
financial skills as a result of Community Action assistance.
--Procured Supports To Reduce or Eliminate Barriers to Employment.--
1.3 million low-income participants obtained supports which
reduced or eliminated barriers to initial or continuous
employment through assistance from Community Action.
--Gained Employment.--193,000 low-income participants in Community
Action employment initiatives got a job, obtained an increase
in employment income, or achieved ``living wage'' employment
and benefits.
--Improved Child and Family Development.--2.9 million Infants,
children, youth, parents, and other adults participated in
developmental or enrichment programs facilitated by Community
Action and achieved program goals.
--Secured Independent Living for Low-Income Vulnerable Populations.--
2 million low-income vulnerable individuals received services
from Community Action and maintained an independent living
situation as a result.
At the end of the day, the CSBG Network represents our abiding
national commitment to care for the less fortunate and in recognition
that we are stronger when we do so. The CSBG and CSBG Network, in
addition to other nonprofit faith-based and community-based
organizations, are a critical complement to the public sector's efforts
towards helping to lift low-income Americans and their communities out
of poverty and into self-sufficiency.
In fiscal year 2007, the CSBG Network assisted approximately 20
percent of the persons in poverty that year and almost 15 million low-
income individuals who are members of more than 6.4 million low-income
families. Renewed funding for the CSBG Network is one of the best ways
to ensure that America has an experienced, guaranteed and trusted
network to assist its working and vulnerable families in achieving and
maintaining self-sufficiency. As such, NASCSP requests $800 million in
CSBG funding for fiscal year 2010.
______

Prepared Statement of the National Association of State Directors of
Career Technical Education Consortium
department of education budget
In his budget submission to Congress, President Obama has requested
flat funding for programs funded under the Carl D. Perkins Career
Technical Education (CTE) Act. If this level of funding holds, this
will be the third year in a row these programs will have received flat
funding. These programs are worthy of stronger support because of the
valuable contributions they make to serving adults and high school
students in their journey for education and training and eventual entry
into the workforce. Perkins CTE programs:
--Provide education that is relevant to students;
--Are actively reforming high school curriculum;
--Provide coordination between high schools and community colleges;
and
--Prepare workers for jobs that are in demand.
We respectfully request that the subcommittee include $1.4 billion
in support of Perkins programs. The last substantial funding increase
for Perkins occurred in fiscal year 2002. Since that time funding has
decreased by $42 million. When factoring in inflation this is the
equivalent of a reduction of $254 million.
Perkins includes a ``hold harmless'' provision that protects small
States from significant losses when there are reductions in Tech Prep
(title II of Perkins) funding. However, this provision only applies as
long as the total funding for Tech Prep does not fall below 1998
levels. Unfortunately, during the fiscal year 2008 appropriations
cycle, Tech Prep funding fell below this level and in turn, the hold
harmless provision put in place to protect small States was de-
activated. While most States have taken a loss of Tech Prep funds, the
small States have felt this cut in funding disproportionately. These
States have seen their Tech Prep funds reduced between 7 and 56 percent
below their fiscal year 2007 levels, costing some States hundreds of
thousands of dollars over the last 2 years. Below is a chart that
details the States and the approximate amount of funds they have lost
over the last 2 years. The funding figures are approximated because
only tentative fiscal year 2009 allocation numbers are available.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
State Amount
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alaska.................................................. $221,390
Delaware................................................ 426,666
District of Columbia.................................... 349,264
Hawaii.................................................. 224,508
Montana................................................. 144,226
Nevada.................................................. 279,600
New Hampshire........................................... 295,212
North Dakota............................................ 50,758
Rhode Island............................................ 370,442
South Dakota............................................ 92,616
Vermont................................................. 209,334
Wyoming................................................. 86,416
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tech Prep funding for the last 2 years was less than $100,000 below
the fiscal year 1998 hold harmless level of $103 million. If funding
for Tech Prep is raised ever so slightly to $103 million these States
will not be so negatively impacted.
Why Career Technical Education?
Career technical education (CTE) provides students and adults with
the academic and technical skills, knowledge and training necessary to
succeed in future careers and develop skills they will use throughout
their careers. CTE programs have been organized into 16 career
clusters, or similar occupational groupings, that identify the
knowledge and skills students need as they follow a pathway to their
goals. These clusters are: Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources;
Architecture and Construction; Arts, A/V Technology and Communications;
Business Management and Administration; Education and Training;
Finance; Government and Public Administration; Health Science;
Hospitality and Tourism; Human Services; Information Technology; Law,
Public Safety, Corrections, and Security; Manufacturing; Marketing;
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics; and Transportation,
Distribution and Logistics.
CTE prepares students for the world of work by introducing them to
workplace competencies, and makes academic content accessible to
students by providing it in a hands-on context.
CTE programs can be found in comprehensive high schools with career
technical education programs, as well as high schools solely devoted to
career technical education. Community colleges, technical institutes,
and skill centers also offer career technical education at the
postsecondary level. Nationally, about 60 percent of Perkins funds are
allocated for secondary school purposes and 40 percent for
postsecondary programs.
Programs of Study
The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006
(Public Law 109-270), which funds CTE programs, requires States to
develop programs of study to guide students when choosing courses.
These programs of study include career and technical areas that:
--Incorporate both secondary and postsecondary education elements;
--Include rigorous content, challenging academic standards, and
relevant career and technical content in a coordinated,
nonduplicative series of courses that align secondary and
postsecondary education;
--May allow high school students to participate in dual or concurrent
enrollment programs or otherwise acquire postsecondary credit;
and
--Result in an industry-recognized credential or certificate, or
associate or baccalaureate degree.
Tech Prep
Tech Prep is a program in the Perkins Act that links a minimum of 2
years of secondary school and 2 years of post-secondary school or an
apprenticeship program, resulting in an associate degree or
certificate. Tech Prep allows students to begin a sequence of classes
in a career pathway while still in high school. Students enroll in both
academic and career and technical classes in the career field of their
choosing in order to develop the technical skills necessary for future
employment.
The Benefits of CTE
Academic
--Students enrolled in CTE programs are held to the same rigorous
academic standards as all students;
--CTE provides a strong foundation for those pursuing a traditional
4-year degree; and
--CTE students are more interested and motivated in their coursework
because of its connection to the real world, and have lower
dropout rates than traditional students.
Economic
--Many sectors of the economy that require skilled workers report a
shortage of qualified applicants to fill these positions. CTE
programs prepare individuals for skilled professions that are
essential to our Nation's economic recovery.
--CTE programs prepare students, adults, and displaced workers for
entry into high-skill, high-wage, and high-demand careers in
every industry sector.
The Federal role in ``vocational'' education began as a way to
prepare students for the newly industrialized economy. Over the years,
the program has evolved to match the needs of the changing economy,
focusing on postsecondary as well as secondary education while giving
students skills they can use throughout their careers.
In 2006, the language ``vocational and technical'' was updated to
``career and technical'' education. This transition was more than just
a name change. It represented a fundamental shift in philosophy from
CTE being for those who were not going to college to a system that
prepares students for both employment and postsecondary education. The
integration of academic and technical education programs was
strengthened, further emphasizing the goal of ensuring that students
who participate in CTE are taught the same rigorous content aligned
with challenging academic standards as all other students. With all
school programs now adhering to the same academic standards, the
separate ``track'' system that has stigmatized CTE is disappearing. The
chart that follows summarizes these changes.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
New career and technical
Traditional vocational education education
------------------------------------------------------------------------
For specific students For all students
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Limited program areas offered 16 Career Clusters and 79
pathways offered
Separate ``track'' with a focus on Integrated with academics in
technical education a rigorous and relevant
curriculum
------------------------------------------------------------------------
High school focused High school and
postsecondary partnerships
providing pathways to
employment and/or
associate, bachelor's, and
advanced degrees
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Students trained with focus on specific Progression of foundational,
occupational skill set pathway, occupational, and
21st century skills
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Career technical education programs have changed with the times and
are a fundamental piece of the education and training available to
Americans so that they can get the skills they need in today's economy.
Today, there are more than 15 million students and displaced workers
enrolled in CTE programs all across America. An increase in funding
would enable CTE programs to produce more skilled workers to fill the
jobs that are crucial to America's economy. Funds for these programs
will help high schools that are reeling from State and local budget
reductions and help community colleges accommodate their increasing
enrollments. We hope that you can provide $1.4 billion for Perkins CTE
supported programs in the fiscal year 2010 budget.
______

Prepared Statement of the National Alliance of State and Territorial
AIDS Directors
The National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors
(NASTAD) represents the Nation's chief State health agency staff who
have programmatic responsibility for administering HIV/AIDS and viral
hepatitis healthcare, prevention, education, and supportive service
programs funded by State and Federal Governments.
As you craft the fiscal year 2010 Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education, an Related Agencies appropriations legislation, we urge
you to consider the following critical funding needs of HIV/AIDS, viral
hepatitis, and sexually transmitted diseases (STD) programs:
--$1.6 billion for the Ryan White Part B Program, including $514
million for the Part B Base and $1.1 billion for the AIDS Drug
Assistance Program (ADAP);
--$1.6 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's
(CDC) HIV/AIDS Prevention Program, including an additional $249
million for State and local health department prevention
cooperative agreements to include an additional $49 million for
State and local HIV/AIDS surveillance systems, and the
expansion of the domestic HIV/AIDS Testing Initiative to
additional populations and jurisdictions;
--$50 million for CDC's Viral Hepatitis Prevention Program, including
a doubling of resources for the Adult Viral Hepatitis
Prevention Coordinator Program to $10 million.
--$16 million for hepatitis B vaccination for high-risk adults
through the Section 317 Vaccine Program;
--$451 million for CDC's STD Prevention Program for prevention,
treatment and surveillance cooperative agreements with State
and local health departments; and
--$610 million for the Minority AIDS Initiative to enhance capacity
in communities of color.
HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment Programs
The Health Resources and Services Administration administers the
$2.2 billion Ryan White Program that providing health and support
services to more than 500,000 HIV-positive individuals. NASTAD
respectfully requests a minimum increase of $362 million in fiscal year
2010 for State Ryan White Part B grants, including an increase of at
least $113 million for the Part B Base and at least $269 million for
ADAPs. With these funds all States and territories provide care,
treatment, and support services to persons living with HIV/AIDS. People
living with HIV need access to trained HIV clinicians, life-saving and
life-extending therapies, and a full range of support services to live
as healthy a life as possible and to ensure adherence to complicated
treatment regimens. All States are reporting to NASTAD that they are
seeing a significant increase in the number of individuals seeking Part
B Base and ADAP services--for some States it's a doubling of new
clients per month from the previous year. This is due to a number of
factors including, increased testing efforts and unemployment.
Ryan White Part B Base programs include ambulatory medical
services, case management, laboratory services, and an array of support
services. As of October 10, 2008, four States report that 266
individuals are on either a medical or support service waiting list for
services that include housing, mental health counseling, specialty
medical care, and transportation. Five States report that funding is
insufficient to ensure that all eligible patients attend medical
appointments every 3 months, which is the standard of care. Eight part
B programs are also considering cost containment measures for their
part B services in light of high demand and reduced funding.
State ADAPs provide medications to low-income individuals with HIV
disease who have limited or no coverage from private insurance or
Medicaid. While only three States currently have a waiting list with 53
individuals, the present fiscal condition of State ADAPs remain
fragile. In fiscal year 2008, State ADAPs were relatively stable due to
increased State contributions, increased rebates from drug companies,
$39.7 million in ADAP Supplemental grants, transfers of Part B Base
funding into ADAP, and program savings from the Medicare Part D
Prescription Drug Benefit. The continuing increase in clients and the
cuts in State contributions to ADAP (one State has cut their ADAP
contribution by $70 million) render the fiscal future of ADAPs
uncertain. On average, State spending accounts for 21 percent of the
total ADAP budget. Additionally, CDC estimates that their on-going
Domestic HIV/AIDS Testing Initiative will find 20,000 new infections
over the next year.
While we are very supportive of the funding increases in recent
years for the community health center (CHC) program, we want to be
clear that this hasn't necessarily translated into more care for person
living with HIV/AIDS. CHCs focus on primary care with most of the HIV/
AIDS care being provided in centers with Ryan White Part C grants.
HIV/AIDS Prevention and Surveillance Programs
At the request of Congress, the CDC developed a Professional
Judgment Budget detailing the needed resources to significantly reduce
the number of Americans becoming infected with HIV each year. CDC
identified the need for a funding increase of $878 million for total
funding of $1.6 billion for CDC's HIV prevention program in fiscal year
2010. As Congress strives to reach the $1.6 billion overall investment
in HIV prevention, NASTAD respectfully requests an initial increase of
$249 million in State and local health department HIV prevention and
surveillance cooperative agreements. This would include an additional
$49 million for State and local HIV/AIDS surveillance systems and the
expansion of the Domestic HIV/AIDS Testing Initiative to additional
populations and jurisdictions.
An estimated 56,300 new infections occur every year while State and
local HIV prevention cooperative agreements have been cut by $21
million between fiscal year 2003 and fiscal year 2008. CDC's 2007
surveillance reports showed a 15 percent increase in HIV diagnoses in
the 34 States included in the national database while CDC's HIV
prevention funding was cut in fiscal year 2008 and flat-funded in
fiscal year 2009. Additionally, core HIV/AIDS surveillance funding has
eroded over the last decade, while the importance of this data has
become paramount for targeting prevention efforts and directing Ryan
White resources.
The Nation's prevention efforts must match our commitment to the
care and treatment of infected individuals. State and local public
health departments know what to do to prevent new infections, they just
need the resources. First and foremost we must address the devastating
impact on racial and ethnic minority communities. We must expand
outreach and HIV testing efforts targeting high-risk populations
including gay and bisexual men of all races, racial, and ethnic
minority communities, substance users, women, and youth. But, testing
alone can never end the epidemic. All tools in the prevention arsenal
must be supported. Additional resources must be directed to build
capacity and provide technical assistance to enable community-based
organizations and healthcare providers to implement evidence-based
behavior change interventions, ensure fiscal responsibility and refer
partners of HIV-positive individuals to counseling and testing
services.
The Domestic HIV/AIDS Testing Initiative is an important step to
increasing knowledge of serostatus, particularly among African
Americans. Currently 25 jurisdictions (20 States and five cities)
receive $36 million for the Expanded Testing Initiative (ETI),
including rapid testing, in clinical settings such as emergency rooms,
community health centers, correctional health facilities, and STD and
tuberculosis clinics. Both CDC and NASTAD conducted assessments of year
1 including progress and challenges faced. Following significant scale-
up efforts in all jurisdictions, 21 of the funded jurisdictions
conducted 446,503 tests in year 1 of the ETI. Nearly 4,000 new HIV
infections were identified, 80 percent of which were in clinical
settings. During the first year, 86 percent of testing occurred in
clinical settings. Of the total number of tests conducted in the first
year, 64 percent were administered to African Americans. Seventy
percent of the newly identified infections were among African
Americans.
We are requesting that CDC receive sufficient resources to expand
the number of jurisdictions participating in the initiative--all
jurisdictions have a need for increased resources for testing if we are
to truly commit to providing access to testing for all individuals who
do not yet know their HIV status. Additional funding would also allow
the targeting of additional populations such as gay and bisexual men of
all races and Latinos. Another key component of the initiative to
expand is identification, notification and counseling of partners of
persons living with HIV/AIDS. Partner services are time and resource
intensive but maximize prevention efforts.
With 21 percent of HIV-infected persons unaware that they have HIV,
increased funding for testing and partner services will avert millions
in unnecessary healthcare costs.
We urge the subcommittee to not include language banning use of
Federal funds for syringe exchange programs in the fiscal year 2010
Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, an Related Agencies
appropriations bill. Abundant research, endorsed by the findings of
eight federally commissioned reviews, has conclusively demonstrated
that syringe exchange is effective in reducing the transmission of HIV
without increasing drug use. In communities that fund and support
access to sterile injection equipment using State and local funds,
transmission of HIV and hepatitis in persons who inject drugs has
declined as a proportion of all cases by mode of transmission.
Unfortunately, State and locally funded syringe exchange are only
reaching a small portion of persons who inject drugs. It's time for the
Federal Government to use every tool at its disposal to arrest the
further spread of HIV and hepatitis C.
We also urge you to eliminate funds for the three separate Federal
abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. Instead, we request that you
create a dedicated Federal funding stream of at least $50 million in
your 2010 budget to fund medically accurate, comprehensive sex
education programs that teach young people about both abstinence and
contraception.
Lastly, we thank you and ask that you continue to limit the funding
for the duplicative Early Diagnosis Grant Program in Section 209 of the
Ryan White Treatment Modernization Act of 2006. This program is a carve
out of limited HIV testing resources when there is already $10 million
dedicated to perinatal prevention.
Viral Hepatitis Prevention Programs
NASTAD respectfully requests an increase of $36.4 million for a
total of $50 million in fiscal year 2010 for the CDC's Division of
Viral Hepatitis (DVH) to enable State and local health departments to
provide basic core public health services. DVH currently receives $18.3
million to address chronic viral hepatitis B and C impacting 6.2
million Americans. This is $7 million less than its peak funding of $25
million in fiscal year 2001. Currently CDC addresses viral hepatitis on
outbreak at a time, which is neither cost-effective nor real
prevention.
Of the DVH funding, $5.2 million is used to fund the Adult Viral
Hepatitis Coordinator Program with an average award to States of
$90,000. Doubling this program to $10 million would allow States to
implement a hepatitis prevention strategy. The coordinator position
receives precious little above personnel costs, leaving little to no
money for the provision of public health services including public
education, hepatitis counseling, testing, and hepatitis A and B
vaccine. In addition, there are no funds for surveillance of chronic
viral hepatitis, which would allow States to better target their
limited resources. Given the recent hepatitis public health crises in
Nevada and New York, the Government has a choice--invest in prevention
now or wait until public systems are overwhelmed by a lack of
infrastructure to address future outbreaks.
The greatest remaining challenge for hepatitis A and B prevention
is the vaccination of high-risk adults. High-risk adults account for
more than 75 percent of all new cases of hepatitis B infection each
year and annually result in an estimated $658 million in medical costs
and lost wages. In fiscal year 2007, CDC allowed States to use $20
million of 317 Vaccine funds to vaccinate high-risk adults for
hepatitis B and $16 million in fiscal year 2008. By targeting high-risk
adults, including those with hepatitis C, for vaccination, the gap
between children and adults who have not benefited from routine
childhood immunization programs can be bridged. NASTAD requests a
continuation of the $16 million in section 317 Vaccine funds in fiscal
year 2010 for hepatitis B vaccination for high-risk adults with the
request that in the future DVH receives dedicated funding for hepatitis
A and B vaccine for high-risk adults and funding to support the
infrastructure necessary for vaccine delivery.
STD Prevention Programs
NASTAD supports an increase of $299 million for a total of $451
million in fiscal year 2010 for STD prevention, treatment and
surveillance activities undertaken by State and local health
departments. STD prevention programs at CDC have been cut by $6 million
since fiscal year 2004 while the number of persons infected continues
to climb. The United States has the unwanted distinction of having the
highest rates of STDs of all industrial nations with 1 in 4 adolescent
girls in the United States, or more than 3 million, having an STD. The
rates of syphilis infection have increased for the seventh year in a
row. In 1 year, our Nation spends more than $8 billion to treat the
symptoms and consequences of STDS. Additional Federal resources are
needed to reverse these alarming trends and reduce the Nation's health
spending.
Minority AIDS Initiative
NASTAD also supports a $200 million increase for a total of $610
million for the Minority AIDS Initiative (MAI) in fiscal year 2010. The
MAI provides targeted resources to four agencies and the Office of the
Secretary to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic in hard-hit communities of
color. The data from CDC on the disproportionate impact on African
Americans and Latinos continues to be alarming. Support for the MAI
along with the traditional funding streams that serve these populations
is essential.
As you craft the fiscal year 2010 Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education, an Related Agencies appropriations bill, we ask that you
consider all of these critical funding needs. National Alliance of
State and Territorial AIDS Directors thanks the Chairman, Ranking
Member and members of the subcommittee, for their thoughtful
consideration of our recommendations. Our response to the HIV, viral
hepatitis, and STD epidemics in the United States defines us as a
society, as public health agencies, and as individuals living in this
country. There is no time to waste in our Nation's fight against these
infectious and often chronic diseases.
______

Prepared Statement of the National Congress of American Indians
On behalf of the tribal nations of the National Congress of
American Indians (NCAI), we are pleased to present our recommendations
for fiscal year 2010 funding of Indian programs in the Departments of
Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies.
President Obama released a broad budget plan for fiscal year 2010 and
from what NCAI has reviewed of the blueprint so far, the new
administration plans to ensure America's promise extends to the entire
Nation, including throughout Indian country.
After tribes witnessed years of declining resources for critical
Indian programs in the Federal budget, the attention the
administration's fiscal year 2010 proposed budget has given to tribal
priorities is a welcome change. The chairman of this subcommittee has
heard often of the social and economic challenges facing Indian
country. This subcommittee has also heard that the recent resurgence of
tribal self-determination has resulted in measurable improvements in
the poverty, income, and unemployment among Indian people.
Indian tribes are rebuilding our Nations in ways that honor our
ancestors and cultures as well as meeting the demands and opportunities
of living in the modern world. An analysis of socioeconomic change
between 1990 and 2000 showed that Indian country economies grew at a
faster pace than the economy as a whole. Although Indian tribes have
made great strides in addressing the long-accumulated economic deficits
in our communities, much work remains to be done. Tribes also have a
critical role to play in the recovery as the Nation pulls out of the
current destructive recession. As the President and Congress aim to
invest in people to strengthen the middle class and the drivers of
economic growth, NCAI looks forward to tribal self-determination
playing a part in the solution. To ensure tribes continue to make
progress, sustained investment in tribal governments and programs that
support self-determination will be critical in fiscal year 2010. With
the new administration and the fiscal year 2010 budget request, there
is renewed hope in Indian country.
The President's fiscal year 2010 budget priorities appear to align
with many of Indian country's priorities: education, healthcare,
infrastructure, and clean energy. Below are some budget recommendations
for the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related
Agencies appropriations bill.
department of health and human services
Tragically, over the last year, nearly 3,000 American Indians and
Alaska natives died of cardiovascular disease, more than 16,500 were
diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease, 5,000 were diagnosed
with diabetes for the first time, more than 22,000 are now living with
cancer (45 percent of which were diagnosed in the late-stages), and 400
took their own life.
These people are our tribal leaders; our daughters and sons; our
mothers and fathers; and, our brothers and sisters. For more than 100
years, Native people have experienced inferior health outcomes. Our
life expectancy is still 5 years less than that of other Americans.
Adequate funding is needed to end this lasting injustice and uphold the
Federal trust responsibility of the United States and the Federal
Government.
Provide $1 billion overall for Head Start funding. Provide $10
million for Esther Martinez language programs under the Administration
for Native Americans. Fifteen million dollars to fund SAMHSA Behavioral
Health Services Grants for American Indian and Alaska Natives. Increase
Circles of Care, SAMHSA by $5 million
administration for children and families
Head Start.--Over the past 40 years, Head Start has played a major
role in the education of Indian children and in the well-being of many
tribal communities. However, because of inadequate funding, only about
16 percent of the age-eligible Indian child population is enrolled in
Indian Head Start. The comprehensive nature of this program integrates
education, health, and family services. Since it closely mirrors a
traditional Indian educational model, it is one of the most successful
Federal programs operating in Indian country. Despite these successes,
Head Start funding has declined by 14 percent over the last 6 years,
after factoring in inflation. Head Start should be funded at a rate
substantially greater than inflation to make up for prior year cuts and
also to trigger special Indian expansion funds that Congress provided
when the Head Start Act was reauthorized in 2007.
--$1 billion--Head Start funding (overall)
administration for native americans
Native Languages.--Throughout Indian country, tribes are combating
the loss of traditional languages by advocating for and instituting
language programs within their communities. These language programs
serve Native communities by preventing the loss of tribal traditions
and cultures. The tribal students in these language immersion programs
perform substantially better academically, including on national tests,
than Native students who have been enrolled in such programs.
--$10 million--Esther Martinez language programs under the
Administration for Native Americans
substance abuse and mental health services administration (samhsa)
American Indian and Alaska Native Grant Program.--This grant
program within SAMHSA has been authorized to award grants to Indian
health programs to provide the following services: prevention or
treatment of drug use or alcohol abuse, mental health promotion, or
treatment services for mental illness. To date, these funds have never
been appropriated.
--$15 million to fund SAMHSA Behavioral Health Services Grants for
American Indian and Alaska natives.
Circles of Care.--Increase funding to $10 million a year for the
Circles of Care children's mental health grant program under Programs
of National and Regional Significance under SAMHSA. This grant program
has historically been funded at about $5 million a year, which provides
for approximately seven tribal grants during each 3-year grant cycle.
The program has been very successful and has spawned several new tribal
children's mental health programs in Indian country that as a result
have been self-sustaining.
--Increase of $5 million
department of education
The administration intends to make investments in education so all
Americans can have the chance to receive a world-class education from
cradle to career. The 2007 National Indian Education Study indicated
that in reading and math, American Indian and Alaska native students
scored significantly lower than their peers in both fourth and eighth
grades. To ensure that Native students--from pre-school to college--
meet the same challenging academic standards as other populations and
experience the benefits of a quality and supportive education, it is
imperative that the Federal Government uphold its responsibility for
the education of Indian people.
Provide $195.5 million for title VII funding under the No Child
Left Behind Act. Increase Impact Aid funding 10 percent to adjust for
inflation and population growth ($1,365 million). Provide $32 million
for title III, Higher Education Act (HEA). Provide $62 million (one-
time) forward funding for Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs).
Provide $10 million for tribal education departments.
Title VII Funding.--This funding provides critical support for
culturally based education approaches for American Indian and Alaska
native students and addresses the unique educational and cultural needs
of Native students. It is well-documented that Native students are more
likely to thrive in environments that support their cultural identities
while introducing different ideas. Title VII has produced many success
stories within our communities, but increased funding is critical in
this area to bridge the achievement gap for Native students.
--$195.5 million
Impact Aid Funding.--Impact Aid provides resources to public
schools whose tax bases are reduced because of Federal activities,
including the presence of an Indian Reservation. Impact Aid affects
Native children living on or near tribal lands and children of military
families living on or near bases. Approximately 95 percent of American
Indian and Alaska Native youth are educated in public schools. Impact
Aid funding must be adjusted based on population increases and
inflation.
--Increase impact aid funding 10 percent to adjust for inflation and
population growth ($1,365 million)
TCUs.--Titles III and V of the HEA, known as Aid for Institutional
Development programs, support institutions with a large proportion of
financially disadvantaged students and low cost-per-student
expenditures. TCUs fit this definition. The Nation's 36 TCUs serve some
of the most impoverished areas in the Nation, yet they are the
country's most poorly funded postsecondary institutions. Congress
recognized the TCUs as young and struggling institutions and authorized
a separate section of title III (part A, section 316) specifically to
address their needs. Additionally, a separate section (section 317) was
created to address similar needs of Alaska native and Native Hawaiian
institutions. Section 316 is divided into two competitive grants
programs: Formula funded basic development grants and competitive
single-year facilities construction grants. Under the Tribal College
Act, securing the one-time payment to transition institutional
operating grants to a forward funded program would finally end the
cycle of delayed payments, short-term loans, and layoffs that currently
plague TCUs each year; and, further for the first time, it would
provide these institutions the resources they need at the start of each
academic year.
--$32 million--Title III, HEA
--$62 million (one-time) forward funding for TCUs
Tribal Education Departments.--More than 100 Indian tribes have
started Tribal Education Departments (TED). TEDs develop and administer
policies, gather and report data and perform critical research to help
tribal students from early childhood through higher and adult
education. TEDs serve thousands of tribal students nationwide in BIA,
tribal, and public schools. They also cultivate leadership skills and
train a potential workforce. Funding for TEDs has been authorized by
Congress but never appropriated in either the BIA budget or that of the
Department of Education. Both of these authorizations are retained in
the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Tribes must have access to
funding in order to close the achievement gaps so that tribal students
will be better equipped to perform well in school. We recommend that $5
million of the funding be directed from the Department of the Interior
and $5 million of the funding be directed from the Department of
Education.
--$10 million--Tribal education departments
conclusion
NCAI realizes Congress must make difficult budget choices this
year. As elected officials, tribal leaders certainly understand the
competing priorities that you must weigh over the coming months.
However, the Federal Government's constitutional and treaty
responsibility to address the serious needs facing Indian country are
unique. These responsibilities remain unchanged, whatever the economic
climate and competing priorities may be. We at NCAI urge you to make a
strong, across-the-board commitment to meeting the Federal trust
obligation by fully funding those programs that are vital to the
creation of vibrant Indian nations. Such a commitment, coupled with
continued efforts to strengthen tribal governments and to clarify the
Government-to-government relationship, truly will make a difference in
helping us to create stable, diversified, and healthy economies in
Indian country.
______

Prepared Statement of the National Consumer Law Center \1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Prepared by Olivia Wein, Staff Attorney, National Consumer Law
Center (202-452-6252, [email protected]).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) \2\
is the cornerstone of Government efforts to help needy seniors and
families avoid hypothermia in the winter and heat stress (even death)
in the summer. LIHEAP is an important safety net program for low-
income, unemployed, and underemployed families struggling in this
economy. In fiscal year 2009, the program is expected to assist 7.3
million low-income households afford their energy bills. Residential
consumers continue to pay much higher heating bills than in the past,
and depending on the region of the country and the heating fuel, the
increase in expenditures for heating fuel have been substantial over
time. In light of the crucial safety net function of this program in
protecting the health and well-being of low-income seniors, the
disabled and families with very young children, we respectfully request
that LIHEAP be fully funded at its authorized level of $5.1 billion for
fiscal year 2010 and that advance funding of $5.1 billion be provided
for the program in fiscal year 2011.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ 42 U.S.C. Sec. Sec. 8621 et seq.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
home energy bills remain high at a time when unemployment and
underemployment is growing
Residential heating expenditures remain at high levels. Average
residential heating expenditures this winter are expected to be about
38 percent higher for heating oil, 16 percent higher for natural gas,
42 percent higher for propane, and 24 percent higher for electricity
when compared to the 5-year average for 2002-2007.\3\ The steady, high
energy bills are hitting low-income households struggling in this
economic downturn. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in
March 2009, the number of unemployed workers was 13.2 million, with
half the increase in the number of unemployed occurring within the past
4 months.\4\ According the Economic Policy Institute, the number of
involuntary part-time workers nearly doubled to more than 8 million in
the past year, largely due to full-time workers accepting reduced
hours.\5\ The hardship low-income households face is also apparent in
the data below on the number of households falling behind.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ Derived from data in the Energy Information Agency, Short-Term
Energy Outlook (Feb. 2009), Table WF01.
\4\ US, DOL, Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Employment Situation:
March 2009 (rel. April 3, 2009).
\5\ See Ross Eisenbrey and Kathryn Edwards, Downtime: Workers
forced to settle for fewer hours, Economic Policy Institute (Jan. 14,
2009).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
states' data on electric and natural gas disconnections and arrearages
show that more households are falling behind
The steady and dramatic rise in residential energy costs has
resulted in increases in electric and natural gas arrearages and
disconnections. For example, in Rhode Island in 2008 there were 8
percent more service disconnections for nonpayment than in any other
year on record, and 21 percent of those accounts were not restored.\6\
A recent national survey by the National Association of Regulatory
Utility Commissioners found that almost 40 million electricity and
natural gas residential consumers held nearly $8.7 billion in past-due
accounts at the end of the 2007-2008 Winter heating season. The survey
also concluded that in calendar year 2007, 8.7 million residential
consumers had their electricity or natural gas service terminated for
failing to pay their bills, with 3.6 million who remained disconnected
as of this past May 2008.\7\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ Analysis of John Howat, senior policy analyst at National
Consumer Law Center (April 2009).
\7\ Sandra Sloane, Mitchell Miller, Beverly Barker, Lisa Colosimo,
``2008 Individual State Report by NARUC Consumer Affairs Subcommittee
on Collections Data Gathering.'' (Approved on Nov. 17, 2008 by the
NARUC Consumers Affairs Committee).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Although there are winter utility shut-off moratoria in place in
many States, not every home is protected against energy shut-offs in
the middle of winter. As we approach the lifting of winter shut-off
moratoria, we expect to see a wave of disconnections as households are
unable to afford the cost of the energy bills. Low-income families are
falling further behind as we endure year after year of rising home
energy prices. We expect the number of disconnections to grow and the
gap between disconnections and reconnections to also grow, especially
in light of the economic challenges faced by the unemployed and
underemployed workers.
Iowa.--Iowa has experienced a steady increase in enrollment for the
regular LIHEAP program from fiscal year 2007 to fiscal year 2009 with
86,000 households in 2007; 87,000 in 2008 and projects 95,700 in fiscal
year 2009.\8\ As a testament to the difference LIHEAP can make for low-
income households, in February 2009, the number of Iowa low-income
households with past-due energy accounts and the total amount of the
low-income arrears were lower than for the past 3 years at this point
in time (e.g., February 2006, February 2007, and February 2008).
Comparatively, when looking at the arrearage data for February over
time for the total residential gas and electric accounts in arrears and
the amount of those arrears, those numbers are at historic highs.\9\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ NEADA press releases from April 25, 2008 and January 12, 2009.
\9\ Based on data provided by the Iowa Bureau of Energy Assistance.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ohio.--Ohio has experienced a steady and dramatic demand for low-
income energy assistance. The number of households entering into the
State's low-income energy affordability program, the Percentage of
Income Payment Program (PIPP), increased 9 percent from January 2008 to
January 2009. The increase is an even more dramatic 86 percent between
January 2003 and January 2009. The total dollar amount owed (arrearage)
by low-income PIPP customers increased 11 percent from January 2008 to
January 2009 and 52 percent when comparing PIPP customer arrears from
January 2003 to January 2009.\10\ Ohio has experienced a steady
increase in enrollment for the regular LIHEAP program (HEAP) from
fiscal year 2007 to fiscal year 2009 with 360,000 households in 2007;
370,000 in 2008 and projects 400,000 in fiscal year 2009.\11\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\10\ Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.
\11\ NEADA press releases from April 25, 2008 and January 12, 2009.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pennsylvania.--Pennsylvania has also experienced a steady increase
in enrollment for the regular LIHEAP program from fiscal year 2007 to
fiscal year 2009 with 367,000 households in 2007; 398,000 in 2008 and
projects 490,000 in fiscal year 2009.\12\ Utilities in Pennsylvania
that are regulated by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PA
PUC) have established universal service programs that assist utility
customers in paying bills and reducing energy usage. Even with these
programs, electric and natural gas utility customers find it difficult
to keep pace with their energy burdens. The PA PUC estimates that more
than 17,745 households entered the current heating season without heat-
related utility service--this number includes about 3,373 households
who are heating with potentially unsafe heating sources such as
kerosene or electric space heaters and kitchen ovens. In mid-December
2008, an additional 13,595 residences where electric service was
previously terminated were vacant and more than 6,442 residences where
natural gas service was terminated were vacant. In 2008, the number of
terminations increased 73 percent compared with terminations in 2004.
As of December 2008, 18.3 percent of residential electric customers and
16.9 percent of natural gas customers were overdue on their energy
bills. These 2008 overdue utility bills have increased 9.57 percent
more than 2007. In addition, in recognition of the increases in media
reports of deaths of terminated customers the PA PUC implemented a new
reporting requirement. Utilities in Pennsylvania are now required to
file reports regarding any incidents involving death at locations where
residential utility service has been terminated.\13\ The economic
downturn is putting additional pressures on local human service
agencies as well. A report on the effect of economy on Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania shows a 73.3 percent increase in ``first time'' applicants
for a range of basic needs assistance, including energy assistance.\14\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\12\ NEADA press releases from April 25, 2008 and January 12, 2009.
\13\ Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission Bureau of Consumer
Services.
\14\ Vivien Luk and Stacy Kehoe, Understanding the Impact of the
Economic Downturn on Pittsburgh Residents and Human Service Agencies,
the Forbes Funds (November 2008).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
States are Predicting Record LIHEAP Participation.--NEADA reports
that for fiscal year 2009, 15 States have projected increases in
participation of at least 21 percent, with Texas estimating a 201
percent increase; Florida 200 percent; California 162 percent;
Tennessee 60 percent; Arkansas 50 percent; Arizona 35 percent; Alaska
34 percent; New Mexico 26 percent; Oregon 26 percent; Alabama 25
percent; Massachusetts 25 percent; New Hampshire 25 percent;
Pennsylvania 23 percent; Connecticut 23 percent; and Delaware 21
percent.\15\ In Arkansas, many of the community action agencies are
estimating that about 40 percent of the people contacting them for
services over the past 8 to 10 months are new applicants;
overwhelmingly, these new applicants are seeking utility
assistance.\16\ Thus there is great need for a fully funded LIHEAP
program in the States.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\15\ NEADA press release, Applications for Low Income Energy
Assistance Reach Record Levels: States Call on Congress to Increase
Funding for LIHEAP (January 12, 2009).
\16\ Estimates provided by Arkansas Community Action Agencies
Association, Inc.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
liheap is a critical safety net program for the elderly, the disabled
and households with young children
LIHEAP is Vital to Poor Seniors.--Poor seniors are cutting back on
energy usage because it is not affordable. In general, elder households
use less total household energy than nonelderly households, which is
attributable primarily to the smaller dwelling units. However, poor
elderly households use markedly less energy than nonpoor elderly
households. Even worse, poor elderly households, on average, consume 12
percent more energy per square foot of living space (this measurement
is also referred to as energy intensity) than non-poor elderly
households. This disparity is attributable to the poorly weatherized
living spaces and the use of old, inefficient heating equipment and
appliances.\17\ LIHEAP is critical for helping low-income seniors
maintain safe temperatures in their homes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\17\ NCLC analysis of U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2001
Residential Energy Consumption Survey data on elderly energy
consumption and expenditures.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dire Choices and Dire Consequences.--Recent national studies have
documented the dire choices low-income households face when energy
bills are unaffordable. Because adequate heating and cooling are tied
to the habitability of the home, low-income families will go to great
lengths to pay their energy bills. Low-income households faced with
unaffordable energy bills cut back on necessities such as food,
medicine and medical care.\18\ The U.S. Department of Agriculture has
released a study that shows the connection between low-income
households, especially those with elderly persons, experiencing very
low food security and heating and cooling seasons when energy bills are
high.\19\ A pediatric study in Boston documented an increase in the
number of extremely low-weight children, age 6 to 24 months, in the 3
months following the coldest months, when compared to the rest of the
year.\20\ Clearly, families are going without food during the winter to
pay their heating bills, and their children fail to thrive and grow.
The loss of essential utility services can be devastating, especially
for poor families that can find themselves facing eviction. A 2007
Colorado study found that the second leading cause of homelessness for
families with children is the inability to pay for home energy.\21\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\18\ See e.g., National Energy Assistance Directors' Association,
2008 National Energy Assistance Survey, Tables in section IV, G and H
(April 2009) (To pay their energy bills 32 percent of LIHEAP recipients
went without food, 42 percent went without medical or dental care, 38
percent did not fill or took less than the full dose of a prescribed
medicine, 15 percent got a payday loan). Available at http://
www.neada.org/communications/press/2009-04-28.htm.
\19\ Mark Nord and Linda S. Kantor, Seasonal Variation in Food
Insecurity Is Associated with Heating and Cooling Costs Among Low-
Income Elderly Americans, The Journal of Nutrition, 136 (Nov. 2006)
2939-2944.
\20\ Deborah A. Frank, MD et al., Heat or Eat: The Low Income Home
Energy Assistance Program and Nutritional and Health Risks Among
Children Less Than 3 Years of Age, AAP Pediatrics v. 118, no. 5 (Nov.
2006) e1293-e1302. See also, Child Health Impact Working Group,
Unhealthy Consequences: Energy Costs and Child Health: A Child Health
Impact Assessment Of Energy Costs And The Low Income Home Energy
Assistance Program (Boston: Nov. 2006) and the Testimony of Dr. Frank
Before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Subcommittee on Children and Families (March 5, 2008).
\21\ Colorado Interagency Council on Homelessness, Colorado
Statewide Homeless Count Summer, 2006, research conducted by University
of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center (Feb. 2007).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
When people are unable to afford paying their home energy bills,
dangerous and even fatal results occur. In the winter, families resort
to using unsafe heating sources, such as space heaters,\22\ ovens and
burners, all of which are fire hazards. In 2006, 73 percent of home
heating fire deaths, 43 percent of home heating fire injuries and 51
percent of property damage from home heating fires involved stationary
or portable space heaters. In the summer, the inability to keep the
home cool can be lethal, especially to seniors. According to the CDC,
older adults, young children and person with chronic medical conditions
are particularly susceptible to heat-related illness and are at a high
risk of heat-related death. The CDC reports that 3,442 deaths resulted
from exposure to extreme heat during 1999-2003.\23\ The CDC also notes
that air-conditioning is the number one protective factor against heat-
related illness and death.\24\ LIHEAP assistance helps these vulnerable
seniors, young children and medically vulnerable persons keep their
homes at safe temperatures during the winter and summer and also funds
low-income weatherization work to make homes more energy efficient.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\22\ John R. Hall, Jr., Home Fires Involving Heating Equipment:
Space Heaters (In 2006 there were an estimated 64,100 home fires
involving space heaters resulting in 540 deaths, 1,400 injuries and
$943 million in property damage) National Fire Protection Association
(Jan. 2009).
\23\ CDC, ``Heat-Related Deaths--United States, 1999-2003'' MMWR
Weekly, July 28, 2006.
\24\ CDC, ``Extreme Heat: A Prevention Guide to Promote Your
Personal Health and Safety'' available at http://emergency.cdc.gov/
disasters/extremeheat/heat_guide.asp.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
LIHEAP is an administratively efficient and effective targeted
health and safety program that works to bring fuel costs within a
manageable range for vulnerable low-income seniors, the disabled and
families with young children. LIHEAP must be fully funded at its
authorized level of $5.1 billion in fiscal year 2010 in light of the
steady increase in home energy costs and the increased need for
assistance to protect the health and safety of low-income families by
making their energy bills more affordable during this economic
downturn. In addition, fiscal year 2011 advance funding would
facilitate the efficient administration of the State LIHEAP programs.
Advanced funding provided certainty of funding levels to states to set
income guidelines and benefit levels before the start of the heating
season. States can also plan the components of their program year
(e.g., amounts set aside for heating, cooling and emergency assistance,
weatherization, self-sufficiency, and leveraging activities).
______

Prepared Statement of the National Coalition of STD Directors
The National Coalition of STD Directors (NSCD) is a nonprofit,
nonpartisan association of public health sexually transmitted (STD)
program directors in the 65 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) directly funded project areas, which includes all 50 States, 7
cities, and 8 U.S. territories. As the only national organization with
a constituency that provides frontline STD services, NCSD is the
leading national voice for strengthening STD prevention, research and
treatment. These efforts include advocating for effective policies,
strategies, and sufficient resources, as well as increasing awareness
of the medical and social impact of STDs.
We appreciate this opportunity to provide the subcommittee with
information about the health crisis caused by the persistent and
staggeringly high rates of STDs in the United States and about the
programs of the CDC that combat these diseases.
The United States has the highest STD rates in the industrialized
world, with more than 19 million people contracting an STD annually. In
1 year, our Nation spends more than $8.4 billion to treat the symptoms
and consequences of STDs. The indirect costs are higher, including lost
wages and productivity, as well as human costs such as anxiety, shame,
anger, depression and the challenges of living with infertility or
cancer. The health consequences of STDs include: chronic pain,
infertility, pregnancy complications, pelvic inflammatory disease,
cervical cancer, birth defects, and increased vulnerability to HIV, the
virus that causes AIDS. Persons with a pre-existing STD have a three-
to fivefold increased risk of acquiring HIV through sexual contact. In
addition, studies have shown that HIV-infected persons who are also
infected with other STDs are more likely to transmit HIV. Comprehensive
STD treatment can reduce the likelihood of HIV transmission.
STDs have a disproportionate impact on young people--women, men who
have sex with men (MSM), and racial and ethnic minorities. Of the
approximately 19 million new STD infections each year, nearly half are
among young people ages 15 to 24. Chlamydia, which leads to
infertility, is the most frequently reported disease in the United
States. Nearly 1 million women will have a severe case of pelvic
inflammatory disease due to STDs. The transmission of STDs to babies--
prenatally, during birth, or after--can cause serious life-long
complications including physical disabilities, developmental
disabilities, and death. MSM have historically experienced high rates
of all STDs, including HIV/AIDS. In 2007, 65 percent of all primary and
secondary syphilis cases were among MSM. The syphilis rate among males
is now six times the rate among females, a dramatic disparity that did
not exist a decade ago, when rates were nearly equivalent between the
sexes. This trend suggests that the increase in cases among men have
been primarily among men who have sex with men. Persons of color,
particularly African-Americans, American Indians/Alaska natives, and
Hispanics are also at higher risk of contracting STDs. In 2007, the
rate of chlamydia among African Americans was eight times that of
whites, for American Indian/Alaska natives it was five times higher
than whites, and for Hispanics it was three times higher than whites.
African American women experience syphilis rates 14 times higher than
white women. Socioeconomic, cultural and linguistic barriers to quality
healthcare and STD prevention and treatment services have likely
contributed to a higher prevalence and incidence of STDs among racial
and ethnic minorities.
While rates of STDs in this country have continued to skyrocket,
Federal funding for CDC's Division of STD Prevention has steadily
declined since fiscal year 2003. For every $1 spent on STD prevention,
$43 is spent each year on STD-related costs. In addition, for every $1
spent on research, $92 is spent each year on STD-related costs.
NSCD requests an fiscal year 2010 funding level of $451.3 million,
an increase of $299 million, for the STD prevention, treatment, and
surveillance programs of the CDC. These funds will significantly
enhance the CDC's ability to reduce STD rates across the country.
Public Health Infrastructure (+$40 Million)
Federal funding for CDC's Division of STD Prevention has been
relatively flat for the past 15 years. The combined effect of this,
along with steadily increasing rates of STDs and more recently, drastic
State and local budget cuts due to the economic crisis, STD programs
are in crisis mode and stretched thinner than ever. STD programs have
had to cut staff, dramatically cut clinical services or close clinic
doors altogether, and eliminate critical services such as free condom
distribution programs. The public health infrastructure must be rebuilt
and modernized. Investments in training, information and surveillance
systems, public health laboratories, and better diagnostic technologies
would increase efficiency, ensure program effectiveness, and protect
the health of future generations.
Public Health Workforce (+$24 Million)
A critical piece of rebuilding the public health infrastructure is
scaling up the public health workforce. One-quarter of the current
public health workforce will be eligible to retire by 2012. We must
invest now in training and retraining the next generation of public
health professionals. This is particularly critical for STD programs.
The underpinning of all STD programs is the Disease Intervention
Specialist (DIS), who provide partner services to individuals infected
with STDs, their partners, and to other persons who are at increased
risk for STD infection. DIS are specially trained public health workers
who are responsible for locating, counseling, and coordinating the
testing of individuals exposed to an STD. DIS complete an intensive CDC
training course, which provides a strong foundation in field
investigation techniques, both on the ground and on the Internet. In
some States, DIS also assist in the HIV Partner Services program, by
assisting newly HIV-infected individuals with informing their partners
of their status and encouraging those partners to seek HIV counseling,
testing, and related prevention services. DIS also provide surge
capacity during an emergency response, such as the current swine flu
epidemic. The versatile expertise of DIS make them indispensable during
a public health crisis, and also highlights the need for increased
resources to support the training and hiring of new DIS. The current
economic crisis has forced many States to freeze the hiring of new DIS
and even lay off DIS, in spite of increasing STD cases.
Expand Chlamydia Screening and Infertility Prevention (+$100 Million)
Chlamydia is the most commonly reported disease in the United
States, as well as the primary cause of infertility. The Infertility
Prevention Project (IPP), a collaborative effort between CDC and Office
of Population Affairs within the Department of Health and Human
Services, has been working to reduce STD-related infertility for 15
years. IPP provides funding to screen low-income women for chlamydia
and gonorrhea in STD and family planning clinics. This project is a
major success story in STD prevention, having been highly successful in
reducing new cases of chlamydia and gonorrhea in areas where it has
been implemented. However, additional resources are needed to bring
this project to scale and reach a greater number of at-risk women.
Chlamydia screening has also been shown to be extremely cost effective.
Among 21 evidence-based clinical services recommended by the U.S.
Preventive Service Task Force, chlamydia screening for young women
ranked among the top 5 as having the most health benefits and best
value for the dollar.
Additional Federal resources would help support increased chlamydia
screening in the public sector, expand school-based and correctional-
based screening, as well as initiate a series of demonstration projects
in the private sector aimed at increasing private sector screening
rates.
Gonorrhea Control and Health Disparities Reduction (+$78 Million)
Gonorrhea is the second most commonly reported infectious disease
in the United States. African Americans are the most heavily impacted
by this disease, with overall rates 19 times greater than that of
whites in 2007. African-American men aged 15 to 19 years old experience
gonorrhea rates 39 times higher than white men in the same age group.
An increasing issue of concern in the treatment of gonorrhea is
antimicrobial drug resistance. In 2006, 13.8 percent of all gonorrhea
cases demonstrated resistance, while 39 percent of the cases
specifically among MSM demonstrated resistance. In 2007, CDC revised
its gonorrhea treatment guidelines to include only a single class of
antibiotics.
Additional Federal resources would be used to monitor antimicrobial
resistant gonorrhea and test alternate or new drug regimens, initiate
culturally competent social marketing campaigns, increase screening and
partner services in hyperendemic areas, and develop demonstration
research projects to determine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness
of gonorrhea prevention and control interventions.
Syphilis Elimination (+$50 Million)
The rates of primary and secondary syphilis, the most infectious
stages of the disease, decreased throughout the 1990s, and in 2000
reached an all-time low. However, since 2000 as STD funding has
declined, the syphilis rate in the United States has increased by 76
percent. Since 1999, the Syphilis Elimination Effort (SEE), a
collaboration between CDC and State, local, and nongovernmental
partners, has worked to eliminate syphilis from all areas of the
country and reduce long-standing health disparities. These strategies
include: expanded surveillance and outbreak response activities, rapid
screening and treatment in and out of medical settings, expanded
laboratory services, strengthened community involvement and agency
partnerships, and enhanced health promotion. These efforts have been
shown to be successful, but must be funded adequately. A 2008 study
suggested that SEE funding in a given year was associated with
subsequent declines (over the following 2 years) in syphilis rates in a
given State. The greater a State's per capita syphilis elimination
funding in a given year, the greater the decline in syphilis rates in
subsequent years. While the activities of SEE have proven themselves to
be effective, they must be adequately and consistently funded to
ultimately eliminate this disease in the United States.
Additional Federal resources for SEE would be prioritized for
increased screening, particularly among HIV positive persons and
pregnant women, the development and evaluation of rapid diagnostic
tests, implementation of social marketing campaigns targeted towards
MSM and minority populations, and expanded screening in correctional
facilities.
Build a Response to Viral STDs (Herpes, HPV, Hepatitis B)
More than 45 million Americans, almost 26 percent of the U.S.
population, are infected with herpes simplex virus (HSV), a treatable
but incurable viral STD. Improved treatment of HSV is fundamental to
reducing the rates of transmission. Individuals with herpes are more
susceptible to acquiring HIV. An estimated 20 million Americans are
infected with human papillomavirus (HPV), the cause of about 90 percent
of all cervical cancer cases. CDC would utilize additional funds to
monitor the HPV vaccine introduction and behavioral impact of HPV
vaccine through demonstration projects and an expansion of an existing,
multi-level, multi-year behavioral research project. The most common
source of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection among adults is sexual
contact. Funding is needed to expand prevention efforts on HPV and HBV
and to deliver education on the availability of preventive vaccines.
______

Prepared Statement of the National Down Syndrome Society
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: As Chairperson of the
National Down Syndrome Society, I want to take this opportunity to
thank you for the leadership role this subcommittee has played over the
years in supporting and creating awareness on Down syndrome. I am
pleased to offer the following written testimony regarding
appropriation requests for Down syndrome in fiscal year 2010.
There are more than 400,000 people living with Down syndrome in the
United States, and about 5,000 babies, or 1 in 800, that are born each
year. Down syndrome occurs in people of all races and economic levels,
and it is the most frequently occurring chromosomal condition. The
incidence of births of children with Down syndrome increases with the
age of the mother. But due to higher fertility rates in younger women,
80 percent of children with Down syndrome are born to women under 35
years of age.
Advancements in the treatment of health problems have allowed
people with Down syndrome to enjoy fuller and more active lives, and
become more integrated into the economic and social structures of our
communities. Unfortunately, while progress has also been made in public
policies that enhance the lives of individuals with Down syndrome,
barriers still exist, making it difficult for people to access adequate
healthcare, housing, employment, and education.
We have been working with Congress for decades to address these
challenges and advance public policies that promote the acceptance and
inclusion of individuals with Down syndrome, and help them to achieve
their full potential in all aspects of their lives.
Mr. Chairman, we understand the challenges the subcommittee faces
in prioritizing requests, we believe that funding the requirements of
the Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act of
2007 (Public Law 110-374) is imperative given the significant impact
Down syndrome has on families and communities across the country and
the great potential for improvements in quality of life. On behalf of
the National Down Syndrome Society, we recommend that you appropriate
$5 million in the fiscal year 2010 to implement the requirements of the
Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act of 2007.
As you know, last year, Congress passed the Prenatally and
Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act of 2007. This new law
seeks to ensure that pregnant women receiving a positive prenatal
diagnosis of Down syndrome and parents receiving a postnatal diagnosis
will receive up-to-date, scientific information about life expectancy,
clinical course, intellectual and functional development, and prenatal
and postnatal treatment options. It offers referrals to support
services such as hotlines, Web sites, informational clearinghouses,
adoption registries, parent support networks, and Down syndrome and
other prenatally diagnosed conditions programs. The goal is to create a
sensitive and coherent process for delivering information about the
diagnosis across the variety of medical professions and technicians, to
avoid any conflicting, inaccurate, or incomplete information. Also, the
legislation would promote the rapid establishments of links to
community supports and services for parents who choose to take their
baby with Down syndrome home or for those who choose to have their
child adopted.
It is estimated that more than 1,000 prenatal tests are available
or in development. Included among them are tests for conditions that
are not life-threatening, could be helped by surgery or medical care,
or don't appear until adulthood. The prognoses for people with some
prenatally diagnosable disabilities have been improving markedly in
recent years, leaving medical professionals scrambling to keep up with
changing data. By including $5 million in the fiscal year 2010 Labor,
Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies
appropriations bill, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
will be able to fund its responsibilities to:
--Collect and distribute information relating to Down syndrome and
other prenatally or postnatally diagnosed conditions;
--Coordinate the provision of supportive services for patients
receiving a positive diagnosis of a prenatally or postnatally
diagnosed condition; and
--Oversee the new requirements for healthcare providers established
by the law. The funding is also needed to carry out the
requirement that the CDC assist State and local health
departments to integrate testing results into surveillance
systems.
Mr. Chairman, thank you for your time and attention. Given the
considerable impact this condition has on families and communities
across the country, the promise of further assistance and improving
research outcomes for individuals with Down syndrome is crucial. We are
thrilled beyond measure that Congress enacted this legislation and hope
that funding this request will help to shift the way the Nation regards
individuals with disabilities. Through providing accurate, updated
information about diagnosable conditions like Down syndrome to pregnant
women, the expectation is that individuals and families will make
better, more-informed decisions. But the bigger impact will be better
understanding on the part of the American people about the nature of
disability and the value of these citizens to their families, their
communities and to our country. Should you have any questions or
require additional information, please feel free to call on me.
______

Prepared Statement of the NephCure Foundation
one family's story
Chairman Cochran and members of the subcommittee thank you for the
opportunity to provide written testimony today, I am Dee Ryan and my
husband is Lieutenant Colonel John Kevin Ryan, an Iraq war veteran. I
would like to tell you about my 6-year-old daughter Jenna's nephrotic
syndrome (NS), a medical problem caused by rare diseases of the kidney
filter. When affected, these filters leak protein from the blood into
the urine and often cause kidney failure requiring dialysis or kidney
transplantation. We have been told by our physician that Jenna has 1 of
2 filter diseases called Minimal Change Disease or Focal and Segmental
Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). According to a Harvard University report
there are presently 73,000 people in the United States who have lost
their kidneys as a result of FSGS. Unfortunately, the causes of FSGS
and other filter diseases are very poorly understood.
In October 2007 my daughter began to experience general swelling of
her body and intermittent abdominal pain, fatigue, and general malaise.
Jenna began to develop a cough and her stomach became dramatically
distended. We rushed Jenna to the emergency room where her breathing
became more and more labored and her pulse raced. She had symptoms of
pulmonary edema, tachycardia, hypertension, and pneumonia. Her lab
results showed a large amount of protein in the urine and a low
concentration of the blood protein albumin, consistent with the
diagnosis of FSGS. Jenna's condition did not begin to stabilize for
several frightening days.
Following her release from the hospital we had to place Jenna on a
strict diet which limited her consumption of sodium to no more than
1,000 mg per day. Additionally, Jenna was placed on a steroid regimen
for the next 3 months. We were instructed to monitor her urine protein
levels and to watch for swelling and signs of infection, in order to
avoid common complications such as overwhelming infection or blood
clots. Because of her disease and its treatment, which requires strong
suppression of the immune system, Jenna did have a serious bacterial
infection several months after she began treatment.
We are frightened by her doctor's warnings that NS and its
treatment are associated with growth retardation and other medical
complications including heart disease. As a result of NS, Jenna has
developed hypercholesterolemia and we worry about the effects the
steroids may have on her bones and development. This is a lot for a
little girl in kindergarten to endure.
Jenna's prognosis is currently unknown because NS can reoccur. Even
more concerning to us is that Jenna may eventually lose her kidneys
entirely and need dialysis or a kidney transplant. While kidney
transplantation might sound like a cure, in the case of FSGS, the
disease commonly reappears after transplantation. And even with a
transplant, end stage renal disease caused by FSGS dramatically
shortens one's life span.
The NephCure Foundation (NCF) has been very helpful to my family.
They have provided us with educational information about NS, Minimal
Change Disease, and FSGS and the organization works to provide grant
funding to scientists for research into the cause and cure of NS.
Mr. Chairman, because the causes of NS are poorly understood, and
because we have a great deal to learn in order to be able to
effectively treat NS, I am asking you to please significantly increase
funding for the National Institutes of Health. Also, please support the
establishment of a collaborative research network that would allow
scientists to create a patient registry and biobank for NS/FSGS, and
that would allow coordinated studies of these deadly diseases for the
first time. Finally, please urge the National Institute of Diabetes and
Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK) to continue to focus on FSGS/NS
research in general, consistent with the recent program announcement
entitled Grants for Basic Research in Glomerular Disease (R01) (PA-07-
367).
Mr. Chairman, on behalf of the thousands of people suffering from
NS and FSGS and NCF, thank you for this opportunity to submit this
testimony to the subcommittee and for your consideration of my request;
Thank you.
more research is needed
We are no closer to finding the cause or the cure of FSGS.
Scientists tell us that much more research needs to be done on the
basic science behind the disease.
NCF, the University of Michigan, and other important university
research health centers have come together to support the establishment
of the Nephrotic Syndrome Rare Disease Clinical Research Network. This
network is a new collaboration between research institutions and NCF
supporting research on NS and FSGS. This initiative has tremendous
potential to make significant advancements in NS and FSGS research by
pooling efforts and resources. The addition of Federal resources to
this important initiative is crucial to ensuring the best possible
outcomes for the Nephrotic Syndrome Rare Disease Clinical Research
Network occur.
NCF is also grateful to the NIDDK for issuing of a program
announcement (PA) that serves to initiate grant proposals on glomerular
disease The PA, issued in March of 2006, is glomerular-disease
specific. The announcement will utilize the R01 mechanism to award
researchers funding.
We ask the subcommittee to encourage the ORD to support the
Nephrotic Syndrome Rare Disease Clinical Research Network to expand
FSGS research. We also ask the NIDDK to continue to issue glomerular
disease program announcements.
too little education about a growing problem
When glomerular disease strikes, the resulting NS causes a loss of
protein in the urine and edema. The edema often manifests itself as
puffy eyelids, a symptom that many parents and physicians mistake as
allergies. With experts projecting a substantial increase in nephrotic
syndrome in the coming years, there is a clear need to educate
pediatricians and family physicians about glomerular disease and its
symptoms.
We also applaud the work of the NIDDK in establishing the National
Kidney Disease Education Program (NKDEP), and we seek your support in
urging the NIDDK to make sure that glomerular disease remains a focus
of the NKDEP.
We ask the subcommittee to encourage the NIDDK to have glomerular
disease receive high visibility in its education and outreach efforts,
and to continue these efforts in conjunction with NCF's work. These
efforts should be targeted towards both physicians and patients.
glomerular disease strikes minority populations
Nephrologists tell us that glomerular disease strikes a
disproportionate number of African Americans. No one knows why this is,
but some studies have suggested that a genetic sensitivity to sodium
may be partly responsible. DNA studies of African Americans who suffer
from FSGS may lead to insights that would benefit the thousands of
African Americans who suffer from kidney disease.
I ask that the NIH pay special attention to why this disease
affects African Americans to such a large degree. NCF wishes to work
with the NIDDK and the National Center for Minority Health and Health
Disparities (NCMHD) to encourage the creation of programs to study the
high incidence of glomerular disease within the African-American
population.
There is also evidence to suggest that the incidence of glomerular
disease is higher among Hispanic Americans than in the general
population. An article in the February 2006 edition of the NIDDK
publication Recent Advances and Emerging Opportunities, discussed the
case of Frankie Cervantes, a 6-year-old boy of Mexican and Panamanian
descent. Frankie has FSGS received a transplanted kidney from his
mother. We applaud the NIDDK for highlighting FSGS in their
publication, and for translating the article about Frankie into both
English and Spanish. Only through similar efforts at cross-cultural
education can the African-American and Hispanic-American communities
learn more about glomerular disease.
We ask the subcommittee to join with us in urging the NIDDK and
NCMHD to collaborate on research that studies the incidence and cause
of this disease among minority populations. We also ask that the NIDDK
and the NCMHD undertake culturally appropriate efforts aimed at
educating minority populations about glomerular disease.
patient registry and biobank
Experts currently believe glomerular disease is increasing in
frequency and it is often misdiagnosed or undetected and, as a result,
is often unreported. Since many cases of glomerular disease are
unreported, it is difficult to ascertain different aspects of the
disease and to form more comprehensive data sets on the patient
population. While databases and registries have helped defeat other
diseases, one does not exist for FSGS.
The development of a biobank would be beneficial in understanding
the genetic components of glomerular disease and their corresponding
interactions with environmental factors.
We ask the subcommittee to support the funding of the first-ever
national database/registry for FSGS within NIDDK. Experts say that the
incidence of FSGS is increasing and that the disease is often
misdiagnosed, undetected, or unrecorded. We also ask the subcommittee
support the development of a biobank as a further means of
understanding the causes of FSGS, both genetic and environmental.
______

Prepared Statement of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters
Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony to this
subcommittee regarding the appropriation for the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting (CPB). As the President and CEO of the National Federation
of Community Broadcasters (NFCB), I speak on behalf of 250 community
radio stations and related individuals and organizations across the
country. Nearly half our members are rural stations and half are
controlled by people of color. In addition, our members include many
Low Power FM stations that are putting new local voices on the
airwaves. NFCB is the sole national organization representing this
group of stations which provide independent, local service in the
smallest communities of this country as well as the largest
metropolitan areas.
In summary, the points we wish to make to this subcommittee are
that NFCB:
--Requests $542 million in funding for CPB for fiscal year 2012;
--Supports a $307 million supplemental appropriation in fiscal year
2010 to ensure that public broadcasting is not lost to any
parts of the country because of the economic crisis;
--Requests $40 million in fiscal year 2010 for conversion of public
radio and television to digital broadcasting;
--Requests $27 million in fiscal year 2010 for replacement of the
radio interconnection system;
--Requests that advance funding for CPB is maintained to preserve
journalistic integrity and facilitate planning and local
fundraising by public broadcasters;
--Supports CPB activities in facilitating programming and services to
Native American, African-American, and Latino radio stations;
--Supports CPB's efforts to help public radio stations utilize new
distribution technologies and requests that the subcommittee
ensure that these technologies are available to all public
radio services and not just the ones with the greatest
resources.
Community Radio fully supports the appropriation of $542 million in
Federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in fiscal
year 2012. Federal support distributed through CPB is an essential
resource for rural stations and for those serving communities of color.
These stations provide critical, life-saving information to their
listeners and are often in communities with very small populations and
limited economic bases, thus the community is unable to financially
support the station without Federal funds. For example, these stations
offer programming in languages other than English or Spanish, they can
offer emergency information targeted for a particular geographic area,
and can offer in-depth programming on public health issues.
In larger towns and cities, sustaining grants from CPB enable
community radio stations to provide a reliable source of noncommercial
programming about the communities themselves. Local programming is an
increasingly rare commodity in a Nation that is dominated by national
program services and concentrated ownership of the media. Federal
funding allows an alternative to exist in these larger markets. And
with large newspaper shedding journalists, local community radio may be
one of the only outlets able to pick up the slack in coverage of local
political matters.
For more than 30 years, CPB appropriations have been enacted 2
years in advance. This insulation has allowed pubic broadcasting to
grow into a respected, independent, national resource that leverages
its Federal support with significant local funds. Knowing what funding
will be available in advance has allowed local stations to plan for
programming and community service and to explore additional
nongovernmental support to augment the Federal funds. Most important,
the insulation that advance funding provides ``go[es] a long way toward
eliminating both the risk of and the appearance of undue interference
with and control of public broadcasting.'' (House Report 94-245.)
For the past few years, CPB has increased support to rural stations
and committed resources to help public radio take advantage of new
technologies such as the Internet, satellite radio, and digital
broadcasting. We support these new technologies we can better serve the
American people, but want to ensure that smaller stations with more
limited resources are not left behind in this technological transition.
We ask that the subcommittee include language in the appropriation that
will ensure that funds are available to help the entire public radio
system, particularly rural and minority stations, utilize new
technology.
NFCB commends CPB for the leadership it has shown in supporting and
fostering programming services to Latino stations and Native American
stations. For example, Satelite Radio Bilingue provides 24 hours of
programming to stations across the United States and Puerto Rico
addressing issues of particular interest to the Latino population in
Spanish and English. At the same time, Native Voice One (NV1) is
distributing politically and culturally relevant programming to Native
American stations. There are now more than 33 stations in the United
States controlled by and serving Native Americans.
Five years ago, CPB funded the establishment of the Center for
Native American Public Radio (CNAPR). After 4 years in operation, CNAPR
has assisted with the renewal of licenses and expansion of the
interconnection system to all Native stations and has advanced the
opportunity for native nations to own their own, locally controlled
station. In the process of this work, it was recognized that radio
would not be available to all native nations and broadband and other
new technologies would be necessary. CNAPR has been repositioned as
Native Public Media (NPM) and is working hard to double the number of
native stations within the next 3 years. These stations are critical in
serving local, isolated communities (all but one are on Indian
Reservations) and in preserving cultures that are in danger of being
lost. CPB's 2003 assessment recognized that ``. . . Native Radio faces
enormous challenges and operates in very difficult environments.'' CPB
funding is critical to these rural, minority stations. The funding of
the Intertribal Native Radio Summit by CPB in 2001 helped to gather
these isolated stations together into a system of stations that can
support one another. The CPB assessment goes on to say ``Nevertheless,
the Native Radio system is relatively new, fragile and still needs help
building its capacity at this time in its development.'' NPM promises
to leverage additional new funding to ensure that these stations
continue providing essential services to their communities.
CPB also funded a Summit for Latino Public Radio which took place
in September 2002 in Rohnert Park, California, home of the first Latino
public radio station. This year, CPB has provided funding to the Latino
Public Radio Consortium to develop a strategic plan and business model
to expand the service of public radio to the Latino population. The
Latino population is growing in this country and requires news services
geared toward them in order to fully participate in civic life.
Hispanics were 12.5 percent of the population in 2000, by 2007 they
were 15 percent, and the number is only growing.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Pew Hispanic Center, Statistical Portrait of Hispanics in the
United States, 2007.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
CPB plays an extremely important role in the public and Community
radio system: They convene discussions on critical issues facing us as
a system. They support research so that we have a better understanding
of how we are serving listeners. And, they provide funding for
programming, new ventures, expansion to new audiences, and projects
that improve the efficiency of the system. This is particularly
important at a time when there are so many changes in the radio and
media environment with media consolidation and new distribution
technologies.
Community radio supports a $307 million supplemental appropriation
in fiscal year 2010 to ensure that public broadcasting is not lost to
any parts of the country because of the economic crisis. Public
Broadcasting is requesting a one-time investment of Federal resources
to help stations maintain local service and assist their communities
cope with the economic crisis and to assure continuity of public
broadcasting service to the American people. Financial contributions
from corporations, foundations, institutions are down dramatically and
listeners contributions, the main source of funding for Community radio
are beginning to be impacted by the growing unemployment. Community
stations are critical sources of local information and it is essential
that they be able to continue to provide their unique local service.
Community radio supports $40 million in fiscal year 2010 for the
conversion to digital broadcasting by public radio and television.
While public television's digital conversion needs are mandated by the
FCC, public radio is converting to digital to provide more public
service and to keep up with commercial radio. The Federal
Communications Commission has approved a standard for digital radio
transmission that will allow multicasting. CPB has provided funding for
more than 650 radio transmitters to convert to digital. Of those, 160
are multicasting two or more streams of programming. The development of
second and third audio channels will potentially double or triple the
service that public radio can provide listeners, particularly in un-
served and underserved communities. However, this initial funding still
leaves nearly 200 radio transmitters that must ultimately convert to
digital or become obsolete.
Community radio strongly supports $27 million in fiscal year 2009
for the public radio interconnection system. Public radio pioneered the
use of satellite technology to distribute programming. The Public Radio
Satellite System's recently launched ContentDepot continues this
tradition of cutting edge technology. Satellite capacity supporting it
must be renewed and upgrades are necessary at the station and network
operations levels. Interconnection is vital to the delivery of the
high-quality programming that public broadcasting provides to the
American people. This is the last year of a 3-year request for $80
million to the complete the project.
We are in a period of tremendous change. ``Radio is well on its way
to becoming something altogether new--a medium called audio.'' \2\ The
digital movement is transforming the way we do things; new distribution
avenues like digital satellite broadcasting and the Internet are
changing how we define our business; and, the concentration of
ownership in commercial radio makes public radio in general, and
Community radio in particular, more important as a local voice than we
have ever been. New Low Power FM stations are providing local voices in
their communities an avenue of expression, and many new community
stations will be going on the air within the next few years. Community
radio is providing essential local emergency information, programming
about the local impact of major global events taking place, and
culturally relevant information and entertainment in native languages,
as well as helping to preserve cultures that are in danger of dying
out. During the natural disasters of recent years, radio proved once
again that it is the most dependable and available medium for getting
emergency information to the public.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ The State of the News Media, Pew Project for Excellence in
Journalism, 2008.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
During these challenging times, the role of CPB as a convener of
the system becomes even more important. The funding that it provides
will allow smaller stations to participate alongside larger stations
that have more resources as we move into a new era of communications.
______

Prepared Statement of the National Fragile X Foundation
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: As President of the
Board of Directors for the National Fragile X Foundation, I want to
take this opportunity to thank you for the leadership role this
subcommittee has played over the years in the fight for Fragile X-
associated Disorders. I am pleased to offer the following written
testimony regarding appropriation requests in fiscal year 2010.
Fragile X-associated Disorders are genetic disorders that cause
behavioral, developmental, and language disabilities across a person's
lifespan. It is linked to a mutation on the X chromosome, and is the
most commonly inherited form of intellectual disabilities. Fragile X is
also linked to reproductive problems in women including early menopause
Fragile X-associated primary ovarian insufficiency (FXPOI) and, a
Parkinson's-like condition in older male carriers Fragile X-associated
tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS). More than 100,000 Americans have
Fragile X Syndrome and more than 1 million Americans carry a Fragile X
mutation and either have, or are at risk for developing a Fragile X-
associated disorder.
These appropriations requests are significant in order to continue
to build the infrastructure needed and assure continued progress toward
targeted treatments for Fragile X-associated Disorders. The National
Fragile X Foundation has invested significantly in the creation of the
Fragile X Clinical & Research Consortium, a network of 20 clinics
across the country who collaborate to align data collection efforts,
participate in clinical trials of new pharmacological agents, share
research findings and develop consistent best practices and standards
of care for the treatment of Fragile X-associated Disorders.
In addition, these appropriations requests would assist in building
upon important work already initiated by the Federal Government. We
have been successful at building programs at the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The CDC has
recognized the value of this important collaboration, and has provided
resources to ensure the continued growth and evolution of the Fragile X
Clinical & Research Consortium. Previously, the CDC had secured nearly
$4.5 million in funding since fiscal year 2005 for the CDC Fragile X
National Public Health Initiative. The program is currently funded at
just more than $1.8 million annually. Furthermore, the CDC has worked
with Congress to define the highest impact public health priorities for
the Fragile X community. These efforts led to:
--Development of a newborn screening test for fragile X syndrome;
--Single gene resource network for fragile X syndrome;
--Fragile X syndrome cascade testing and genetic counseling
protocols;
--Fragile X Family Needs Assessment; and
--Support for the Fragile X Clinical & Research Consortium.
Moreover, public efforts, including three National Institute of
Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)-funded Fragile X Research
Centers, has proven critically important in the development of
effective treatments. The development of key therapeutics for Fragile X
will likely be effective for a much larger population living with
related autism spectrum disorders. We recognize that in order to
translate basic science findings into viable treatments for Fragile X,
additional coordination and resources are required at the NIH.
The Fragile X community has been working to promote the work of NIH
to ensure improved coordination among the various Institutes to ensure
the most effective use of Federal research dollars devoted to Fragile
X-associated Disorders (i.e., Fragile X Syndrome, Fragile X-associated
Tremor/Ataxia Syndrome, and Fragile X-associated Primary Ovarian
Insufficiency). Congress has advocated for greater resources at NIH
leading to an increase in NIH Fragile X-associated Disorders efforts
from approximately $12 million annually in 2001 to approximately $27
million in fiscal year 2009. With this increase, NIH recently awarded
the largest Fragile X Federal research grant in history, a 5-year,
$21.8 million grant to a team of researchers at the UC Davis School of
Medicine and M.I.N.D. Institute.
As you know, the fiscal year 2008 Departments of Labor, Health and
Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act
included language directing the NIH, under the leadership of the NICHD
(Senate Report 110-107) to coordinate, intensify, and expedite research
efforts related to Fragile X-associated Disorders. The law specifically
directed the NIH to convene a scientific session in 2008 to develop
pathways to new opportunities for collaborative, directed research
across Institutes, and to produce a blueprint of coordinated research
strategies and public-private partnership opportunities for Fragile X.
The NICHD was directed to lead this initiative and was urged to
collaborate with the three existing federally funded Centers of
Excellence as well as the Fragile X Clinical & Research Consortium.
In response to this directive, NICHD leadership convened a 2-day
scientific session and created a rigorous working group infrastructure
consisting of the world's leading researchers and NIH staff to ensure
timely development of the NIH Research Blueprint on Fragile-X
associated disorders. The leadership team at NICHD and three working
groups prepared a comprehensive blueprint that will provide a clear
direction for future research activities for Fragile-X associated
disorders. The final draft of this report was completed in late 2008,
and will be published by NIH this week.
Mr. Chairman, we respectfully request Congress to continue its
support of these ongoing initiatives, and to support increased
prioritization of Fragile X-associated Disorders at the CDC and NIH in
order to accelerate the critical work being accomplished through the
Fragile X Clinical & Research Consortium.
The National Fragile X Foundation recommends that you appropriate
the following fiscal year 2010 requests:
--A $2 million increase in funding from fiscal year 2009 levels, for
the National Fragile X Public Health Initiative and other CDC
initiatives to:
--Focus efforts on identifying ongoing needs, effective treatments,
and positive outcomes for families by increasing
epidemiological research, surveillance, screening efforts,
and the introduction of early interventions and supports
for individuals living with Fragile X-associated Disorders.
--Focus on the continued growth and development of initiatives that
support health promotion activities and foster rapid, high-
impact translational research practice for the successful
treatment Fragile X-associated Disorders, including ongoing
collaborative activities with the Fragile X Clinical &
Research Consortium.
--Report language and increased resources for Fragile X at the NIH
to:
--Support continued implementation of the recommendations outlined
in the NIH Fragile X-associated Disorders Research
Blueprint as well as increased NIH support for the Fragile
X Clinical & Research Consortium.
--Enhance its efforts across its Institutes to translate basic
science findings into viable treatments for Fragile X, and
encourage clinical drug trials for this orphan indication.
--Maximize Fragile X resources by ensuring that appropriate
resources and direction is provided to implement the
objectives outlined in the Fragile X Research Blueprint.
--Strengthen and broaden research on Fragile X- associated
disorders (i.e., FXTAS and FXPOI).
Furthermore, as part of our overall to increase support and
prioritization of Fragile X-associated Disorders at the Federal level,
the Fragile X community is also working with the Defense Subcommittee
on Appropriations to include Fragile X-associated Disorders among the
list of eligible healthcare conditions for targeted biomedical research
funding through the U.S. Department of Defense. The success from all of
these intense public and private research efforts, including the NIH
and CDC, has brought discoveries to bear for Fragile X-associated
Disorders. However, we feel continued expansion of Federal efforts and
resources at each of these agencies will be instrumental to conduct
promising research on Fragile X-associated Disorders.
Mr. Chairman, thank you for your time and attention. We, at the
National Fragile X Foundation, believe that continued awareness and
support for enhancing Fragile X research and translational activities
is imperative. Given the significant impact this condition has on
families and communities across the country, the promise of a
breakthrough for the treatment and cure of this disease is urgent.
Should you have any questions or require additional information, please
feel free to call on me.
______

Prepared Statement of the National Health Care for the Homeless Council
The National Health Care for the Homeless Council respectfully asks
the Senate Committee on Appropriations to strengthen and expand the
Nation's health centers by appropriating $2.9 billion for the
Consolidated Health Centers Program in fiscal year 2010.
The National Health Care for the Homeless Council is a membership
organization engaged in education and advocacy to improve healthcare
for homeless persons and all Americans. We represent 111 organizational
members, including 100 Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) projects, and
more than 700 individuals who provide care to people experiencing
homelessness throughout the country.
Homelessness and Health.--Poverty, lack of affordable housing, and
the lack of comprehensive health insurance are among the underlying
structural causes of homelessness. For those struggling to pay for
housing and other basic needs, the onset of a serious illness or
disability easily can result in homelessness following the depletion of
financial resources. The experience of homelessness causes poor health,
and poor health is exacerbated by restricted access to appropriate
healthcare--which only prolongs homelessness. Additional barriers to
healthcare access include lack of transportation, inflexible clinic
hours, complex requirements to qualify for public health insurance, and
mandatory unaffordable co-payments for various services.
Mainstream healthcare safety net providers often fail to meet the
needs of homeless people. In the absence of universal healthcare, the
Federal Government supports a separate healthcare system for low-income
and uninsured people. Community Health Centers and publicly funded
mental health and addictions programs form the core of this healthcare
safety net. Unfortunately, limited resources, lack of experience with
this population, and insufficient linkages to a full range of health
and supportive services seriously restrict the ability of mainstream
providers to meet the unique needs of people experiencing homelessness.
The Federal Health Care for the Homeless Program--administered by
the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)--currently
supports 205 HCH projects in all 50 States, the District of Columbia,
and Puerto Rico. Congress established HCH in 1987 to provide targeted
services for people experiencing homelessness, including primary and
behavioral healthcare along with social services, as well as intensive
outreach and case management to link clients with appropriate
resources. Approximately 70 percent of those served by HCH projects
lack comprehensive health insurance. The HCH program has been
reauthorized three times, most recently in 2008 with passage of the
Health Care Safety Net Act. HCH projects served 742,588 in 2007--a
sizable number, but far below the 3.5 million Americans who annually
experience homelessness. Authorizing language designates 8.7 percent of
the total Health Center appropriation to support the HCH program.
Community Health Centers.--Over the past several years, the
expansion of community health centers has received bipartisan support
from Members of Congress. Federally-Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
consistently have proven their effectiveness in delivering
comprehensive medical care to underserved populations. Though health
centers currently serve more than 16 million people annually, at least
56 million Americans--both insured and uninsured--face inadequate
access to primary care due to a shortage of physicians and other
providers. Without sufficient access to care, the health problems of
the insured and underinsured are exacerbated, resulting in costly
treatment, medical complications, and even premature death.
Within the current economic context, a massive unmet need remains
for health center resources despite years of incremental expansion
through the Health Center Growth Initiative. The deteriorating economy
leaves more Americans unemployed, at risk of homelessness, and in need
of health services. According to the Department of Labor, unemployment
jumped to 8.5 percent in March 2009, the highest in 14 years. With
continued increases in unemployment, more Americans are expected to
lose health coverage, thus placing additional burden upon community
health centers.
Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriations.--In recognition of the growing
need for primary healthcare services, the Senate Committee on
Appropriations along with other Members of Congress has been supportive
of strengthening and expanding community health centers. In the current
year, Congress appropriated $2.2 billion--$125 million above the fiscal
year 2008 appropriation. This included $56 million in base grant
adjustments and provided a total of $191 million (8.7 percent) for the
HCH program.
To continue strengthening the Nation's health center
infrastructure, we encourage the Senate Committee on Appropriations
Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and
Related Agencies to appropriate $2.9 billion for the Community Health
Center program (including $252 million for the HCH program) in fiscal
year 2010. The National Council's request is consistent with planned
increases outlined in the Access for All America Act (S. 486). This
important legislation, introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders, would
quadruple the amount of funding for community health centers over the
next 5 years.
The National Council applauds Congress for its strong support of
community health centers. We thank Chairman Harkin and the Senate
Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human
Service, and Education, and Related Agencies for your consideration of
this testimony.
______

Prepared Statement of the National Marfan Foundation
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony
regarding the fiscal year 2010 budget for the National Heart, Lung and
Blood Institute (NHLBI), the National Institute of Arthritis,
Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), and the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC). The National Marfan Foundation is
grateful to you and the subcommittee for your strong support of the
National Institutes of Health and CDC, particularly as it relates to
life-threatening genetic disorders such as Marfan syndrome. Thanks in
part to your leadership we are at a time of unprecedented hope for our
patients.
It is estimated that 200,000 people in the United States are
affected by Marfan syndrome or a related condition. Marfan syndrome is
a genetic disorder of the connective tissue that can affect many areas
of the body, including the heart, eyes, skeleton, lungs, and blood
vessels. It is progressive condition and can cause deterioration in
each of these body systems. The most serious and life-threatening
aspect of the syndrome is a weakening of the aorta. The aorta is the
largest artery carrying oxygenated blood from the heart. Over time,
many Marfan syndrome patients experience a dramatic weakening of the
aorta which can cause the vessel to dissect and tear.
Early surgical intervention can prevent a dissection and strengthen
the aorta and the aortic valves. If preventive surgery is performed
before a dissection occurs, the success rate of the procedure is more
than 95 percent. If surgery is initiated after a dissection has
occurred, the success rate drops below 50 percent. Aortic dissection is
a leading killer in the United States, and 20 percent of the people it
affects have a genetic predisposition, like Marfan syndrome, to
developing the complication.
Fortunately, new research offers hope that a commonly prescribed
blood pressure medication might be effective in preventing this
frequent and devastating event.
nhlbi
Pediatric Heart Network Clinical Trial
NMF applauds NHLBI for its leadership in advancing a landmark
clinical trail on Marfan syndrome. Under the direction of Dr. Lynn
Mahoney and Dr. Gail Pearson, the Institute's Pediatric Heart Network
has spearheaded a multicenter study focused on the potential benefits
of a commonly prescribed blood pressure medication (losartan) on aortic
growth in Marfan syndrome patients.
NHLBI Director Dr. Elizabeth Nabel describes this promising
research well:

``After the discovery that Marfan syndrome is associated with the
mutation in the gene encoding a protein called fibrillin-1, researchers
tried for many years, without success, to develop treatment strategies
that involved repair of replacement of fibrillin-1. Then a major
breakthrough occurred with the discovery that one of the functions of
fibrillin-1 is to bind to another protein, TGF-beta, and regulate its
effects. After careful analysis revealed aberrant TGF-beta activity in
patients with Marfan syndrome, researchers began to concentrate on
treating Marfan syndrome by normalizing the activity of TGF-beta.
Losartan, which is known to affect TGF-beta activity, was tested in a
mouse model of Marfan syndrome and the results showed that drug was
remarkably effective in blocking the development of aortic aneurysms,
as well as lung defects associated with the syndrome.
Based on this promising finding, the NHLBI Pediatric Heart Network,
has undertaken a clinical trial of losartan in patients with Marfan
syndrome. About 600 patients aged 6 months to 25 years will be enrolled
and followed for 3 years. This development illustrates the outstanding
value of basic science discoveries, and identifying new directions for
clinical applications. Moreover, the ability to organize and initiate a
clinical trial within months of such a discovery is testimony to
effectiveness of the NHLBI Network in providing the infrastructure and
expertise to capitalize on new findings as they emerge.''

Dr. Hal Dietz, the Victor A. McKusick Professor of Genetics in the
McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine at the Johns Hopkins
University School of Medicine, and the director of the William S.
Smilow Center for Marfan Syndrome Research, is the driving force behind
this groundbreaking research. Dr. Dietz uncovered the role that
fibrillin-1 and TGF-beta play in aortic enlargement, and demonstrated
the benefits of losartan in halting aortic growth in mice. He is the
reason we have reached this time of such promise and NMF is proud to
have supported Dr. Dietz's cutting-edge research for many years.
NMF is also proud to actively support the losartan clinical trial
in partnership with the Pediatric Heart Network. Throughout the life of
the trial we will provide support for patient travel costs, coverage of
select echocardiogram examinations, and funding for ancillary studies.
These ancillary studies will explore the impact that losartan has on
other manifestations of Marfan syndrome.
NHLBI ``Working Group on Research in Marfan Syndrome and Related
Conditions''
In April 2007, NHLBI convened a ``Working Group on Research in
Marfan Syndrome and Related Conditions.'' Chaired by Dr. Dietz, this
panel was comprised of experts in all aspects of basic and clinical
science related to the disorder. The panel was charged with identifying
key recommendations for advancing the field of research in the coming
decade. The recommendations of the Working Group are as follows:

``Scientific opportunities to advance this field are conferred by
technological advances in gene discovery, the ability to dissect
cellular processes at the molecular level and imaging, and the
establishment of multi-disciplinary teams. The barriers to progress are
addressed through the following recommendations, which are also
consistent with Goals and Challenges in the NHLBI Strategic Plan.
--Existing registries should be expanded or new registries developed
to define the presentation, natural history, and clinical
history of aneurysm syndromes.
--Biological and aortic tissue sample collection should be
incorporated into every clinical research program on Marfan
syndrome and related disorders and funds should be provided to
ensure that this occurs. Such resources, once established,
should be widely shared among investigators.
--An Aortic Aneurysm Clinical Trials Network (ACTnet) should be
developed to test both surgical and medical therapies in
patients with thoracic aortic aneurysms. Partnership in this
effort should be sought with industry, academic organizations,
foundations, and other governmental entities.
--The identification of novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers
should be facilitated by the development of genetically defined
animal models and the expanded use of genomic, proteomic, and
functional analyses. There is a specific need to understand
cellular pathways that are altered leading to aneurysms and
dissections, and to develop robust in vivo reporter assays to
monitor TGFb and other cellular signaling cascades.
--The developmental underpinnings of apparently acquired phenotypes
should be explored. This effort will be facilitated by the
dedicated analysis of both prenatal and early postnatal tissues
in genetically defined animal models and through the expanded
availability to researchers of surgical specimens from affected
children and young adults.''

We look forward to working closely with NHLBI to pursue these
important research goals and ask the subcommittee to support the
recommendations of the Working Group. Mr. Chairman, for fiscal year
2010 NMF joins with other professional and patient organizations in
recommending a 7 percent for NHLBI.
niams
NMF is proud of its longstanding partnership with NIAMS. Dr. Steven
Katz has been a strong proponent of basic research on Marfan syndrome
during his tenure as NIAMS Director and has generously supported
several ``Conferences on Heritable Disorders of Connective Tissue.''
Moreover, the Institute has provided invaluable support for Dr. Dietz's
mouse model studies. The discoveries of fibrillin-1, TGF-beta, and
their role in muscle regeneration and connective tissue function were
made possible in part through collaboration with NIAMS.
As the losartan clinical trail moves forward, we hope to expand our
partnership with NIAMS to support related studies that fall under the
mission and jurisdiction of the Institute. One of the areas of great
interest to researchers and patients is the role that losartan may play
in strengthening muscle tissue in Marfan patients. We would welcome an
opportunity to partner with NIAMS in support of this research moving
forward.
For fiscal year 2010, NMF recommends a 7 percent increase for
NIAMS.
cdc
Mr. Chairman, we are grateful for the subcommittee's encouragement
in recent years of collaboration between CDC and the Marfan syndrome
community. One of the most important things we can do to prevent
untimely deaths from aortic aneurysms is to increase awareness of
Marfan syndrome and related connective tissue disorders.
Despite our ongoing efforts to raise awareness among the general
public and healthcare providers, we know of too many families who have
lost a loved one because of a missed diagnosis.
We are very appreciative of CDC's support of our 25th annual
patient conference taking place in Rochester, Minnesota August 6-9,
2009. We have also discussed other potential collaborations with the
National Center on Birth Defects and Development Disabilities focused
on education and early diagnosis. We ask the subcommittee to continue
to encourage CDC to work with us to initiate these activities in fiscal
year 2010.
For fiscal year 2010, NMF joins with the CDC Coalition in
recommending an appropriation of $8.6 billion for core CDC programs.
______

Prepared Statement of the National Network to End Domestic Violence
Chairman Harkin, Ranking Member Cochran, and members of the
subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to submit written testimony
to the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, an Related
Agencies (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittee. We are grateful to the
subcommittee for your continued leadership and your investment in
lifesaving programs that prevent and end domestic violence.
The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) is a
membership and advocacy organization representing the 56 State and U.S.
territory domestic violence coalitions. NNEDV provides a national voice
for the coalitions, their more than 2,000 local domestic violence
member programs, and the millions of domestic violence survivors who
turn to them for services. In their work with victims and their
families, our members see the impact that abuse and violence have on
the lives of children who are vulnerable both as witnesses to violence
and as victims themselves.
Over the last 25 years, millions of victims have found refuge and
safety through domestic violence programs funded by the Family Violence
Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA). The success of this LHHS-funded
program, however, is threatened by budget stagnation and an increasing
demand for services. Small budget increases, while appreciated, simply
cannot meet the desperate needs of victims. Now, more than ever, we
need to increase our country's investment in this vital, cost-effective
program. Increases to FVPSA funding will help bridge the unconscionable
gap created by an increased demand and inadequate funding. On behalf of
the millions of victims and families that our member programs serve
each year, we urge you to fully fund the FVPSA/Battered Women's Shelter
Services program (FVPSA) at $175 million, the National Domestic
Violence Hotline at $3.5 million, and the Community Initiatives to
Prevent Abuse (DELTA) program at $6 million in the fiscal year 2010
congressional budget.
domestic violence
Domestic violence is pervasive and life-threatening. According to
the 2005 Bureau of Justice Statistics' Family Violence Statistics, of
the total victims of violence between 1998 and 2002, 11 percent were
victims of family violence.\1\ One in four women has been beaten or
raped by a husband, boyfriend, or partner in her lifetime.\2\ In 2005
alone, 1,181 women were murdered by an intimate partner in the United
States \3\ and approximately one-third of all female murder victims are
killed by an intimate partner.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics,
Family Violence Statistics: Including Statistics on Strangers and
Acquaintances, June 2005.
\2\ Tjaden, Patricia & Thoennes, Nancy. National Institute of
Justice and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, ``Extent,
Nature and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence: Findings from the
National Violence Against Women Survey,'' 2000. The Centers for Disease
Control (CDC) (2008). Adverse Health Conditions and Health Risk
Behaviors Associated with Intimate Partner Violence, United States,
2005.
\3\ Bureau of Justice Statistics, Homicide Trends in the U.S. from
1976-2005. US Department of Justice. (2008).
\4\ Bureau of Justice Statistics, Homicide Trends from 1976-1999.
U.S. Department of Justice. (2001)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The cycle of intergenerational violence is perpetuated as children
witness violence. It is estimated that a staggering 15.5 million
children are exposed to domestic violence every year.\5\ Children who
are exposed to domestic violence are more likely to exhibit behavioral
and physical health problems including depression, anxiety, and
violence towards peers.\6\ They are also more likely to attempt
suicide, abuse drugs and alcohol, run away from home, engage in teenage
prostitution, and perpetrate sexual assault.\7\ One study found that
men exposed to physical abuse, sexual abuse, and adult domestic
violence as children were almost four times more likely than other men
to have perpetrated domestic violence as adults.\8\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ McDonald, R., et al. (2006). ``Estimating the Number of
American Children Living in Partner-Violence Families.'' Journal of
Family Psychology, 30(1), 137-142.
\6\ Jaffe, P. and Sudermann, M., ``Child Witness of Women Abuse:
Research and Community Responses,'' in Stith, S. and Straus, M.,
Understanding Partner Violence: Prevalence, Causes, Consequences, and
Solutions. Families in Focus Services, Vol. II. Minneapolis, MN:
National Council on Family Relations, 1995.
\7\ Wolfe, D.A., Wekerle, C., Reitzel, D. and Gough, R.,
``Strategies to Address Violence in the Lives of High Risk Youth.'' In
Peled, E., Jaffe, P.G. and Edleson, J.L. (eds.), Ending the Cycle of
Violence: Community Responses to Children of Battered Women. New York:
Sage Publications. 1995.
\8\ Greendfeld, L. A. (1997). Sex Offences and Offenders: An
Analysis of Date on Rape and Sexual Assault. Washington, DC. Bureau of
Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Domestic violence is not just a crime; it is a public health crisis
that leads to chronic health conditions, disabilities, lost work time,
frequent trips to the emergency room and, all too often, serious injury
or death.
In addition to the terrible cost domestic and sexual violence have
on the lives of individual victims and their families, these crimes
cost taxpayers and communities. In fact, the cost of intimate partner
violence exceeds $5.8 billion each year, $4.1 billion of which is for
direct medical and mental healthcare services.\9\ Research shows that
for every 100,000 women between 18 and 64 enrolled, intimate partner
violence costs a health insurance plan $19.3 million each year.\10\
Domestic violence costs U.S. employers an estimated $3 to $13 billion
annually.\11\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\9\ National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Costs of
Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in the United States. Atlanta
(GA): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2003.
\10\ Ibid.
\11\ Bureau of National Affairs Special Rep. No. 32, Violence and
Stress: The Work/Family Connection 2 (1990); Joan Zorza, Women
Battering: High Costs and the State of the Law, Clearinghouse Rev.,
Vol. 28, No. 4,383,385; Supra note 10.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
the family violence prevention and services act (fvpsa)
Despite this grim reality, we know that when immediate, essential
services are available victims can escape from life-threatening
violence and begin to rebuild their shattered lives.
FVPSA has significantly enhanced community-based domestic violence
intervention and prevention efforts since it was first authorized by
Congress in 1984. Administered by the Department of Health and Human
Services Administration on Children and Families through a State
formula grant, FVPSA provides funding to States, territories and tribes
to support domestic violence services in their communities using a
population-based formula. These essential services that are at the core
of ending domestic violence: emergency shelters, hotlines, counseling
and advocacy, primary and secondary prevention--immediate crisis
response and the comprehensive support to help victims put their lives
back together. FVPSA also authorizes the Community Initiatives to
Prevent Abuse program (frequently referred to as Domestic Violence
Prevention Enhancement and Leadership Through Alliances (DELTA) Grants)
and the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Working together, these
FVPSA programs have made significant progress toward ending domestic
violence and keeping families and communities safe. Since its passage
in 1984, FVPSA remains the only Federal funding directly for shelter
programs.
There are approximately 2,000 FVPSA-funded community-based domestic
violence programs for victims and their children, providing emergency
shelter to approximately 300,000 victims and offering services such as
counseling, crisis lines, safety planning, legal assistance, and
preventative education to millions of adults and children annually.\12\
In just 1 day in 2008, 60,799 victims were served by 1,553 domestic
violence programs. Of the 20,307 victims in emergency shelter that day,
nearly 50 percent were children.\13\ Programs answered 21,683 hotline
calls and trained 30,210 community members.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\12\ National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Detailed Shelter
Surveys (2001).
\13\ Domestic Violence Counts 08: A 24-hour census of domestic
violence shelters and services across the United States. The National
Network to End Domestic Violence. (Jan. 2009).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
These effective programs save and help rebuild lives. A recently
released multi-State study shows conclusively that the Nation's
domestic violence shelters are addressing both urgent and long-term
needs of victims of violence, and are helping victims protect
themselves and their children.\14\ Research shows that shelter programs
are among the most effective resources for victims with abusive
partners \15\ and that staying at a shelter or working with a domestic
violence advocate significantly reduced the likelihood that a victim
would be abused again and improved the victim's quality of life.\16\
The impact of being and feeling safe cannot be underestimated--when
asked what he liked best about staying in the shelter, a 10-year-old
boy in Maryland replied, ``I can sleep at night.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\14\ Lyon, E., Lane S. (2009). Meeting Survivors' Needs: A Multi-
State Study of Domestic Violence Shelter Experiences. National Resource
Center on Domestic Violence and UConn School of Social Work. Found at
http://www.vawnet.org.
\15\ See: Bennett, L., Riger, S., Schewe, P., Howard, A., & Wasco,
S. (2004). Effectiveness of hotline, advocacy, counseling and shelter
services for victims of domestic violence: A statewide evaluation.
Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 19(7), 815-829; Bowker, L. H., &
Maurer, L. (1985). The importance of sheltering in the lives of
battered women. Response to the Victimization of Women and Children, 8,
2-8; Gordon, J. S. (1996). ``Community services for abused women: A
review of perceived usefulness and efficacy.'' Journal of Family
Violence 11(4): 315-329; Sedlak, A. J. (1988). Prevention of wife
abuse. In V. B. Van Hasselt, R. L. Morrison, A. S. Bellack, & M. Hersen
(Eds.), Handbook of Family Violence (pp. 319-358). NY: Plenum Press;
Straus, M. A., Gelles, R. J., & Steinmetz, S. K. (1980). Behind closed
doors: Violence in the American family. NY: Anchor Press; Tutty, L. M.,
Weaver, G., & Rothery, M. (1999). Residents' views of the efficacy of
shelter services for assaulted women. Violence Against Women, 5(8),
898-925.
\16\ See: Berk, R. A., Newton, P. J., & Berk, S. F. (1986). What a
difference a day makes: An empirical study of the impact of shelters
for battered women. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 48, 481-490;
Bybee, D.I., & Sullivan, C.M. (2002). The process through which a
strengths-based intervention resulted in positive change for battered
women over time. American Journal of Community Psychology, 30(1), 103-
132; Constantino, R., Kim, Y., & Crane, P.A. (2005). Effects of a
social support intervention on health outcomes in residents of a
domestic violence shelter: A pilot study. Issues in Mental Health
Nursing, 26, 575-590; Goodkind, J., Sullivan, C.M., & Bybee, D.I.
(2004). A contextual analysis of battered women's safety planning.
Violence Against Women, 10(5), 514-533; Sullivan, C.M. (2000). A model
for effectively advocating for women with abusive partners. In J.P.
Vincent & E.N. Jouriles (Eds.), Domestic violence: Guidelines for
research-informed practice (pp. 126-143). London: Jessica Kingsley
Publishers; Sullivan, C.M., & Bybee, D.I. (1999). Reducing violence
using community-based advocacy for women with abusive partners. Journal
of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 67(1), 43-53.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Once FVPSA appropriations reach $130 million, a portion will be set
aside solely for children's services. Battered women's shelters and
domestic violence programs provide safety and support for children, but
struggle to meet the demand for children's services. They see the needs
of children who are recovering from the trauma of witnessing or
experiencing abuse and they are eager to implement new and expanded
children's programming.
The Community Initiatives to Prevent Abuse/DELTA Grants program
supports community-based primary prevention that address the underlying
causes of domestic violence in order to stop abuse before it starts.
DELTA is administered by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, and it
is one of the few funding sources for primary prevention work. DELTA
programs use innovative strategies including peer education programs
for men about family and relationships, community change initiatives
focused on engaging men in prevention efforts, school-based education
to prevent youth bullying that often carries into adulthood, and youth-
led initiatives to prevent dating violence and promote healthy
relationships.
FVPSA also includes the National Domestic Violence Hotline, a 24-
hour, confidential, toll-free hotline, located in Texas. Since opening
in 1996, the National Domestic Violence Hotline has received more than
2 million calls from individuals in need of support and assistance.
Highly trained hotline advocates provide support, information,
referrals, safety planning, and crisis intervention to hundreds of
thousands of domestic violence victims and perpetrators. More than 60
percent of callers report that their call to the hotline is the first
time they open up about the abusive relationship.
the funding gap
Due to the overwhelming success of Violence Against Women Act
(VAWA) and FVPSA funded programs, more and more victims are coming
forward for help each year. This rising demand for services, without a
concurrent increase in funding, means that many desperate victims are
turned away from life-saving services. In just 1 day last year, nearly
9,000 requests for services went unmet across the country due to a lack
of resources, including 3,286 requests for emergency shelter.\17\
Additionally, the National Domestic Violence Hotline was unable to
answer 42,500 calls (17 percent of the total) because they lacked the
resources to answer the calls.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\17\ Domestic Violence Counts 08: A 24-Hour census of domestic
violence shelters and services across the United States. The National
Network to End Domestic Violence. (Jan. 2009).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The economic crisis further exacerbates the gap created by the
increasing demand for services and the lack of adequate resources.
While economic hard times do not cause violence, the economic stresses
can increase the frequency and level of violence in a home. With fewer
personal, family, and community resources upon which to rely, more
victims turn to domestic violence programs for help. A survey of
domestic violence shelters across the country revealed that 3 out of 4
domestic violence shelters have seen an increase in women seeking
assistance from abuse since September 2008, a major turning point in
the U.S. economy. Just as more victims are seeking services, programs
are facing cutbacks from State and country funding sources, as well as
philanthropic dollars. Many programs have been forced to lay off staff
and cuts services--a number of programs have even been forced to close
their doors permanently.
Laurie Schipper, Executive Director of the Iowa Coalition Against
Domestic Violence explains the stark consequences of this reality, ``If
women have nowhere to go, especially in rural areas, women and kids are
going to die. It's difficult to overstate the gravity of this.'' \18\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\18\ Alex, Tom. Wife flees, alleging decades of abuse.
DesMoinesRegister.com, April 18, 2009. Available at: http://
www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090418/NEWS01/
904180322.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
fvpsa reauthorization
Due to a busy congressional calendar, FVPSA expired in 2008 and has
yet to be reauthorized. The Senate HELP Committee is currently working
to reauthorize FVPSA, along with the Child Abuse Prevention and
Treatment Act. Advocates remain concerned, however, that while FVPSA
remains expired programs will be further jeopardized. We call on the
Senate LHHS Appropriations Subcommittee to include report language in
the final appropriations bill that acknowledges the vital work of FVPSA
and directs the funding to be spent in a way consistent with its
authorization.
NNEDV chairs a national coalition of FVPSA stakeholders who have
delineated clear priorities for the FVPSA reauthorization.
Collectively, we want to see FVPSA continue its success while expanding
to reach the needs of victims who have historically been underserved.
These needed improvements will require commitment and investment from
the Appropriations Committee.
investing in services saves lives
In the fiscal year 2008 congressional budget, FVPSA funding was cut
by $2.1 million, bringing FVPSA funding to $122.6, which is $52.5
million below the authorized level of $175 million. We applaud the
subcommittee's commitment to these programs, evidenced in the modest
funding increases allocated in fiscal year 2009. FVPSA was funded at
$127.7 million (a $5 million increase from fiscal year 2008), the
National Domestic Violence Hotline was funded at $3.2 million (a $0.2
million increase from fiscal year 2008), and DELTA was funded at $5.5
million (a $0.5 million increase from fiscal year 2008). While these
increases will pay dividends over time by preventing other costly
social ills, in order to meet the ever-growing demand for services, it
is essential that Congress continue to provide steady increases.
The President's fiscal year 2010 budget proposal requests level
funding for all three programs. Yet we know that level funding simply
will not bridge the gap in funding. Congress should invest in FVPSA not
only to meet the needs of victims in life-threatening situations but
also to prevent future social ills.
Fully funding FVPSA at $175 million, the hotline at $3.5 million
and DELTA at $5.5 million will allow communities across the country to
continue to provide critically needed direct services to victims of
domestic violence and their children, which will help to prevent
homicides and break the cycle of violence.
Without effective intervention, domestic violence will repeat
itself and continue to impact successive generations. FVPSA is a
critical component in breaking the cycle of violence affecting our
children, families and communities. FVPSA funding, has begun to make
our country a safer place for families, victims and communities. Now,
however, this phenomenal progress is in jeopardy. We have seen a
reduction in homicides and the incidence of these heinous crimes. Yet
these tough economic times, combined with funding cuts forcing shelters
to close, real victims face life-threatening situations with no
support. Every day shelters and service providers must turn away
families in danger due to lack of resources. While a tough economy may
tempt lawmakers to cut or maintain existing funding levels, we cannot
allow this unmet need to continue.
By prioritizing these vital, cost-effective funding streams,
Congress will help to break the cycle of domestic violence in our
country.
______

Prepared Statement of the National Psoriasis Foundation
The National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) appreciates the opportunity
to submit written testimony for the record regarding Federal funding
for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis research for fiscal year 2010.
NPF serves as the Nation's largest patient-driven, nonprofit, voluntary
association committed to finding a cure for psoriasis and psoriatic
arthritis, which affects as many as 7.5 million Americans, and
eliminating their devastating effects. Psoriasis is among the most
prevalent autoimmune diseases.
As part of our mission, we educate health professionals, the public
and policymakers to increase public awareness and understanding of the
challenges faced by people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
Moreover, NPF maintains a strong commitment to securing public policies
and programs that support its focus of education, advocacy, and
research toward better treatments and a cure. NPF specifically seeks to
advance public and private efforts to improve treatment of these
diseases, identify a cure and ensure that all people with psoriasis and
psoriatic arthritis have access to the medical care and treatment
options they need to live the highest quality of life possible.
NPF stands ready to partner with policymakers at the local, State,
and Federal levels to advance policies and programs that will reduce
and prevent suffering from psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
Specifically, NPF advocates that in fiscal year 2010 the National
Institutes of Health (NIH) receive an additional $2.1 billion for a
total allocation of $32.5 billion to support new investigator-initiated
research grants for genetic, clinical, and basic research related to
the understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of psoriasis
and psoriatic arthritis, as well as studies to explore the nascent
understanding of co-morbidities, such as obesity, depression and heart
disease that may be associated with inflammation in the skin and
joints. In addition, we urge that Congress provide $1.5 million in
fiscal year 2010 to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) to support such data collection to increase understanding of the
comorbidities associated with psoriasis, examine the relationship of
psoriasis to other public health concerns, such as the high rate of
smoking and obesity among those with the disease, and gain insight into
the long-term impact and treatment of these two conditions.
the impact of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis
According to the NIH, as many as 7.5 million Americans have
psoriasis--an immune-mediated, genetic, chronic, inflammatory, painful,
disfiguring, and life-altering disease that requires life-long
sophisticated medical intervention and care, and imposes serious
adverse effects on the individuals and families affected. On average,
17,000 people with psoriasis live in each Congressional District.
Psoriasis typically first strikes between the ages of 15 and 25,
but can occur at any time. It lasts a lifetime. Unfortunately,
psoriasis often is overlooked or dismissed, because it typically does
not cause death. It is commonly and incorrectly considered by insurers,
employers, policymakers, and the public as a mere annoyance--a
superficial problem, mistakenly thought to be contagious and/or due to
poor hygiene. Yet, together psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis impose
significant economic costs on individuals and society. Total direct and
indirect healthcare costs of psoriasis are calculated at more than
$11,250,000,000 annually with work loss accounting for 40 percent of
the cost burden.
There is mounting evidence that people with psoriasis are at
elevated risk for myriad other serious, chronic, and life-threatening
conditions. Although data are still emerging on the relationship of
psoriasis to other diseases and their ensuing costs to the medical
system, it is clear that psoriasis goes hand-in-hand with co-
morbidities, such as Crohn's disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome,
obesity, hypertension, heart attack, cardiovascular disease, liver
disease, and psoriatic arthritis--which occurs in up to 30 percent of
people with psoriasis. Other recent studies have found that people with
severe psoriasis have a 50 percent higher mortality risk and that these
patients die 3 to 6 years younger than those who do not have psoriasis.
Of serious concern is that studies have shown that psoriasis causes as
much disability as other major chronic diseases, and individuals with
psoriasis are twice as likely to have thoughts of suicide, as people
without psoriasis or with other chronic conditions.
Despite some recent breakthroughs, many people with psoriasis and
psoriatic arthritis remain in need of improved quality of life and
effective, safe, and affordable therapies, which could be delivered
through an increased Federal commitment to genetic, clinical, and basic
research. Research holds the key to improved treatment of these
diseases, better diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis and eventually a cure
for both conditions.
federal psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis research
Although overall NIH funding levels improved for psoriasis research
in fiscal year 2007, 3 out of 5 NIH agencies decreased psoriasis
funding that same year. NPF is concerned that at the historical and
current rate of psoriasis funding, NIH funding is not keeping pace with
research needs, nor is the investment commensurate with the impact of
the disease. Within the NIH, the National Institute of Arthritis and
Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), the National Center for
Research Resources, the National Human Genome Research Institute, and
the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases are the
principal Federal Government agencies that currently support psoriasis
research. Additionally, research activities that relate to psoriasis or
psoriatic arthritis also have been undertaken at the National Cancer
Institute. An analysis of longitudinal Federal funding data shows that,
on average over the past decade, NIAMS has spent less than $1 per
person with psoriasis per year.
Adequate investment in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in fiscal
year 2010 and beyond is imperative, because a rare opportunity for
breakthroughs in both conditions is presenting itself at this time. A
convergence of findings reached through various types of studies has
stimulated new ideas about the mechanisms involved in psoriasis.
It has taken nearly 30 years to understand that psoriasis is not
solely a disease of the skin, but also of the immune system. Finally,
scientists are identifying the genes immune cells involved in
psoriasis--findings that will help improve understanding of which cells
or molecular processes should be targeted in psoriasis drug
development. With these important advances, we are poised and
positioned, as never before, to identify and develop a permanent method
of control for psoriasis and, eventually, a cure. Greater funding of
genetics, immunology and clinical research focused on understanding the
mechanisms of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis is needed. Key areas
for additional support and exploration include:
--Studying the genetic susceptibility of psoriasis;
--Developing animal models of psoriasis;
--Identifying the environmental and lifestyle triggers for psoriasis;
--Studying a number of important epidemiologic issues, such as the
risk of heart attack, diabetes, increased mortality, and
lymphoma in psoriasis patients;
--Identifying and examining immune cells and inflammatory processes
involved in psoriasis;
-- Examining the relationship between psoriasis and mental illnesses,
such as depression and suicidal ideation; and
--Elucidating psoriatic arthritis specific genes and other
biomarkers.
the role of cdc in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis research
NPF is concerned that there have been very few efforts to collect
epidemiological and other related data on individuals with psoriasis
and psoriatic arthritis. Researchers and clinicians continue to be
limited in their longitudinal understanding of these conditions and
their effects on individual patients. There are many mysteries related
to psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. For example, we know of people
who never had any evidence of disease who, after falling ill with the
flu or spiking a fear, wake the next day to be covered in psoriasis
plaques. Why? A treatment could work well for an individual for years
and then suddenly become ineffective. Why?
Researchers agree that collecting data through a patient registry
would help increase the understanding of: the other chronic conditions
that co-occur with psoriasis; how factors like age or gender impact the
course and burden of psoriasis; and how certain environmental exposures
might contribute to the occurrence and severity of psoriasis and
psoriatic arthritis. In turn, this information would help improve
treatments and advance efforts toward a cure. CDC psoriasis and
psoriatic arthritis data collection efforts would help answer myriad
questions about these autoimmune conditions, contribute to improved
disease treatment and management, and further the Nation's efforts to
find a cure.
For 3 years, your subcommittee has encouraged CDC to undertake data
collection, and we very much appreciate your recognition of this much-
needed effort. We have met with CDC staff to offer our assistance and
expertise, however, it is clear the agency must receive specific,
dedicated funding so it has the resources necessary to develop a
registry. To that end, NPF respectfully requests that the subcommittee
allocate $1.5 million in fiscal year 2010 for the National Center for
Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) within the
CDC to examine and develop options and recommendations for the creation
of a National Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Patient Registry. A
national patient registry that collects longitudinal patient data will
help researchers to learn about key attributes, such as response to
treatment, substantiating the waxing and waning of psoriasis,
understanding associated manifestations like nail disease and
arthritis, and the relationship of psoriasis to other public health
concerns.
funding request summary
NPF recognizes that Congress and the Nation face unprecedented
fiscal challenges. However, we also believe that greater fiscal year
2010 investment in biomedical and epidemiologic research at NIH and CDC
will prove simulative to the economy and bear fruit with regard to the
development of new, safe, effective, and long-lasting treatments and--
ultimately--a cure for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. We thank the
subcommittee in advance for providing the following allocations:
--$32.4 billion to NIH and its Institutes and Centers that play an
integral role in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis research and
urge them to initiate and/or expand psoriasis and psoriatic
arthritis research and;
--$1.5 million to the NCCDPHP within the CDC to collect data on
psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and begin to establish a
patient registry to improve the knowledge base of the
longitudinal impact of these diseases on the individuals they
affect.
conclusion
On behalf of NPF's Board of Trustees and the as many as 7.5 million
individual with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis who we represent,
thank you for this opportunity to submit written testimony regarding
the fiscal year 2010 funding levels necessary to ensure that our Nation
adequately addresses psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and to make
gains in improving therapies and eventually attaining a cure. We
believe that additional research undertaken at the NIH coupled with
epidemiologic efforts at the CDC together will help advance the
Nation's efforts to improve treatments and identify a cure for
psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Please feel free to contact us at
any time; we are happy to be a resource to subcommittee members and
your staff. We very much appreciate the subcommittee's attention to--
and consideration of--our requests.
______

Prepared Statement of National Public Radio
Thank you Chairman Inouye and Senator Cochran for the opportunity
to offer testimony on behalf of National Public Radio (NPR), our more
than 850 public radio station partners, and for other producers and
distributors of public radio programming including American Public
Media, Public Radio International, the Public Radio Exchange, and many,
many stations, both large and small, that create and distribute content
through the Public Radio Satellite System (PRSS).
The state of public radio today is both sobering and heartening.
While the economic crisis has undermined the financial stability of the
public radio system, the audience is tuning at record levels. But
without your help, we will not be able to continue to achieve our
public service mission, and your expectations.
an additional investment in stations
Public broadcasting is requesting $307 million--$96 million for
public radio stations and $211 million for public television stations--
in additional emergency investment funding for the fiscal year 2010
budget of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). This action is
necessary to offset the tide of losses at public broadcasting stations.
This one-time investment of Federal resources will help protect
thousands of station jobs now at risk, and assure continuity in
services used daily by tens of millions of Americans. These funds are
in addition to the $420 million that Congress approved 2 years ago as
part of the advance funding process.
The funds we are requesting only partially close the expected 2-
year revenue shortfall of almost $170 million at the public radio
station level, plus an additional $55 million in loses at NPR. The
remainder will come about as a result of significant cost cutting at
the local and national levels. Every week brings another announcement
of a service reduction or employment layoff at public broadcasting
stations. In fact, a survey last month of locally licensed and operated
public radio stations projected more than a 46 percent reduction in
financial support from local and State government agencies, a 23
percent decline in foundation and philanthropic contributions and a 23
percent drop in underwriting from local businesses.
Public broadcasting's contribution to America's democracy is more
important today than at anytime during our four decades of public
service. More than 33 million people each week are tuning into public
radio programming and listening to member stations. Our audience has
grown 66 percent in the past 10 years, bucking a precipitous decline in
other media and stands in sharp contrast with the general overall
decline in radio listening. Consider that public radio programming
today reaches more people than the circulation of USA Today, the Wall
Street Journal, the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, the Washington
Post and the next top 45 newspapers combined.
Stations in every State have become living embodiments of
journalistic excellence, providing news, information and cultural
programming that have become increasingly rare in other media. Public
radio programming is rooted in the fundamentals of accuracy,
transparency, independence, balance, and fairness and serves as
cornerstone of understanding for millions of Americans seeking
information, context and insight.
public funds for public media
CPB is the primary public funding mechanism for public radio,
accounting for roughly 12 percent of an average public radio station's
annual budget. These funds help public broadcasting stations produce,
purchase and distribute programming that sparks imagination and kindles
thought about our world. Several stations specifically serve rural and
minority communities including numerous African-American, Native
American, Latino, and multicultural licensees. In many cases, they are
the sole local broadcasting service available. These critical Federal
funds allow all stations to continue serving the needs of public
radio's 33 million weekly listeners, irrespective of their communities'
location or financial status.
CPB's general appropriation is allocated according to a
congressionally set formula that ensures the funds go directly to the
people and organizations that create and deliver highly valued programs
and services. The public broadcasting community is urging Congress to
appropriate $542 million in 2-year advanced funding for fiscal year
2012 for CPB.
the public radio satellite system
As the public broadcasting community grapples with the financial
crisis, we also remain committed to ensuring that the Nation's public
radio infrastructure continues to be robust and viable. This commitment
requires a periodic investment by Congress in PRSS. This year, CPB is
requesting $27 million as the third and final installment of a 3-year
request to renew and replenish the PRSS.
This system, originally built in 1979 with funds provided by this
Committee, distributes 400,000 hours of programming, or 7\1/2\ billion
listener hours each year. Every minute of every hour of public radio
programming--from NPR's Morning Edition, and All Things Considered, to
American Public Media's Marketplace and A Prairie Home Companion, to
Public Radio International's This American Life and Capitol News
Connection--is distributed by the PRSS. Quite simply, without the PRSS,
there would be no public radio in the United States.
An important mission of the PRSS is to facilitate the cost-
effective and efficient distribution of news, information, cultural,
and educational programming to this country's increasingly diverse
population. As part of that mission, the PRSS provides satellite
transmission services to distribute programming that targets unserved
or underserved audiences from sources who meet certain criteria
established by the NPR Board, including demonstrated financial need.
PRSS is the indispensable distribution backbone for everything heard on
public radio. On behalf of all in public radio, I ask for your support
of this critically important funding request.
digital transition funding
Change is rapidly occurring in over the air radio broadcasting, the
last enclave of the old analogue world. As of today, more than 650
public radio stations had either completed or have nearly completed
conversion to a digital signal, which improves the overall listener
experience by enhancing audio quality; eliminating reception
interference; and utilizing multiple audio programming channels, or
multicasting. To continue supporting this necessary change in our basic
broadcast technology, CPB is requesting $40 million as part of its
fiscal year 2010 budget.
Digital broadcasting technology has enabled public radio stations
to increase local services to their communities. More than 160 stations
are multicasting--doubling and tripling their programming to broaden
and expand the base of listeners. Many stations have created Spanish
language channels to provide news, including through BBC Mundo.
Stations serving Native American communities are providing tribal
programming over the air and online. Local community events such as
concerts, town hall meetings, committee hearings, legislative floor
sessions, and other government programming are broadcast live using HD
radio technology. Listeners with HD radio receivers may view a variety
of useful messages that scroll across radio display screens, including
artist name and song title, emergency alerts, live weather and real-
time traffic updates, local news, school closings, and movie listings.
Digital technology using the Internet and mobile platforms expands
public radio programming and community services. Expansion and
improvement of public radio Web sites and our digital connections with
audiences remain a major priority. Public radio stations and public
radio program producers are all expanding to new platforms, and in so
doing bring broader, deeper and more varied content to our audiences.
The impact is already being felt. News coverage of the U.S.
Presidential election resulted in record level traffic to public radio
station Web sites and NPR.org in terms of both visitors and page views.
Ten million visitors went each month to NPR.org during October and
November 2008 to view 115 million pages during the same time period.
And just this past week, public radios web sites became an essential
platform for updated information on Swine flu.
Other Internet and mobile platform program distribution efforts
using iPhone applications, for example, have gained wide acceptance
among public radio listeners and brought a new generation of consumers
to our coverage. Local public radio station and NPR podcasts have
become very popular, with some 14 million downloads occurring each
month. Podcasts offered by stations are expanding programming in areas
such as science, poetry, music, arts, history, politics, international
affairs, and health. The audience may also now download interactive
media such as photo slide shows, video, Web streams and audio of local
news, music, and programming on their local station Web site.
Audiences are visiting station Web sites with greater frequency for
local news and community events. Online community calendars posted on
station Web sites allow local organizations of all sizes and areas to
list public events and reach a wide audience. Listeners viewing station
Web sites are connecting with local nonprofit organizations to obtain
information about special cultural activities, festivals, public health
fairs, musical events, educational seminars, lectures, classes, and
workshops. Station Web sites also increasingly have online music play
lists allowing the audience to find information on music played at
their local station. Web-based social-networking features are used to
foster online communities to give listeners the opportunity to connect
over common interests and passions by engaging in dialogue and sharing
viewpoints about their lives.
We are confident in our ability to meet the needs of our audience
and our ability to emerge from the current economic crisis more
prepared and better structured. But we cannot do either without your
help. We ask for your approval of CPB's funding requests, including the
additional, emergency, one-time investment to stations of $307 million
in fiscal year 2010.
______

Prepared Statement of National Primate Research Centers
The Directors of the eight National Primate Research Centers
(NPRCs) respectfully submit this written testimony for the record to
the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human
Services, and Education, and Related Agencies. The NPRCs appreciate the
commitment that the members of this subcommittee have made to
biomedical research through your strong support for the National
Institutes of Health (NIH), and recommends that you maintain this
support for NIH in fiscal year 2010 by providing the agency with at
least a 7 percent increase more than fiscal year 2009. The NPRCs also
respectfully request that the subcommittee encourage the National
Center for Research Resources (NCRR), the sponsoring institute of the
NPRCs within NIH, to carry out the NPRCs 5-year Federal advancement
initiative, which as explained in this testimony, would help to ensure
that the NPRCs continue to serve effectively in their role as a vital
national resource.
Through passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
(ARRA) and the Omnibus Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2009, the
administration and Congress have taken critical steps to jump start the
Nation's economy. Simultaneously, Congress is advancing and
accelerating the biomedical research agenda in this country by focusing
on scientific opportunities to address public health challenges. The
success of the U.S. Government's efforts, however, is contingent upon
the quality of research resources that enable and enhance scientific
research ranging from the most basic and fundamental to the most highly
applied.
Biomedical researchers have relied on one such resource--NPRCs--for
nearly 50 years for research models and expertise with nonhuman
primates. The NPRCs are highly specialized facilities that foster the
development of nonhuman primate animal models and provide expertise in
all aspects of nonhuman primate biology. NPRC facilities and resources
are currently used by more than 2,000 NIH-funded investigators around
the country. NCRR provides the NPRCs with an annual base grant (funded
through NCRR's P51 program) which supports the operational costs of the
NPRCs. In fiscal year 2009, the 8 NPRCs received $79.235 million from
NCRR's P51 program.
The NPRCs also serve an essential role in translating basic
research toward a clinical outcome. Specifically, the nonhuman primate
models that are housed at the NPRCs often provide the critical link
between research with small laboratory animals and studies involving
humans. As a result, the network of the eight NPRCs is taking a
leadership role to encourage collaboration among researchers and
healthcare providers across disciplines and institutions, with the goal
of advancing biomedical knowledge and improving human health.
The NPRCs face several serious barriers to successfully supporting
and advancing nonhuman primate research; specifically, the lack of
adequate infrastructure to breed and house animals for research, the
limited number of primates available, and the shortage of properly
trained staff to handle nonhuman primates and provide sophisticated
care. The need to address these problems has become even more critical
due to the additional nonhuman-primate-related grants that will be
funded as a result of ARRA, the new demands to increase research in
nonhuman primate challenge models for AIDS, and the need for nonhuman
primates to enhance our emerging infectious disease and biodefense
response capabilities.
NCRR has published on the need for increased primate resources in
its 2009-2013 Strategic Plan. The plan specifically States that
nonhuman animal models are indispensable for finding ways to treat and
prevent cancer, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease,
as well as to develop effective biodefense strategies. The NPRCs have
been leading the development of new IT approaches, including the
Biomedical Informatics Research Network (BIRN) for linking brain
imaging, behavior, and molecular informatics in nonhuman primate
preclinical and translational models research.
In an effort to address many of the concerns within the scientific
community, ranging from the lack of infrastructure improvements to the
shortage of relevant nonhuman primates to the need for quality, trained
personnel, the NPRCs have developed a 5-year Federal advancement
initiative which addresses the necessary program capacity expansions
and required upgrades. This initiative will help to ensure that the
NPRCs will continue to serve effectively in their role as a vital
national resource. As part of the 5-year plan development process, the
NPRCs calculated the increases in NIH funding dedicated specifically to
the National Primate Research Centers Program (NCRR's P51 program)
necessary to achieve their goals. Below is an outline of the plan:
--Primate Infrastructure Investment.--Request for an additional $90
million over 5 years to improve the quality and capacity of
primate housing and breeding facilities and ensure availability
of related state-of-the-art diagnostic and clinical support
equipment at the NPRCs.
While NIH has been responsive in their actions during the past few
years to provide funding to the NPRCs for infrastructure improvements,
the difficulty the National Primate Research Centers Program has in
meeting even current demands, let alone future increases is inexorably
linked to the ability to house these animals in the unique living
environments that they require and to provide specialized facilities
equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic and clinical support
equipment to conduct research. The NPRCs plan to focus on the following
goals in their effort to comprehensively improve primate
infrastructure:
--Bring older primate housing facilities and related equipment up to
present-day standards.
--Construct additional primate housing facilities and acquire related
equipment to accommodate the projected increase in breeding
colonies.
--Primate Model Investment.--Request for an additional $75 million
over 5 years to enhance the availability of primates for
research.
NCRR's Expert Panels have repeatedly stated that the NPRCs do not
have the capacity to satisfy the needs of outside investigators, and
have recommended that the NPRCs program must be responsive to national
needs for nonhuman primates. Currently, outside investigators who are
already funded for their studies must sometimes wait a year or more to
begin their research because of the high demand for the limited number
of primates. In addition, there are ongoing difficulties associated
with acquiring certain types of primates from their natural places of
origin. Accordingly, increasing domestic breeding capabilities and
developing bridging programs to effectively use other types of primates
are critical to the success of the NPRCs program.
--Primate Care and Research Personnel Investment.--Request for an
additional $35 million over 5 years to train NPRC personnel in
primate care and management.
Numerous scientific reports have highlighted the vital need for
experts who are well-trained in laboratory animal medicine and in
research methodology. Since nonhuman primates represent the most
sophisticated and relevant animal models, there is a heightened
responsibility to properly care for and manage these animals. Each NPRC
requires a primate management team comprised of behaviorists,
veterinarians, and primate research specialists. As the number of
primates at the NPRCs grows, the primate management teams must expand
proportionally.
Total anticipated cost of the National Primate Research Centers
Program 5-year Federal Advancement Initiative--$200 million more than
the current funding that is dedicated specifically to the National
Primate Research Centers Program during the 5-year period of fiscal
years 2010-2015.
Thank you for the opportunity to submit this written testimony and
for your attention to the critical need for primate research and
enhancement of the NPRCs P51 base grant, as well as our recommendations
concerning funding for NIH in the fiscal year 2010 Labor, Health and
Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations
bill.
______

Prepared Statement of the National Sleep Foundation
summary of fiscal year 2010 recommendations
--Provide $5 million in funding for sleep activities within the
Community Health Promotion account within the Chronic Disease
Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC). Expanded funding for sleep and sleep disorder-related
activities would allow the CDC to create targeted public
educational initiatives for schools and workplaces; training
materials for current and future health professionals; build
and test public health interventions; expand surveillance and
epidemiological activities; and create fellowship and research
opportunities.
--Encourage the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct multi-
center clinical trials to evaluate whether healthcare costs and
the incidence of stroke, cardiovascular disease and diabetes
can be reduced by treating sleep disorders such as obstructive
sleep apnea as part of usual care practices.
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, thank you for
allowing me to submit testimony on behalf of the National Sleep
Foundation (NSF). I am Dr. Frankie Roman, Chair of the NSF's Government
Affairs Committee and a sleep specialist at Ohio Sleep Disorder
Centers, in Akron, Ohio. NSF is an independent, nonprofit organization
that is dedicated to improving public health and safety by achieving
understanding of sleep and sleep disorders, and by supporting sleep-
related education, research and advocacy. We work with sleep medicine
and other healthcare professionals, researchers, patients and drowsy
driving advocates throughout the country as well as collaborate with
many Government, public and professional organizations with the goal of
preventing health and safety problems related to sleep deprivation and
untreated sleep disorders.
Sleep problems, whether in the form of medical disorders or related
to work schedules and a 24/7 lifestyle, are ubiquitous in our society.
It is estimated that sleep-related problems affect 50 to 70 million
Americans of all ages and socioeconomic classes. Sleep disorders are
common in both men and women; however, important disparities in
prevalence and severity of certain sleep disorders have been identified
in minorities and underserved populations. Despite the high prevalence
of sleep disorders, the overwhelming majority of sufferers remain
undiagnosed and untreated, creating unnecessary public health and
safety problems, as well as increased health care expenses. Annual
surveys conducted by NSF show that more than 60 percent of adults have
never been asked about the quality of their sleep by a physician, and
fewer than 20 percent--have ever initiated such a discussion.
Additionally, Americans are chronically sleep deprived as a result
of demanding lifestyles and a lack of education about the impact of
sleep loss. Sleepiness affects vigilance, reaction times, learning
abilities, alertness, mood, hand-eye coordination, and the accuracy of
short-term memory. Sleepiness has been identified as the cause of a
growing number of on-the-job accidents, automobile crashes and multi-
model transportation tragedies.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's
2002 National Survey of Distracted and Drowsy Driving Attitudes and
Behaviors, an estimated 1.35 million drivers have been involved in a
drowsy driving crash in the previous 5 years. According to NSF's 2009
Sleep in America poll, 54 percent of people report that they have
driven drowsy at least once in the past year, with 28 percent reporting
that they do so at least once a month or more. A large number of
academic studies and Government reports have linked lost productivity,
poor school performance, and major public health problems to chronic
sleep loss and sleep disorders.
The 2006 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, Sleep Disorders and
Sleep Deprivation: An Unmet Public Health Problem, found the cumulative
effects of sleep loss and sleep disorders represent an under-recognized
public health problem and have been associated with a wide range of
negative health consequences, including hypertension, diabetes,
depression, heart attack, stroke, and at-risk behaviors such as alcohol
and drug abuse--all of which represent long-term targets of the
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other public health
agencies. Moreover, the personal and national economic impact is
staggering. The IOM estimates that the direct and indirect costs
associated with sleep disorders and sleep deprivation total hundreds of
billions of dollars annually.
Sleep science and Federal reports have clearly detailed the
importance of sleep to health, safety, productivity and well-being, yet
studies continue to show that millions of Americans remain at risk for
serious health and safety consequences of untreated sleep disorders and
inadequate sleep, due to a lack of awareness, community interventions,
and inadequate screening. Unfortunately, despite recommendations in
numerous Federal reports, there is a lack of epidemiological data,
large clinical trials and no on-going national educational programs
regarding sleep issues aimed at the general public, healthcare
professionals, underserved communities or major at-risk groups.
NSF believes that every American needs to understand that good
health includes healthy sleep, just as it includes regular exercise and
balanced nutrition. Sleep must be elevated to the top of the national
health agenda in order to adequately address other national public
health problems mentioned above. We need your help to make this happen.
First, one of the most devastating sleep disorders is obstructive
sleep apnea (OSA), a sleep-related breathing disorder which affects at
least 5 percent of adult Americans and is closely related to some of
America's most pressing health problems, such as obesity, hypertension,
heart failure, and diabetes. NSF and its partners, including the
National Center on Sleep Disorders Research at the National Institutes
of Health, have been working diligently to create better patient and
primary care physician awareness of sleep apnea. However, despite
considerable progress, sleep apnea remains woefully underdiagnosed and
undertreated primarily due to a lack of understanding in the primary
care community, good epidemiological data, and randomized evidence
regarding long-term treatment. Therefore, we recommend that the NIH be
encouraged to conduct multi-center clinical trials to evaluate whether
treatment of OSA can reduce healthcare costs and the incidence of
stroke, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Second, our biggest challenge is bridging the gap between the
established sleep science best practices and the level of knowledge
about sleep held by healthcare practitioners, educators, employers, and
the general public. Because resources are limited and the challenges
great, we think creative and new partnerships are needed to fully
develop sleep awareness, education and clinical training initiatives.
Consequently, the NSF has spearheaded important initiatives to raise
awareness of the importance of sleep to the health, safety, and well-
being of the Nation. One of our most important partnerships in these
efforts is with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
For the last 5 years, Congress has recommended that the CDC support
activities related to sleep and sleep disorders. As a result, CDC's
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion has
been collaborating with NSF and more than 20 voluntary organizations
and Federal agencies to form the National Sleep Awareness Roundtable
(NSART), which was officially launched in March of 2007. Congress also
provided specific funding for these efforts for the past 2 years.
In fiscal year 2008, Congress provided $818,000 for activities
related to sleep and sleep disorders, including CDC's participation in
NSART and incorporating sleep-related questions into established CDC
surveillance systems. With this funding, CDC included one core sleep
question in its national data collection efforts in 2008 and has
provided grants to eight States to include an optional sleep module in
their data collection efforts through the Behavioral Risk Factor
Surveillance System (BRFSS), which will occur in the summer of 2009.
CDC also included one question in the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance
System (YRBSS). Of note, the YRBSS has already revealed that only one-
third of high school students get 8 or more hours of sleep on an
average school night, far below the recommended 9.25 hours. This new
data will provide important information on the prevalence of sleep
disorders and enable researchers to better address the complex
interrelationship between sleep loss and comorbid conditions such as
obesity, diabetes, depression, hypertension, and drug and alcohol
abuse.
Additionally, CDC and NSART participated in NSF's national public
awareness initiatives including National Sleep Awareness Week and
Drowsy Driving Prevention Week. CDC also launched its own Sleep and
Sleep Disorders Web site, created a fellowship position to analyze
sleep and chronic disease data, held a Sleep and Public Health Workshop
at the CDC campus, and released a number of multi-media health
marketing materials to promote better sleep.
In fiscal year 2009, Congress provided $900,000 to the CDC for
sleep activities. CDC plans to expand the number of States it is able
to fund for BRFSS data collection and provide support for national
public and professional awareness initiatives as well as activities of
the National Sleep Awareness Roundtable.
NSF and NSART have actively been involved in conducting outreach to
public health officials and are currently working to develop a national
action plan. This document will address ways to organize and implement
effective public and professional awareness and education initiatives
primarily aimed at the diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep
apnea and the promotion of sleep as a healthy behavior. NSART is
seeking to expand its membership by reaching out to new organizations
and State and Federal agencies that are interested in raising awareness
of sleep issues and implementing NSART initiatives.
Although the CDC has taken initial steps to begin to consider how
sleep affects public health issues, the agency needs additional
resources to take appropriate actions, as recommended by the IOM and
other governmental reports.
Expanded funding for sleep and sleep disorder-related activities
would allow the CDC to create much needed educational programs for
schools and occupational settings and training materials for current
and future health professionals; build and test public health
interventions; expand surveillance and epidemiological activities; and
create further fellowships and research opportunities. The following
are detailed scenarios for various funding levels.
--$2 million:
--Expand Surveillance on BRFSS.--CDC could double the number of
grants it provides to States to use the optional sleep
module and include more core questions in the nationwide
data collection through the Behavioral Risk Factor
Surveillance System. CDC would also expand its
participation in and funding of national public and
professional initiatives as well as the goals and
activities of the National Sleep Awareness Roundtable.
--$5 million--All activities detailed in the $2 million scenario,
plus:
--Public Education.--CDC could support the development of a
national sleep health communications campaign that use
targeted approaches for delivering sleep-related messages,
especially in public schools and workplaces. Currently, no
such programs exist.
--Training Materials.--Tools and programs could be developed for
current and future health professionals, including school
nurses, to promote sleep as a healthy behavior and increase
the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders. Today, most
health care professionals receive no such training, which
increases the Nation's health burden.
NSF and members of the National Sleep Awareness Roundtable believe
that an ongoing partnership with CDC is critical to address the
enormous public health impact of sleep and sleep disorders. We hope
that the Committee will provide funding of $5,000,000 to the CDC to
execute programs as outlined here.
Thank you again for the opportunity to present you with this
testimony.
______

Prepared Statement of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: I am pleased to
present the fiscal year 2010 budget request for NTID, 1 of 8 colleges
of Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), in Rochester, New York.
Created by Congress, we provide university technical education, serving
a total of 1,450 students, including 1,284 deaf and hard-of-hearing
students from across the Nation and 166 hearing students. NTID students
live, study, and socialize with more than 15,000 hearing students on
the RIT campus.
NTID has fulfilled our mission with distinction for 41 years.
budget request
This request details the importance of obtaining our full fiscal
year 2010 request of $71,352,000. We ask for $65,952,000 for continuing
operations and $5,400,000 for construction to replace aging mechanical
systems as detailed below. The NTID and President's requests are:

[In millions of dollars]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operations Construction Total
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NTID request.................................................... 65,952 5,400 71,352
President's request \1\......................................... 63,037 5,400 68,437
-----------------------------------------------
Difference................................................ 2,915 .............. 2,915
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ These numbers are our understanding of what the President will submit to Congress.

We respectfully request your support of our full appropriation
request. We do not request new operations funding for additional
academic programs or headcount; instead, we commit to fund increases,
if any, through reallocating resources. This commitment continues our
history of funding changes through internal reallocation. From fiscal
year 2003 through fiscal year 2007 we documented $6,200,000 in budget
reductions, including the elimination of 49 headcounts, and increasing
our revenues. These difficult savings allowed us to improve our
programs and services while limiting our request for Federal support.
As one example, we dramatically increased the number of captionists
employed to deliver in-classroom speech-to-text real-time access
services to students, without additional funding.
We are proud of those cost savings and reallocations
accomplishments.
Our fiscal year 2010 operations request represents costs driven by
personnel and health benefits, as well as payment for services provided
by RIT that are subject to the same inflationary pressures. The
significant enrollment increases detailed below add proportionally to
anticipated costs. We do not ask for funds to address program
modifications; we will reallocate to meet those needs.
enrollment
As we prepare to enter fiscal year 2010, we do so having attracted,
in fiscal year 2009, the largest enrollment in our 41-year history.
Truly a national program, NTID enrolls students from all 50 States.
Current enrollment of 1,450; in the last 2 years our enrollment has
increased by 200 students, an increase of 16 percent. For fiscal year
2010, NTID anticipates maintaining or slightly increasing enrollment.
Our 5-year enrollment history follows.

NTID ENROLLMENTS: FIVE-YEAR HISTORY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing students Hearing students
--------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------
Fiscal year Subtotal Interpreting Grand total
Undergrad Grad RIT MSSE program MSSE Subtotal
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2005........................................... 1,055 42 49 1,146 100 35 135 1,281
2006........................................... 1,013 53 38 1,104 116 36 152 1,256
2007........................................... 1,017 47 31 1,095 130 25 155 1,250
2008........................................... 1,103 51 31 1,185 130 28 158 1,353
2009........................................... 1,212 48 24 1,284 135 31 166 1,450
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

student accomplishments
For our graduates, 95 percent have been placed in jobs commensurate
with the level of their education (using the Bureau of Labor Statistics
methodology). Of our fiscal year 2007 graduates (the most recent class
for which numbers are available), 63 percent were employed in business
and industry, 29 percent in education/nonprofits, and 8 percent in
Government.
Graduation from NTID has a significant, positive effect on earnings
over a lifetime, and results in a noteworthy reduction in dependence on
welfare programs. In fiscal year 2007, NTID, the Social Security
Administration, and Cornell University examined approximately 13,000
deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals who applied and attended NTID over
our entire history. We learned NTID graduation has significant economic
benefits. By age 50, deaf and hard-of-hearing baccalaureate graduates
earned on average $6,021 more per year than those with associate
degrees, who in turn earned $3,996 more per year on average than those
who withdraw. Students who withdraw earned $4,329 more than those who
were not admitted. Students who withdrew experienced twice the rate of
unemployment as graduates.
The same studies showed 78 percent of these individuals were
receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits at age 19, but
when they were 50 years old, only 1 percent of graduates drew these
benefits, while on average 19 percent of individuals who withdrew or
were rejected for admission continued to participate in the SSI
program. Graduates also accessed Social Security Disability Insurance
(SSDI), an unemployment benefit, at far lesser rates than students who
withdrew; by age 50, 34 percent of nongraduates were receiving SSDI,
while only 22 percent of baccalaureate graduates were receiving them
and only 27 percent of associate graduates were receiving them.
Considering the reduced dependency on these Federal income support
programs, the Federal investment in NTID returns significant societal
dividends.
NTID clearly makes a significant, positive difference in earnings,
and in lives.
new ``military veterans with hearing loss'' program
In fiscal year 2010, NTID will establish the ``Military Veterans
with Hearing Loss'' program to enroll veterans who have suffered
significant hearing loss as a result of their military service.
Recently returned veterans with hearing loss can earn bachelor or
graduate-level degrees at RIT with access services--such as real-time
captioning and notetaking in the classroom--from NTID. Our faculty and
staff are experienced in helping those with sudden hearing loss, and we
provide comprehensive services for those with hearing aids or cochlear
implants.
The access services provided at NTID are unparalleled. More than 50
classroom captionists provide real-time captioning to students. More
than 120 sign language interpreters support students who benefit from
interpreting.
As many as 10 veterans could be admitted each year, growing to 50
veterans over time. (RIT also recently announced it will become a
``Yellow Ribbon'' institution.)
construction
For the past 3 years, NTID has informed Congress of on-going
planning to replace the deteriorating 25 boilers and 23 chillers in
individual buildings throughout the RIT campus. Existing heating,
ventilation and air conditioning systems remain from the original
campus construction more than 40 years ago. Although prudent in
providing on-going maintenance, RIT/NTID reached a point where normal
maintenance was no longer feasible and the decision was reached to
replace the existing system with five new boilers and seven new
chillers.
All of the buildings and spaces devoted to NTID programs across the
RIT campus are connected to this system. An analysis determined the
square footage used by NTID in each building serviced by the new
system, and the resulting proportion of the total expenses was
allocated to NTID. That analysis showed that NTID buildings and other
spaces utilized 15 percent of the total square footage. With a total
project cost of $36,000,000, NTID is responsible for $5,400,000 (15
percent) of the total cost, which we request for fiscal year 2010.
In addition to discussions with Congress, this request has been
discussed repeatedly over several years with the U.S. Department of
Education (ED); presentations and facilities tours were provided during
oversight visits to NTID. We understand that the President supports
this request, and we ask that Congress also support this construction
cost.
ntid background
Academic Programs
NTID offers high-quality, career-focused, associate degree programs
preparing students for specific well-paying technical careers. A
cooperative education component ties closely to high-demand employment
opportunities. Expanding transfer associate degree programs better
serve the higher achieving segment of our student population who seek
bachelors and masters degrees in an increasingly demanding marketplace.
These transfer programs provide seamless transition to baccalaureate
studies in other colleges of NTID where we support students in
baccalaureate programs with access services and tutoring. One of NTID's
greatest strengths is our outstanding track record of assisting high-
potential students gain admission to and graduate from the other
colleges of RIT at rates that are better than their hearing peers.
Research
Our research program is guided and organized according to these
general research areas: language and literacy, teaching and learning,
sociocultural influences, career development, technology integration,
and institutional research. All benefit the deaf and hard-of-hearing
population.
Outreach
Extended outreach activities to junior/senior high school students,
expand their horizons regarding a college education. We also serve
other universities and postcollege adults.
Student Life
Our activities foster student leadership and community service, and
provide opportunities to explore other educational interests.
summary
It is extremely important that our funding be provided at the full
level requested as we continue our mission to prepare deaf and hard-of-
hearing people to enter the workplace and society.
Our alumni have demonstrated that they can achieve independence,
contribute to society, earn a living, and live a satisfying life as a
result of NTID. Research shows that NTID graduates over their lifetimes
are employed at a much higher rates, earn substantially more (therefore
paying significantly more in taxes), and participate at a much lower
rate in Federal welfare programs than those who withdraw or who apply
but do not attend NTID.
We are hopeful that the members of the subcommittee will agree that
NTID, with its long history of successful stewardship of Federal funds
and outstanding educational record of service with deaf and hard-of-
hearing people, remains deserving of your support and confidence.
______

Letter From the National Union of Labor Investigators
Dear Sir or Madam: Before the budget for the Department of Labor,
Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) is approved, please
consider the 43 employees who were recently deemed ``unaffordable''
because of budget shortfalls, and please consider the OLMS's re-
organization in 2008, a reorganization that now seems morally
reprehensible. ``Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Shortfalls and Solutions'' was
presented to OLMS employees on May 8, 2009, and during that
presentation Deputy Assistant Secretary Andrew Auerbach said that OLMS
hired just about as many investigators as it could afford because OLMS
had been criticized for leaving itself understaffed.
The presentation went on to point out that approximately $4.5
million cut from the OLMS budget would return OLMS to its 2003 staffing
level, and that OLMS's mission would not be compromised because
workload and productivity have remained (relatively) constant since
2003. The presentation reported 260 full-time employees in fiscal year
2003, and 303 full-time employees in fiscal year 2009. The result, we
were told, is that 43 OLMS employees are no longer affordable.
The tone taken during the presentation was that the result was
unavoidable. However, OLMS's reorganization in 2008 moved all managers
to a higher pay grade, and given the current budget shortfalls, and the
speed with which the reorganization took place, it seems less like a
move intended to improve OLMS's effectiveness, and more like a case of
traders with inside information dumping stocks just before the company
that issued them goes bankrupt. Managers at every level, and in every
office, warned their investigators of potential budget cuts and of the
affect they might have on OLMS, and yet management went forward with a
reorganization that exacerbated OLMS's budget crisis.
It seems that if an unaltered work load and unaffected productivity
has been used to defend OLMS's $4.5 million budget cut, the same logic
should be applied to the reorganization. If their job responsibilities
have not changed since 2003, why were OLMS managers given a raise in
pay and grade, and why haven't managers been returned to their 2003 GS
levels in order to address the budget shortfall? If all OLMS management
positions were returned to their 2003 pay grade, would (all) 43
employees have become unaffordable?
I appreciate your consideration of this matter.
Sincerely,
Bennett Allen.
______

Letter From the National Union of Labor Investigators
May 11, 2009.
Hon. Tom Harkin,
Chairman, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and
Education, and Related Agencies,
Washington, DC.
Dear Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and
Education, and Related Agencies Members: The new budget is out and our
agency, Office of Labor Management Standards (OLMS), within the
Department of Labor suffered a severe reduction in our budget. On May
8, 2009, all employees of OLMS were notified that 43 positions were
deemed unaffordable by the Employment Standards Administration (ESA),
which OLMS falls under. As of the same date, 20 employees were
involuntarily transferred to other agencies. They have 5 days to agree
to this or lose their job. Though it was repeated this was not a
Reduction in Force (RIF), this is essentially what has occurred.
Additionally, the remaining 23 employees/positions have not been
identified. OLMS is represented by an independent union, created in
1971, the National Union of Labor Investigators (NULI). Despite an
official union request seeking documents regarding the reorganization,
nothing has been provided to NULI that represents all bargaining unit
employees. Anxiety runs high as OLMS employees cannot know whether they
are one of the designated 23 employees, and whether they should
immediately look for work.
NULI cannot possibly negotiate the impact of a plan that they do
not have and cannot obtain. OLMS has essentially ignored the collective
bargaining agreement negotiated by OLMS and NULI; and the right of NULI
as the sole and exclusive bargaining representative for all unit
employees. Regardless of the political powers, reasonable notice is
still warranted. Rights of working people should be respected.
In 1959, the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act was
enacted to correct the abuses which had crept into labor and management
which was revealed during the investigations of the McClellan
Committee. The Secretary of Labor administers and enforces the act.
Shortly after the election of President Obama, the AFL-CIO wrote a
proposal entitled AFL-CIO 2008 Transition Project Recommendations for
the Obama Administration: Regulations of Union Finances and Elections
Under the Labor Management and Disclosure Act that was provided to the
Obama-Biden Transition team. Their recommendations asked for immediate
revocation of revisions made to union financial disclosures. This was
essentially enacted. They recommended a scaling back of OLMS'
enforcement efforts. This, too, was enacted.
Additionally, the transition team evaluating the OLMS was headed by
Deborah Greenfield, former AFL-CIO Associate General Counsel. Her first
stop in that position was to OLMS. Ms. Greenfield was one of the
attorney's suing OLMS on behalf of the AFL-CIO. According to a recent
Washington Times article, Ms. Greenfield currently is in charge of the
Department's Executive Secretariat's office, which handles much of the
correspondence for Secretary Solis. This appears to be in violation of
President Obama's pledge to the American public when he said:

``No political appointees in an Obama-Biden administration will be
permitted to work on regulations or contracts directly and
substantially related to their prior employer for two years.''

OLMS is not a partisan issue; it is about protecting the money and
the democratic rights of American workers who engage in legitimate
union activity. We are the only agency, created by Congress, to oversee
and protect the rights of union workers. Allowing the budget to pass as
is, allows for the rights of American workers to be trampled on.
The rationale and the statistics provided to justify the decrease
in funding and reduction in staff are gravely misconstrued and
misleading. The Secretary of Labor has now directed OLMS to reduce the
number of staff back to the levels when union officers and employees
rest assured that the Government could not closely monitor or oversee
their actions. As a society we are aware that when the Government
cannot monitor, oversee, or enforce Federal law, those affected by
those laws are left susceptible to violations of the law. What does
this mean? It simply means that hard-working Americans who are union
members may be subjected to an increase of theft: theft of their hard-
working union dues and theft of their right to democracy in their
union.
I understand that our economy is currently struggling and we all
need to make sacrifices. Every other agency within the Department of
Labor has seen an increase in funding, except ours. While I greatly
applaud the Secretary's efforts to bring back enforcement in areas that
have been sorely underfunded in recent years, it seems somewhat
antithetical that the one area that protects a large portion of the
America's workers are scaled back. Let's not hurt the American workers
more by allowing their hard earned money to be misused or having their
democratic rights within the union reduced.
I write to you not only as an employee but as a union member as
well. I urge the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and
Education, and Related Agencies to ask for a full inquiry and
accounting into the reasoning behind the reductions of the OLMS budget
and who will truly benefit from the lack of enforcement. I also ask
that prior to approving the budget to please educate yourself on the
true role and purpose of OLMS.
Union rights are human rights. Whether you are for or against labor
unions, they are an essential component for any true democracy. Cutting
funding will only make unions weaker by reducing the rank and file's
faith in their union leadership.
Thank you for you time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Messenger.
______

Prepared Statement of the National Wildlife Federation
Mr. Chairman, members of the subcommittee, on behalf of the
National Wildlife Federation (NWF), our Nation's largest conservation
advocacy and education organization, and our more than 4 million
members and supporters, I thank you for the opportunity to provide
funding recommendations for the Department of Education, Department of
Labor (DOL), and the Corporation for National and Community Service
(CNCS).
We believe that the overall Federal investment in environmental
education and sustainability education programs nationwide--pennies per
capita--is woefully inadequate. While NWF supports numerous programs
under the jurisdiction of this subcommittee, the purpose of this
testimony is to recommend levels of funding for specific sustainability
education, green jobs education and training, and national service
programs that we believe are vital to NWF's mission to inspire
Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future. NWF also
supports climate change education and environmental education programs
across the Federal agencies at the U.S. Forest Service, Environmental
Protection Agency, National Science Foundation, National Space and
Atmospheric Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, and U.S. Department of the Interior.

SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal year 2010
Agency Program recommendation Fiscal year 2009 level
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Education............................ University $50 million............ Not authorized in
Sustainability Program. fiscal year 2009
Education............................ Healthy High $25 million............ None
Performance Schools.
Labor................................ Green Jobs Act......... $125 million........... Funded at $500 million
total in ARRA
Labor................................ Community Based Jobs $250 million--green $125 million
Training Grants. prior- ity.
CNCS................................. Clean Energy Service $100 million........... Not authorized in
Corps. fiscal year 2009
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

the need for environmental education and sustainability education
As our Nation moves towards a clean energy economy and creates new
``green jobs,'' we must ensure that our education and training
infrastructure keeps pace. Congress and President Obama have stated
their desire to cap global warming pollution this year, a priority that
NWF strongly supports. To be successful as a Nation under a new cap and
trade system, we must have an environmentally literate citizenry that
has the knowledge and skills to find new and innovative solutions to
protect our planet. While public awareness and concern about global
warming continues to rise, the vast majority of the public does not
understand how climate change works, how it impacts their lives and
careers, and how their decisions and actions contribute to it. Consider
the following examples:
--Survey research shows that most Americans do not know what the
carbon cycle is or understand what actually causes global
warming. They do not know how most electricity is generated or
the importance of healthy forests and oceans in generating
oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide.
--Less than half of the population recognizes that the cars and
appliances they use contribute to global warming, and 8 out of
10 parents admit that they know ``little'' to ``nothing'' about
the specific causes of climate change.
--The average high school student fails a quiz on the causes and
consequences of climate change (nearly 82 percent of
participants affirmed, incorrectly, that ``scientists believe
radiation from nuclear power plants cause global temperatures
to rise'').
Educating Americans about climate change is a huge opportunity for
our Nation to prepare today's leaders, and the leaders of tomorrow, to
implement the solutions created by a cap and trade system. Addressing
global warming will generate millions of good new jobs and put the
United States at the exciting forefront of a new clean energy economy.
The successful transition to this new green economy hinges on education
and training. This testimony focuses on key programs that educate and
train Americans at institutions of higher education, through
conservation corps programs that educate and train at-risk youth for
careers in clean energy, and through green workforce education and
training programs through the Department of Labor.
department of education
University Sustainability Program (USP)
The National Wildlife Federation supports funding the newly
authorized USP at $50 million in fiscal year 2010. Interest in
sustainability is exploding on college campuses across the Nation, and
institutions are making remarkable changes to try to reduce campus
carbon footprints and energy use. However, despite increasing interest
and demand from students, sustainability education programs on college
campuses are on the decline according to a comprehensive study released
in August 2008 by NWF and Princeton Survey Research Associates
International, called the ``Campus Environment 2008: A National Report
Card on Sustainability in Higher Education.'' Environmental curriculum
requirements are slipping and today's students may be less
environmentally literate when they graduate than their predecessors.
Congress authorized a new USP at the Department of Education as
part U of the recently enacted Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008
(H.R. 4137). This program has the potential for high-impact, high-
visibility, broad support within higher education, and is responsive to
an important national trend in higher education. Sustainability on
college campuses is critical, from education in the classroom to
facility operations. Higher education produces almost all of the
Nation's leaders in all sectors and endeavors, and many college
campuses are virtually small cities in their size, environmental
impact, and financial influence. Campuses use vast amounts of energy to
heat, cool, and light their facilities. In all, the Nation's 4,100
campuses educate or employ around 20 million individuals and generate
more than 3 percent of the Nation's GDP. The economic clout of these
schools is further multiplied by the hundreds of thousands of business
suppliers, property owners, and other commercial and nonprofit entities
involved with higher education. Funding for the newly authorized USP is
critical to help provide difficult-to-get seed funding to launch
sustainability education programs and to help support mainstream higher
education associations in including sustainability in their work with
their member institutions.
healthy high performance schools program
The National Wildlife Federation supports funding the Healthy High
Performance Schools Program at $25 million in fiscal year 2010. The
Healthy High Performance Schools Program seeks to facilitate the
design, construction and operation of high performance schools:
environments that are not only energy and resource efficient, but also
healthy, comfortable, well lit, and containing the amenities for a
quality education. This grant program is critical at a time when energy
costs for America's elementary and secondary schools are skyrocketing.
The No Child Left Behind Act (Public Law 107-110, title 5, part D,
subtitle 18) authorized grants to State education agencies to advance
the development of ``healthy, high performance'' school buildings.
States may use the funds to provide information, technical assistance,
monitor, evaluate, and provide funding to local education agencies for
healthy, high-performance school buildings. In turn, local agencies may
use the funding to obtain technical assistance, develop plans that
address reducing energy and meet health and safety codes, and conduct
energy audits. Funds may not be used for construction, maintenance,
repair or renovation of buildings. Research clearly shows that
improving specific factors such as school indoor environmental quality
improves attendance, academic performance, and productivity. This
program has yet to be funded by Congress.
NWF also supports a priority for funding green Career and Technical
Education programs and initiatives at the Department of Education.
While not yet authorized, NWF strongly supports authorization of
and full funding at $100 million per year for the No Child Left Inside
(NCLI) Act of 2009, which has the support of more than 1,300 national,
State, and local organizations representing more than 45 million
Americans. The central new policy in this legislation is the incentive
for States to create or update a State Environmental Literacy Plan.
Environmental Literacy Plans can be developed to meet the needs of each
State and systemically advance environmental education through the K-12
education system. These State plans support teacher training and
professional development and support capacity building for
environmental education. The House passed a modified version of the
bill in the 110th Congress by a bipartisan vote of 293-109.
department of labor
NWF supports a priority for green jobs education and training at
the Department of Labor though the Workforce Investment Act Adult and
Youth funding streams, the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Worker Training Program, and the Community-Based Job Training program.
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Worker Training Program
NWF supports funding the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Worker Training Program at $125 million in fiscal year 2010. NWF
greatly appreciates this subcommittee's first-time investment in Green
Jobs Education and Training in the recent American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This unprecedented investment will help
jumpstart the education and training needed to prepare Americans for
the clean energy economy. We hope that the subcommittee will fund The
Green Jobs Act (GJA), title X of the Energy Independence and Security
Act, which authorizes $125 million per year in grants for an Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy Worker Training Program. NWF is seeking
$125 million in this fiscal year 2010 bill, recognizing that the
subcommittee will assess how the investment through ARRA is spent
before making new funding available. NWF believes it is important to
make annual investments in this program through the regular
appropriations process, in addition to necessary infusions of funding
through stimulus and supplemental bills. This program identifies needed
skills, develops training programs, and trains workers for jobs in a
range of green industries, but has a special focus on creating ``green
pathways out of poverty.'' The program is administered by the
Department of Labor in consultation with the Department of Energy. ARRA
responds to already existing skill shortages. The National Renewable
Energy Lab has identified a shortage of skills and training as a
leading barrier to renewable energy and energy efficiency growth. This
labor shortage is only likely to get more severe as baby-boomers
skilled in current energy technologies retire; in the power sector, for
example, nearly one-quarter of the current workforce will be eligible
for retirement in the next 5 to 7 years.
Community-Based Job Training Grants Program
NWF supports funding the Community-Based Job Training Grants
Program at $250 million in fiscal year 2010. NWF believes that
community colleges are critical partners in training and educating the
next generation of Americans for green jobs. NWF supports a priority
within this program for green jobs education and training grants. The
Community-Based Job Training Grants program supports partnerships of
community colleges, business, and workforce investment boards seeking
to train workers for high-demand occupations. These competitive grants
help ensure that efforts funded through the program are well
coordinated with other local and regional workforce development
efforts. Community-Based Job Training Grants support workforce training
for high-growth industries through the Nation's community and technical
colleges. Their primary purpose is to build community colleges'
capacity to equip workers with the skills required to succeed in local
industries.
corporation for national and community service
Clean Energy Service Corps
NWF supports funding the Clean Energy Service Corps at $100 million
in fiscal year 2010. The Clean Energy Service Corps, building on the
legacy of the depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps and modeled
after today's Service and Conservation Corps, will address the Nation's
energy and environmental needs while providing work and service
opportunities, especially for disadvantaged youth ages 16-25. In a
manner similar to the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s,
disconnected young people may be mobilized through this program to
retrofit, weatherize, and otherwise improve the energy efficiency of
residential and public facilities that account for more than 40 percent
of carbon emissions. Specific projects that are authorized include
weatherizing and retrofitting housing units for low-income households,
cleaning and improving rivers, and working with schools and youth
programs to educate students and youth about ways to reduce home energy
use and improve the environment.
conclusion
Providing Federal support for environmental education,
sustainability education, green jobs education and training, and green
national service programs is critical for securing our new clean energy
future and preparing the next generation for the challenges and
opportunities ahead.
______

Prepared Statement of the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance
On behalf of the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance (the Alliance),
thank you for this opportunity to submit comments for the record
regarding the Alliance's fiscal year 2010 funding recommendations. We
believe these recommendations are critical to ensure advances to help
reduce and prevent suffering from ovarian cancer. For 12 years, the
Alliance has worked to increase awareness of ovarian cancer and
advocated for additional Federal resources to support research that
would lead to more effective diagnostics and treatments.
As an umbrella organization with 45 State and local organizations,
the Alliance unites the efforts of survivors, grassroots activists,
women's health advocates, and healthcare professionals to bring
national attention to ovarian cancer. Our sole mission is to conquer
ovarian cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society, in 2008, more than 22,000
American women were diagnosed with ovarian cancer and approximately
15,000 lost their lives to this terrible disease. Ovarian cancer is the
fifth leading cause of cancer death in women. Currently, more than half
of the women diagnosed with ovarian cancer will die within 5 years.
While ovarian cancer has early symptoms, there is no early detection
test. Most women are diagnosed in stage III or stage IV, when survival
rates are low. If diagnosed early, more than 90 percent of women will
survive for 5 years, but when diagnosed later, less than 30 percent
will.
In addition, only a few treatments have been approved by the Food
and Drug Administration for ovarian cancer treatment. These are
platinum-based therapies and women needing further rounds of treatment
are frequently resistant to them. More than 70 percent of ovarian
cancer patients will have a recurrence at some point, underlying the
need for treatments to which patients do not grow resistant.
For all of these problems, we urgently call on Congress to
appropriate funds to find solutions.
As part of this effort, the Alliance advocates for continued
Federal investment in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's
(CDC) Ovarian Cancer Control Initiative. The Alliance respectfully
requests that Congress provide $10 million for the program in fiscal
year 2010.
The Alliance also fully supports Congress in taking action on
ovarian cancer through its recent passage of Johanna's Law: The
Gynecologic Cancer Education and Awareness Act (Public Law 109-475).
The Alliance respectfully requests that Congress provide $10 million to
implement Johanna's Law in fiscal year 2010.
Further, the Alliance urges Congress to continue funding the
Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs), including the
four ovarian cancer sites. These programs are administered through the
National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health
(NIH). The Alliance respectfully requests that Congress provide $6
billion to NCI for fiscal year 2010.
cdc
The Ovarian Cancer Control Initiative
As the statistics indicate, late detection and, therefore, poor
survival are among the most urgent challenges we face in the ovarian
cancer field. The CDC's cancer program, with its strong capacity in
epidemiology and excellent track record in public and professional
education, is well-positioned to address these problems. As the
Nation's leading prevention agency, the CDC plays an important role in
translating and delivering at the community level what is learned from
research, especially ensuring that those populations disproportionately
affected by cancer receive the benefits of our Nation's investment in
medical research.
Prompted by efforts from leaders of the Alliance and championed by
Representative Rosa DeLauro--with bipartisan, bicameral support--
Congress established the Ovarian Cancer Control Initiative at the CDC
in November 1999. Congress' directive to the agency was to develop an
appropriate public health response to ovarian cancer and conduct
several public health activities targeted toward reducing ovarian
cancer morbidity and mortality.
Through the OCCI, the National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program
is helping States address issues related to ovarian cancer. The program
currently funds efforts in California, Florida, Michigan, New York,
Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia. These projects are working to
develop ovarian cancer health messages for the general public and for
healthcare providers.
johanna's law: the gynecologic cancer education and awareness act
It is critical for women and their healthcare providers to be aware
of the signs, symptoms and risk factors of ovarian and other
gynecologic cancers. Often, women and providers mistakenly confuse
ovarian cancer signs and symptoms with those of gastrointestinal
disorders or early menopause. While symptoms may seem vague--bloating,
pelvic or abdominal pain, increased abdominal size and bloating and
difficulty, eating or feeling full quickly, or urinary symptoms
(urgency or frequency)--they can be deadly without proper medical
intervention.
In recognition of the need for awareness and education, Congress
unanimously passed Johanna's Law in 2006, enacted in early 2007. This
law provides for an education and awareness campaign that will increase
providers' and women's awareness of all gynecologic cancers including
ovarian. Together, Johanna's Law and the Ovarian Cancer Control
Initiative will help increase awareness and understanding of ovarian
cancer and work to reduce ovarian cancer morbidity and mortality.
Already, with only a small amount of seed money, the CDC has
launched the Inside Knowledge: Get the Facts About Gynecologic Cancer
campaign to raise awareness of the five main types of gynecologic
cancer: ovarian, cervical, uterine, vaginal, and vulvar. Many fact
sheets, including the ovarian cancer fact sheet, are already available
on the CDC's Web site for download. The CDC plans to develop broadcast
advertisements, posters--such as dioramas for bus stops--and other
print materials, a comprehensive brochure on gynecologic cancers, and
materials aimed at healthcare providers.
nci
SPOREs at NIH
The Specialized Programs of Research Excellence were created by the
NCI in 1992 to support translational, organ site-focused cancer
research. The ovarian cancer SPOREs began in 1999. There are four
currently funded Ovarian Cancer SPOREs located at the MD Anderson
Cancer Center, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, the Fox
Chase Cancer Center and the Dana Farber/Harvard Cancer Center.
These SPORE programs have made outstanding strides in understanding
ovarian cancer, as illustrated by their more than 300 publications as
well as other notable achievements, including the development of an
infrastructure between Ovarian SPORE institutions to facilitate
collaborative studies on understanding, early detection, and treatment
of ovarian cancer.
Clinical Trials
NCI supports clinical research--the only way to test the safety and
efficacy of potential new treatments for ovarian cancer. Two recent
studies from NCI clinical trials show the impact of intraperitoneal
chemotherapy in treating ovarian cancer (when chemotherapy is
introduced directly into the woman's abdominal cavity, rather than her
bloodstream) and the importance of ultrasound expertise in properly
diagnosing the disease.
NCI supports the Gynecology Oncology Group (GOG), a more than 50-
member collaborative focusing on cancers of the female reproductive
system. In 2007 alone, GOG published 23 articles about ovarian cancer.
summary
The Alliance maintains a long-standing commitment to work with
Congress, the administration, and other policy makers and stakeholders
to improve the survival rate for women with ovarian cancer through
education, public policy, research, and communication. Please know we
appreciate and understand that our Nation faces many challenges and
Congress has limited resources to allocate; however, we are concerned
that without increased funding to bolster and expand ovarian cancer
education, awareness and research efforts, the Nation will continue to
see growing numbers of women losing their battle with this terrible
disease.
On behalf of the entire ovarian cancer community--patients, family
members, clinicians, and researchers--we thank you for your leadership
and support of Federal programs that seek to reduce and prevent
suffering from ovarian cancer. Thank you in advance for your support of
$10 million in fiscal year 2010 funding for the CDC's Ovarian Cancer
Control Initiative and $10 million in fiscal year 2010 funding for
Johanna's Law as well as your continued support of the SPORES program,
an appropriation of $6 billion to NCI.
______

Prepared Statement of the Oncology Nursing Society
overview
The Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) appreciates the opportunity to
submit written comments for the record regarding fiscal year 2010
funding for cancer and nursing-related programs. ONS, the largest
professional oncology group in the United States, composed of more than
37,000 nurses and other health professionals, exists to promote
excellence in oncology nursing and the provision of quality care to
those individuals affected by cancer. As part of its mission, ONS
honors and maintains nursing's historical and essential commitment to
advocacy for the public good.
In 2009, an estimated 1.44 million Americans will be diagnosed with
cancer, and more than 565,650 will lose their battle with this terrible
disease; at the same time the national nursing shortage is expected to
worsen. Overall, age is the number one risk factor for developing
cancer. Approximately 77 percent of all cancers are diagnosed at age 55
and older.\1\ Despite these grim statistics, significant gains in the
war against cancer have been made through our Nation's investment in
cancer research and its application. Research holds the key to improved
cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment, but such
breakthroughs are meaningless, unless we can deliver them to all
Americans in need. Moreover, a recent survey of ONS members found that
the nursing shortage is having an adverse impact in oncology physician
offices and hospital outpatient departments. Some respondents indicated
that when a nurse leaves their practice, they are unable to hire a
replacement due to the shortage--leaving them short-staffed and posing
scheduling challenges for the practice and the patients. These
vacancies in all care settings create significant barriers to ensuring
access to quality care.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts and Figures 2008. http://
www.cancer.org/downloads/STT/2008CAFFfinalsecured.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
To ensure that all people with cancer have access to the
comprehensive, quality care they need and deserve, ONS advocates
ongoing and significant Federal funding for cancer research and
application, as well as funding for programs that help ensure an
adequate oncology nursing workforce to care for people with cancer. ONS
stands ready to work with policymakers at the local, State, and Federal
levels to advance policies and programs that will reduce and prevent
suffering from cancer and sustain and strengthen the Nation's nursing
workforce. We thank the subcommittee for its consideration of our
fiscal year 2010 funding request detailed below.
securing and maintaining an adequate oncology nursing workforce
Oncology nurses are on the front lines in the provision of quality
cancer care for individuals with cancer--administering chemotherapy,
managing patient therapies and side effects, working with insurance
companies to ensure that patients receive the appropriate treatment,
providing treatment education and counseling to patients and family
members, and engaging in myriad other activities on behalf of people
with cancer and their families. Cancer is a complex, multifaceted
chronic disease, and people with cancer require specialty-nursing
interventions at every step of the cancer experience. People with
cancer are best served by nurses specialized in oncology care, who are
certified in that specialty.
As the overall number of nurses is expected to drop precipitously
in the coming years, we likely will experience a commensurate decrease
in the number of nurses trained in the specialty of oncology. With an
increasing number of people with cancer needing high-quality
healthcare, coupled with an inadequate nursing workforce, our Nation
could quickly face a cancer care crisis of serious proportion, with
limited access to quality cancer care, particularly in traditionally
underserved areas. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found
that nursing shortages in hospitals are associated with a higher risk
of complications--such as urinary tract infections and pneumonia,
longer hospital stays, and even patient death.\2\ Without an adequate
supply of nurses, there will not be enough qualified oncology nurses to
provide the quality cancer care to a growing population of people in
need, and patient health and well-being could suffer.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ Needleman J., Buerhaus P., Mattke S., Stewart M., Zelevinsky K.
``Nurse-Staffing Levels and the Quality of Care in Hospitals.'' New
England Journal of Medicine 346:, (May 30, 2002): 1715-1722.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Of additional concern is that our Nation also will face a shortage
of nurses available and able to conduct cancer research and clinical
trials. With a shortage of cancer research nurses, progress against
cancer will take longer because of scarce human resources coupled with
the reality that some practices and cancer centers' resources could be
funneled away from cancer research to pay for the hiring and retention
of oncology nurses to provide direct patient care. Without a sufficient
supply of trained, educated, and experienced oncology nurses, we are
concerned that our Nation may falter in its delivery and application of
the benefits from our Federal investment in research.
ONS has joins with President Obama and others in the nursing
community in advocating $263 million as the fiscal year 2010 funding
level necessary to support implementation of the Nurse Reinvestment Act
and the range of nursing workforce development programs housed at the
U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Enacted in
2002, the Nurse Reinvestment Act (Public Law 107-205) included new and
expanded initiatives, including loan forgiveness, scholarships, career
ladder opportunities, and public service announcements to advance
nursing as a career. Despite the enactment of this critical measure,
HRSA fails to have the resources necessary to meet the current and
growing demands for our Nation's nursing workforce. For example, in
fiscal year 2008 HRSA received 6,078 applications for the Nurse
Education Loan Repayment Program, but only had the funds to award 435
of those applications.\3\ Also, in fiscal year 2008 HRSA received 4,894
applications for the Nursing Scholarship Program, but only had funding
to support 172 awards.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration: Nurse
Education Loan Repayment Program: http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/nursing/
loanrepay.htm. Accessed April 22, 2009.
\4\ U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration: Nursing
Scholarship Program Statistics: http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/nursing/
scholarship/. Accessed April 22, 2009.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A number of years ago, one of the biggest factors associated with
the shortage was a lack of interested and qualified applicants. Due to
the efforts of ONS, our nursing community partners, and other
interested stakeholders, the number of applicants is growing. As such,
now one of the greatest factors contributing to the shortage is that
nursing programs are turning away qualified applicants to entry-level
baccalaureate programs, due to a shortage of nursing faculty. According
to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), U.S. nursing
schools turned away 50,000 qualified applicants from baccalaureate and
graduate nursing programs in 2008, due to insufficient number of
faculty and inadequate resources.\5\ Of those potential students,
nearly 7,000 were students pursuing a master's or doctoral degree in
nursing, which is the education level required to teach. Within the
next decade, it is expected that half of all nurse faculty will reach
retirement age.\6\ Given the expected wave of retirement among faculty,
the nurse faculty shortage is only expected to worsen as there are
insufficient numbers of candidates in the pipeline to take their
places. The number of full-time nursing faculty required to ``fill the
nursing gap'' is approximately 40,000, and, currently, there are less
than 20,000 full-time nursing faculty in the system.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ American Association of Colleges of Nursing ,``2006-2007
Enrollment and Graduations in Baccalaureate and Graduate Programs in
Nursing.'' http://www.aacn.nche.edu/IDS/datarep.htm, March 2007.
\6\ Preliminary Results: ``National Survey of Nurse Educators:
Compensation, Workload, and Teaching Practices.'' National League of
Nursing/Carnegie Foundation. (February 7, 2007) http://www.nln.org/
newsreleases/pres_budget2007.htm.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
With additional funding in fiscal year 2010, the HRSA Workforce
Development Programs will have much-needed resources to address the
multiple factors contributing to the nationwide nursing shortage,
including the shortage of faculty. Advanced nursing education programs
play an integral role in supporting registered nurses interested in
advancing in their practice and becoming faculty. As such, these
programs must be adequately funded in the coming year.
ONS strongly urges Congress to provide HRSA with a minimum of $263
million in fiscal year 2010 to ensure that the agency has the resources
necessary to fund a higher rate of nursing scholarships and loan
repayment applications and support other essential endeavors to sustain
and boost our Nation's nursing workforce. Nurses--along with patients,
family members, hospitals, and others--have joined together in calling
upon Congress to provide this essential level of funding. ONS and its
allies have serious concerns that without full funding, the Nurse
Reinvestment Act will prove an empty promise, and the current and
expected nursing shortage will worsen, and people will not have access
to the quality care they need and deserve.
sustain and seize cancer research opportunities
Our Nation has benefited immensely from past Federal investment in
biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). ONS has
joined with the broader health community in advocating a 10 percent
increase ($33.349 billion) for NIH in fiscal year 2010. This level of
investment will allow NIH to sustain and build on its research
progress, while avoiding the severe disruption to advancement that
could result from a minimal increase. Cancer research is producing
amazing breakthroughs--leading to new therapies that translate into
longer survival and improved quality of life for cancer patients. In
recent years, we have seen extraordinary advances in cancer research,
resulting from our national investment, which have produced effective
prevention, early detection, and treatment methods for many cancers. To
that end, ONS calls upon Congress to allocate $5.957 billion to the
National Cancer Institute, as well as $227 million to the National
Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities in fiscal year 2010
to support the battle against cancer.
The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) supports basic
and clinical research to establish a scientific basis for the care of
individuals across the life span--from management of patients during
illness and recovery, to the reduction of risks for disease and
disability and the promotion of healthy lifestyles. These efforts are
crucial in translating scientific advances into cost-effective
healthcare that does not compromise quality of care for patients.
Additionally, NINR fosters collaborations with many other disciplines
in areas of mutual interest, such as long-term care for older people,
the special needs of women across the life span, bioethical issues
associated with genetic testing and counseling, and the impact of
environmental influences on risk factors for chronic illnesses, such as
cancer. ONS joins with others in the nursing community and NCCR in
advocating a fiscal year 2010 allocation of $178 million for NINR.
boost our nation's investment in cancer prevention, early detection,
and awareness
Approximately two-thirds of cancer cases are preventable through
lifestyle and behavioral factors and improved practice of cancer
screening. Although the potential for reducing the human, economic, and
social costs of cancer by focusing on prevention and early detection
efforts remains great, our Nation does not invest sufficiently in these
strategies. The Nation must make significant and unprecedented Federal
investments today to address the burden of cancer and other chronic
diseases, and to reduce the demand on the healthcare system and
diminish suffering in our Nation, both for today and tomorrow.
As the Nation's leading prevention agency, the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) plays an important role in translating and
delivering, at the community level, what is learned from research.
Therefore, ONS joins with our partners in the cancer community in
calling on Congress to provide additional resources for the CDC to
support and expand much-needed and proven effective cancer prevention,
early detection, and risk reduction efforts. Specifically, ONS
advocates the following fiscal year 2010 funding levels for the
following CDC programs:
--$250 million for the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early
Detection Program;
--$65 million for the National Cancer Registries Program;
--$25 million for the Colorectal Cancer Prevention and Control
Initiative;
--$50 million for the Comprehensive Cancer Control Initiative;
--$25 million for the Prostate Cancer Control Initiative;
--$5 million for the National Skin Cancer Prevention Education
Program;
--$10 million for the Ovarian Cancer Control Initiative; and
--$6 million for the Geraldine Ferraro Blood Cancer Program.
conclusion
ONS maintains a strong commitment to working with Members of
Congress, other nursing and oncology societies, patient organizations,
and other stakeholders to ensure that the oncology nurses of today
continue to practice tomorrow, and that we recruit and retain new
oncology nurses to meet the unfortunate growing demand that we will
face in the coming years. By providing the fiscal year 2010 funding
levels detailed above, we believe the subcommittee will be taking the
steps necessary to ensure that our Nation has a sufficient nursing
workforce to care for the patients of today and tomorrow and that our
Nation continues to make gains in our fight against cancer.
______

Prepared Statement of the Population Association of America/Association
of Population Centers
Introduction
Thank you, Mr. Chairman Harkin, Mr. Ranking Member Cochran, and
other distinguished members of the subcommittee, for this opportunity
to express support for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), and Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS).
Background on the Population Association of America (PAA)/Association
of Population Centers (APC) and Demographic Research
The Population Association of America (PAA) is a scientific
organization comprised of more than 3,000 population research
professionals, including demographers, sociologists, statisticians, and
economists. The Association of Population Centers (APC) is a similar
organization comprised of 40 universities and research groups that
foster collaborative demographic research and data sharing, translate
basic population research for policy makers, and provide educational
and training opportunities in population studies. Population research
centers are located at public and private research institutions,
including, for example, the University of Wisconsin--Madison, RAND
Corporation, State University New York Albany, Brown University, Ohio
State University, University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill, and
Pennsylvania State University.
Demography is the study of populations and how or why they change.
Demographers, as well as other population researchers, collect and
analyze data on trends in births, deaths, and disabilities as well as
racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic changes in populations. Major policy
issues population researchers are studying include the demographic
causes and consequences of population aging, trends in fertility,
marriage, and divorce and their effects on the health and well being of
children, and immigration and migration and how changes in these
patterns affect the ethnic and cultural diversity of our population and
the Nation's health and environment.
The NIH mission is to support research that will improve the health
of our population. The health of our population is fundamentally
intertwined with the demography of our population. Recognizing the
connection between health and demography, the NIH supports extramural
population research programs primarily through the National Institute
on Aging (NIA) and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of
Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
NIA
According to the Census Bureau, by 2029, all of the baby boomers
(those born between 1946 and 1964) will be age 65 years and older. As a
result, the population age 65-74 years will increase from 6 percent to
10 percent of the total population between 2005 and 2030. This
substantial growth in the older population is driving policymakers to
consider dramatic changes in Federal entitlement programs, such as
Medicare and Social Security, and other budgetary changes that could
affect programs serving the elderly. To inform this debate,
policymakers need objective, reliable data about the antecedents and
impact of changing social, demographic, economic, and health
characteristics of the older population. The NIA Division of Behavioral
and Social Research (BSR) is the primary source of Federal support for
research on these topics.
In addition to supporting an impressive research portfolio, that
includes the prestigious Centers of Demography of Aging and Roybal
Centers for Applied Gerontology Programs, the NIA BSR program also
supports several large, accessible data surveys. One of these surveys,
the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), has become one of the seminal
sources of information to assess the health and socioeconomic status of
older people in the United States. Since 1992, the HRS has tracked
27,000 people, providing data on a number of issues, including the role
families play in the provision of resources to needy elderly and the
economic and health consequences of a spouse's death. HRS is
particularly valuable because its longitudinal design allows
researchers: (1) the ability to immediately study the impact of
important policy changes such as Medicare Part D; and (2) the
opportunity to gain insight into future health-related policy issues
that may be on the horizon, such as HRS data indicating an increase in
pre-retirees self-reported rates of disability. In 2009 and 2010, HRS
is seeking to increase its minority sample size and collect unique,
enhanced data on the effects of the current economic downturn on older
people.
With additional support in fiscal year 2010, the NIA BSR program
could fully fund its existing centers programs and support its ongoing
surveys without resorting to cost cutting measures, such as cutting
sample size. Currently, the Demography of Aging and Roybal Centers
programs are recompeting their 5-year awards. Additional funding may
give the Institute resources it needs to award more center grants. NIA
could also use additional resources to improve its funding payline and
sustain training and research opportunities for new investigators.
NICHD
Since its establishment in 1968, the NICHD Center for Population
Research has supported research on population processes and change.
Today, this research is housed in the Center's Demographic and
Behavioral Sciences Branch (DBSB). The Branch encompasses research in
four broad areas: family and fertility, mortality and health, migration
and population distribution, and population composition. In addition to
funding research projects in these areas, DBSB also supports a highly
regarded population research infrastructure program and a number of
large database studies, including the Fragile Families and Child Well
Being Study, New Immigrant Study, and National Longitudinal Study of
Adolescent Health.
NIH-funded demographic research has consistently provided critical
scientific knowledge on issues of greatest consequence for American
families: work-family conflicts, marriage and childbearing, childcare,
and family and household behavior. However, in the realm of public
health, demographic research is having an even larger impact,
particularly on issues regarding adolescent and minority health.
Understanding the role of marriage and stable families in the health
and development of children is another major focus of the NICHD DBSB.
Consistently, research has shown children raised in stable family
environments have positive health and development outcomes.
Policymakers and community programs can use these findings to support
unstable families and improve the health and well-being of children.
One of the most important programs the NICHD DBSB supports is the
Population Research Infrastructure Program (PRIP). Through PRIP,
research is conducted at private and public research institutions
nationwide. The primary goal of PRIP is ``to facilitate
interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation in population research,
while providing essential and cost-effective resources in support of
the development, conduct, and translation of population research.''
Population research centers supported by PRIP are focal points for the
demographic research field where innovative research and training
activities occur and resources, including large-scale databases, are
developed and maintained for widespread use.
With additional support in fiscal year 2010, NICHD could restore
full funding to its large-scale surveys, which serve as a resource for
researchers nationwide. Furthermore, the Institute could apply
additional resources toward improving its funding payline, which has
been as low as the 10th percentile prior to the recent infusion of ARRA
funds. Additional support could be used to support and stabilize
essential training and career development programs necessary to prepare
the next generation of researchers and to support and expand proven
programs, such as PRIP.
NCHS
Located within the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), NCHS is the
Nation's principal health statistics agency, providing data on the
health of the U.S. population and backing essential data collection
activities. Most notably, NCHS funds and manages the National Vital
Statistics System, which contracts with the States to collect birth and
death certificate information. NCHS also funds a number of complex
large surveys to help policy makers, public health officials, and
researchers understand the population's health, influences on health,
and health outcomes. These surveys include the National Health and
Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), National Health Interview Survey
(HIS), and National Survey of Family Growth. Together, NCHS programs
provide credible data necessary to answer basic questions about the
state of our Nation's health.
Despite a funding increase last year, NCHS continues to feel the
effects of long-term funding shortfalls, compelling the agency to
undermine, eliminate, or further postpone the collection of vital
health data. For example, in 2009, sample sizes in HIS and NHANES have
been cut, while other surveys, most notably the National Hospital
Discharge Survey, are not being fielded. In addition, in 2009, NCHS has
proposed purchasing only ``core items'' of vital birth and death
statistics from the States (starting in 2010), effectively eliminating
three-fourths of data routinely used to monitor maternal and infant
health and contributing causes of death.
The administration recommends NCHS receive $138 million in fiscal
year 2010. PAA and APC, as members of The Friends of NCHS, support the
administration's request, but also hope Congress will give the agency
an additional $15 million in fiscal year 2010. The additional $15
million should be designated specifically for supporting the States so
they can modernize their vital statistics systems and make all
collections electronic according to the 2003 birth and death
certificates. If NCHS receives this funding, they can abandon their
proposal to collect core vs. enhanced vital statistics data as well and
focus on improving the current system. The underlying fiscal year 2010
budget request should be targeted at precluding further cuts in key
surveys and collecting the full panel of vital statistics data.
If Congress fails to, at a minimum, provide the administration's
fiscal year 2010 request, NCHS will be forced to eliminate over-
sampling of minority populations in NHANES, which will compromise our
understanding of health disparities at a time when our society is
becoming increasingly diverse. Further, we will lose insurance coverage
information on who's covered and who's not (particularly within
minority populations), how people are covered and why they're not--at a
time when Congress and the administration are debating healthcare
reform. Finally, we will lose vital statistics, adversely affecting the
amount of data researchers and health practitioners alike need to be
effective in identifying trends and developing interventions.
BLS
During these turbulent economic times, data produced by BLS are
particularly relevant and valued. PAA and APC members have relied
historically on objective, accurate data from the BLS. In recent years,
our organizations have become increasingly concerned about the state of
the agency's funding.
We are pleased the administration has requested BLS receive a total
of $611,623,000 in fiscal year 2010, an increase of $14,441,000 more
than the 2009 enacted level. According to the agency, this funding
level would enable BLS to meet its highest-priority goals and
objectives in 2010. Ideally, the agency will receive enough funding not
only in 2010, but also in future years to invest in research and assure
continuous improvement of its measures, including the Consumer Price
Index. We also hope BLS receives sufficient funds to maintain, or
increase, the sample sizes of key surveys, such as the Current
Population Survey. It is imperative sample sizes be increased to ensure
surveys are accurate and providing adequate detail. We also hope fiscal
year 2010 marks the beginning of a steady, predicable growth trend in
the BLS budget.
Summary of Fiscal Year 2010 Recommendations
Despite the generous, short-term funding the NIH received from the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the agency faces
``falling off the cliff'' in 2011 when ARRA funds expire. Thus, PAA and
APC, as members of the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research Funding, are
asking Congress to provide NIH with and appropriation of $32.4 billion
in fiscal year 2010, an increase of 7 percent more than the fiscal year
2009 appropriation. This funding level would put NIH on a stable
course, ensuring the agency receives an inflationary increase plus
enough money to support the best research projects, including new and
innovative projects, and stabilize research training programs in fiscal
year 2010.
As part of the NIH request, we also urge the subcommittee to
appropriate $194.4 million for the National Children's Study (NCS) in
fiscal year 2010 through the NIH Office of the Director, as proposed by
the President's budget. This funding will allow for the completion of
the pilot phase of the NCS.
PAA and APC, as members of the Friends of NCHS, ask that NCHS
receive $138 million in fiscal year 2010, with an additional $15
million set aside for vital statistics infrastructure development. This
funding is needed to maintain and improve the Nation's vital statistics
system and to sustain and update the agency's major health survey
operations.
Finally, we ask you to support the administration's request, $611.6
million, for the BLS, in fiscal year 2010.
Thank you for considering our requests and for supporting Federal
programs that benefit the field of demographic research.
______

Prepared Statement of the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health
overview
Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) appreciates the
opportunity to submit written testimony to the Senate Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations
Subcommittee. PATH is a U.S.-based, international nonprofit
organization that creates sustainable, culturally relevant solutions
that enable communities worldwide to break longstanding cycles of poor
health. By collaborating with diverse public- and private-sector
partners, we help provide appropriate health technologies and vital
strategies that change the way people think and act. Our work improves
global health and well-being.
The broad, ongoing, and successful struggle to improve global
health relies on the availability of health interventions and
technologies designed to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease. Although
some effective interventions already exist, many more will be necessary
if existing gains against infectious disease and other global health
burdens are to be maintained and expanded. The drugs currently
available for use against diseases that disproportionately impact the
developing world are often too expensive for use in the developing
world, and are also subject to disease resistance. Vaccines for many of
these infectious diseases do not yet exist and diagnostic equipment,
vaccine delivery devices, microbicides, contraceptives, and other
health technologies appropriate for the developing world are in many
cases not available or affordable. Achieving sustainable progress in
the struggle to improve global health will require developing new
health technologies, and creating or strengthening infrastructures that
facilitate their availability to those who need them most.
Several programs funded in the Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education appropriations bill make a particularly critical
contribution to point-of-care diagnostics, a research area that is key
to improving health in the developing world. In low-resource settings,
where many diagnostic tests are difficult to perform and laboratories
are often inaccessible, there is a great opportunity to make
significant improvements to global health through the development and
use of appropriate point-of-care diagnostics. In poor countries,
healthcare facilities can be far away, serving widely dispersed
populations. Specialized equipment, personnel, and safe waste disposal
systems are often not available. Without diagnostic testing, healthcare
professionals have to rely on just evaluating symptoms to diagnose and
treat illness--an imperfect method given the similarity of symptoms
between many diseases. This lack of clarity puts individuals,
communities, and the world in danger. Incorrect diagnoses can harm
people and even cost lives. And from a global perspective,
ineffectively treated disease can become a starting point for epidemic
or pandemic outbreaks.
Fortunately, there is an array of promising new tests in the
pipeline--inexpensive, portable, easy-to-use diagnostics that are
practical at even small, local health centers, and which can deliver
results the same day. Some are new takes on established technologies
like the home pregnancy test. Others are exciting scientific advances.
Effective diagnosis at, or near, the point of care enables better
application of available treatment, avoids overuse of antibiotics that
can promote resistant strains of pathogens, and allows healthcare
workers to track outbreaks and mobilize resources quickly.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) continue to make significant contributions
to the development of new health technologies. Generally speaking, NIH
carries out the critical basic and preclinical research that provides
the foundation for new product discovery and development, supports and
conducts clinical trials of promising products, and develops the in-
country research capacity of developing world partners. CDC monitors
and tracks infectious diseases worldwide, provides those involved in
the control and prevention of these diseases with the critical
intelligence they need to implement their programs effectively,
supports researchers in their work by helping to direct their efforts
towards the areas with the greatest potential for benefit, and warns
researchers when new trends or disease strains emerge.
Point-of-care diagnostics are one of the most critical global
health technologies whose development of testing is supported by NIH
and CDC. One example of this support is the ongoing and successful
partnership between the NIH's National Institute of Biomedical Imaging
and Bioengineering (NIBIB) and PATH. Working together with an
investment from NIH/NIBIB, PATH formed the Center for Point-of-Care
Diagnostics for Global Health (GHDx Center), a diagnostics research,
development, testing, needs assessment and training program that works
to improve the availability, accessibility, and affordability of
essential point-of-care diagnostic tests for use in low-resource
settings around the world. The GHDx Center, managed by PATH in
collaboration with its partners at the University of Washington, is on
the cutting edge of developing new diagnostic tools that can be used in
developing countries to quickly and accurately diagnose diseases that
disproportionately impact the developing world, but which until now
have been difficult to accurately diagnose without laboratory
facilities or extensively trained medical workers.
The GHDx Center focuses its work on four main areas that encompass
the breadth of the health technology product development cycle. The
GHDx Center performs and supports clinical needs assessments that help
diagnostics developers target the most pressing global health
challenges and increase the likelihood of product success. It supports
exploratory technology projects that could have a significant positive
impact on public health outcomes. It conducts laboratory and field-
based clinical testing of prototype point-of-care diagnostics. Finally,
the GHDx Center--in a program led by the University of Washington
Department of Global Health and Department of Medicine (Division of
Infectious Diseases)--trains individuals with varied experience and
backgrounds from the fields of assay and device development, clinical
laboratories, and disease specialties, with the objective of creating a
networked group of researchers trained in state-of-the-art technology
that address the challenges for global health in low-resource settings.
This extraordinarily promising new program would not have been
possible without NIH support, and PATH thanks the subcommittee for its
wise investments in NIH. Without robust funding for NIH and CDC, much
of the cutting-edge research and development being performed on point-
of-care diagnostics for the developing world would not be taking place.
While many commercial and nonprofit groups are working on diagnostic
technologies, they are not necessarily doing so with an eye toward the
developing world. For example, their efforts often target diseases that
mainly concern wealthier countries, or they assume that sophisticated
laboratories and trained personnel will be available to complement and
operate their diagnostics. In contrast, diagnostic technologies for
malaria, enteric diseases, hepatitis b, and other conditions whose
heaviest burden falls on the developing world, or which can be used in
resource--poor conditions where laboratory equipment are scarce, do not
have a significant commercial market that incentivizes research and
development. Without investment by the U.S. Government, efforts to
develop these diagnostic technologies--and by doing so improve care and
reduce the development of drug resistance--would be hindered
significantly. Expanding funds for these agencies would provide a
powerful boost to point-of-care diagnostic development and
availability.
Another area where agencies funded by this subcommittee are making
a significant contribution to global health is in the ongoing effort to
develop and test malaria vaccines. Malaria is a devastating parasitic
disease transmitted through the bite of infected Anopheles mosquitoes.
More than one-third of the world's population is at risk of malaria,
with approximately 250 million cases and 1 million deaths per year, the
vast majority of which occur among African children under the age of 5.
A malaria vaccine is desperately needed to confront this deadly disease
and its impact in the developing world. While consistent use of
effective insecticides, insecticide-treated nets, and malaria medicines
saves lives, eradicating or even significantly reducing the impact of
malaria will require additional interventions, including vaccines.
Immunization is one of the most effective health interventions
available. Just as it was necessary to use vaccines to control polio
and measles in the United States, vaccines are needed as part of an
effective control strategy for malaria.
Several Federal agencies are involved in the research and
development of malaria interventions such as vaccines, as is the PATH
Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI). Indeed, many promising vaccine
concepts would never have emerged from the laboratory without the
research performed by Government scientists. Government-sponsored
research is also critical to eliminating from consideration less
promising approaches. Unfortunately, funding for this critical research
at NIH and CDC has been relatively flat for several years. By
increasing investments in NIH and CDC, Congress can help advance the
day when a highly effective malaria vaccine is available, thereby
saving many lives.
Continued progress in our Nation's effort to improve global health
requires the development of new tools and technologies. Point-of-care
diagnostics and, eventually, malaria vaccines, are important components
of the portfolio of needed tools and technologies, and the development
of those tools and technologies is heavily reliant on Federal support.
For this reason, we respectfully request that the subcommittee expand
funding for research and development at NIH and CDC. We very much
appreciate the subcommittee's consideration of our views, and we stand
ready to work with subcommittee members and staff on these and other
important tropical disease matters.
______

Prepared Statement of Prevent Blindness America
funding request overview
Prevent Blindness America (PBA) appreciates the opportunity to
submit written testimony for the record regarding fiscal year 2010
funding for vision-related programs. As the Nation's leading nonprofit,
voluntary organization dedicated to preventing blindness and preserving
sight, PBA maintains a long-standing commitment to working with
policymakers at all levels of government, organizations, and
individuals in the eye care and vision loss community, and other
interested stakeholders to develop, advance, and implement policies and
programs that prevent blindness and preserve sight. PBA respectfully
requests that the subcommittee provide the following allocations in
fiscal year 2010 to help promote eye health and prevent eye disease and
vision loss:
--$4.5 million for the Vision Health Initiative at the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC);
--$32.4 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to
support biomedical research; and
--$736 million for the National Eye Institute (NEI).
introduction and overview
Vision-related conditions affect people across the lifespan from
childhood through elder years. Good vision is an integral component to
health and well-being, affects virtually all activities of daily
living, and impacts individuals physically, emotionally, socially, and
financially. Loss of vision can have a devastating impact on
individuals and their families. An estimated 80 million Americans have
a potentially blinding eye disease, 3 million have low vision, more
than 1 million are legally blind, and 200,000 are more severely
visually blind. Vision impairment in children is a common condition
that affects 5 to 10 percent of preschool age children. Vision
disorders (including amblyopia (``lazy eye''), strabismus (``cross
eye''), and refractive error are the leading cause of impaired health
in childhood.
Of serious concern is that the NEI reports ``the number of
Americans with age-related eye disease and the vision impairment that
results is expected to double within the next three decades.'' \1\
Among Americans age 40 and older, the four most common eye diseases
causing vision impairment and blindness are age-related macular
degeneration (AMD), cataract, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma.\2\
Refractive errors are the most frequent vision problem in the United
States--an estimated 150 million Americans use corrective eyewear to
compensate for their refractive error.\3\ Uncorrected or undercorrected
refractive error can result in significant vision impairment.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ ``Vision Problems in the U.S.: Prevalence of Adult Vision
Impairment and Age-Related Eye Disease in America,'' Prevent Blindness
America and the National Eye Institute, 2008.
\2\ Ibid.
\3\ Ibid.
\4\ Ibid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
While half of all blindness can be prevented through education,
early detection, and treatment, it is estimated that the number of
blind and visually impaired people will double by 2030, if nothing is
done to curb vision problems. To curtail the increasing incidence of
vision loss in America, PBA advocates sustained and significant Federal
funding for vision research and application, as well as resources for
programs that help promote eye health and prevent eye disease, vision
loss, and blindness. We thank the subcommittee for its consideration of
our specific fiscal year 2010 funding requests, which are detailed
below.
cdc's vision health initiative: helping to save sight and save money
The financial costs of vision impairment to our country's fiscal
health are staggering. PBA estimates that the annual costs of adult
vision problems in the United States are approximately $51.4
billion.\5\ The annual cost of untreated amblyopia--reduced vision in
an eye that has not received adequate use during early childhood--is
approximately $7.4 billion in lost productivity.\6\ NEI estimates that
in 2003 the total direct and indirect costs of visual disorders and
disabilities in the United States were approximately $68 billion, and
with each passing year these costs continue to escalate.\7\ Vision care
services consistently have been found to help prevent blindness, reduce
vision loss, improve quality of life and well-being, increase
productivity, and reduce costs and burdens on the Nation's healthcare
system. Therefore, the Nation must increase access to--and awareness of
the importance of--vision screenings and linkage to appropriate care
for at-risk and underserved populations, as is provided by the CDC's
Vision Health Initiative.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ ``The Economic Impact of Vision Problems,'' Prevent Blindness
America, 2007.
\6\ ``Our Vision for Children's Vision: A National Call to Action
for the Advancement of Children's Vision and Eye Health, Prevent
Blindness America,''Prevent Blindness America, 2008.
\7\ Ellwein Leon. Updating the Hu 1981 Estimates of the Economic
Costs of Visual Disorders and Disabilities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The CDC reports that ``vision disability is one of the top 10
disabilities among adults 18 years and older and the single most
prevalent disabling condition among children.'' \8\ Effective public
health initiatives can dramatically decrease the number of Americans
who have vision loss or low vision. Initially funded by Congress in
fiscal year 2003, the CDC's Vision Health Initiative program has worked
in a cost-effective way to identify, screen, and link to appropriate
care individuals at risk for vision loss. This public-private
partnership combines the resources of the CDC, chronic disease
directors, State and local Agencies on Aging, and nonprofit
organizations such as PBA. Highlights of the significant work of the
CDC's Vision Health Initiative include:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ ``Improving the Nation's Vision Health: A Coordinated Public
Health Approach,'' Centers for Disease Control, 2006.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
--Support for the eye evaluation component of the National Health and
Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) that provides current,
nationally representative data and help assess progress for
vision objectives contained within Healthy People 2010 and the
future efforts for Healthy People 2020.
--Development of the first optional Behavioral Risk Factor
Surveillance System (BRFSS) vision module and introducing it
into State use in 2005 to gather information about access to
eye care and prevalence of eye disease and eye injury. Five
States implemented the module in 2005, and 11 States began
using the module in 2006.
--Utilization of applied public health research to address the
economic costs of vision disorders and develop cost-
effectiveness models for eye diseases among various
populations. Estimating the true economic burden is essential
for informing policymakers and for obtaining necessary
resources to develop and implement effective interventions.
--Providing data analyses and a systematic review of interventions to
promote screening for diabetic retinopathy and reviewing access
to and utilization of vision care in the United States.
--Developing best practices for the integration of vision care
services with community health centers, as well as methods for
linking clients to appropriate and needed care.
--Aiding in the translation of science into programs, services, and
policies and in coordinating service activities with partners
in the public, private, and voluntary sectors.
In fiscal year 2009, PBA requested $4.5 million to sustain and
expand the Vision Health Initiative. In the final fiscal year 2009
Omnibus Appropriations Act, Congress allocated $3.222 million. PBA
understands the budgetary challenges facing Congress and the Nation
and, as such, appreciates this much-needed funding. However, with the
demographics of eye disease, we strongly feel that a greater investment
in the Vision Health Initiative must be made, so we can mount an
adequate effort to address the growing public health threat of
preventable vision loss among older Americans, low-income, and
underserved populations.
To that end, PBA again respectfully requests the subcommittee
provide a $4.5 million allocation for the Vision Health Initiative.
Increased fiscal year 2010 funding for this important program will
support additional vision screenings, increased public awareness
efforts regarding risk of vision loss, develop best practices for
linkage to care, and the expansion of eye disease surveillance and
evaluation systems, which will help ensure our Nation has much-needed
epidemiological data regarding overall burden and high-risk
populations, so we can best formulate and assess strategies to prevent
and reduce the economic and social costs associated with vision loss
and eye diseases.
advance and expand vision research opportunities
Our Nation has benefited from past Federal investment in biomedical
research at the NIH. Unfortunately, due to flat funding over the past
six appropriations cycles, NIH has lost 14 percent of its purchasing
power. While we commend Congress for the $10.4 billion in funding
provided in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, PBA joins the
broader vision community in advocating a 7 percent increase ($32.4
billion) for NIH in fiscal year 2010. This level of investment will
allow NIH to sustain and expand its research progress and avoid the
potential disruption of vital research that could result from a minimal
increase.
PBA also calls upon the subcommittee to provide a specific
allocation of $736 million for the NEI to bolster its efforts to
identify the underlying causes of eye disease and vision loss, improve
early detection and diagnosis of eye disease and vision loss, and
advance prevention and treatment efforts. Celebrating 40 years of
service this year, NEI is a leading Institute in translating basic
research into clinical practice. Just as NIH has seen a decline in
purchasing power, so too has the NEI, an overall decrease of 18 percent
in the last 6 appropriations cycles. In fiscal year 2009, NEI's funding
level of $688 million reflected just 1 percent of the estimated $68
billion annual costs of eye disease and vision impairment. Despite
significant funding challenges, NEI has maintained its impressive
record of breakthroughs in basic and clinical research that have
resulted in treatments and therapies to save and restore vision and
prevent eye disease. However, NEI will be challenged further, as 2010
begins the decade in which more than half of the 78 million Baby
Boomers will turn 65 and be at greatest risk for developing aging eye
disease. Adequate funding to NEI is a cost-effective investment in our
Nation's health, as it can delay, save, and prevent eye disease-related
expenditures, especially to the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
investing in the vision of our nation's most valuable resource--
children
While the risk of eye disease increases after the age of 40, eye
and vision problems in children are of equal concern, due to the fact
that, if left untreated, they can lead to permanent and irreversible
visual loss and/or cause problems socially, academically, and
developmentally. Although more than 12.1 million school-age children
have some form of a vision problem, only one-third of all children
receive eye care services before the age of 6.\9\ Approximately 80
percent of what a child learns is done so visually.\10\ As such, good
vision is essential for educational progress, proper physical
development and athletic performance, and healthy self-esteem in
growing children. Yet, according to a CDC report, only 1 in 3 children
in America has received eye care services before the age of 6.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\9\ ``Our Vision for Children's Vision: A National Call to Action
for the Advancement of Children's Vision and Eye Health, Prevent
Blindness America,'' Prevent Blindness America, 2008.
\10\ Ottar WL, Scott WK, Holgado SI. Photoscreening for amblyogenic
factors. J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 1995; 32:289-295.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vision screening is an appropriate and essential element of a
strong public health approach to children's vision care; the sooner
vision problems are identified, the faster they can be addressed. As
you know, the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) oversees the
Maternal and Child Health Services State title V (Title V) Block Grant
program. As a condition of funding under title V, States are required
to report on certain measures to the MCHB. PBA urges the subcommittee
to support the development and implementation of a nationwide title V
core performance measure related to vision screening. A core
performance measure regarding vision screening will help ensure that
more children receive comprehensive eye examinations at a young age and
provide specific information to MCHB and other public health officials
regarding the progress of the programs and identify areas where
improvement can be made to provide better vision care to children
served by the title V program. Specifically, we hope the subcommittee
will include language in the report accompanying the fiscal year 2010
Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, an Related Agencies
appropriations measure that expresses support for MCHB's work in this
area.
We are pleased that the Head Start program currently requires
children to be screened for vision problems. Unfortunately, there are
no procedures for training, tracking, or even conducting the screening.
As such, without a national uniform standard, many Head Start enrollees
are falling through the cracks and vision problems are not being
identified in this already often underserved and at-risk population.
PBA stands ready to work with Head Start, the Congress, and other
stakeholders to ensure that all Head Start enrollees receive vision
screening services and other related resources available to them in
their community. PBA respectfully requests that the subcommittee
include language in the report accompanying the fiscal year 2010 Labor,
Health and Human Services, and Education, an Related Agencies
appropriations measure that encourages collaborations and initiatives
within the Head Start program to ensure that such screenings are
delivered and provided in a manner that promotes consistency and
quality in protocol and administration.
conclusion
On behalf of PBA, our board of directors, and the millions of
people at risk for vision loss and eye disease, we thank you for the
opportunity to submit written testimony regarding fiscal year 2010
funding for the CDC's Vision Health Initiative, NIH, and NEI. Please
know that PBA stands ready to work with the subcommittee and other
Members of Congress to advance policies that will prevent blindness and
preserve sight.
______

Prepared Statement of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: You may recall that
last year you received testimony from Dr. Randy Pausch, a computer
science professor at Carnegie Mellon University, author of the widely
acclaimed ``Last Lecture'', which was released on YouTube and later as
a book, and at that time, a pancreatic cancer survivor.
Last year, Randy in his frank and humorous manner, told you that it
was unlikely that he would survive until Father's Day and that his
widow, Jai, and three beautiful children, Dillon, Logan, and Chloe
would have to mark that holiday without him.
Approximately 76 percent of pancreatic cancer patients die within
the first year of diagnosis. Randy used to call himself a ``Pancreatic
Cancer Rock Star'' given that he had already survived 18 months when he
provided his testimony to you. While I am very happy to report that
Randy did indeed survive long enough to spend Father's Day with his
family, he unfortunately passed soon after on July 25, 2008. With his
passing, we lost a dear friend to the pancreatic cancer community, and
as I'm sure you would all attest to, a phenomenal pancreatic cancer
advocate.
Much has changed in the last year, including some of the
statistics. According to the American Cancer Society's recently
released Cancer Facts & Figures 2009, the projected incidence for
pancreatic cancer rose 12 percent in the last year. Pancreatic cancer
is now the 10th most commonly diagnosed cancer in both men and women.
Unfortunately, the survival rate has not changed. Pancreatic cancer
is still one of the most deadly cancers and is still the fourth-leading
cause of cancer-related death. It is still true that 95 percent of all
pancreatic cancer patients die within 5 years of diagnosis, a fact that
has changed little in the last 30 years. The new statistics show that
75 percent of these patients die within the first year of diagnosis.
There are still no early detection or treatment tools for this disease.
And while pancreatic cancer funding did increase last year, it is also
still true that pancreatic cancer research is not funded at a level
that will likely change this picture any time soon.
The news gets worse as we look to the future. According to an
article recently released in the Journal of Clinical Oncology,\1\ a 55
percent increase in pancreatic cancer incidence is expected by 2030.
This would be among the top five most significant increases across all
forms of cancer. According to the authors, ``Alarmingly, certain cancer
sites with particularly high mortality rates, such as liver, stomach,
pancreas, and lung, will be among those with the greatest relative
increase in incidence. Therefore, unless substantial improvements in
cancer therapy and/or prevention strategies emerge, the number of
cancer deaths may also grow dramatically over the next 20 years.'' We
simply cannot afford to keep the status quo in terms of funding levels
or scientific approaches for pancreatic cancer in the face of these
statistics. We must make finding early detection tools and effective
treatments for pancreatic cancer and the other highest mortality
cancers an immediate priority.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Benjamin D. Smith, Grace L. Smith, Arti Hurria, Gabriel N.
Hortobagyi, and Thomas A. Buchholz, ``Future of Cancer Incidence in the
United States: Burdens Upon an Aging, Changing Nation,'' Journal of
Clinical Oncology 27 (April 2009), 4.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Admittedly, part of the problem has been the recent flat or
declining biomedical research budgets. Adjusting for inflation, the
National Cancer Institute's (NCI) budget has decreased by nearly $639
million (13.9 percent) since fiscal year 2003. However, it is also
clear that NCI is not making pancreatic cancer a research priority. In
fact, the NCI currently allocates just $87 million for pancreatic
cancer research, a mere 2 percent of its total budget. A percentage
that is also unchanged from last year.
We, like many in the cancer and biomedical research communities,
worked hard to secure funding increases for the National Institute of
Health (NIH) in the fiscal year 2009 Omnibus Appropriations bill and in
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and we are grateful to you
for granting the community's requests and providing increases through
these bills. The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network took part in these
efforts because we believed that increasing funding through these bills
would lead to increased funding for pancreatic cancer research.
Unfortunately, it does not appear that this hope is turning into a
reality.
As the National Institute of Health (NIH) was preparing the
Challenge Grants, we were excited about the potential that these grants
might bring to the most deadly diseases such as pancreatic cancer.
Unfortunately, once we had an opportunity to review the Requests for
Applications (RFAs), we realized that few if any of the grants were
actually applicable to pancreatic cancer.
We have also been looking forward to learning more about how NCI
plans to use their remaining portion of the stimulus funds. Our hope is
that Dr. Niederhuber will dedicate some portion of the funds for the
cancers with the highest mortality, defined as those cancers with 5-
year survival rates of 50 percent or less. Currently, just 8 cancers
(ovarian, brain, myeloma, stomach, esophageal, lung, liver, and
pancreatic) account for 50 percent of all cancer deaths. For some of
these, such as pancreatic and lung cancer, there has been little
movement in survival rates in the last 30 years.
As you may know, NIH Director, Dr. Raynard Kington recently asked
Dr. Niederhuber and Dr. Steve Katz, Director of National Institute of
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases to co-chair a task
force to develop an NIH-wide cancer research plan in response to the
President's call to double cancer research funding in 8 years. Ideally,
this plan would include some defined focus on steps that should be
taken to reduce mortality for the deadliest cancers. Unfortunately,
while we have not yet seen the actual plan, based on the NCI's
statement about it on April 20, 2009 \2\ and based on conversations we
have had with Dr. Niederhuber earlier this week, we are concerned that
again, our hopes may not turn into a reality.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ National Cancer Institute, National Cancer Institute's Plan to
Accelerate Cancer Research Announced, http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/
pressreleases/AccelerateResearch (April 22, 2009).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The mission of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is based on
hope and on action, so it is in the spirit of both that I am today
submitting testimony. I am not only asking that you significantly
increase funding for the NCI, but that you also take steps to ensure
that NCI places special emphasis on the most deadly cancers, including
pancreatic cancer.
While I realize that Congress is reluctant to direct how NCI
allocates research dollars, I would argue that something is wrong when
one of the deadliest types of cancer receives so little attention. In
fact, pancreatic cancer research receives the least amount of NCI
funding of any of the top cancer killers.
One of our most significant issues in addition to the overall
funding level, is that there are relatively few researchers studying
pancreatic cancer--including both young investigators and more
experienced investigators. While the NCI's commitment to young
investigators has increased from 2007 when it awarded zero Career
Development Awards (K awards) or Research Training Awards (F and T
awards), it still has a long way to go. For example, last year, NCI
made nearly 180 awards to young breast cancer researchers and more than
70 K, T, or F awards to young researchers in fields of each of the
other top 5 cancer killers (lung, colon, and prostate); only 32 were
awarded to young pancreatic cancer researchers. We can and must do
better.
The story is much the same for experienced investigators. In 2008,
only 32 pancreatic cancer projects were funded at $500,000 or above,
and only 11 projects received at least $1 million. In contrast, the
number of projects funded at $500,000 or above was 109 for lung, 114
for colon, 237 for breast, and 105 for prostate.
Further, though the pool of researchers that the NCI has funded to
conduct pancreatic cancer has expanded, it is still a very small pool,
especially when compared to the numbers of researchers funded in the
other leading cancer fields. In fact, by way of comparison, in 2008 the
NCI funded close to 1,600 different investigators in breast cancer
research, of whom 231 received multiple awards. As many as 91 of these
researchers received an aggregate of $1 million in funding for their
research. By comparison, NCI funded 327 different investigators in
pancreatic cancer research last year, of whom 41 received multiple
awards and just 13 received an aggregate of $1 million for their
research.
Given that the current 5-year survival rate for breast cancer is
nearly 90 percent, it is clear that a similar pipeline of committed and
federally funded scientists is needed in pancreatic cancer to help
speed advances and medical breakthroughs if we are to hope to finally
increase survival beyond 5 percent.
The fact is that the number of new pancreatic cancer cases and
deaths are increasing--not decreasing. The projected number of new
pancreatic cancer cases is expected to reach 70,000 by 2040. As stated
above, while overall cancer death rates have significantly declined,
the 5-year survival rates for pancreatic cancer have remained largely
unchanged in the last 30 years. If we do not take steps to address this
issue now, 95 percent of these patients will continue to hear their
diagnosis expressed as a death sentence.
Sadly, it is also a fact that for too long, the broader scientific
research community has faced the challenge of doing more with less.
While they have achieved some important successes, the funding crisis
has fostered an environment of focusing on ``safe bets.'' Compared to
most other cancers, we know relatively little about pancreatic cancer.
More research is needed in the basic biology of the disease to
understand how it starts and why it spreads so rapidly. Therefore,
pancreatic cancer research does not fall into a ``safe bet'' category.
It falls into the category of high risk/high reward.
The time has come to not only fund new progress and give our
researchers the opportunity to do more with more, but to also find new
ways to encourage the research community to tackle the hardest and most
complex problems. As Randy mentioned in his testimony last year, it is
by solving the hardest problems that we will likely see the greatest
rewards for the entire field. On behalf of the tens of thousands of
pancreatic cancer patients who die without a chance, including Dr.
Randy Pausch, I am asking that you not only inject significant new
funding into the cancer research community, but that you also issue a
challenge to the NCI to focus on the hardest problems by placing
special emphasis on finding answers for the most deadly cancers,
including pancreatic. Doing so will not only fuel progress, but will
also generate jobs and stem the current trend of losing American-
trained researchers to other countries more willing to invest in
scientific research.
We therefore join with our partners in the One Voice Against Cancer
coalition to ask that you provide $5.96 billion in funding for the NCI
in fiscal year 2010--an increase of $993 million (20 percent) more than
fiscal year 2009. We recognize that this is a significant request.
However, the reality is that this is the minimum amount needed to make
true progress on all forms of cancer, including pancreatic and the
other cancers for which we have yet to see significant improvement in
survival.
We also respectfully request that you work with us to ensure that
NCI creates a strategic plan for the highest mortality cancers, defined
as those with 5 survival rates below 50 percent, and that the NIH-wide
cancer research plan that is currently under development also includes
these cancers as a specific area of focus.
______

Prepared Statement of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony on
behalf of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA).
I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the subcommittee for
your past support of pulmonary hypertension (PH) programs at the
National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), and Health Resources and Services Administration
(HRSA). These initiatives have opened many new avenues of promising
research, helped educate hundreds of physicians in how to properly
diagnose PH, and raised awareness about the importance of organ
donation and transplantation within the PH community.
In addition, I want to commend the subcommittee for actively
addressing the current backlog in Social Security Disability
applications at the Social Security Administration. Many PH patients
end up applying for disability coverage, and streamlining the benefits
process would go a long way toward improving the quality of life for
our most in-need families.
I am honored today to represent the hundreds of thousands of
Americans who are fighting a courageous battle against a devastating
disease. PH is a serious and often fatal condition where the blood
pressure in the lungs rises to dangerously high levels. In PH patients,
the walls of the arteries that take blood from the right side of the
heart to the lungs thicken and constrict. As a result, the right side
of the heart has to pump harder to move blood into the lungs, causing
it to enlarge and ultimately fail.
PH can occur without a known cause or be secondary to other
conditions such as: collagen vascular diseases (i.e., scleroderma and
lupus), blood clots, HIV, sickle cell, or liver disease. PH does not
discriminate based on race, gender, or age. Patients develop symptoms
that include shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, dizziness, and
fainting. Unfortunately, these symptoms are frequently misdiagnosed,
leaving patients with the false impression that they have a minor
pulmonary or cardiovascular condition. By the time many patients
receive an accurate diagnosis, the disease has progressed to a late
stage, making it impossible to receive a necessary heart or lung
transplant.
PH is chronic and incurable with a poor survival rate. Fortunately,
new treatments are providing a significantly improved quality of life
for patients with some managing the disorder for 20 years or longer.
Nineteen years ago, when three PH patients found each other, with
the help of the National Organization for Rare Diseases, and founded
the PHA, there were less than 200 diagnosed cases of this disease. It
was virtually unknown among the general population and not well known
in the medical community. They soon realized that this was
unacceptable, and formally established PHA, which is headquartered in
Silver Spring, Maryland.
I am pleased to report that we are making good progress in our
fight against this deadly disease. Six new therapies for the treatment
of PH have been approved by the FDA in the past 10 years.
Today, PHA includes:
--More than 10,000 patients, family members, and medical
professionals as members and an additional 34,000 supporters
and friends.
--A network of more than 200 patient support groups.
--An active and growing patient-to-patient telephone helpline.
--Three research programs that, through partnerships with the
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the
American Thoracic Society, have committed more than $7.5
million toward PH research as of December 2008.
--Numerous electronic and print publications, including the first
medical journal devoted to PH--published quarterly and
distributed to all cardiologists, pulmonologists, and
rheumatologists in the United States.
A Web site dedicated to providing educational and support resources
to patients, medical professionals, and the public. Thanks to support
from CDC, PHA's online resources now include the PHA Online University
which provides PH-specific continuing education opportunities to
medical professionals.
the ph community
Mr. Chairman, I am privileged to serve as the president of the PHA
and to interact daily with the patients and family members who are
seeking to live their lives to the fullest in the face of this deadly,
incurable disease.
Carl Hicks is a former Army Ranger and a retired Colonel who lead
the first battalion into Iraq during the first Iraq war. Every member
of his family was touched by pulmonary hypertension after the diagnosis
of his daughter Meghan in 1994. I share their story here, in Carl's own
words:

``We're sorry Colonel Hicks, your daughter Meaghan has contracted
primary pulmonary hypertension. She likely has less than a year to live
and there is nothing we can do for her. Those words were spoken in the
spring of 1994 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. They marked the
start down the trail of tears for a young military family that, only
hours before, had been in Germany. My family's journey down this trail
hasn't ended yet, even though Meaghan's fight came to an end with her
death on January 30th, 2009. She was 27.
Pulmonary hypertension struck our family, as it so often does,
without warning. One day, we had a beautiful, healthy, energetic 12-
year old gymnast, the next, a child with a death sentence being robbed
of every breath by this heinous disease. The toll of this fight was
far-reaching. Over the years, every decision of any consequence in the
family was considered first with regards to its impact on Meaghan and
her struggle for breath.
The investment made by our country in my career was lost, as I left
the service to stay nearer my family. The costs for Meaghan's medical
care, spread over the nearly 14 years of our fight, ran well into the 7
figures. Meghan even underwent a heart and dual-lung transplant These
challenges, though, were nothing compared to the psychological toll of
losing Meaghan who had fought so hard for something we all take for
granted, a breath of air.''

Over the past decade, treatment options, and the survival rate, for
PH patients have improved significantly. As Meaghan's story
illustrates, however, courageous patients of every age lose their
battle with PH each day. There is still a long way to go on the road to
a cure and biomedical research holds the promise of a better tomorrow.
Thanks to congressional action, and to advances in medical research
largely supported by the NHLBI and other Government agencies, PH
patients have an increased chance of living with their PH for many
years. However, additional support is needed for research and related
activities to continue to develop treatments that will extend the life
expectancy of PH patients beyond the NIH estimate of 2.8 years after
diagnosis.
fiscal year 2010 appropriations recommendations
NHLBI
Recently, the World Health Organization's Fourth World Symposium on
Pulmonary Hypertension brought together PH experts from around the
world. According to these leading researchers, we are on the verge of
significant breakthroughs in our understanding of PH and the
development of new and advanced treatments. Fifteen years ago, a
diagnosis of PH was essentially a death sentence, with only one
approved treatment for the disease. Thanks to advancements made through
the public and private sector, patients today are living longer and
better lives with a choice of six FDA approved therapies. Recognizing
that we have made tremendous progress, we are also mindful that we are
a long way from where we want to be in (1) the management of PH as a
treatable chronic disease, and (2) a cure.
One crucial step in continuing the progress we have made in the
treatment of PH is the creation of a pulmonary hypertension research
network. Such a network would link leading researchers around the
United States, providing them with access to a wider pool of shared
patient data. In addition, the network would provide researchers with
the opportunities to collaborate on studies and to strengthen the
interconnections between basic and clinical science in the field of
pulmonary hypertension research. Such a network is in the tradition of
the NHLBI, which, to its credit and to the benefit of the American
public, has supported numerous similar networks including the Acute
Respiratory Distress Syndrome Network and the Idiopathic Pulmonary
Fibrosis Clinical Research Network.
In order to maintain the important momentum in pulmonary
hypertension research that has developed over the past few years, and
to create a much needed pulmonary hypertension research network, the
Pulmonary Hypertension Association encourages the subcommittee to
provide the NIH, particularly the NHLBI, with a 7 percent increase in
funding in fiscal year 2010.
CDC
PHA applauds the subcommittee for its leadership over the years in
encouraging CDC to initiate a Pulmonary Hypertension Education and
Awareness Program. We know for a fact that Americans are dying due to a
lack of awareness of PH, and a lack of understanding about the many new
treatment options. This unfortunate reality is particularly true among
minority and underserved populations.
Mr. Chairman, we are grateful to the Congress for providing
$238,000 in support of a pulmonary hypertension awareness program in
fiscal year 2009. By educating physicians and patients about pulmonary
hypertension, this funding will save lives. We encourage the
subcommittee to continue its support for PH awareness activities
through the CDC in fiscal year 2010.
``Gift of Life'' Donation Initiative at HRSA
Mr. Chairman, PHA applauds the success of HRSA's ``Gift of Life''
Donation Initiative. This important program is working to increase
organ donation rates across the country. Unfortunately, the only
``treatment'' option available to many late-stage PH patients is a
lung, or heart and lung, transplantation. This grim reality is why PHA
established ``Bonnie's Gift Project.''
``Bonnie's Gift'' was started in memory of Bonnie Dukart, one of
PHA's most active and respected leaders. Bonnie battled with PH for
almost 20 years until her death in 2001 following a double lung
transplant. Prior to her death, Bonnie expressed an interest in the
development of a program within PHA related to transplant information
and awareness. PHA will use ``Bonnie's Gift'' as a way to disseminate
information about PH, transplantation, and the importance of organ
donation, as well as organ donation cards, to our community.
PHA has had a very successful partnership with HRSA's ``Gift of
Life'' Donation Program in recent years. Collectively, we have worked
to increase organ donation rates and raise awareness about the need for
PH patients to ``early list'' on transplantation waiting lists. For
fiscal year 2010, PHA recommends an appropriation of $30 million for
this important program.
______

Prepared Statement of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: The Religious
Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC) appreciates this opportunity
to submit testimony. We strongly support President Obama's proposal to
eliminate the dedicated funding streams for abstinence-only programs
and to support proven teen pregnancy prevention programs.
RCRC is an interfaith alliance of national mainstream religious
organizations dedicated to ensuring access to reproductive healthcare
and achieving reproductive justice. For more than 35 years, RCRC has
brought together 40 national religious and religiously affiliated
organizations from 15 denominations and traditions. Our membership
includes the Episcopal Church, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the
United Church of Christ, the United Methodist Church (General Board of
Church and Society and Women's Division, General Board of Global
Ministries), the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations;
and Reform, Reconstructionist and Conservative Judaism.
As faith communities, we are committed to sex education in our
public schools that empowers and protects young people, honors diverse
values, and promotes the highest ethical standards. Religious Americans
overwhelmingly favor responsible sex education that is complete, age
appropriate and includes accurate information about abstinence and
contraception.
Abstinence-only-until-marriage programs cannot offer this and
moreover they are ineffective. These programs often are dishonest and
scientifically inaccurate. There is no justification for endangering
the health and well-being of the young people of our Nation for the
sake of a very parochial moral vision.
In fact, while there certainly is great value in adolescents
postponing sex until they are mature, Federal policies that withhold
important life saving information about STDs or HIV/AIDS or other
aspects of reproductive health raise serious moral and ethical
questions. Young people have a basic human right to complete and
accurate HIV/AIDS and sexual health information. Without it they will
be unable to realize the highest attainable standard of health and for
some, their futures will be compromised with disease or unintended
pregnancy.
support of religious communities for comprehensive sexuality education
Major faith traditions representing millions of Americans support
comprehensive sex education. In keeping with our Nation's
constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion, they oppose civil laws
that would impose specific religious views about sexuality education on
all Americans.
These faith communities take seriously their duty to instill a set
of religious and moral values that will help guide young people to
responsible life choices. They believe that it is the role of
Government to ensure that the Nation's youth receive the facts--
unblemished by ideology--that will protect them from disease and
unintended pregnancy.
RCRC has compiled excerpts of official statements of religious
denominations and traditions on the importance of sexuality education.
We have attached a copy of the complete document, Religious Communities
and Sexuality Education: In the Home, In the Congregation, In the
Schools, for your review. But to give you a brief taste of these
statements, please consider the following:
United Methodist Church
--``Children, youth and adults need opportunities to discuss
sexuality and learn from quality sex education materials in
families, churches and schools.''
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
--``. . . supports comprehensive sex education . . . calls upon the
U.S. Congress to cease funding of abstinence only education.''
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
--``. . . supports . . . comprehensive school health education that
includes age and developmentally appropriate sexuality
education in all grades . . .''
Muslim Women's League
--``Sex education can be taught in a way that informs young people
about sexuality in scientific and moral terms.''
Episcopal Church
--``. . . we encourage the members of this Church to give strong
support to responsible local public and private school programs
of education in human sexuality.''
need for attention to disease prevention
Although the President's budget does not link the issues of teen
pregnancy prevention and disease prevention, we know that the most
effective programs are comprehensive and do connect the two. According
to the American Social Health Association, each year 9 million new
cases of STDs occur among young people aged 15-24. Sexually active
youth have the highest STD rates of any age group in the country. Young
people are at greatest risk for STDs because, as a group, they are more
likely to have unprotected sex.
The health consequences of STDs include chronic pain, infertility,
cervical cancer and increased vulnerability to HIV, the virus that
causes AIDS. The transmission of STDs to babies--prenatally, during
birth or after--can cause serious life-long complications and even
death.
We urge the Appropriations Committee to include language that
expands the requirement for funded programs to include disease
prevention.
How did you learn about sex?
This past year, RCRC put out a request to ``tell us your story: how
did you learn about sex?'' We received well more than 400 responses
from individuals around the country age 17 through 94. These replies
offer thoughtful reflections and often intimate, sometimes painful,
glimpses into personal lives.
Among other things, we found that what you learn--or don't learn--
as a young person can have life-long repercussions. And abstinence-only
programs, by their design, leave out important health information.

``If I had known what sex was, I would have understood what was
happening to me when I was molested by a male relative beginning at age
8.''----Deborah, 45
``I wish I'd learned what intercourse was and how easy it is to get
pregnant.''----Anonymous, 79
``I wish I'd learned about STDs and the way in which they can be
transmitted. I was under the impression that oral sex was safe, since
you couldn't get pregnant from it.''----Miranda, 26
``The good girl/bad girl images prevalent when I was young only
served to instill a great deal of fear in me, which negatively impacted
on my marriage for years.''----Anonymous, 57
communities of color
According to former Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders, the black
community's ``problem with sexuality has contributed more to the
poverty in the black community than anything else in our society. A
pregnant teenager who does not finish high school or marry has an 80
percent likelihood of being poor.'' She challenged Congress to ``stop
legislating morals and start teaching responsibility.'' Abstinence-only
education has been proved through studies and in harsh reality to be a
horrible failure. A low-income woman is four times as likely to have an
unintended pregnancy, five times as likely to have an unintended birth
and more than four times as likely to have an abortion as her higher-
income counterpart. It is the poor and communities of color who suffer
from illogical and ineffective public policy. The denominations and
people of faith that comprise RCRC agree with Dr. Elders that ``If I
could make any changes at all to the current health care system, you
know I would start with education, education, education. You can't
educate people that are not healthy. But you certainly can't keep them
healthy if they're not educated.''
RCRC addresses these issues through our National Black Church
Initiative, a program begun in 1997 to ``break the silence'' about sex
and sexuality in the African American community. The initiative assists
Black clergy and laity in addressing teenage pregnancy, sexuality
education and reproductive health within the context of African
American religion and culture. We have worked in more than 700 churches
providing our ``Keeping It Real!'' faith based sexuality education
curriculum to more than 7,000 young men and women. We have a similar
faith based initiative, La Iniciativa Latina (LIL), which provides
model programs on sexuality and reproductive health for Latino youth,
adults and clergy in the context of Latino values, religion and
culture.
But the answer to the Nation's high rate of unintended pregnancy
and pandemic of sexually transmitted diseases does not rest with
churches and nonprofit organizations alone. Public schools must be part
of the solution. We are morally compelled to empower our young people
with the knowledge to make responsible decisions. As Dr. Elders so
succinctly stated, ``Vows of abstinence break more easily than latex
condoms.'' According to the CDC's National Center for Health
Statistics, in 2002, the pregnancy rates for black and Hispanic
teenagers were each more than two and one-half times the rate for white
teenagers. This is the reality.
One of the most compelling arguments for comprehensive sexuality
education was made by a member of our youth program, a proud
Pentecostal Christian from rural Mississippi. In a meeting with her
Member of Congress, she explained that there was no sex education in
her high school and a lot of girls in her class got ``knocked up.''
They did not graduate from high school. They did not marry. Their
futures were compromised. But the impact of these unintended
pregnancies goes well beyond the lives of these young women and their
children. They contribute to the economic depression of their
communities.
conclusion
Let's be real and make a real difference. We know that 95 percent
of Americans will have sex before they marry; therefore programs need
to teach about abstinence and also about contraception, relationships
and disease prevention. We must empower youth with the knowledge to
make responsible decisions.
We believe that being of faith means being engaged in the world.
And like it or not, the facts are clear: more than 80 percent of the
750,000 teen pregnancies each year are unintended and 25 percent of
American teens contract an STD. We want our young people to be safe.
For that to happen, they must be informed by comprehensive sex
education. Offering them anything less is irresponsible and dangerous.
______

Prepared Statement of the Railroad Retirement Board
Mr. Chairman and members of the committee: We are pleased to
present the following information to support the Railroad Retirement
Board's (RRB) fiscal year 2010 budget request.
The RRB administers comprehensive retirement/survivor and
unemployment/sickness insurance benefit programs for railroad workers
and their families under the Railroad Retirement and Railroad
Unemployment Insurance Acts. The RRB also has administrative
responsibilities under the Social Security Act for certain benefit
payments and Medicare coverage for railroad workers. During fiscal year
2008, the RRB paid $10.1 billion in retirement/survivor benefits and
vested dual benefits to about 598,000 beneficiaries. We also paid $80
million in net unemployment/sickness insurance benefits to about 30,000
claimants.
proposed funding for agency administration
The President's proposed budget would provide $109,073,000 for
agency operations, which would enable us to maintain a staffing level
of 920 full-time equivalent staff years in 2010. The proposed budget
would also provide about $1,651,000 for information technology (IT)
investments. This includes $615,000 for costs related to information
security and privacy, and for continuity of operations in the event of
an emergency. The remaining IT funds will be used for E-Government
initiatives, systems modernization, infrastructure needs and system
support.
agency staffing
The RRB's dedicated, experienced employees have been the foundation
for our tradition of excellence in customer service and satisfaction.
And, we have an ongoing need and responsibility to effectively manage
our human capital resources. This is particularly important given the
number of RRB employees who are eligible for retirement and those who
soon will be. We are developing a long-range approach to workforce
planning that will position the agency for continued success in
administering our programs. This includes a detailed analysis of the
demographic features of the RRB workforce and the skills needed to
fulfill our mission. It will also establish a procedural framework for
recruiting, training, and developing talented employees.
Like many agencies, the RRB has an aging workforce. About 30
percent of our workforce is currently eligible to retire, and more than
50 percent will be eligible by fiscal year 2012. In response to this
trend, we have placed added emphasis on filling entry-level positions,
focusing on front-line service employees and claims examiners to the
extent possible. In anticipation of an increase in the agency attrition
rate as more employees become eligible to retire, these new employees
will be key to effectively administering the RRB's programs and
continuing to provide excellent service over the long term.
service improvements
In fiscal year 2009, we have implemented nationwide, toll-free
telephone service, which enables us to dynamically route phone calls
among our offices based on logical business rules and customer needs.
In addition to providing our customers with faster response times, the
toll-free service allows agency management to more effectively balance
and share workloads among offices. We plan to continue expanding the
functionality and services offered through the toll-free number (1-877-
772-5772 or 1-877-RRB-5RRB). Enhancements will focus on new self-
service options available through the toll-free system.
The RRB's long-term information technology strategy also calls for
expanded use of the Internet to provide services to our customers. We
plan to use contractor services to augment agency staff to expand the
electronic services available to the railroad public via the RRB's
website. As part of this strategy, we are continuing to work on the
Employer Reporting System to increase the amount of information related
to railroad compensation, employment and service that employers can
transmit to the RRB through the Internet. In fiscal year 2010, we plan
to expand services to provide additional notifications to rail
employers and enable employers to correct data through the system.
systems modernization
Over the last few years, we have undertaken a series of strategic
measures to improve computer processes and better position the RRB for
the future. First, the agency moved to a relational database
environment, and then optimized the data that reside in the legacy
databases. Our next steps involve modernizing the agency's computer
processes.
Many of the RRB's existing systems are old, complex, and require a
large investment in maintenance. As projected staff attrition occurs,
we will be losing both experienced technical staff and some of the
business subject-matter experts who now support our legacy systems. The
modernization process will enable us to maintain the capability of our
business function in the face of expected staff turnover, and to
upgrade our systems based on the improvements that we have already
completed. Through these initiatives, we will eliminate or reduce
unnecessary or redundant activities, improve the accuracy and security
of our systems and their transactions, make the systems more user-
friendly for agency employees and our customers, improve the
interoperability and flexibility of systems, and improve the RRB's
ability to collaborate with agency partners. These improvements will
ultimately decrease the time and cost to develop and operate RRB
systems and allow an increased focus on new initiatives.
We plan to begin this process in fiscal year 2009, with selection
of the agency's first system to modernize and development of a project
plan. The selected system will serve as a pilot for further
modernization. In fiscal year 2010, we will use contractor services to
evaluate the pilot project's business requirements, identify possible
solutions, analyze them, and recommend one for implementation.
The President's proposed budget includes $64 million to fund the
continuing phase-out of vested dual benefits, plus a 2 percent
contingency reserve, $1,280,000, which ``shall be available
proportional to the amount by which the product of recipients and the
average benefit received exceeds the amount available for payment of
vested dual benefits.''
In addition to the requests noted above, the President's proposed
budget includes $150,000 for interest related to uncashed railroad
retirement checks.
financial status of the trust funds
Railroad Retirement Accounts.--The RRB continues to coordinate its
activities with the National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust
(Trust), which was established by the Railroad Retirement and
Survivors' Improvement Act of 2001 (RRSIA) to manage and invest
railroad retirement assets. Pursuant to the RRSIA, the RRB has
transferred a total of $21.276 billion to the Trust. All of these
transfers were made in fiscal years 2002 through 2004. The Trust has
invested the transferred funds, and the results of these investments
are reported to the RRB and posted periodically on the RRB's website.
The market value of Trust-managed assets on September 30, 2008, was
approximately $25.3 billion. Trust-managed assets have declined as a
result of the general economic downturn in 2008 and the early part of
2009. The Trust reported that Trust-managed assets amounted to $19.1
billion as of March 31, 2009. The Trust has transferred to the RRB for
payment of railroad retirement benefits approximately $7.3 billion
since the inception of the Trust.
In June 2008, we released the annual report on the railroad
retirement system required by section 22 of the Railroad Retirement Act
of 1974, and section 502 of the Railroad Retirement Solvency Act of
1983. The report, which reflects changes in benefit and financing
provisions under the RRSIA, addressed the 25-year period 2008-2032 and
contained generally favorable information concerning railroad
retirement financing. The report included projections of the status of
the retirement trust funds under three employment assumptions. These
indicated that, barring a sudden, unanticipated, large decrease in
railroad employment or substantial investment losses, the railroad
retirement system would experience no cash flow problems throughout the
projection period. Our next report, which will be released in June
2009, will include updated projections reflecting the economic events
of the past year.
Railroad Unemployment Insurance Account.--The equity balance of the
Railroad Unemployment Insurance Account at the end of fiscal year 2008
was $99.9 million, a decrease of $0.8 million from the previous year.
The RRB's latest annual report on the financial status of the railroad
unemployment insurance system was issued in June 2008. The report
indicated that even as maximum daily benefit rates rise 47 percent
(from $59 to $87) from 2007 to 2018, experience-based contribution
rates maintain solvency. The report did not recommend any financing
changes. We will update this analysis in our next annual report on the
system, which will be released in June 2009.
In conclusion, we want to stress the RRB's continuing commitment to
improving our operations and providing quality service to our
beneficiaries. Thank you for your consideration of our budget request.
We will be happy to provide further information in response to any
questions you may have.
______

Prepared Statement of the Railroad Retirement Board
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: My name is Martin J.
Dickman and I am the Inspector General for the Railroad Retirement
Board (RRB). I would like to thank you, Mr. Chairman, and the members
of the subcommittee for your continued support of the Office of
Inspector General (OIG).
budget request and background information
I wish to describe our fiscal year 2010 appropriations request and
our planned activities. The OIG respectfully requests funding in the
amount of $8,186,000 to ensure the continuation of its independent
oversight of the RRB.
The RRB's central mission is to pay accurate and timely benefits.
During fiscal year 2008, the RRB paid approximately $10.1 billion in
retirement and survivor benefits to 598,000 beneficiaries. The RRB also
paid $80 million in net unemployment and sickness insurance benefits to
almost 30,000 claimants during the benefit year ending June 30, 2008.
The RRB contracts with a separate Medicare Part B carrier, Palmetto
GBA, to process Railroad Medicare Part B claims. As of September 30,
2008, there were 469,442 Railroad Medicare Part B beneficiaries and
during fiscal year 2008 Palmetto GBA paid more than $844 million in
medical insurance benefits on their behalf.
During fiscal year 2010, the OIG will focus on areas affecting
program performance; the efficiency and effectiveness of agency
operations; and areas of potential fraud, waste, and abuse.
office of audit (oa)
The mission of the OA is to (1) promote economy, efficiency, and
effectiveness in the administration of RRB programs, and (2) detect and
prevent fraud and abuse in such programs. To accomplish its mission OA
conducts financial, performance and compliance audits and evaluations
of RRB programs. In addition, OA develops the OIG's response to audit-
related requirements and requests for information.
During fiscal year 2010, OA will focus on areas affecting program
performance, the efficiency and effectiveness of agency operations and
areas of potential fraud, waste, and abuse. OA will continue its
emphasis on long-term systemic problems and solutions, and will address
major issues that affect the RRB's service to rail beneficiaries and
their families. OA has identified four broad areas of potential audit
coverage:
--Financial accountability;
--Railroad Retirement Act & Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act
Benefit Program Operations;
--Railroad Medicare program operations; and
--Security, privacy, and information management.
During fiscal year 2010, OA must accomplish the following mandated
activities with its own staff:
--Audit of the RRB's financial statements pursuant to the
requirements of the Accountability of Tax Dollars Act of 2002;
and
--Evaluation of information security pursuant to the Federal
Information Security Management Act (FISMA).
During fiscal year 2010, OA will complete the audit of the RRB's
fiscal year 2009 financial statements and begin its audit of the
agency's fiscal year 2010 financial statements. OA contracts with a
consulting actuary for technical assistance in auditing the RRB's
``Statement of Social Insurance'' which became basic financial
information effective for fiscal year 2006.
In addition to performing the annual evaluation of information
security, OA also conducts audits of individual computer application
systems which are required to support the annual FISMA evaluation. Our
work in this area is targeted toward the identification and elimination
of security deficiencies and system vulnerabilities, including controls
over sensitive personally identifiable information.
OA undertakes additional projects with the objective of allocating
available audit resources to areas in which they will have the greatest
value. In making that determination, OA considers staff availability,
current trends in management, congressional and Presidential concerns.
office of investigations (oi)
The OI focuses its efforts on identifying, investigating and
presenting benefit fraud cases for prosecution. OI conducts
investigations, throughout the United States, relating to the
fraudulent receipt of RRB disability, unemployment, sickness,
retirement/survivor, and Railroad Medicare benefits. OI investigates
railroad employers and unions when there is an indication that they
have submitted false reports to the RRB. OI also investigates
allegations regarding agency employee misconduct and threats against
RRB employees. Investigative efforts can result in criminal
convictions, administrative sanctions, civil penalties and/or the
recovery of program benefit funds.
OI initiates cases based on information from a variety of sources.
The agency conducts computer matching of employment and earnings
information reported to State governments with RRB benefits paid.
Referrals are made to OI if a match is found. OI also receives
allegations of fraud through the OIG Hotline, contacts with State,
local and Federal agencies, and information developed through audits
conducted by the OIG's OA.
OI's investigative results from October 1, 2008 through March 31,
2009 are:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Civil judgments Indictments/information Convictions Recoveries/collections
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12.......................... 16 29 $5,125,573
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OI anticipates an ongoing caseload of approximately 450
investigations in fiscal year 2010. At present, OI has cases open in 47
States, the District of Columbia, and Canada with estimated fraud
losses totaling almost $16 million.
OI will continue to concentrate its resources on cases with the
highest fraud losses. Typically, these cases are related to the RRB's
disability program. Disability fraud cases currently constitute
approximately 50 percent of OI's total caseload. These cases involve
more complicated schemes and result in the recovery of substantial
funds for the agency's trust funds. They also require considerable time
and resources such as travel by special agents to conduct sophisticated
investigative techniques such as surveillance and witness interviews.
These fraud investigations are extremely document-intensive and involve
complicated financial analysis.
Since March 2008, OI has added Railroad Medicare fraud
investigations to its caseload and has identified 35 cases which
involve losses to the Railroad Medicare program. Similar to the
disability fraud matters, Medicare fraud cases are extremely complex in
nature and often involve extensive document/data reviews that demand
significant resources.
OI will continue to investigate fraud violations of railroad
employees collecting unemployment or sickness insurance benefits while
working and receiving wages from an employer. OI will also investigate
retirement fraud and will continue to use the Department of Justice's
Affirmative Civil Enforcement Program to recover trust fund monies from
cases that do not meet U.S. Attorney's guidelines for criminal
prosecution.
OI will also investigate complaints involving administrative
irregularities and any alleged misconduct by agency employees.
In fiscal year 2010, OI will continue to coordinate its efforts
with agency program managers to address vulnerabilities in benefit
programs that allow fraudulent activity to occur and will recommend
changes to ensure program integrity. OI plans to continue proactive
projects to identify fraud matters that are not detected through the
agency's program policing mechanisms.
requested change in operational authority
Oversight of the National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust
The National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust (NRRIT) was
established by the Railroad Retirement and Survivors' Improvement Act
of 2001 (RRSIA) to manage and invest Railroad Retirement assets. As of
February 28, 2009, the RRB's investments in the NRRIT were valued at
approximately $18.3 billion. Although the Trust is a tax-exempt entity
independent of the Federal Government, RRSIA requires the Trust to
report to the RRB. This office has previously reported its concerns
about the RRB's passive relationship with the NRRIT and has identified
the RRB's oversight in this area as a critical issue. However, the
RRSIA does not provide the OIG with oversight authority to conduct
audits and investigations of the NRRIT. This office believes that
independent oversight of the Trust's operations is necessary to ensure
that sufficient reporting mechanisms are in place and to ensure that
the Trustees are fulfilling their fiduciary responsibilities. The OIG
respectfully requests oversight and enforcement authority to conduct
audits and investigations of the NRRIT.
summary
In fiscal year 2010, the OIG will continue to focus its resources
on the review and improvement of RRB operations and will conduct
activities to ensure the integrity of the agency trust funds. This
office will continue to work with agency officials to ensure the agency
is providing quality service to railroad workers and their families.
The OIG will also aggressively pursue all individuals who engage in
activities to fraudulently receive RRB funds. The OIG will continue to
keep the subcommittee and other members of Congress informed of any
agency operational problems or deficiencies. The OIG sincerely
appreciates it cooperative relationship with the agency and the ongoing
assistance extended to its staff during the performance of their audits
and investigations. Thank you for your consideration.
______

Prepared Statement of the Ryan White Medical Providers Coalition
Dear Chairman and Ranking Member: I am Dr. Kathleen Clanon, an HIV
physician and director of the Tri-City Health Center's HIVACCESS
program in Oakland, California. I am submitting public testimony on
behalf of the Ryan White Medical Providers Coalition (RWMPC). I
appreciate the opportunity to discuss the important HIV/AIDS care
conducted at Ryan White Part C funded programs around the country and
to request a dramatic increase in funds. Specifically, we recommend a
$68.4 million increase for part C for fiscal year 2010 resulting in a
total appropriation of $270,254,000.
Our coalition was formed in 2006 to be a voice for medical
providers across the Nation delivering quality care to their patients
through part C of the Ryan White program. We represent every kind of
program from small and rural to large urban sites in every region in
the country. Our membership has rapidly increased as word spread that
an advocacy group was forming to speak on behalf of the needs of part C
programs.
Ryan White Part C funds comprehensive HIV care and treatment--the
services that are directly responsible for the dramatic decreases in
AIDS-related mortality and morbidity over the last decade. We speak for
those who often cannot speak for themselves and we advocate for a full
range of primary care services for this unique population. Sufficient
funding for part C is essential for the work that we do in service of
those living with HIV/AIDS.
While the patient load in our programs is rising in number, funding
for part C has effectively decreased. At the same time, we expect a
continued increase in patients due to higher diagnosis rates and
declining insurance coverage. The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) reports that the number of HIV/AIDS cases increased by
15 percent from 2004 to 2007 in 34 States.\1\ Our patients struggle in
times of plenty; during this economic downturn they will rely on our
comprehensive services more than ever. An increase in funding is
critical to ensure that we are able to sustain and improve our current
staffing levels, which is important to ensure access to healthcare for
our patients, as well as, to provide security to our community. Part C
of the Ryan White program has been under-funded for years, but new
pressures are creating a crisis in our community. The HIV medical
clinics funded through part C have been in dire of increased funding
for years. An infusion of new funding would offer much needed
assistance. Years of near flat funding, combined with large increases
in the patient population, are negatively impacting the ability of part
C providers to serve their patients.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HIV/AIDS
Surveillance Report, 2007. Vol. 19. U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2009:5
www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/resources/reports.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
With the rapid cost increases in all aspects of healthcare
delivery, despite small funding increases programs are still operating
at a funding deficit because we are serving more patients than ever. In
2008, part C programs will treat an estimated 248,070--a dramatic 30
percent increase in less than 10 years. Our clinics are laying off
staff, discontinuing critical services such as laboratory monitoring,
creating waitlists, and operating on a 4-day work week just to get by.
All of this at a time when the new data reporting requirements
resulting from the 2006 reauthorization of Ryan White are requiring
even more staff and administrative time than the 10 percent allocation
permitted.
Frankly, we can do better than this and the HIV/AIDS population
served through part C deserves more support. I have included the
following graph in my testimony to demonstrate the growing disparity
between funding for part C and our patient population. I call the gap
between funding and patients the ``Triangle of Misery'' because it
represents the thousands of patients who deserve more than we can offer
them and the part C programs around the Nation who are struggling to
serve them with rapidly shrinking resources.

The purpose of my testimony is to urge you to respond to this
crisis and ask that you commit to doubling funding for Ryan White Part
C programs by fiscal year 2012. Through a careful process that
determined the actual cost of our care for our patients, the Ryan White
Medical Providers Coalition worked collaboratively with the CAEAR
Coalition and the American Academy of HIV Medicine to calculate the
funding demands for Ryan White Part C. We unanimously agreed that a
Federal appropriation of $407,300,078 is needed for part C.
These are challenging fiscal times, and we recognize the multiple
fiscal constraints you face as you determine how to allocate limited
Federal dollars. That is why we are not asking for $407.3 million for
Ryan White Part C for fiscal year 2010. Rather, we join with our
partners in asking you to commit to doubling our funding by fiscal year
2012. Such an agreement would result in an increase of $68.4 million
for part C for each year: fiscal years 2010, 2011, and 2012. We believe
this is a reasonable approach to meeting the needs of HIV/AIDS patients
served by part C around the country.
It is important for you to understand how we developed our request
number. It is based on the following calculations:
--We assumed that 1,381,418 will be the number of people living with
HIV/AIDS in 2012 based on the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, New Estimates of HIV Prevalence, 2006. The estimate
equals the CDC's 2006 estimated cases multiplied by their
annual estimated prevalence increases for the years 2007-2012.
--Using data from the HRSA HIV/AIDS Bureau we estimated that 248,070
uninsured people living with HIV/AIDS were served by part C
programs in 2008.
--Using data from a report by Julie Gerberding, MD, MPH and Elizabeth
Duke, Ph.D. to the Honorable Henry Waxman (http://
oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID1675) we estimated that 168,688
PLWHA who were underinsured were served by part C programs in
2008.
--We estimate the cost of care per patient at $3,501 per year.
(Gilman, BH, Green, JC. Understanding the variation in costs
among HIV primary care providers. AIDS Care. 2008:20;1050-6.)
--We calculated the cost of providing care to uninsured part C
patients to be $277,916,382 per year (79,382 patients $3,501
cost of care).
--We calculated the costs of providing care to underinsured part C
patients to be $129,383,696 per year (168,688 patients $767
cost of care). The cost of care for underinsured patients is a
conservative estimate based on Institute of Medicine figures.
--The total cost of care for all part C patients will be $407,300,078
in fiscal year 2012.
Our data demonstrate the undeniable. Our patient load is increasing
as is the cost of their care. A substantial Federal investment is
necessary to support part C sites around the country in their efforts
to provide the comprehensive care that we know HIV/AIDS patients
deserve and from which both they and our communities benefit.
I thank you for your attention to our request and urge you to
commit to doubling the funding for Ryan White Part C in 3 years. We
request a $68.4 million increase for part C for fiscal year 2010
resulting in a total appropriation of $270,254,000. By working
together, we are hopeful that in fiscal year 2012 the full
appropriation for Ryan White Part C will be $407,300,078.
______

Prepared Statement of the Spina Bifida Association and Spina Bifida
Foundation
funding request overview
The Spina Bifida Association (SBA) and the Spina Bifida Foundation
(SBF) respectfully request that the subcommittee provide the following
allocations in fiscal year 2010 to help improve quality-of-life for
people with Spina Bifida:
--$7 million for the National Spina Bifida Program at the National
Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities at the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support
existing program initiatives and allow for the further
development of the National Spina Bifida Patient Registry.
--$4.818 million for the CDC's national folic acid education and
promotion efforts to support the prevention of Spina Bifida and
other neural tube defects.
--$25.623 million to strengthen the CDC's National Birth Defects
Prevention Network.
--$77.059 million for the CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and
Developmental Disabilities.
--$405 million for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
(AHRQ).
--$33.349 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to
support biomedical research.
background on spina bifida
On behalf of the more than 185,000 \1\ individuals and their
families who are affected by Spina Bifida--the Nation's most common,
permanently disabling birth defect--SBA and SBF appreciate the
opportunity to submit written testimony for the record regarding fiscal
year 2010 funding for the National Spina Bifida Program and other
related Spina Bifida initiatives. SBA is a national voluntary health
agency working on behalf of people with Spina Bifida and their families
through education, advocacy, research and service. The Spina Bifida
Foundation assists SBA in its fundraising and advocacy efforts. SBA and
SBF stand ready to work with Members of Congress and other stakeholders
to ensure our Nation mounts and sustains a comprehensive effort to
reduce and prevent suffering from Spina Bifida.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ At the First World Congress on Spina Bifida Research and Care
in March 2009 representatives from the CDC reported on new data
indicating that there are an estimated 185,000 individuals living with
Spina Bifida in the United States.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Spina Bifida, a neural tube defect, occurs when the spinal cord
fails to close properly within the first few weeks of pregnancy and
most often before the mother knows that she is pregnant. Over the
course of the pregnancy--as the fetus grows--the spinal cord is exposed
to the amniotic fluid, which increasingly becomes toxic. It is believed
that the exposure of the spinal cord to the toxic amniotic fluid erodes
the spine and results in Spina Bifida. There are varying forms of Spina
Bifida occurring from mild--with little or no noticeable disability--to
severe--with limited movement and function. In addition, within each
different form of Spina Bifida the effects can vary widely.
Unfortunately, the most severe form of Spina Bifida occurs in 96
percent of children born with this birth defect.
The result of this neural tube defect is that most people with it
suffer from a host of physical, psychological, and educational
challenges--including paralysis, developmental delay, numerous
surgeries, and living with a shunt in their skulls, which seeks to
ameliorate their condition by helping to relieve cranial pressure
associated with spinal fluid that does not flow properly. As we have
testified previously, the good news is that after decades of poor
prognoses and short life expectancy, children with Spina Bifida are now
living into adulthood and increasingly into their advanced years. These
gains in longevity, principally, are due to breakthroughs in research,
combined with improvements generally in healthcare and treatment.
However, with this extended life expectancy, our Nation and people with
Spina Bifida now face new challenges--education, job training,
independent living, healthcare for secondary conditions, and aging
concerns, among others. Individuals and families affected by Spina
Bifida face many challenges--physical, emotional, and financial.
Fortunately, with the creation of the National Spina Bifida Program in
2003, individuals and families affected by Spina Bifida now have a
national resource that provides them with the support, information, and
assistance they need and deserve.
As is discussed below, the daily consumption of 400 micrograms of
folic acid by women of childbearing age prior to becoming pregnant and
throughout the first trimester of pregnancy can help reduce the
incidence of Spina Bifida, by up to 70 percent. However, 1,500 babies
are still born each year with Spina Bifida, and, as such, with the
aging of the Spina Bifida population and a steady number of affected
births annually, the Nation must take additional steps to ensure that
all individuals living with this complex birth defect can live full,
healthy, and productive lives.
cost of spina bifida
It is important to note that the lifetime costs associated with a
typical case of Spina Bifida--including medical care, special
education, therapy services, and loss of earnings--are as much as $1
million. The total societal cost of Spina Bifida is estimated to exceed
$750 million per year, with just the Social Security Administration
payments to individuals with Spina Bifida exceeding $82 million per
year. Moreover, tens of millions of dollars are spent on medical care
paid for by the Medicaid and Medicare programs. The emotional,
financial, and physical toll and costs of Spina Bifida on the
individuals and families affected are extraordinary. Efforts to reduce
and prevent suffering from Spina Bifida will help to not only save
money, but will also save--and improve--lives.
improving quality-of-life through the national spina bifida program
SBA has worked with Members of Congress to help improve our
Nation's efforts to prevent Spina Bifida and diminish suffering--and
enhance quality-of-life--for those currently living with this
condition. With appropriate, affordable, and high-quality medical,
physical, and emotional care, most people born with Spina Bifida likely
will have a normal or near normal life expectancy. The CDC's National
Spina Bifida Program works on two critical levels--to reduce and
prevent Spina Bifida incidence and morbidity and to improve quality-of-
life for those living with Spina Bifida. The program seeks to ensure
that what is known by scientists is practiced and experienced by the
individuals affected by Spina Bifida. Moreover, the National Spina
Bifida Program works to improve the outlook for a life challenged by
this complicated birth defect--principally, identifying valuable
therapies from in-utero throughout the lifespan and making them
available and accessible to those in need.
The National Spina Bifida Program serves as a national center for
information and support to help ensure that individuals, families, and
other caregivers, such as health professionals, have the most up-to-
date information about effective interventions for the myriad primary
and secondary conditions associated with Spina Bifida. Among many other
activities, the program helps individuals with Spina Bifida and their
families learn how to treat and prevent secondary health problems, such
as bladder and bowel control difficulties, learning disabilities,
depression, latex allergies, obesity, skin breakdown and social and
sexual issues. Children with Spina Bifida often have learning
disabilities and may have difficulty with paying attention, expressing
or understanding language, and grasping reading and math. All of these
problems can be treated or prevented, but only if those affected by
Spina Bifida--and their caregivers--are properly educated and taught
what they need to know to maintain the highest level of health and
well-being possible. The National Spina Bifida Program's secondary
prevention activities represent a tangible quality-of-life difference
to the 185,000 individuals living with Spina Bifida with the goal being
living well with Spina Bifida.
One way to enhance the knowledge base of Spina Bifida, improve
quality of care, and save precious resources is to establish a patient
registry for Spina Bifida. Plans are underway to create the National
Spina Bifida Patient Registry. This registry is intended to determine
the best clinical practices and the most cost-effective treatment for
Spina Bifida, as well as, support the creation of quality measures to
improve overall care. It is only through clinical research towards
improved care that we can truly save lives, while also realizing a
significant cost savings.
In fiscal year 2009, SBA requested $7 million be allocated to
support and expand the National Spina Bifida Program. In the final
fiscal year 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act, Congress provided $5.468
million for this program, following 3 years of essentially flat
funding. SBA understands that the Congress and the Nation face
unprecedented budgetary challenges and, as such, appreciates this
modest increase. However, the progress being made by the National Spina
Bifida Program must be sustained and expanded to ensure that people
with Spina Bifida--over the course of their lifespan--have the support
and access to quality care they need and deserve. To that end, SBA
respectfully urges the subcommittee to Congress allocate $7 million in
fiscal year 2010 to the program so it can continue and expand its
current scope of work; further develop the National Spina Bifida
Patient Registry; and sustain the National Spina Bifida Resource
Center. Increasing funding for the National Spina Bifida Program will
help ensure that our Nation continues to mount a comprehensive effort
to prevent and reduce suffering from--and the costs of--Spina Bifida.
preventing spina bifida
While the exact cause of Spina Bifida is unknown, over the last
decade, medical research has confirmed a link between a woman's folate
level before pregnancy and the occurrence of Spina Bifida. Sixty-five
million women of child-bearing age are at-risk of having a child born
with Spina Bifida, and each year approximately 3,000 pregnancies in
this country are affected by Spina Bifida, resulting in an estimated
1,500 births. As mentioned above, the daily consumption of 400
micrograms of folic acid prior to becoming pregnant and throughout the
first trimester of pregnancy can help reduce the incidence of Spina
Bifida, by up to 70 percent. There are few public health challenges
that our Nation can tackle and conquer by nearly three-fourths in such
a straightforward fashion. However, we must still be concerned with
addressing the 30 percent of Spina Bifida cases that cannot be
prevented by folic acid consumption, as well as ensuring that all women
of childbearing age--particularly those most at-risk for a Spina Bifida
pregnancy--consume adequate amounts of folic acid prior to becoming
pregnant.
The good news is that progress has been made in convincing women of
the importance of folic acid consumption and the need to maintain a
diet rich in folic acid. Since 1968, the CDC has led the Nation in
monitoring birth defects and developmental disabilities, linking these
health outcomes with maternal and/or environmental factors that
increase risk, and identifying effective means of reducing such risks.
This public health success should be celebrated, but still too many
women of childbearing age consume inadequate daily amounts of folic
acid prior to becoming pregnant, and too many pregnancies are still
affected by this devastating birth defect. The Nation's public
education campaign around folic acid consumption must be enhanced and
broadened to reach segments of the population that have yet to heed
this call--such an investment will help ensure that as many cases of
Spina Bifida can be prevented as possible.
SBA is the managing agent for the National Council on Folic Acid, a
multi-sector partnership reaching more than 100 million people a year
with the folic acid message. The goal is to increase awareness of the
benefits of folic acid, particularly for those at elevated risk of
having a baby with neural tube defects (those who have Spina Bifida
themselves, or those who have already conceived a baby with Spina
Bifida). With additional funding in fiscal year 2010, CDC's folic acid
awareness activities could be expanded to reach the broader population
in need of these public health education, health promotion, and disease
prevention messages. SBA advocates that Congress provide additional
funding to CDC to allow for a targeted public health education and
awareness focus on at-risk populations (e.g., Hispanic-Latino
communities) and health professionals who can help disseminate
information about the importance of folic acid consumption among women
of childbearing age.
In addition to a $7 million fiscal year 2010 allocation for the
National Spina Bifida Program, SBA urges the subcommittee to provide
$4.818 million for the CDC's national folic acid education and
promotion efforts to support the prevention of Spina Bifida and other
neural tube defects; $25.623 million to strengthen the CDC's National
Birth Defects Prevention Network; and a total of $77.059 million for
the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.
improving healthcare for individuals with spina bifida
As you know, AHRQ's mission is to improve the outcomes and quality
of healthcare, reduce healthcare costs, improve patient safety,
decrease medical errors, and broaden access to essential health
services. AHRQ's work is vital to the evaluation of new treatments,
which helps ensure that individuals living with Spina Bifida continue
to receive state-of-the-art care and interventions. To that end, we
request a $405 million fiscal year 2010 allocation for AHRQ, so it can
continue to provide guidance and support to the National Spina Bifida
Patient Registry.
sustain and seize spina bifida research opportunities
Our Nation has benefited immensely from our past Federal investment
in biomedical research at the NIH. SBA joins with other in the public
health and research community in advocating that NIH receive $33.349
billion in fiscal year 2010. This funding will support applied and
basic biomedical, psychosocial, educational, and rehabilitative
research to improve the understanding of the etiology, prevention, cure
and treatment of Spina Bifida and its related conditions. In addition,
SBA respectfully requests that the subcommittee include language in the
report accompanying the fiscal year 2010 Labor, Health and Human
Services, and Education, and related Agencies appropriations measure:
--Urging the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
to continue to support--and expand--a more comprehensive Spina
Bifida research portfolio that focuses on addressing the myriad
secondary effects and conditions associated with Spina Bifida;
--Commending the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and
Kidney Diseases for its interest in exploring issues related to
the neurogenic bladder and to encourage the Institute to forge
ahead with its work in this important topic area; and
--Encouraging the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and
Stroke to continue and expand its research related to the
treatment and management of hydrocephalus.
conclusion
Please know that SBA and SBF stand ready to work with the
subcommittee and other Members of Congress to advance policies and
programs that will reduce and prevent suffering from Spina Bifida.
Again, we thank you for the opportunity to present our views regarding
fiscal year 2010 funding for programs that will improve the quality-of-
life for the 185,000 Americans and their families living with Spina
Bifida.
______

Prepared Statement of the Scleroderma Foundation
Mr. Chairman, I am Cynthia Cervantes, I am 12 and in the ninth
grade. I live in southern California and in October 2006 I was
diagnosed with scleroderma. Scleroderma means ``hard skin'' which is
literally what scleroderma does and, in my case, also causes my
internal organs to stiffen and contract. This is called diffuse
scleroderma. It is a relatively rare disorder effecting only about
300,000 Americans.
About 2 years ago I began to experience sudden episodes of
weakness, my body would ache and my vision was worsening, some days it
was so bad I could barely get myself out of bed. I was taken to see a
doctor after my feet became so swollen that calcium began to ooze out.
It took the doctors (period of time) to figure out exactly what was
wrong with me, because of how rare scleroderma is.
There is no known cause for scleroderma, which affects three times
as many women as men. Generally, women are diagnosed between the ages
of 25 and 45, but some kids, like me, are affected earlier in life.
There is no cure for scleroderma, but it is often treated with skin
softening agents, anti-inflammatory medication, and exposure to heat.
Sometimes a feeding tube must be used with a scleroderma patient
because their internal organs contract to a point where they have
extreme difficulty digesting food.
The Scleroderma Foundation has been very helpful to me and my
family. They have provided us with materials to educate my teachers and
others about my disease. Also, the support groups the foundation helps
organize are very helpful because they help show me that I can live a
normal, healthy life, and how to approach those who are curious about
why I wear gloves, even in hot weather. It really means a lot to me to
be able to interact with other people in the same situation as me
because it helps me feel less alone.
Mr. Chairman, because the causes of scleroderma are currently
unknown and the disease is so rare, and we have a great deal to learn
about it in order to be able to effectively treat it. I would like to
ask you to please significantly increase funding for the National
Institute of Health (NIH) so treatments can be found for other people
like me who suffer from scleroderma. It would also be helpful to start
a program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to educate
the public and physicians about scleroderma.
overview of the scleroderma foundation and scleroderma
Scleroderma Foundation
The Scleroderma Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in
Danvers, Massachusetts with a three-fold mission of support, education,
and research. The Foundation has 21 chapters nationwide and more than
175 support groups.
The Scleroderma Foundation was established on January 1, 1998
through a merger between two organizations, one on the west coast and
one on the east coast, which can trace their beginnings back to the
early 1970s. The Foundation's mission is to provide support for people
living with scleroderma and their families through programs such as
peer counseling, doctor referrals, and educational information, along
with a toll-free telephone helpline for patients and a quarterly
magazine, The Scleroderma Voice.
The Foundation also provides education about the disease to
patients, families, the medical community, and the general public
through a variety of awareness programs at both the local and national
levels. More than $1 million in peer-reviewed research grants are
awarded annually to institutes and universities to stimulate progress
in the search for a cause and cure for scleroderma. Building awareness
of the disease to patients, families, the medical community, and the
general public to not only generate more funding for medical research,
but foster a greater understanding of the complications faced by people
living with the disease is a further major focus.
Among the many programs arranged by the Foundation is the Annual
Patient Education Conference held each summer. The conference brings
together an average of 500 attendees and experts for a wide range of
workshops on such topics as the latest research initiatives, coping and
disease management skills, caregiver support, and exercise programs.
Scleroderma Overview
Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease which means that it is a
condition in which the body's immune system attacks its own tissues. In
autoimmune disorders, this ability to distinguish foreign from self is
compromised. As immune cells attack the body's own tissue, inflammation
and damage result. Scleroderma (the name means ``hard skin'') can vary
a great deal in terms of severity. For some, it is a mild condition;
for others it can be life threatening. Although there are medications
to slow down disease progression and help with symptoms, there is as
yet no cure for scleroderma.
Who Gets Scleroderma?
There are many clues that define susceptibility to develop
scleroderma. A genetic basis for the disease has been suggested by the
fact that it is more common among patients whose family members have
other autoimmune diseases (such as lupus). In rare cases, scleroderma
runs in families, although for the vast majority of patients there is
no other family member affected. Some Native Americans and African
Americans get worse scleroderma disease than Caucasians.
Women are more likely to get scleroderma. Environmental factors may
trigger the disease in the susceptible host. Localized scleroderma is
more common in children, whereas scleroderma is more common in adults.
However, both can occur at any age.
There are an estimated 300,000 people in the United States who have
scleroderma, about one-third of whom have the systemic form of
scleroderma. Diagnosis is difficult and there may be many misdiagnosed
or undiagnosed cases as well.
Scleroderma can develop and is found in every age group from
infants to the elderly, but its onset is most frequent between the ages
of 25 to 55. There are many exceptions to the rules in scleroderma,
perhaps more so than in other diseases. Each case is different.
Causes of Scleroderma
The cause is unknown. However, we do understand a great deal about
the biological processes involved. In localized scleroderma, the
underlying problem is the overproduction of collagen (scar tissue) in
the involved areas of skin. In systemic sclerosis, there are three
processes at work: blood vessel abnormalities, fibrosis (which is
overproduction of collagen) and immune system dysfunction, or
autoimmunity.
research
Research suggests that the susceptible host for scleroderma is
someone with a genetic predisposition to injury from some external
agent, such as a viral or bacterial infection or a substance in the
diet or environment. In localized scleroderma, the resulting damage is
confined to the skin. In systemic sclerosis, the process causes injury
to blood vessels, or indirectly perturbs the blood vessels by
activating the immune system.
Research continues to assemble the pieces of the scleroderma puzzle
to identify the susceptibility genes, to find the external trigger and
cellular proteins driving fibrosis, and to interrupt the networks that
perpetuate the disease.
types of scleroderma
There are two main forms of scleroderma: systemic (systemic
sclerosis, SSc) that usually affects the internal organs or internal
systems of the body as well as the skin, and localized that affects a
local area of skin either in patches (morphea) or in a line down an arm
or leg (linear scleroderma), or as a line down the forehead
(scleroderma en coup de sabre). It is very unusual for localized
scleroderma to develop into the systemic form.
Systemic Sclerosis
There are two major types of systemic sclerosis (SSc)--limited
cutaneous SSc and diffuse cutaneous SSc. In limited SSc, skin
thickening only involves the hands and forearms, lower legs, and feet.
In diffuse cutaneous disease, the hands, forearms, the upper arms,
thighs, or trunk are affected.
The face can be affected in both forms. The importance of making
the distinction between limited and diffuse disease is that the extent
of skin involvement tends to reflect the degree of internal organ
involvement.
Several clinical features occur in both limited and diffuse
cutaneous SSc. Raynaud's phenomenon occurs in both. Raynaud's
phenomenon is a condition in which the fingers turn pale or blue upon
cold exposure, and then become ruddy or red upon warming up. These
episodes are caused by a spasm of the small blood vessels in the
fingers. As time goes on, these small blood vessels become damaged to
the point that they are totally blocked. This can lead to ulcerations
of the fingertips.
People with the diffuse form of SSc are at risk of developing
pulmonary fibrosis (scar tissue in the lungs that interferes with
breathing, also called interstitial lung disease), kidney disease, and
bowel disease.
The risk of extensive gut involvement, with slowing of the movement
or motility of the stomach and bowel, is higher in those with diffuse
rather than limited SSc. Symptoms include feeling bloated after eating,
diarrhea, or alternating diarrhea and constipation.
Calcinosis refers to the presence of calcium deposits in, or just
under, the skin. This takes the form of firm nodules or lumps that tend
to occur on the fingers or forearms, but can occur anywhere on the
body. These calcium deposits can sometimes break out to the skin
surface and drain whitish material (described as having the consistency
of toothpaste).
Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) is high blood pressure in the blood
vessels of the lungs. It is totally independent of the usual blood
pressure that is taken in the arm. This tends to develop in patients
with limited SSc after several years of disease. The most common
symptom is shortness of breath on exertion. However, several tests need
to be done to determine if PH is the real culprit. There are now many
medications to treat PH.
Localized Scleroderma
Morphea
Morphea consists of patches of thickened skin that can vary from
one-half inch to 6 inches or more in diameter. The patches can be
lighter or darker than the surrounding skin and thus tend to stand out.
Morphea, as well as the other forms of localized scleroderma, does not
affect internal organs.
Linear scleroderma
Linear scleroderma consists of a line of thickened skin down an arm
or leg on one side. The fatty layer under the skin can be lost, so the
affected limb is thinner than the other one. In growing children, the
affected arm or leg can be shorter than the other.
Scleroderma en coup de sabre
Scleroderma en coup de sabre is a form of linear scleroderma in
which the line of skin thickening occurs on the forehead or elsewhere
on the face. In growing children, both linear scleroderma and en coup
de sabre can result in distortion of the growing limb or lack of
symmetry of both sides of the face.
fiscal year 2010 appropriations recommendations
A 7 percent overall increase for NIH.
A 7 percent increase for the National Institute of Arthritis and
Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) at the NIH.
A subcommittee recommendation encouraging NIAMS to support a State
of the Science Conference on Scleroderma in fiscal year 2010.
Subcommittee recommendation encouraging the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention to partner with the Scleroderma Foundation to
promoting increased awareness of scleroderma among the general public
and healthcare providers.
______

Prepared Statement of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of
America
Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) was founded
in 1980 to advance the application of the science of healthcare
epidemiology. SHEA works to achieve the highest quality of patient care
and healthcare personnel safety in all health care settings by applying
epidemiologic principles and prevention strategies to a wide range of
quality-of-care issues. SHEA is a growing organization, strengthened by
its membership in all branches of medicine, public health, and
healthcare epidemiology.
SHEA and its members are committed to implementing evidence-based
strategies to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). SHEA
members have scientific expertise in evaluating potential strategies
for eliminating preventable HAIs. We collaborate with a wide range of
infection prevention and infectious disease societies, specialty
medical societies in other fields, quality improvement organizations,
and patient safety organizations in order to identify and disseminate
evidence-based practices.
Our principal partners in the private sector are sister societies
such as the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Association
of Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), its Division of Healthcare
Quality Promotion (DHQP) and the Federal Healthcare Infection Practices
Advisory Committee (HICPAC), and the Council of State and Territorial
Epidemiologists have been invaluable Federal partners in the
development of guidelines for the prevention and control of HAIs and in
their support of translational research designed to bring evidence-
based practices to patient care. Further, collaboration between experts
in the field (epidemiologists and infection preventionists), CDC and
the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) plays a critical
role in defining and prioritizing the research agenda. More recently,
SHEA has aligned with the Joint Commission and the American Hospital
Association to produce and promote the implementation of evidence-based
recommendations in the Compendium of Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-
Associated Infections in Acute Care Hospitals (http://www.shea-
online.org/about/compendium.cfm). The organization also contributes
expert scientific advice to quality improvement organizations such as
the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), the National Quality
Forum, and State-based task forces focused on infection prevention and
public reporting issues.
The current swine flu emergency and the Obama administration's
request for an additional $1.5 billion to address the situation
highlights the need for ongoing congressional support of a national
prevention strategy and dedicated funding stream for core public health
programs. It is our hope that health reform can serve as an opportunity
to strengthen our public health infrastructure and reorient our health
system towards prevention and preparedness.
SHEA applauds the Congress for its support of HAI prevention and
reduction activities through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
(ARRA) and the fiscal year 2009 Omnibus Appropriations bill. The
Society is collaborating with the Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) and the CDC to translate agency goals and objectives for
these funds into actions at the bedside that can achieve meaningful
reductions in preventable HAIs. However, SHEA believes that this level
of funding is substantially insufficient to address a problem estimated
by CDC to be one of the top 10 causes of death in the Nation and one
that poses a significant economic burden on the Nation's healthcare
system.
SHEA supports the conclusions of last year's GAO report on
coordination among HHS agencies related to HAI prevention. We believe
that coordinated action among CDC, the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services (CMS) and AHRQ is critical. CDC and its DHQP should
function as the lead agency in surveillance and prevention activities
related to HAIs at the Federal level because of its historic and
successful role in this area. CDC has had an enviable track record of
prevention and its development and management of the foremost
surveillance system of its kind, the National Healthcare Safety Network
(NHSN) has created a national resource that many States have now
mandated as their public reporting tool. Furthermore, guidelines
developed by the HICPAC are widely regarded as the standards for the
field. Coordinated activity among the agencies can lead to better
informed public policy and payment reform.
Clearly, the CDC plays a critical role in public health protection
through its health promotion, prevention, preparedness, and research
activities. As you consider fiscal year 2010 funding levels for the
CDC, SHEA urges your support of at least $8.6 billion for CDC's ``core
programs'' (not including the mandatory funding provided for the
Vaccines for Children Program) to ensure that the agency is able to
carry out its prevention mission and to assure an adequate translation
of new research into effective State and local programs. In addition to
maintaining a strong public health infrastructure and protecting
Americans from public health threats and emergencies, SHEA strongly
believes that CDC programs play a vital role in reducing healthcare
costs and improving the public's health.
Within this total, SHEA recommends a fiscal year 2010 funding level
of $2.4 billion for CDC's Infectious Diseases program budget which
supports vital management and coordination functions for infectious
disease science, program, and policy, including infectious disease
specific epidemiology and laboratory activities. In particular, SHEA
believes that protecting and improving resources for implementation of
programs that standardize measurement of appropriate HAI outcomes and
performance measures should be a priority. Our most valuable resource
in this regard is NHSN, a voluntary, secure, Internet-based
surveillance system that integrates and expands patient and healthcare
personnel safety surveillance systems. Many States consider NHSN to be
the best option for implementing standardized reporting of HAI data.
NHSN has now been adopted by 19 States and more than 2,100 U.S.
hospitals for the surveillance and reporting of HAIs. It is an
enormously important national resource and effective funding and
support is essential to expand its implementation. Further, recognizing
that multiple States mandate the use of NHSN for State public
reporting, immediate efforts should be made to enable interfaces
between electronic health records and NHSN. In this way, additional
burdens are not placed upon healthcare entities from either an
infection prevention and control or information technology perspective
as the desirability for national database integration proceeds.
As already noted, SHEA believes that additional Federal dollars
should be appropriated for HAI prevention and reduction to build upon
the investment already made through the ARRA and fiscal year 2009
omnibus appropriations bill. It is SHEA's perspective that additional
funding in this area will have the greatest impact when prioritized in
the following ways:
--SHEA strongly encourages an emphasis on implementation of evidence-
based practices, as supported by guidelines (CDC-HICPAC) and
evidence-based recommendations (Compendium of Strategies to
Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections in Acute Care
Hospitals). Protecting the health of our patients and
preventing HAIs in the settings where healthcare is delivered
in the United States will require a multi-faceted approach that
includes identification and widespread adoption of evidence-
based best practices. Where evidence does not exist, uniformity
in practice should be adopted and studied to determine
effectiveness. Failed practices should be discarded and
successes widely disseminated. Prevention and control of HAIs
also will require better tools in the form of new and novel
antimicrobial agents, better knowledge of strategies to effect
implementation and adherence to proven prevention methods, and
accountability for performance.
--SHEA supports investment in training and education programs for
both hospital-wide personnel, local public health personnel and
patients/families in evidence-based prevention practices and
development of educational materials /tools for patients and
families with respect to HAI and multiple drug resistant
organisms (MDRO).
--SHEA supports a broad context for use of dollars for HAIs rather
than pathogen-specific targets or mandates (e.g., on MRSA or C.
difficile). Ideally, funding should be tied to locally
identified priorities emphasizing that implementation of best
practice bundles for catheter-associated bloodstream infections
(CLA-BSI), ventilator-associated pneumonia and catheter-
associated urinary tract infection (CA-UTI) will have a greater
impact on prevention of HAIs, including those due to MDRO, than
pathogen-specific practices. This approach recognizes the
influence of local conditions on the control of healthcare-
associated infections, and allows rapid modification of
strategies as new knowledge is gained. As an example, SHEA and
CMS emphasize that a risk assessment must be the first step in
any epidemiologic study or infection prevention and control
program in order to target preventive efforts effectively. We
are pleased that the Joint Commission supports this critical
step by developing it into a basic infection prevention
standard. SHEA believes that this strategy allows healthcare
facilities to use local information to develop and implement
optimal and individualized prevention plans designed to reduce
healthcare-associated infections that are identified as local
problems. Goals should be written in such a way to allow
hospitals the flexibility to identify and target their own
safety threats within the domains that are considered critical,
and healthcare facilities should be expected to be able to
justify their infection prevention program based on local risk
assessments.
--SHEA supports investment in hospital infrastructure and qualified
personnel for infection prevention and control including
epidemiologists, infection prevention and control
professionals, NHSN implementation, and adequate microbiology/
lab diagnostic capability as dictated by locally derived needs
assessment and priority.
--SHEA believes that funds made available through CDC and AHRQ should
be used, in part, for translational research projects that can
allow more rapid integration of science into practice. As an
example, this could involve use of funds to support positions
through which large collaboratives could be supported in States
not currently part of AHRQ or HRET projects (for example PHRI
and Keystone, which have achieved successful reductions in
device-associated infections). Experts in the field
(Epidemiologists and Infection Preventionists), in
collaboration with CDC and the AHRQ, should be engaged in order
to further define and prioritize the research agenda. As we
strive to eliminate all preventable HAIs, we need to identify
the gaps in our understanding of what is actually preventable.
This distinction is critical to help guide subsequent research
priorities and to help set realistic expectations. SHEA
believes in the importance of conducting basic, epidemiological
and translational studies (to fill basic and clinical science
gaps). While health services research (i.e., successful
implementation of strategies already known or suspected to be
beneficial) may provide some immediate short-term benefit, to
achieve further success, a substantial investment in basic
science, translational medicine, and epidemiology is needed to
permit effective and precise, interventions that prevent HAIs.
--SHEA strongly favors local decision-making about priorities for use
of funds; however, State efforts should be aligned with CDC
priorities and should be carried out through collaboration with
key stakeholders such as State hospital associations and local
experts. CDC should lead the effort to measure and report on
the success of State prevention efforts to HHS.
With respect to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), SHEA is
very pleased that the ARRA infused the Institutes with billions of
dollars for research projects that will enable growth and investment in
biomedical research and development, public health and healthcare
delivery. The NIH is the single-largest funding source for infectious
diseases research in the United States and the life-source for many
academic research centers. The NIH-funded work conducted at these
centers lays the ground work for advancements in treatments, cures, and
medical technologies. We applaud Congress for acknowledging the impact
of scientific research in stimulating the economy.
SHEA believes that any national effort designed to address the
problem of HAIs should begin with the following principles: scrutiny of
the science base; development of an aggressive, prioritized research
agenda; the conduct of studies that address the identified questions;
creation and deployment of guidelines based on the outcomes of these
studies, followed by studies that assess the efficacy of the
intervention.
In order to determine the preventability of infections, we first
need to understand how and why these infections occur. A comprehensive
national research agenda on HAIs must include at least three major
categories of research: pathogenesis, epidemiology, and infection
prevention strategies. A fourth area of, perhaps, even greater
importance is the development and use of improved approaches to the
design of healthcare epidemiology studies. Carefully designed
multicenter prospective clinical trials are needed to establish the
effectiveness of prevention and control strategies.
Unfortunately, support for basic, translational, and
epidemiological research on HAIs has not been a priority of major
funding bodies. Despite the fact that HAIs are among the top 10 annual
causes of death in the United States, scientists studying these
infections have received relatively less funding than colleagues in
many other disciplines. In 2008, NIH estimated that it spent more than
$2.9 billion dollars on funding for HIV/AIDS research, about $2 billion
on cardiovascular disease research, about $664 million on obesity
research and, by comparison, National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases provided $18 million for MRSA research. SHEA
believes that as the magnitude of the HAI problem becomes part of the
dialogue on healthcare reform, it is imperative that the Congress and
funding organizations put significant resources behind this momentum.
The limited availability of Federal funding to study HAIs has the
effect of steering young investigators interested in pursuing research
on HAIs toward other, better-funded fields. While industry funding is
available, the potential conflicts of interest, particularly in the
area of infection-prevention technologies, make this option seriously
problematic. These challenges are limiting professional interest in the
field and hampering the clinical research enterprise at a time when it
should be expanding.
Our discipline is faced with the need to bundle, implement, and
adhere to interventions we believe to be successful while
simultaneously conducting basic, epidemiological, pathogenetic, and
translational studies that are needed to move our discipline to the
next level of evidence-based patient safety. The current convergence of
scientific, public, and legislative interest in reducing rates of HAIs
can provide the necessary momentum to address and answer important
questions in HAI research. SHEA strongly urges you to enhance NIH
funding for fiscal year 2010 to ensure adequate support for the
research foundation that holds the key to addressing the multifaceted
challenges presented by HAIs.
SHEA thanks for the subcommittee for this opportunity to share our
priorities with respect to fiscal year 2010 funding for HHS, CDC, and
the NIH. SHEA is pleased to serve as a resource to the subcommittee
going forward on issues related to healthcare epidemiology.
______

Prepared Statement of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee: The Society for
Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) is pleased to have the opportunity to
submit testimony in support of the fiscal year 2010 budget for the
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
Established in 1977, SMFM is dedicated to improving maternal and
child outcomes; and raising the standards of prevention, diagnosis, and
treatment of maternal and fetal disease.
issue
Preterm birth is a major public health priority and a major
research priority for NICHD.
--Nearly 500,000 babies born in the United States (1 of every 8
births) are preterm and the number continues to rise.
--The annual cost due to preterm birth in the United States is
estimated to be $26 billion.
--These infants are at high risk for a variety of disorders including
mental retardation, cerebral palsy and vision impairment.
--They are also at high risk for long-term health issues including
heart attack, stroke, and diabetes.
NICHD has been given the mandate of supporting almost all research
into maternal, child, and fetal health problems. In 1986, the NICHD
established the Maternal Fetal Medicine Units Network to achieve a
greater understanding and pursue development of effective treatments
for the prevention of preterm births, intrauterine fetal growth
disorders, and medical complications during pregnancy. The Network
currently funds 14 university-based clinical centers and one data
coordinating center, located around the country. Each site is funded
for 5 years and is renewed by open competition. The advantages of doing
clinical trials within the Network include: having large populations
with which to conduct studies (there are approximately 120,000 births
per year within the Network); provides diverse populations across an
array of ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds--as a result, the study
outcomes are more likely to prove effective in real-world clinical
practice.
The Network has made a number of landmark contributions to
obstetric practice. In particular, NICHD-supported research identified
progesterone as a medication that can reduce premature deliveries
significantly, and now patients are benefiting from this treatment.
Another major advance is the use of magnesium sulfate--a common
treatment to delay labor--to reduce the risk of cerebral palsy in
preterm infants.
Building on information gathered in previous Network studies, the
Network is currently addressing whether progesterone will also prevent
preterm birth in first pregnancies found to have a short cervix. We
have learned that:
--one of the largest segments of women at risk for preterm births are
those having their first child.
--when an ultrasound exam shows a short cervix (the opening of a
woman's uterus), the risk of preterm birth is much higher.
--progesterone injections reduce the risk for those women with a
prior preterm birth.
If benefit can be shown, progesterone will then be an intervention
for prematurity prevention to apply to the largest segment of pregnant
women at risk for preterm birth.
While we are making progress, there are still many areas about
maternal health, pregnancy, fetal well-being, labor, and delivery and
the developing child that NICHD investigators must understand better.
For example:
--Steroids for the prevention of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)
and neonatal complications in the late preterm infant (34-37
weeks).
--Evaluation of the STAN monitor as an adjunct to intrapartum fetal
monitoring to improve outcome of labor.
However these areas are not being pursued due to a projected
limited budget.
We urge the subcommittee, as you move forward with your
deliberations on the fiscal year 2010 budget, to provide greater
resources to National Institutes of Health and in particular to the
NICHD. Without a substantial increase and sustained investment in the
critical medical research being conducted by the NICHD, therapies and
preventive strategies that have a significant impact on the health of
mothers and their babies will be delayed.
recommendation
SMFM recommends that Congress provide at least a 7 percent increase
more than the fiscal year 2009 budget for NICHD in fiscal year 2010.
Within the funds appropriated to the NICHD, SMFM urges Congress to
instruct NICHD to adequately fund the Maternal Fetal Medicine Units
Network.
Thank you for the opportunity to submit our concerns to the
subcommittee.
______

Prepared Statement of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine
Mr. Chairman, the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, the
Association of Departments of Family Medicine, the Association of
Family Medicine Residency Directors, and the North American Primary
Care Research Group thank you for the opportunity to provide this
testimony in support of funding for family medicine training in health
professions training, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
(AHRQ) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
healthcare reform requires a robust primary care workforce
Healthcare reform without measures to address the need for more
primary care physicians will never be comprehensive or effective; it
will not be able to help the most vulnerable populations, and it will
not address the significant cost and quality issues currently so
problematic in the United States. Increased access for patients in
terms of insurance coverage is critical, but not sufficient to resolve
the growing shortage of primary care physicians. In fact increased
coverage, without increased numbers of primary care physicians, is a
recipe for disaster.
Solving the problem of the primary care crisis requires a multi-
faceted solution. One key element is to increase the value of primary
care, both in terms of payment rates and loan forgiveness, and through
other avenues to make primary care an attractive specialty choice for
medical students. A second is to change the incentives and rules
surrounding training under the Medicare graduate medical education
system. A third is to increase funding of programs that are effective
in producing more primary care physicians, such as the primary care
medicine and dentistry cluster of the health professions training
programs. And the fourth is to support research regarding the clinical
needs of most people seeking care, relating to the most common acute,
chronic, and comorbid conditions routinely cared for by primary care
physicians.
It is the latter two building blocks: funding for primary care
physician training programs and funding for primary care research that
come under this subcommittee's jurisdiction and that this testimony
addresses
Health Professions: Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry (title VII,
section 747)
We recommend that Congress build on the investment in primary care
medicine training made in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
(ARRA) by providing an appropriation of $215 million for primary care
medicine and dentistry health professions training grants. The fiscal
year 2009 omnibus appropriations bill only provided $500,000 more for
these programs than in fiscal year 2008. This funding level ($48.4
million) is less than half of the funding these programs received in
fiscal year 2003. We appreciate your efforts in that the House had
proposed to double that account in the ARRA. We applaud the $300
million included for the National Health Service Corps, but we do not
know how the remaining $200 million in workforce funds will be
distributed between the many other workforce programs included in the
ARRA.
key advisory committees know these programs are effective
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) calls the title VII program an
``undervalued asset.'' Title VII, section 747, administered by HRSA, is
the only program aimed directly at training primary care physicians. On
December 12, 2008, the Institute of Medicine released ``HHS in the 21st
Century: Charting a New Course for a Healthier America,'' which points
to the drastic decline in title VII funding. Within that report, the
IOM terms title VII an ``undervalued asset.
The HRSA Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine
and Dentistry \1\ recommends an annual minimum level of $215 million
for the title VII, section 747 grant program. The Committee reasoned
that:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The Role of Title VII, Section 747 in Preparing Primary Care
Practitioners to Care for the Underserved and Other High-Risk Groups
and Vulnerable Populations. Sixth Annual Report to the Secretary of the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and to Congress.

Title VII funds are essential to support major primary care
training programs that train the providers who work with vulnerable
populations . . . additional funding is also necessary to prepare
current and future primary care providers for their critical role in
responding to healthcare challenges including demographic changes in
the population, increased prevalence of chronic conditions, decreased
access to care, and a need for effective first-response strategies in
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
instances of acts of terrorism or natural disasters.

The Congressional Research Service also found that reduced funding
for the primary care medicine and dentistry cluster had a deleterious
impact on the effectiveness of these programs--at a time when more,
rather than less primary care is needed. For example, ``In fiscal year
2006, the program supported a total of 17,870 individuals in clinical
training in underserved areas, a decrease from the support of 31,153
individuals in fiscal year 2005.'' \2\ This is a decrease of almost 43
percent, in only 1 year.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ CRS Report to Congress. February 7, 2008 Title VII Health
Professions Education and Training: Issues in Reauthorization (Order
Code RL32546).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A study in the Annals of Family Medicine (September/October 2008)
shows that medical schools that receive primary care training dollars
produce more physicians who work in Community Health Centers (CHCs) and
serve in the National Health Service Corps compared to schools without
title VII primary care funding. In spite of an effort to double the
capacity of CHCs between 2002 and 2006, CHCs have found it difficult to
recruit a sufficient number of primary care physicians and have
hundreds of vacant positions.
programs are economic drivers of cost-savings and higher quality
A Health Affairs (April 2004) article found a lower quality of care
in States with higher levels of Medicare spending. The authors from the
Dartmouth Center for the Evaluative Clinical Sciences found that States
with more specialists and fewer primary care physicians had
significantly higher costs and lower quality. A small increase in the
number of primary care physicians in a State was associated with a
large boost in that State's quality ranking. Indeed, States at the 75th
percentile in number of primary care physicians per capita recorded
Medicare costs $1,600 less per Medicare beneficiary per year and
higher-quality indicators than States at the 25th percentile. If all
States were to move to this level of primary care services, higher-
quality care could be delivered at a savings of $60 billion or more per
year for Medicare patients alone. Increased funding for title VII,
section 747 could train more family doctors to be available to provide
this much needed high-quality, lower-cost care.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Medicare Payment
Advisory Commission have noted research indicating that access to
primary care is associated with better health outcomes and lower
healthcare costs. The GAO states ``Ample research in recent years
concludes that the nation's over reliance on specialty care services at
the expense of primary care leads to a healthcare system that is less
efficient. At the same time, research shows that preventive care, care
coordination for the chronically ill, and continuity of care--all
hallmarks of primary care medicine--can achieve improved outcomes and
cost savings.'' \3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ Testimony before the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions, U.S. Senate. Primary Care Professionals: Recent Supply
Trends, Projections and Valuation of Services. Statement of A. Bruce
Steinwald, Director Health Care, United States Accountability Office.
February 12, 2008 GAO-08-472T.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
According to a report prepared by the National Association of
Community Health Centers, The Robert Graham Center, and Capitol
Link,\4\ ``There is a growing consensus among the Nation's political
and industry leaders that the U.S. health care crisis has shifted from
the realm of the poor and disenfranchised, to the doorstep of middle-
class America.'' Additionally, they cite the following:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ Access Granted: The Primary Care Payoff, August 2007, National
Association of Community Health Centers, The Robert Graham Center,
Capitol Link (pgs 1-2).

``If every American made use of primary care, the healthcare system
would see $67 billion in savings annually. This reflects not only those
who do not have access to primary care, but also those who rely
extensively on costly specialists for most of their care, leading to
inefficiencies in the system. More specifically, the expansion of
Medical homes can even more dramatically facilitate effective use of
health care, improve health outcomes, minimize health disparities, and
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
lower overall costs of care.''

Another study by the Robert Graham Center,\5\ found that the
economic impact of one family physician to his or her community was
just more than $900,000 annually. Family physicians are the specialty
most widely distributed throughout the United States. Using the data
from their study on the economic impact of family physicians in their
communities, they estimate that family physicians generate a nationwide
economic impact of more than $46 billion per year. This is a
conservative estimate, and does not include a number of intangible and
other tangible economic benefits of family physicians, such as their
contribution to the generation of income for other local healthcare
organizations such as hospitals and nursing homes. In addition, while
most medical specialties tend to cluster in urban areas and near
academic health centers, family physicians are the specialists that are
most likely to work in the poorest rural and urban areas. These
underdeveloped geographies are also the ones most likely to be
medically underserved.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ The Family Physician as Economic Stimulus, http://www.graham-
center.org/online/graham/home/tools-resources/directors-corner/dc-
economic-stimulus.html.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Multiple studies from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public
Health have demonstrated that disparities in healthcare outcomes due to
income inequality and socioeconomic status are reduced when there is an
adequate supply of primary care.
AHRQ and NIH--Health Care Reform Requires New Areas of Endeavor
Research related to the most common acute, chronic, and comorbid
conditions that primary care clinicians care for on a daily basis is
currently lacking. Primary care physicians are in the best position to
design and implement research of the common clinical questions
confronted in practice. Funding should be increased both for the
training of primary care researchers and for this type of clinical
research. Such training is necessary to impart critical research skills
to the primary care workforce and to contribute to the body of
knowledge necessary to put primary care on similar footing with other
specialties that have established research infrastructures. We are
pleased with the infusion of funding through the ARRA for comparative
effectiveness research, but there is a need to provide new funding
directly toward specific clinical and translational endeavors.
ahrq
AHRQ supports research to improve healthcare quality, reduce costs,
advance patient safety, decrease medical errors, and broaden access to
essential services. While targeted funding increases in recent years
have moved AHRQ in the right direction, more core funding is needed to
help AHRQ fulfill its mission. We support the request of the Friends of
AHRQ which recommends an fiscal year 2010 base funding level of $405
million, an increase of $32 million over the fiscal year 2009 level.
This increase will preserve AHRQ's current initiatives and get the
agency on track to a base budget of $500 million by 2013.
IOM's report, Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for
the 21st Century (2001) recommended a much larger investment in AHRQ.
It recommended $1 billion a year for AHRQ to ``develop strategies,
goals, and action plans for achieving substantial improvements in
quality in the next 5 years.'' AHRQ is critical to retooling the
American healthcare system.
One of the hallmarks of the Patient-Centered Medical Home is
evidence-based medicine. Comparative effectiveness clinical research,
compares the impact of different options for treating a given medical
condition, and is vital to improving the quality of healthcare. Studies
comparing various treatments (e.g., competing drugs) or differing
approaches (e.g., surgery vs. drug therapy) can inform clinical
decisions by analyzing not only costs, but the relative medical
benefits and risks for particular patient populations.
nih
Historically, the NIH has placed little emphasis on the research
questions asked by primary care physicians and in primary care
settings. We have been encouraged by the development of the NIH Roadmap
and the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA), along with
the establishment, in statute, of a funding stream that would make NIH
more relevant to where most people receive care. We support an increase
in NIH funding. In addition, we would like to see some report language
that would help NIH ensure that the promise of ``bench to bedside''
research truly becomes ``bench to bedside to community''--and community
to bedside to bench.
We support the inclusion of the following language in the report to
accompany the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and
Related Agencies appropriations bills for fiscal year 2010:

``Translational Research has been identified by the former Director
of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as a road map initiative.
The committee supports this effort and encourages NIH to integrate such
research as a permanent component of the research portfolio of each
institute and center. The committee urges NIH to work with the primary
care community to determine how best to facilitate progress in
translating existing research findings and to disseminate and integrate
research findings into community practice. Translational research
should also include the discovery and application of knowledge within
the practice setting using such laboratories as practice-based research
networks. This research spans biological systems, patients, and
communities, and arises from questions of importance to patients and
their physicians, particularly those practicing primary care. The
committee requests that the Director of NIH include a progress update
in next year's Budget Justification.''
conclusion
As the United States moves toward major healthcare reform, we urge
the subcommittee to support programs needed to ensure the proper supply
of primary care physicians and the type of research that will work
together to improve healthcare outcomes, enhance equity in care, and
lower healthcare costs. We support increases in these three important
programs: health professions primary care medicine and dentistry
training, AHRQ, and NIH.
______

Prepared Statement of the State and Territorial Injury Prevention
Directors Association
Thank you for the opportunity to offer written testimony to the
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education and Related Agencies regarding the critical need for
investments in State and territorial injury and violence prevention
programs. It is well-recognized that injury and violence are a
significant public health problem in terms of risk and costs to
society. Injuries are the leading cause of death among persons 1-44
years of age, and a major cause of death, disability, and
hospitalization for all age group. There are more than 170,000 injury-
related deaths each year in the United States and approximately 30
million people seek emergency treatment as a result of injuries and
violence annually.\1\ Injury is the most common cause of premature
deaths before age 65, accounting for 30 percent of years of potential
life lost. In 2004, 1 in 14 deaths was caused by an injury, including 3
out of 4 deaths for adolescents and young adults.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ National Center for Health Statistics. (2005). Deaths, Leading
Causes. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved December
2, 2008 from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/FASTATS/lcod.htm.
\2\ Injury in the United States: 2007 Chartbook.. U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. March 2008.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In 2000 alone, Americans suffered injuries resulting in more than
$117 billion in medical costs and an estimated $289 billion in
productivity losses, approximately 10 percent of total U.S. medical
expenditures.\3\ Long-term disabilities from brain, spinal cord, and
burn injuries, and fall-related hip fractures, frequently result in
high costs for continued, long-term care. Additionally injuries,
especially fractures, for persons age 65 and older make up a
substantial proportion of Medicare expenditures. As the U.S. population
continues to age, this problem will be an even more significant burden
on the Medicare system.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ Zaloshnja, E., Miller, T. R., Lawrence, B. A., & Romano, E.
(2005). The costs of unintentional home injuries. Am J Prev Med, 28:
88-94.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Despite the enormous toll of injury and violence, dedicated and
ongoing Federal or State funding to respond to these problems does not
exist as it does for other major public health priorities. State
governments have a responsibility to protect the public's health and
safety. A comprehensive injury and violence prevention program at the
State health department provides focus and direction, coordinates and
finds common ground among the many prevention partners, and makes the
best use of limited injury and violence prevention resources. State
public health injury and violence prevention programs apply the public
health approach to help understand, predict and prevent injuries and
use a population-based approach to extend the benefits of prevention
beyond individuals.
State and Territorial Injury Prevention Directors Association
(STIPDA) believes that all State and territorial health departments in
the United States must have a comprehensive injury surveillance and
prevention programs. These programs must be adequately staffed and
funded commensurate with the magnitude of the burden of injury and
violence in each State. They must have programs and expertise to
address the leading causes of unintentional and violent injuries; and
have disaster and terrorism epidemiology and injury mitigation
programs. State public health departments bring significant leadership
to reduce injuries and injury-related healthcare costs by:
--Informing the development of public policies through data and
evaluation.
--Designing, implementing, and evaluating injury and violence
prevention programs in cooperation with other agencies and
organizations.
--Collaborating with partners in healthcare and the community.
--Collecting and analyzing injury and violence data from a variety of
sources to identify high-risk groups and geographic locations.
--Providing technical support and training to injury prevention
partners.
State injury and violence prevention programs use surveillance data
to determine how injuries occur, who is most at risk, and what other
factors contribute to whether or not an individual will be injured and
to what degree. State programs have come a long way in understanding of
how to prevent injuries and look beyond just the personal behaviors
that lead to an injury. They also investigate the products that people
use, the physical and social environment, and how organizational and
governmental policies affect the safety of our environments.
State programs have also contributed to the dissemination of
effective practices through partnerships with injury control research
centers, local health departments, local coalitions and other
organizations. To ensure the widespread adoption of these
interventions, State programs provide training and technical assistance
to local injury prevention efforts every day and often financial and
in-kind support, as well as implement interventions.
The following are some examples of how State public health
departments have contributed to the declines we have seen in deaths due
to injuries in this country:
--Washington State's Injury and Violence Prevention Program has seen
a decline in youth suicide while the U.S. rates have remained
static. Washington found that on average 2 young people were
dying of suicide per week with another 16 attempts that
required hospitalization. The program estimated that a 50
percent reduction in youth suicidal behavior would result in
$12 million in healthcare savings alone. The program
implemented a comprehensive prevention program including
gatekeeper training, public awareness and strengthening
community safety nets for youth.
--The Georgia State Injury and Violence Prevention Program have been
able to document at least 56 lives potentially saved through a
unique partnership with Emergency Medical Services since 2006
through a child safety seat education and distribution program
for low-income families in 109 of 169 counties throughout the
State.
--The New York Injury and Violence Prevention Program was able to
document reductions in bicycle-related injuries and traumatic
brain injuries following the implementation of a statewide
comprehensive bicycle helmet program that culminated in a
bicycle helmet law passing easily through the State
legislature.
--The Oklahoma Injury Prevention Service was able to identify a high-
risk area in Oklahoma City for house-related fire injuries. In
response, they conducted a smoke alarm distribution program.
After the program, Oklahoma saw an 81 percent decline in
residential fire injury-related deaths in the target population
while rates declined only 7 percent in the rest of Oklahoma
during the same time period.
--After finding that its drowning rate was ten times the national
average, Alaska's Department of Health and Human Services
formed a unique partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard, State
Office of Boating Safety, Alaska Safe Kids to develop the
``Kids Don't Float'' program. Following extensive analysis of
the problem, the coalition found that 90 percent of fatality
victims were not wearing a life jacket (personal flotation
device), more than half occurred in lakes and rivers, and that
children younger than 18 make up a significant proportion of
the victims. The program consists of adult and youth education
(including peer-to-peer education for teens) and a life jacket
loaner program. At least 5 documented lives have been saved
through this program that is now implemented in 200 locations
throughout the State.
--California's Epidemiology and Prevention for Injury Control Branch-
funded and -evaluated a statewide social marketing campaign
designed to engage high school age males as allies in
preventing sexual violence through a message ``My Strength is
Not for Hurting.'' Through media efforts and ``Men of Strength
(MOST)'' clubs in six pilot sites, California found that
campaign appear promising, particularly when it involves MOST
clubs, for favorably influencing high-school age males towards
more respectful attitudes and affecting a healthier social
climate in high schools.
When evidence-based injury prevention strategies are implemented,
the estimated return on investment is substantial. For instance, home
visitation programs have been demonstrated to be particularly effective
in reducing child abuse and injury, and provide a cost savings of
nearly $2.88 to $5.70 per $1 spent. Other proven cost-effective injury
prevention strategies include:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total benefits
Intervention Cost per unit to society \1\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Booster seat...................... $31/seat $2,200
Child bicycle helmet.............. $11/helmet $570
Motorcycle helmets................ $240/helmet $4,300
Sobriety checkpoints.............. $9,600/checkpoint $73,000
Midnight curfew and provisional $74/driver $600
licensing for teen drivers.......
Smoke alarm purchases............. $33/smoke alarm $940
Fall prevention for high-risk $1,250/person $10,800
elderly..........................
Youth suicide prevention, native $175/youth $6,700
american.........................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The total benefit to society is defined as the amount injury
prevention interventions saved by preventing injuries, including
medical costs, other resource costs (police, fire services, property
damages, etc.), work loss, and quality of life costs. These benefits
are calculated in 2004 dollars.

Currently, the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
(NCIPC)provides very minimal funding to 30 States through the Public
Health Injury Surveillance and Prevention Program (PHISPP). According
to STIPDA's 2007 State of the States survey, States with PHISPP funding
were more likely to have a centralized program, a full-time director,
and greater access to key injury data sets. They were also more likely
to provide support to local injury efforts and provide surveillance
data and technical assistance to inform public policy related to injury
and violence. States with PHISPP funding are well-positioned to
leverage additional resources, implement interventions for major injury
issues, evaluate interventions, gain political support for specific
injury topics, and raise awareness of injury trends.
We are asking the Senate to provide an additional $10 million to
the NCIPC at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to
supplement current investments for State injury and violence prevention
programs. This funding would allow for:
--Expansion and stabilization of resources for State injury and
violence prevention programs;
--Strengthening the ability of States to improve the collection and
analysis of injury data, build coalitions and establish
partnerships to promote programs and policies; and
--Disseminating proven injury and violence prevention strategies,
with a focus on persons at highest risk.
Preventable injuries exact a heavy burden on Americans through
premature deaths and disabilities, pain and suffering, healthcare
costs, rehabilitation costs, disruption of quality of life for families
and disruption of productive for employers. Strengthening the
investments made to public health injury and violence prevention
programs is a critical step to keep Americans safe and productive for
the 21st century.
about stipda
Formed in 1992, STIPDA, is the only organization that represents
public health injury prevention professionals in the United States.
STIPDA has a membership of more than 300 professionals committed to
strengthening the ability of State, territorial, and local health
departments to reduce death and disability associated with injuries and
violence. STIPDA engages in activities to increase awareness of injury,
including violence, as a public health problem and works to enhance the
capacity of public health agencies to conduct injuries and violence
prevention.
______

Prepared Statement of the Society for Women's Health Research and the
Women's Health Research Coalition
On the behalf of the Society for Women's Health Research and the
Women's Health Research Coalition, we are pleased to submit the
following testimony in support of Federal funding of biomedical
research, and in particular women's health research.
The Society for Women's Health Research is the Nation's only
nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the health of all
women through advocacy, research, and education. Founded in 1990, the
Society brought to national attention the need for the appropriate
inclusion of women in major medical research studies and the need for
more information about conditions affecting women exclusively,
disproportionately, or differently than men. The Society advocates
increased funding for research on women's health; encourages the study
of sex differences that may affect the prevention, diagnosis and
treatment of disease; promotes the inclusion of women in medical
research studies; and informs women, providers, policy makers and media
about contemporary women's health issues. In 1999, the Women's Health
Research Coalition was created by the Society as a grassroots advocacy
effort consisting of scientists, researchers, and clinicians from
across the country that are concerned and committed to improving
women's health research.
The Society and Coalition are committed to advancing the health of
women through the discovery of new and useful scientific knowledge. We
believe that sustained funding for biomedical and women's health
research programs conducted and supported across the Federal agencies
are absolutely essential if we are to meet the health needs of the
population and advance the Nation's research capability.
national institutes of health (nih)
Congressional investment and support for NIH continues to make the
United States the world leader in biomedical research and has provided
a direct and significant impact on women's health research and the
careers of women scientists over the last decade. Great strides and
advancements were made through the doubling of the NIH budget from
$13.7 billion in 1998 to $27 billion in 2003, though the momentum
driving new research in recent years was eroded under budgetary
constraints. The 111th Congress saw the importance of increasing funds
to NIH in the fiscal year 2009 omnibus bill providing the NIH with
$30.317 billion, $937.5 million over fiscal year 2008, (a 3.2 percent
increase.) Thankfully, Congress also sought fit to include the NIH in
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)
(ARRA) providing it with an infusion of short-term funding of $10.4
billion. This funding will have and is having an enormous impact on
research and research facilities throughout the United States, creating
new jobs, new innovations and improved technologies.
Without a robust budget, NIH has shown that it is forced to reduce
the number of grants it is able to fund. The number of new grants
funded by NIH has dropped steadily since fiscal year 2003 and this
trend must stop. This shrinking pool of available grants has a
significant impact on scientists who depend upon NIH support to cover
their salaries and laboratory expenses to conduct high-quality
biomedical research. Failure to obtain a grant results in reduced
likelihood of achieving tenure. This means that new and less
established researchers are forced to consider other careers, the end
result being the loss of the critical workforce so desperately needed
to sustain America's cutting edge in biomedical research.
In order to continue the momentum of scientific advancement and
expedite the translation of research findings from the laboratory to
the patients who depend on these advances for improved health and
welfare, the Society proposes a 10 percent increase more than fiscal
year 2009, and establishing a goal of reaching an annual appropriation
of $40 billion in the next 3 years. In addition, we request that
Congress strongly encourage the NIH to utilize ARRA funding as well as
appropriated dollars to assure that women's health research receives
resources sufficient to meet the health needs of all women. Further,
the Society recommends that NIH support the advances being discovered
in sex-based biology research.
Scientists have long known of the anatomical differences between
men and women, but only within the past decade have they begun to
uncover significant biological and physiological differences. Sex-based
biology, the study of biological and physiological differences between
men and women, has revolutionized the way that the scientific community
views the sexes.
Sex differences play an important role in disease susceptibility,
prevalence, time of onset and severity and are evident in cancer,
obesity, heart disease, immune dysfunction, mental health disorders,
and many other illnesses. It is imperative that research addressing
these important differences between males and females be supported and
encouraged. Congress clearly recognizes these important sex differences
and NIH should as well.
office of research on women's health (orwh)
The NIH ORWH has a fundamental role in coordinating women's health
research at NIH, advising the NIH Director on matters relating to
research on women's health and sex and gender research; strengthening
and enhancing research related to diseases, disorders, and conditions
that affect women; working to ensure that women are appropriately
represented in research studies supported by NIH; and developing
opportunities for and support of recruitment, retention, re-entry, and
advancement of women in biomedical careers. ORWH is currently
implementing recommendations from the NIH working Group on Women in
Biomedical Careers to maximize the potential of women biomedical
scientists and engineers in both the NIH and extramural community.
Two highly successful programs supported by ORWH that are critical
to furthering the advancement of women's health research are Building
Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH) and
Specialized Centers of Research on Sex and Gender Factors Affecting
Women's Health (SCOR). These programs benefit the health of both women
and men through sex and gender research, interdisciplinary scientific
collaboration, and provide tremendously important support for young
investigators in a mentored environment.
The BIRCWH program is an innovative, trans-NIH career development
program that provides protected research time for junior faculty by
pairing them with senior investigators in an interdisciplinary mentored
environment. It is expected that each scholar's BIRCWH experience will
culminate in the development of an established independent researcher
in women's health. The BIRCWH program has released four RFAs (1999,
2001, 2004, and 2006). Since 2000, 335 scholars have been trained (76
percent women) in the 24 centers resulting in more than 1,300
publications, 750 abstracts, 200 NIH grants and 85 awards from industry
and institutional sources. Each BIRCWH receives approximately $500,000
a year, most of which comes from the ORWH budget but is also supported
by many NIH Institutes and Centers.
The SCOR program was developed by ORWH in 2002. SCORs are designed
to increase the transfer of basic research findings into clinical
practice by housing laboratory and clinical studies under one roof. The
eleven SCOR programs are conducting interdisciplinary research focused
on major medical problems affecting women and comparing gender
differences to health and disease. Each SCOR works hard to transfer
their basic research findings into the clinical practice setting. In
2007, seven SCORS competed successfully for renewal and four new SCORS
were added. In 2008, the 11 SCORs report publishing 113 journal
articles, 144 abstracts, and 30 other publications. Each program costs
approximately $1 million per year and results in research that would
not have taken place without this program.
Advancing Novel Science in Women's Health Research (ANSWHR) was
created by ORWH in 2007 and funding starting in July 2008 to promote
innovative new concepts and interdisciplinary research in women's
health research and sex/gender differences. This program has had broad
appeal and is evolving into an important scientific tool for both
early-stage investigators and veteran researchers to test nascent
scientific concepts relevant to women's health research and the study
of sex and gender differences. Researchers can apply for support to
promote innovative, interdisciplinary research to answer unresolved
questions and expand the knowledge base in a host of areas relevant to
women's health research. In fiscal year 2009, 13 ICs have one or more
applications that have been scientifically reviewed and are considered
competitive for funding. These applications, and the fiscal year 2008
awards, represent a wide range of scientific areas as well as junior
investigators and experienced researchers. ANSWHR serves as a way for
interested researchers to compete for funding that is expanding the
scientific basis for women's health research and the study of sex and
gender differences.
ORWH also has the Research Enhancement Awards Program (REAP) to
support meritorious research on women's health that just missed the IC
pay line and a Partnership with the National Library of medicine to
identify overarching themes, specific health topics, and research
initiatives into women's health.
ORWH, through successful collaboration with the NIH ICs provides
research funding for: breast cancer pharmacogenomics, HPV vaccines,
uterine leiomyoma, vulvodynia, irritable bowel syndrome, stroke,
substance abuse, eating disorders including obesity, menopause,
microbicides, chronic pain syndromes, autoimmune disorders, muscular
skeletal disorders, and health disparities among many other issues.
Despite all of ORWH's advancements of women's health research and
its innovative programs to advance women scientists, the office has
seen its budget flat lined at $40.9 million for fiscal year 2008 and
2009 after having also received a cut of $249,000 in fiscal year 2006
and no additional funding in fiscal year 2007. Flat funding is the same
as receiving a decrease in budget and must not continue to happen. In
order for ORWH's programs and research grants to thrive Congress must
direct that NIH to continue its support of ORWH and provide it with $2
million budget increase.
department of health and human services (hhs)
Under the HHS several agencies have Federal offices on women's
health, in addition to ORWH described above. Agencies with offices,
advisors, or coordinators for women's health or women's health research
are HHS, the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research
(AHQR), the Indian Health Service, the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration, the Health Resources and Services
Administration, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. It
is imperative that these offices are funded at levels adequate for them
to perform their assigned missions. We ask that the Committee Report
clarify that Congress supports the permanent existence of these various
Federal women's health offices and recommends that they are
appropriately funded to ensure that their programs can continue and be
strengthened in the coming fiscal year.
hhs office of women's health
The HHS Office of Women's Health (OWH) is the Government's champion
and focal point for women's health issues. It works to redress
inequities in research, healthcare services, and education that have
historically placed the health of women at risk. The OWH coordinates
women's health efforts in HHS to eliminate disparities in health status
and supports culturally sensitive educational programs that encourage
women to take personal responsibility for their own health and
wellness. OWH has a central role in communicating the appropriate
messages to patients and healthcare providers, helping to move forward
recent research discoveries. Without OWH's actions the task of
translating research into practice would and will be only more
difficult and delayed.
Over the years OWH has been active in various efforts such as:
joining with NIH to launch the ``The Heart Truth'' campaign, a
prevention and awareness campaign concerning heart disease and women;
leading a series of Women's Heart Health Fairs nationwide; partnering
with the Lupus Foundation of America and the Advertising Council to
launch a new lupus public awareness campaign targeted toward young
minority women of childbearing age who are at most risk for developing
the disease to identify early warning signs.
OWH created a new training program ``Body Works'' for parents and
caregivers designed to improve family eating and activity habits and is
available in both English and Spanish. They collaborated with other
organizations to lead a conference on ``Charting New Frontiers in Rural
Women's Health,'' as well as hosting the third Minority Women's Health
Summit to address the unique health issues many women of color
experience. In addition, OWH has continued its efforts to improve the
health of young women by providing information on their Web site to
address eating disorders and HIV/AIDS prevention for adolescent girls,
in conjunction with conducting their HIV/AIDS National Awareness Day.
Further, OWH is leading efforts to improve breastfeeding information
available to women of all cultures by offering multilingual Web sites
and help-lines.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the launch of the
womenshealth.gov Web site and care center and National Women's Health
Week. As part of the annual celebration, OWH is sponsoring many events
with communities, businesses and other governmental and health
organizations to educate women on how they can improve their physical
and mental health. Further, this year OWH is celebrating the
publication of ``The Healthy Women'' a book with wonderful health
information and tips for women of all ages.
It is only through continued and increased funding that the OWH
will be able to achieve its goals. While the budget for fiscal year
2008 increased the OWH budget by $2 million to a total of $30 million,
its budget was flat lined for fiscal year 2009. This is, in essence, a
decrease due to inflation. Considering the amount and impact of women's
health programs from OWH, we urge Congress to provide an increase of $2
million for the HHS OWH for fiscal year 2010.
ahqr
AHQR is the lead public health service agency focused on healthcare
quality, including coordination of all Federal quality improvement
efforts and health services research. AHRQ's work serves as a catalyst
for change by promoting the results of research findings and
incorporating those findings into improvements in the delivery and
financing of healthcare. This important information provided by AHRQ is
brought to the attention of policymakers, healthcare providers, and
consumers all of whom make a difference in the quality of healthcare
women receive. Through AHRQ's research projects and findings, lives
have been saved and underserved populations have been treated. For
example, women treated in emergency rooms are less likely to receive
life-saving medication for a heart attack. AHRQ funded the development
of two software tools, now standard features on hospital
electrocardiograph machines, which have improved diagnostic accuracy
and dramatically increased the timely use of ``clot-dissolving''
medications in women having heart attacks.
While AHRQ has made great strides in women's health research, its
budget has been dismally funded for years though targeted funding
increases in recent years for dedicated projects are moving AHRQ in the
right direction. However, more core funding is needed to help AHRQ
fulfill its mission. AHRQ's budget for fiscal year 2009 was $372
million. This must change for fiscal year 2010. The Society recognizes
that AHRQ received a dramatic boost under ARRA of $400 million of
dedicated stimulus funding for the comparative effectiveness project
this amount does not add to AHRQ's base numbers. This Agency has been
operating under a major shortfall for years. Decreased funding
seriously jeopardizes the research and quality improvement programs
that Congress mandates from AHRQ.
We recommend Congress fund AHRQ at $405 million for fiscal year
2010, an increase of $32 million more than the fiscal year 2009 level.
This will ensure that adequate resources are available for high-
priority research, including women's healthcare, sex and gender-based
analyses, Medicare, and health disparities.
In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, we thank you and this subcommittee for
its strong record of support for medical and health services research
and its unwavering commitment to the health of the Nation through its
support of peer-reviewed research. We look forward to continuing to
work with you to build a healthier future for all Americans.
______

Prepared Statement of the Trust for America's Health
My name is Jeff Levi, and I am Executive Director of Trust for
America's Health (TFAH), a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization
dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community
and working to make disease prevention a national priority. I am
grateful for the opportunity to submit testimony to the subcommittee
about public health appropriations.
Americans deserve a well-financed, modern, and accountable public
health system. Funding for public health and disease prevention is a
down payment toward reducing healthcare costs over the long term. As
you craft the fiscal year 2010 Labor, Health and Human Services, and
Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, I hope that you
will include robust funding for prevention and preparedness programs at
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Office of
the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) in order
to promote health and help protect Americans from natural and manmade
threats and disasters.
case for support
There is increasing evidence that community level interventions,
the kind of programs that CDC funding supports, make a difference in
health outcomes and costs. In 2008, TFAH released a report, Prevention
for a Healthier America: Investments in Disease Prevention Yield
Significant Savings, Stronger Communities, which examines how much the
country could save by strategically investing in community-based
disease prevention programs. The report concludes that an investment of
$10 per person per year in proven community-based programs to increase
physical activity, improve nutrition, and prevent smoking and other
tobacco use could save the country more than $16 billion annually
within 5 years. This is a return of $5.60 for every $1 spent. The
findings are based on a model developed by researchers at the Urban
Institute and a review of evidence-based studies conducted by the New
York Academy of Medicine. The evidence shows that implementing these
programs in communities reduces rates of type 2 diabetes and high blood
pressure by 5 percent within 2 years; reduces heart disease, kidney
disease, and stroke by 5 percent within 5 years; and reduces some forms
of cancer, arthritis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by 2.5
percent within 10 to 20 years, which, can save money through reduced
health care costs to Medicare, Medicaid and private payers.
chronic diseases
Chronic diseases, most of which are preventable, account for 70
percent of deaths in the United States and approximately 75 percent of
healthcare spending. CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity,
and Obesity (DNPAO) provides funding to States to create, implement,
and monitor a nutrition, physical activity, and obesity State plan. In
the previous grant cycle, 28 grantees were supported, but CDC is only
able to award funds to 25 States in fiscal year 2009. The Division of
Adolescent and School Health's (DASH) Coordinated School Health Program
assists States in improving the health of children through a program
that engages families and communities and develops healthy school
environments. The President's fiscal year 2010 budget proposes to
increase funding for DASH by $5 million to fund 10 additional State
educational agencies to assist them in meeting the needs of their K-12
children. TFAH strongly supports this request. In the coming years, we
will ultimately need chronic disease prevention and promotion programs
in all 50 States. That will require $90 million for DNPAO to fund all
approved States at the level at which they applied for funds and at
least an additional $20 million for DASH's School Health program to
fund all States that have been approved.
Another important anti-obesity program is the Healthy Communities
Program. Healthy Communities grants support communities, cities,
States, and tribal entities to implement health promotion programs and
community initiatives. TFAH supports at least $30 million for the
Healthy Communities Program. Yet, funding for this program has
decreased dramatically over recent years, from $43 million in fiscal
year 2007 to $22.7 million in the fiscal year 2009 omnibus
appropriations bill. We support restoration of Healthy Communities
funding because action at the local level is essential if we are to
begin to mitigate the obesity epidemic.
preparing for public health emergencies
In December of last year, TFAH released its annual ``Ready or Not''
report on the Nation's preparedness for a catastrophic event.
Unfortunately, there are many areas where the United States remains
underprepared. Funding for the Public Health Emergency Preparedness
Cooperative Agreements to States and localities--where public health
actually happens--has been cut in recent years. With these funds, local
health departments have enhanced their disease surveillance systems and
trained their staff in emergency response, including the recent H1N1
outbreak. More than 90 percent of local health departments have
developed mass vaccination and prophylaxis planning, conducted all-
hazards preparedness training, and implemented new or improved
communication systems. All States have established the infrastructure
necessary to evaluate urgent disease reports and to activate emergency
response operations 24 hours a day. Yet despite this progress,
challenges remain. In its 2008 progress report, CDC noted that 31 State
public laboratories reported difficulty recruiting qualified laboratory
scientists, and no State public health laboratory can rapidly identify
priority radioactive materials in clinical samples. To continue our
commitment to emergency preparedness, sustainable funding is necessary.
TFAH recommends $1 billion for upgrading State and local capacity, an
increase of $253 million more than the fiscal year 2009 level. We also
recommend $596 million for ASPR's Hospital Preparedness Program, an
increase of $208 million over the fiscal year 2009 level, to improve
the capacity of our hospitals and other supporting healthcare entities
to respond to bioterrorist attacks, infectious disease epidemics, and
other large-scale emergencies by enabling hospitals, EMS, and health
centers to plan a coordinated response. To begin to build toward these
funding levels, TFAH is very supportive and appreciative of the $14.5
million increase included in the President's budget proposal for
upgrading state and local capacity, as well as for the $32 million
increase for the Hospital Preparedness Program.
Another important program for our Nation's preparedness is the
Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). BARDA
was established in 2006 to help jumpstart innovation in vaccines,
diagnostics, and therapeutics to combat health threats; yet limited
funds have prevented BARDA from fulfilling its mission. BARDA provides
incentives and guidance for research and development of products to
counter bioterrorism and pandemic flu and manages Project BioShield,
which includes the procurement and advanced development of medical
countermeasures for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear
agents. The fiscal year 2009 omnibus appropriations bill provided $275
million for BARDA, an increase of approximately $173 million more than
fiscal year 2008 levels. TFAH applauds Congress' commitment to BARDA,
as well as the President's proposed $30 million increase, but notes
that a significant increase in funding would be necessary to support
the successful development of medical countermeasures. TFAH requests
$500 million for BARDA in fiscal year 2010, with 2 years of fiscal
availability, noting that over the next few years, higher funding
levels must be allocated and sustained.
bolstering the nation's ability to detect and control infectious
diseases such as pandemic influenza
In fiscal year 2006, Congress appropriated $5.6 billion to the
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for emergency and agency
funding for pandemic preparedness. The funding has been used for
stockpiling enough antiviral drugs for the treatment of more than 50
million Americans, licensing a prepandemic influenza vaccine,
developing rapid diagnostics and completing the sequencing of the
entire genetic blueprints of 2,250 human and avian influenza viruses.
The recent H1N1 influenza outbreak clearly demonstrates the importance
of this investment.
TFAH was pleased that the fiscal year 2009 omnibus provided $507
million in no-year funding to be used to build vaccine production
capacity, maintain a ready supply of eggs for the production of
vaccine, and enable HHS to purchase medical countermeasures for its
critical employees and contractors, as well as the Indian Health
Service population. We are also appreciative that the House and Senate
versions of the supplemental appropriations legislation include
significant funding to address the H1N1 outbreak. In light of the
challenges that could be posed if H1N1 resurfaces this fall, TFAH urges
you to include $350 million for State and local preparedness
activities, as proposed by the House, in the final version of the
supplemental and to continue support for State and local preparedness
through the annual appropriations process. Additionally, TFAH is
hopeful that Congress will create a contingency fund to cover the
production costs for a potential H1N1 vaccine, should health officials
determine that mass production is necessary.
In fiscal year 2010, we urge Congress to fully fund the President's
request for pandemic preparedness activities, including $354 million to
the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund for vaccine,
antivirals, ventilators, and countermeasures and personal protective
equipment for HHS clinical and patient populations, and $230 million
for agency budgets.
environmental health
An additional area of interest for TFAH is the connection between
our environment and our health. CDC's Environmental Health Laboratory
performs biomonitoring measurements--the direct measurement of people's
exposure to toxic substances in the environment. By analyzing blood,
urine, and tissues, scientists can measure actual levels of chemicals
in people's bodies, and determine which population groups are at high
risk for exposure and adverse health effects, assess public health
interventions, and monitor exposure trends over time. In fiscal year
2009, the Environmental Health Laboratory was funded at $42.7 million.
Additional funds are needed to upgrade facilities and equipment and to
bolster the workforce. Of the suggested $19.6 million increase, $10
million would be used extramurally to support State public health
laboratory biomonitoring capabilities. An additional $7.6 million would
be used for intramural activities, including increasing the number of
chemicals CDC measures, providing training and quality assurance for
State laboratories; and increasing the number of studies used to assess
health effects associated with exposure to environmental chemicals.
Additionally, $2 million would support the National Report on
Biochemical Indicators of Diet and Nutrition in the U.S. Population.
TFAH is also concerned about the potential health effects of
climate change, including injuries and fatalities related to severe
weather events and heat waves; infectious diseases; allergic symptoms;
respiratory and cardiovascular disease; and nutritional and water
shortages. TFAH was appreciative of the $7.5 million included in the
omnibus for a Climate Change Program at CDC. To expand this program,
for fiscal year 2010, TFAH recommends $17,500,000 to enable CDC to
bolster its climate change staff, conduct climate change research and
begin to work with State and local health departments on capacity
building for climate change and health preparedness. Ultimately, $50
million is needed to develop a credible and effective Climate Change
Program.
Another important program, the National Environmental Health
Tracking Network, enhances our understanding of the relationship
between environmental exposures and the incidence and distribution of
disease. Health tracking, through the integration of environmental and
health outcome data, enables public health officials to better target
preventive services so that health care providers can offer better
care, and the public will be able to develop a clear understanding of
what is occurring in their communities and how overall health can be
improved. Since 2002, Congress has provided funding for pilot programs
in some States and cities. The National Network is launching in 2009.
With that in mind, TFAH recommends providing $50 million for CDC's
Environmental and Health Outcome Tracking Network, an increase of $19
million more than the fiscal year 2009 level, to expand it to
additional States and support the continued development of a
sustainable Network.
Finally, TFAH supports the expansion of CDC's Global Disease
Detection (GDD) Program. Despite remarkable breakthroughs in medical
research and advancements in immunization and treatments, infectious
diseases are undergoing a global resurgence that threatens health.
Worldwide, infectious diseases are the leading killer of children and
adolescents and are one of the leading causes of death for adults. It
is estimated that newly emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases
will continue to kill at least 170,000 Americans annually. CDC's GDD
Program helps recognize infectious disease outbreaks, improve the
ability to control and prevent outbreaks, and detect emerging microbial
threats. To address the magnitude and urgency of emerging and resurging
diseases, TFAH recommends $56 million for the GDD Program, an increase
of $22 million over the fiscal year 2009 level. Funding will increase
the number of GDD centers across the globe and bring some existing
centers to full capacity.
Mr. Chairman, thank you again for the opportunity to submit
testimony on the urgent need to enhance Federal funding for public
health programs which can save countless lives and protect our
communities and our Nation.
______

Prepared Statement of the TB Coalition
tuberculosis
The TB Coalition is a network of public health, research,
professional, and advocacy organizations working to support policies to
eliminate tuberculosis (TB) in the United States and around the world.
The TB Coalition is pleased to submit our recommendations for programs
in the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related
Agencies Subcommittee purview. The TB Coalition, in collaboration with
Stop TB USA, recommends a funding level of $210 million in fiscal year
2010 for CDC's Division of TB Elimination, as authorized under the
Comprehensive TB Elimination Act.
tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne infection caused by a bacterium,
Mycobacterium tuberculosis. TB primarily affects the lungs but can also
affect other parts of the body, such as the brain, kidneys or spine. TB
is the second leading global infectious disease killer, claiming 1.8
million lives each year. Currently, about a one-third of the world's
population is infected with the TB bacterium. It is estimated that 9-14
million Americans have latent TB. Tuberculosis is the leading cause of
death for people with HIV/AIDS in the developing world. According to a
2009 World Health Organization (WHO) report on global TB control, about
5 percent of all new TB cases are drug resistant. The global TB
pandemic and spread of drug resistant TB present a persistent public
health threat to the United States.
The major factors that have caused the spread of drug resistant
TB--including multi-drug resistant TB (MDR) and extensively drug
resistant (XDR) TB--are inadequate attention to and funding for basic
TB control measures in high TB burden; resource-limited settings, which
also have high HIV prevalence; as well as the lack of investment in new
drugs, diagnostics and vaccines for TB. While most TB prevalent today
is a preventable and curable disease when international prevention and
treatment guidelines are used, many parts of the world--such as Africa
and Eastern Europe--are struggling to implement them, giving rise to
more drug resistant TB and increasingly, XDR-TB.
xdr-tb as a global health crisis
XDR-TB has been identified in all regions of the world, including
the United States. The strain is resistant to two main first-line drugs
and to at least 2 of the 6 classes of second-line drugs. Because it is
resistant to many of the drugs used to treat TB, XDR-TB treatment is
severely limited and the strain has an extremely high-fatality rate. In
an outbreak in the Kwazulu-Natal province of South Africa from late
2005 through early 2006, XDR TB killed 52 out of 53 infected HIV-
infected patients within just 3 weeks of diagnosis. According to the
CDC, there have been 83 cases of XDR-TB in the United States between
1998 and 2008. While the treatment success rate for XDR-TB in the
United States is about 64 percent, the extremely high costs of treating
XDR-TB, coupled with high fatality rates associated with the strain
make XDR-TB a significant public health concern for the United States.
new tb tools needed
Although drugs, diagnostics, and vaccines for TB exist, these
technologies are antiquated and are increasingly inadequate for
controlling the global epidemic. The most commonly used TB diagnostic
in the world, sputum microscopy, is more than 100 years old and lacks
sensitivity to detect TB in most HIV/AIDS patients and in children.
Skin tests used in the United States are more effective at detecting
TB, but take up to 3 days to complete. Current diagnostic tests to
detect drug resistance take at least 1 month to complete. Faster drug
susceptibility tests must be developed to stop the spread of drug
resistant TB. The TB vaccine, BCG, provides some protection to
children, but it has little or no efficacy in preventing pulmonary TB
in adults.
There is an urgent need for new anti-TB treatments, and
particularly for a shorter drug regimen. Currently, the drug regime for
TB treatment is 6-9 months. A shorter drug regimen with new classes of
drugs active against susceptible and drug-resistant strains would
increase compliance, prevent development of more extensive drug
resistance, and save program costs by reducing the time required to
directly observe therapy for patients. There is also a critical need
for drugs that can safely be taken concurrently with antiretroviral
therapy for HIV. The good news is that new drugs in development hold
the promise of shortening treatment from 6-9 months to 2-4 months.
tb in the united states
Although the numbers of TB cases in the United States continue to
decline, with 12,898 new cases reported in 2008, progress towards TB
elimination has slowed. The average annual percentage decline in the TB
rate slowed from 7.3 percent per year during 1993-2000 to 3.8 percent
during 2000-2008. Foreign-born and ethnic minorities bear a
disproportionate burden of U.S. TB cases. The proportion of TB cases in
foreign-born people has increased steadily in the last decade, from 27
percent of all cases in 1992 to 58 percent of all cases in 2008. Border
States and States with high immigration levels such as California,
Texas, and New York are among the highest-burdened TB States. U.S.-born
blacks make up almost half (45percent) of all TB cases among U.S.-born
persons.
In the 1970s and early 1980s, the United States began significantly
reducing the TB control infrastructure. Consequently, the trend towards
TB elimination was reversed and the Nation experienced an unprecedented
resurgence of TB, including many MDR-TB cases. There was a 20 percent
increase in cases reported between 1985 and 1992. In just one city, New
York City, the cost to regain control of TB was more than $1 billion.
The 2000 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, Ending Neglect: the
Elimination of Tuberculosis in the United States, found that the
resurgence of TB in the United States between 1985 and 1992 was due in
large part to funding reductions and concluded that with proper
funding, organization of prevention and control activities, and
research and development of new tools, TB could be eliminated as a
public health problem in the United States.
Drug-resistant TB poses a particular challenge to domestic TB
control, owing to the high costs of treatment and intensive healthcare
resources required. Treatment costs for multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB
range from $100,000 to $300,000, which can cause a significant strain
on State public health budgets. Inpatient care has been estimated for
California XDR TB patients from 1993-2006 at an average of
approximately $600,000 per patient.
strong state and local tb control programs
The best defense against the development of drug-resistant
tuberculosis is a strong network of State and local public health
programs and laboratories. State, local, and territorial health
departments provide important TB control services such as directly
observed therapy (DOT, a proven method to improve adherence and thus
prevent drug resistance), laboratory support, surveillance, contact
tracing, and patient counseling. CDC provides about $100 million
annually in support to State, local and territorial health departments
to prevent and control TB.
According to the National Tuberculosis Controller's Association,
for every confirmed case of TB, State and local health department must
identify and test an estimated 14 persons who may have been exposed.
Yet after almost a decade of stagnant funding, many State TB programs
have been left seriously under-resourced at a time when TB cases are
growing more complex to diagnose and treat. The higher percentage of
foreign-born TB patients adds to the need for specially trained TB
professionals. According to a recent assessment by CDC's Division of TB
Elimination, more than 1,077 jobs have been lost in State TB control
programs over the last 3 years--ranging from doctors and nurses to lab
personnel and outreach workers.
Despite low rates, persistent challenges to TB control in the
United States remain. Specifically: (1) racial and ethnic minorities
continue to suffer from TB more than majority populations; (2) foreign-
born persons are adversely impacted; (3) sporadic outbreaks/clusters
occur, outstripping local capacity; (4) continued emergence of drug
resistance threaten our ability to control TB; and (5) there are
critical needs for new tools for rapid and reliable diagnosis, short,
safe, and effective treatments, and vaccines.
congressional response to tb
In recognition of the need to strengthen domestic TB control, the
Congress passed the Comprehensive Tuberculosis Elimination Act (CTEA)
(Public Law 110-392) in October 2008. This historic legislation was
based on the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine and
revitalized programs at CDC and the NIH with the goal of putting the
United States back on the path to eliminating TB. The new law
authorizes an urgently needed reinvestment into new TB diagnostic
treatment and prevention tools. The TB Coalition, in collaboration with
Stop TB USA, recommends a funding level of $210 million in fiscal year
2010 for CDC's Division of TB Elimination, as authorized under the
CTEA. The CTEA, as introduced, included a separate authorization of
$100 million through CDC's TB elimination program for the development
of urgently needed new TB diagnostic, treatment and prevention tools to
ease the global TB pandemic. We hope that this unique area of need will
also be considered in the final fiscal year 2010 funding levels.
national institutes of health (nih)
The NIH has a prominent role to play in the elimination of
tuberculosis through the development of new tools to fight the disease.
However, the Coalition is concerned that the NIH has reduced funding
for TB research from $211 million in 2007 to $160 million in 2008. We
encourage the NIH to expand efforts, as requested under the
Comprehensive TB Elimination Act, to develop new tools to reduce the
rising global TB burden, including faster diagnostics that effectively
identify TB in all populations, new drugs to shorten the treatment
regimen for TB and combat drug resistance, and an effective vaccine.
conclusion
The global TB epidemic endangers TB control efforts in the U.S. TB
case rates in the United States reflect the global situation. The best
way to prevent the future development of drug-resistant strains of
tuberculosis is through establishing and supporting effective global
and domestic tuberculosis control programs and research programs
through the CDC, NIH, and U.S. Agency for International Development
(USAID). The TB Coalition appreciates this opportunity to provide
testimony.
______

Prepared Statement of the Tri-Council for Nursing
The Tri-Council for Nursing, a long-standing alliance focused on
leadership and excellence in the nursing profession, is composed of the
American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the American Nurses
Association, the American Organization of Nurse Executives, and the
National League for Nursing (NLN). The collaborative leadership of
these four professional organizations impacts the breadth of nursing
practice, including nurse executives, educators, researchers, and
nurses providing direct patient care. The Tri-Council asks the
subcommittee to provide $263.4 million in fiscal year 2010 for the
Nursing Workforce Development Programs under title VIII of the Public
Health Service Act, administered by the Health Resources and Services
Administration (HRSA).
In light of the economic challenges facing our country today, the
Tri-Council urges the subcommittee to focus on the larger context of
building the capacity needed to meet the increasing healthcare demands
of our Nation's population. Such public policy will require sustained
investments aimed at refocusing the current healthcare system toward
promoting health, while simultaneously improving value for our dollars.
The title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs are proven policy
instruments that help assure an adequately prepared nursing workforce.
These programs--
--Increase access to healthcare in underserved areas through improved
composition, diversity, and retention of the nursing workforce;
--Advance quality care by strengthening nursing education and
practice; and
--Develop the identification and use of data, program performance
measures, and outcomes to make informed decisions on nursing
workforce matters.
The Tri-Council applauds the subcommittee for the emergency
supplement provided across all the health professions programs via the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Public Law 111-5). We also
value the enacted fiscal year 2009 Omnibus Appropriations bill (Public
Law 111-8) providing $171.031 million specifically for the title VIII
Nursing Workforce Development Programs. These investments are a
critical component supporting our healthcare infrastructure.
Examining the broad context, the healthcare industry remains the
largest industrial complex in the United States. Studies of the
Nation's gross domestic product (GDP) show healthcare spending
achieving a relatively high rate of real growth, with the portion of
GDP devoted to healthcare growing from 8.8 percent in 1980 to 16.2
percent of GDP in 2007. While healthcare spending demands greater
efficiencies, it also has helped to sustain our Nation's sagging
economy.
Since 2001, healthcare is virtually the only sector that added jobs
to the economy on a net basis. In March 2009, the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS) reported continued growth in the healthcare sector,
despite our economy's freefall in a down cycle with unemployment
reaching 8.1 percent in February 2009. With that month's job loss of
681,000 realized in nearly all major industries, BLS also reported the
addition of 27,000 new jobs at hospitals, long-term care facilities,
and other ambulatory care settings.
As the predominant occupation in the healthcare industry, the nurse
workforce likely is filling most of the noted job openings. Nurses are
the front line of healthcare delivery throughout the Nation, and the
BLS numbers support that description showing the nurse workforce at
well more than four times the size of the medical workforce. Increased
fiscal year 2010 investments in title VIII will help counterbalance the
economic meltdown threatening nursing programs operating in
congressional districts and serving communities by supporting nursing
education--providing title VIII loans, scholarships, traineeships, and
programmatic funding.
nursing shortage outpaces capacity building
The Tri-Council contends that an episodic increased funding of
title VIII will not fully fill the gap generated by an 11-year nursing
shortage felt throughout the entire U.S. health system and projected to
continue. The BLS projections estimate that RNs will have the greatest
growth rate of all U.S. occupations in the period spanning 2006-2016,
with more than 1 million new and replacement nurses needed by 2016.
Despite this projected expansion in the profession, numerous other
studies anticipate a growing national nurse workforce shortage to
intensify as the baby boomer cohort ages, the current nurse workforce
retires, and the demand for healthcare accrues.
Funding levels for the HRSA title VIII Nursing Workforce Programs
are failing to support the numerous qualified applicants seeking
assistance from these programs. In the last 3 years, virtually flat
title VIII funding, along with inflation and increased educational and
administrative costs, has decreased purchasing power. According to HRSA
statistics, in fiscal year 2006 the title VIII programs directly or
indirectly supported 91,189 nurses and nursing students. In fiscal year
2007, the number of grantees dropped by 21 percent and in 2008 the
grantees dropped by 28 percent to support only 51,657 nurses and
nursing students.
Additionally, schools of nursing continue to suffer from a growing
shortage of faculty, a troubling infrastructure trend that exacerbates
the nurse workforce demand-supply gap. According to a study conducted
by the AACN in 2008, schools of nursing turned away 49,948 qualified
applicants to baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs. The top
reasons cited for not accepting these potential students was a lack of
qualified nurse faculty and resource constraints. Without faculty,
nursing education programs are prevented from admitting many qualified
students who are applying to their programs. (Data are Internet
accessible at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/NewsReleases/2009/
workforcedata.html.)
The AACN survey results are reinforced by the NLN study of all
types of prelicensure RN programs, which prepare students to sit for
the RN licensing exam (i.e., baccalaureate, associate, and diploma
degree). The NLN statistics indicate more than 1,900 unfilled full-time
faculty positions existed nationwide in 2007, affecting more than one-
third (36 percent) of all schools of nursing. Significant recruitment
challenges were found with 84 percent of nursing schools at-tempting to
hire new faculty in 2007-2008, more than three-quarters (79 percent)
reporting recruitment as ``difficult'' and almost 1 in 3 schools found
it ``very difficult.'' The two main difficulties cited were ``not
enough qualified candidates'' (cited by 46 percent of schools),
followed by inability to offer competitive salaries--cited by 38
percent. (Data are Internet accessible at www.nln.org/research/slides/
index.htm.)
the funding reality
If the United States is to reverse the eroding trends in the nurse
and nurse faculty workforce, the Nation must make a significant
investment in the title VIII programs, which are charged to favor
institutions educating nurses for practice in rural and medically
underserved communities. At adequate funding levels the title VIII
programs supporting the education of registered nurses, advanced
practice registered nurses, nurse faculty, and nurse researchers have
demonstrated successful intervention strategies to solving past nursing
shortages.
A brief examination of the HRSA title VIII illustrates the robust
nature of these programs:
Section 811.--The Advanced Education Nursing (AEN) Program funds
traineeships for individuals preparing to be nurse practitioners, nurse
midwives, nurse administrators, public health nurses, and nurse
educators, among other graduate-level education nursing roles. The AEN
awards assisted nurse education programs to support 3,419 graduate
nursing students in fiscal year 2008.
Section 821.--The Nursing Workforce Diversity Program funds grants
and contracts to schools of nursing, nurse-managed health centers
(NMCs), academic health centers, State and local governments, and
nonprofit entities to increase nursing education opportunities for
individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds and under-represented
populations among RNs. This program--of proven intervention
strategies--supported 18,741 students in fiscal year 2008, seeking to
ensure a culturally diverse workforce to provide healthcare for a
culturally diverse patient population.
Section 831.--The Nurse Education, Practice and Retention Program
provides support for academic and continuing education projects
designed to strengthen the nursing workforce. Several of this program's
priorities apply to quality patient care including developing cultural
competencies among nurses and providing direct support to establishing
or expanding NMCs in noninstitutional settings to improve access to
primary healthcare in medically underserved communities. The program
also provides grants to improve retention of nurses and enhanced
patient care. In fiscal year 2008, approximately 6,000 nurses and
nursing students were supported.
Section 846.--The Nurse Loan Repayment and Scholarship Programs is
divided into two primary elements. The Nursing Education Loan Repayment
Program (NELRP) assists individual RNs by re-paying up to 85 percent of
their qualified educational loans over 3 years in return for their
commitment to work at health facilities with a critical shortage of
nurses, such as departments of public health, community health centers,
and disproportionate share hospitals. In fiscal year 2008, of the 5,875
applications reviewed by HRSA, only 435 students (7.4 percent) received
NELRP awards. Similarly, the Nurse Scholarship Program (NSP) provides
financial aid to individual nursing students in return for working a
minimum of 2 years in a healthcare facility with a critical nursing
shortage. In fiscal year 2008, NSP turned away most of the applicants
owing to a lack of adequate funding, resulting in the distribution of
only 169 student awards.
Section 846A.--The Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) supports the
establishment and operation of a loan fund within participating schools
of nursing to assist RNs to complete their education to become nursing
faculty. The NFLP grants provide a cancellation provision in which 85
percent of the loan, plus interest, may be cancelled over 4 years in
return for serving as full-time faculty in a school of nursing. NFLP
granted 729 awards in fiscal year 2008.
Section 855.--The Comprehensive Geriatric Education Grant Program
focuses on training, curriculum development, faculty development, and
continuing education for nursing personnel caring for the elderly. In
fiscal year 2008, 18 awards were made in this program.
While title VIII is the largest source of Federal funding for
nursing, the current level of investment falls short of remedying a
chronic underfunding of the Nursing Workforce Development Programs,
compared to the existing and imminent shortages these programs address.
The title VIII authorities are capable of providing flexible and
effective support to assist students, schools of nursing, and health
systems in their efforts to recruit, educate, and retain registered
nurses. Recent efforts have shown that aggressive and innovative
strategies can help avert the nurse and nurse faculty shortages. The
Tri-Council for Nursing understands the competing priorities faced by
this Congress, but we also maintain that title VIII Nursing Workforce
Development Programs must be funded at an adequate level to begin to
impact the shortage and to address the complex health needs of the
Nation. The contributions of nurses in our healthcare system are
multifaceted, and are impacted directly by the level of Federal funding
that supports nursing programs.
______

Prepared Statement of The Endocrine Society
The Endocrine Society is pleased to submit the following testimony
regarding fiscal year 2010 Federal appropriations for biomedical
research, with an emphasis on appropriations for the National
Institutes of Health (NIH). The Endocrine Society is the world's
largest and most active professional organization of endocrinologists
representing more than 14,000 members worldwide. Our organization is
dedicated to promoting excellence in research, education, and clinical
practice in the field of endocrinology. The Society's membership
includes thousands of researchers who depend on Federal support for
their careers and their scientific advances.
Since the doubling of its budget, the NIH has received annual
funding increases below the rate of biomedical inflation. Fiscal year
2009 appropriations resulted in the first real-dollar increase in NIH
funding since fiscal year 2003. This decline in useable dollars has
resulted in a significant decrease in the number of R01 grants funded.
In 2003, the number of new and continuing R01s was 7,211; the number of
grants awarded in 2008 dropped to 5,886. As a result of the decreasing
number of grants awarded, the success rate for new R01 grants dropped
from 25.5 percent in 1999 to a low of 16.3 percent in 2006 (the 2008
success rate was 19 percent). Not only does the decline in grants
affect the number of scientists who are able to continue their research
and discover new treatments and cures, it also has a significant impact
on the U.S. economy.
In fiscal year 2007, every $1 million that the public invested in
NIH research generated $2.21 million in new business activity across
the Nation. At a recent House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing,
Dr. Raynard Kington, Acting Director of the NIH, stated that each NIH
grant supports seven jobs on average. Since grants are dispersed to all
50 States and 90 percent of Congressional Districts, increasing funding
for science will have a significant positive impact on job growth. And
unlike many other proposals to stimulate the economy, funding NIH
grants can have an immediate impact on the economy because these grants
can be funded in a matter of weeks, stimulating local economies through
salaries and purchase of equipment, laboratory supplies, and vendor
services.
Members of Congress and President Obama recognized the positive
impact that funding NIH research can have on the economy and allocated
more than $10 billion to the NIH in the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009. These funds will go a long way towards
increasing the success rate of new R01 applications, keeping scientists
employed, and creating new jobs. The Endocrine Society thanks Congress
for the support of biomedical research funding in the ARRA.
However, the Federal Government needs to make a long-term,
sustainable commitment to biomedical research funding. The money
allocated to the NIH in the ARRA is a one-time infusion of money, and
it is unclear how much NIH's budget will be when the stimulus funds run
out at the end of fiscal year 2010. These funds will create thousands
of new jobs, most of which will end when fiscal year 2011 begins if
Congress does not bring NIH's budget closer to $40 billion than to $30
billion. The loss of these jobs could have a drastic effect on our
economy and counteract the benefits realized during fiscal year 2009
and 2010 as a result of the stimulus funding.
While the Nation is struggling with a failing economy, health
reform is also on the top of the minds of Members of Congress and the
American people. With the aging of the Baby Boomer generation, the
incidence of costly, chronic conditions will significantly increase,
and a large portion of the projected increase in healthcare costs will
be as a result of escalating costs associated with diabetes, obesity,
hypertension, Alzheimer's disease, muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis,
and stroke. In order to prevent and treat these diseases, and save the
country billions in healthcare costs, significant investment in
biomedical research will be needed. For instance, treatments that delay
or prevent diabetic retinopathy save the country $1.6 billion a year,
and new treatments that delay the onset and progression of Alzheimer's
disease by 5 years can save $50 billion a year in healthcare costs.
The Endocrine Society remains deeply concerned about the future of
biomedical research in the United States without sustained support from
the Federal Government. The Society strongly supports the continued
increase in Federal funding for biomedical research in order to provide
the additional resources needed to enable American scientists to
address the burgeoning scientific opportunities and new health
challenges that continue to confront us. The Endocrine Society supports
President Obama's campaign pledge to double the NIH budget over 10
years. We therefore recommend that NIH receive an increase of at least
7 percent in fiscal year 2010 to prepare for the poststimulus era and
ensure the steady, sustainable growth necessary to complete the
President's vision of doubling the investment in basic and clinical
research.
______

Prepared Statement of The Mended Hearts, Incorporated
I am Robert A. Scott, National Advocacy Chairman for The Mended
Hearts, Incorporated, a heart disease support group with more than 300
chapters across the United States and Canada. In 2008, accredited
Mended Hearts volunteers visited about 3,000 heart patients in more
than 400 hospitals throughout the United States.
As a walking testimony of the benefits of the National Institutes
of Health (NIH)-supported heart research, I would like to share my
story. In 1998, at age 48, I suffered my first heart attack while
playing volleyball. While at Woonsocket, Rhode Island's Landmark
Medical Center, doctors diagnosed me as suffering a so-called silent
heart attack. I learned that as many as 4 million Americans experience
this type of episode--a heart attack with no warning.
After being stabilized, I was transferred to Roger Williams
Hospital, in Providence, Rhode Island for a heart catheterization--the
gold standard for diagnosis of heart problems. The procedure showed
that I had a blockage in my artery that required a stent to open it.
Also, it showed that the lower chamber of my heart was damaged,
resulting in congestive heart failure that could be controlled with
medicine. A stent was inserted in my artery in Rhode Island Hospital.
In 1999, I received another heart catheterization in Miriam
Hospital because of the damage to my heart from the silent heart
attack. However, this time, I was told that my artery could not be
repaired with a stent and that I needed heart bypass surgery the next
morning. Calling me a high-risk patient because of my age and my
weakened heart, my surgeon encouraged me to find a doctor in Boston
because my heart might not start again. However, he assured me that if
this happens they had a device that could keep me alive for only 7
hours. Thank goodness, he told me that in Boston they had another
device that could keep me alive for 7 months while they located a
replacement heart. In less then 10 hours, I went from the possibility
of needing another stent, heart bypass surgery, and a heart transplant.
My journey with heart disease continued.
My next stop was to visit my local cardiologist in Woonsocket who
estimated my survival rate at 20 percent, but he thought I would
survive the heart bypass surgery. Thankfully, he was right and I
survived heart bypass surgery.
But my journey didn't end there. My congestive heart failure was
causing my heart to beat irregularly, so an implantable defibrillator
was inserted to control the problem in 2002. However, this device had
to be replaced nearly 4 years later. My story continues in 2007 where I
started experiencing daily chest pain and shortness of breath. Yet
another heart catheterization showed that I needed an additional stent,
but this time in Miriam Hospital. After the procedure, the doctor told
me the original heart bypass surgery was no longer effective. Although
I was scared, my doctors comforted me by explaining that a new medical
innovation could save my life-a drug eluting stent. They explained that
it could open up the original blockage from my silent heart attack. My
doctor explained that if these state-of-the art stents had been
available in 1998, I would not have had to have heart bypass surgery.
Today, heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases
remain our Nation's most costly and No. 1 killer and a major cause of
disability. Thanks to medical research supported by the NIH, I am alive
today. I am concerned that NIH continues to invest only 4 percent of
its budget on heart research and a mere 1 percent on stroke research
when there are so many people in our country just like I am. Enhanced
NIH funding dedicated to heart and stroke research will bring us closer
to a cure for these often deadly and disabling diseases.
______

Prepared Statement of the United Tribes Technical College
For 40 years, United Tribes Technical College (UTTC) has provided
postsecondary career and technical education, job training, and family
services to some of the most impoverished Indian students from
throughout the Nation. We are governed by the five tribes located
wholly or in part in North Dakota. We have consistently had excellent
results, placing Indian people in good jobs and reducing welfare rolls.
The Perkins funds constitute about half of our operating budget and
provide for our core instructional programs for many of our Associate
of Applied Science degrees. We do not have a tax base or State-
appropriated funds on which to rely.
The request of the UTTC Board is for the following authorized
programs:
--$8.5 million or $727,000 above the fiscal year 2009 enacted level
for section 117 of the Carl Perkins Act. These funds are shared
via a formula by UTTC and Navajo Technical College.
--Provision of additional funding for title III and title III-A of
the Higher Education Act (HEA) that provide construction funds
for facilities at institutions of higher education (title III)
and at tribally controlled colleges (title III-A). For example,
UTTC needs an additional $10.9 million to complete the
construction of a new science and technology building towards
which UTTC already has obtained $3 million.
The students who attend UTTC are from Indian reservations from
throughout the Nation, with a significant portion of them being from
the Great Plains area. Our students come from impoverished backgrounds
or broken families. They may be overcoming extremely difficult personal
circumstances as single parents. They often lack the resources, both
culturally and financially, to go to other mainstream institutions.
Through a variety of sources, including funds from section 117 of the
Carl Perkins Act, UTTC provides a set of family and culturally based
campus services, including: an elementary school for the children of
students, housing, day care, a health clinic, a wellness center,
several on-campus job programs, student government, counseling,
services relating to drug and alcohol abuse and job placement programs.
The Carl Perkins funds we receive are essential to our students'
success.
Perkins Authorization.--Section 117 of the Carl D. Perkins Career
and Technical Education Act (20 U.S.C. section 2327) is the source of
authorization of Perkins funding for UTTC. Section 117 is entitled
``Tribally Controlled Postsecondary Career and Technical
Institutions.'' First authorized in 1991, Congress has continued this
authorization in the subsequent reauthorizations of the Perkins Act.
Funding under this act has in recent years been distributed on a
formula basis to UTTC and to Navajo Technical College.
Despite the explicit congressional authorization for Carl Perkins
funding for section 117, and despite the administration's requests for
funding for section 117 in all previous years, the Bush administration
requested nothing for this program for fiscal year 2009. We are pleased
that Congress recognized the value of UTTC's programs, and instead gave
a priority to UTTC and Navajo Technical College by appropriating a
$227,000 increase for section 117 Perkins in the recently enacted
Omnibus appropriations bill for fiscal year 2009. However, in the
process our section 117 program was listed as an earmark, despite the
authorization for the appropriated amount. As a continuing, authorized
Native American serving program, we should not be considered an
earmark.
UTTC Performance Indicators.--UTTC has:
--An 80 percent retention rate.
--A placement rate of 94 percent (job placement and going on to 4-
year institutions).
--A projected return on Federal investment of 20 to 1 (2005 study
comparing the projected earnings generated over a 28-year
period of UTTC associate of applied science and bachelor degree
graduates of June 2005 with the cost of educating them).
--The highest level of accreditation. The North Central Association
of Colleges and Schools has accredited UTTC again in 2001 for
the longest period of time allowable--10 years or until 2011--
and with no stipulations. We are also 1 of only 2 tribal
colleges accredited to offer accredited on-line (Internet-
based) associate degrees.
--More than 20 percent of our graduates go on to 4-year or advanced
degree institutions.
We also note the January 13, 2009, report of the Department of
Education's Office of Vocational and Adult Education on its recent site
visit to UTTC (October 7-9, 2008). While some suggestions for
improvements were made, the Department commended UTTC in many areas:
for efforts to improve student retention; the commitment to data-driven
decisionmaking, including the implementation of the Jenzabar system
throughout the institution; the breadth of course offerings;
collaboration with 4-year institutions; expansion of online degree
programs; unqualified opinions on both financial statements and
compliance in all major programs; being qualified as a low-risk
grantee; having no reportable conditions and no known questioned costs;
clean audits; and use of the proposed measurement definitions in
establishing institutional performance goals.
The demand for our services is growing and we are serving more
students. For the 2008-2009 year we enrolled 1,023 students (an
unduplicated count), nearly four times the number served just 6 years
ago. Most of our students are from the Great Plains, where the Indian
reservations have a jobless rate of 76 percent (Source: 2003 BIA Labor
Force Report), along with increasing populations. These statistics
dramatically demonstrate the need for our services at increased levels
for at least the next 10 years.
In addition, we are serving 141 students during school year 2008-
2009 in our Theodore Jamerson Elementary school and 202 children, birth
to 5, are being served in our child development centers.
UTTC course offerings and partnerships with other educational
institutions. We offer 17 accredited vocational/technical programs that
lead to 17, 2-year degrees (Associate of Applied Science (AAS)) and 11,
1-year certificates, as well as a 4-year degree in elementary education
in cooperation with Sinte Gleska University in South Dakota.
Licensed Practical Nursing.--This program has one of the highest
enrollments at UTTC and results in the greatest demand for our
graduates. Our students have the ability to transfer their UTTC credits
to the North Dakota higher educational system to pursue a 4-year
nursing degree.
Medical Transcription and Coding Certificate Program.--This program
provides training in transcribing medical records into properly coded
digital documents. It is offered through the college's Exact Med
Training program and is supported by Department of Labor funds.
Tribal Environmental Science.--Our Tribal Environmental Science
program is supported by a National Science Foundation Tribal College
and Universities Program grant. This 5-year project allows students to
obtain a 2-year AAS degree in Tribal Environmental Science.
Community Health/Injury Prevention/Public Health.--Through our
Community Health/Injury Prevention Program we are addressing the injury
death rate among Indians, which is 2.8 times that of the U.S.
population, the leading cause of death among Native Americans ages 1-
44, and the third leading cause of death overall. This program has in
the past been supported by the Indian Health Service, and is the only
degree-granting Injury Prevention program in the Nation. Given the
overwhelming health needs of Native Americans, we continue to seek new
resources to increase training opportunities for public health
professionals.
Online Education.--Our online education courses provide increased
opportunities for education by providing web-based courses to American
Indians at remote sites as well as to students on our campus. These
courses provide needed scheduling flexibility, especially for students
with young children. They allow students to access quality, tribally
focused education without leaving home or present employment. However,
we also note the lack of on-line opportunities for Native Americans in
both urban and rural settings, and encourage the Congress to devote
more resources in this area.
We offer online fully accredited degree programs in the areas of
Early Childhood Education, Community Health/Injury Prevention, Health
Information Technology, Nutrition and Food Service and Elementary
Education. More than 80 courses are currently offered online, including
those in the Medical Transcription and Coding program. We presently
have 50 online students in various courses and 137 online students in
the Medical Transcription program.
We also provide an online Indian Country Environmental Hazard
Assessment program, offered through the Environmental Protection
Agency. This is a training course designed to help tribes understand
how to mitigate environmental hazards in reservation communities.
Computer Information Technology.--This program is at maximum
student capacity because of limitations on resources for computer
instruction. In order to keep up with student demand and the latest
technology, we need more classrooms, equipment and instructors. We
provide all of the Microsoft Systems certifications that translate into
higher income earning potential for graduates.
Nutrition and Food Services.--UTTC helps meet the challenge of
fighting diabetes and other health problems in Indian Country, such as
cancer, through education and research. Indians and Alaska natives have
a disproportionately high rate of type 2 diabetes, and have a diabetes
mortality rate that is three times higher than the general U.S.
population. The increase in diabetes among Indians and Alaska natives
is most prevalent among young adults aged 25-34, with a 160 percent
increase from 1990-2004. (Source: Fiscal Year 2009 Indian Health
Service Budget Justification). Our research about native foods is
helping us learn how to reduce the high levels of diseases in our
communities.
As a 1994 Tribal Land Grant institution, we offer a Nutrition and
Food Services AAS degree in order to increase the number of Indians
with expertise in nutrition and dietetics. Currently, there are very
few Indian professionals in the country with training in these areas.
Our degree places a strong emphasis on diabetes education, traditional
food preparation, and food safety. We have also established the United
Tribes Diabetes Education Center that assists local tribal communities,
our students and staff to decrease the prevalence of diabetes by
providing educational programs, training and materials. We publish and
make available tribal food guides to our on-campus community and to
tribes.
Business Management/Tribal Management.--Another critical program
for Indian country is business and tribal management. This program is
designed to help tribal leaders be more effective administrators and
entrepreneurs. As with all our programs, curriculum is constantly being
updated.
Job Training and Economic Development.--UTTC continues to provide
economic development opportunities for many tribes. We are a designated
Minority Business Development Center serving South and North Dakota. We
administer a Workforce Investment Act program and an internship program
with private employers in the region.
South Campus Development.--The bulk of our current educational
training and student housing is provided in 100-year-old buildings,
part of a former military base used by UTTC since its founding in 1969
and donated to us by the United States in 1973. They are expensive to
maintain, do not meet modern construction and electrical code
requirements, are mostly not ADA compliant, and cannot be retrofitted
to be energy efficient.
As a result, UTTC has developed plans for serving more students in
new facilities that will provide training and services to meet future
needs. We are now developing land purchased with a donation that will
become our south campus. Infrastructure for one-fourth of the new
campus has been completed, and we have now obtained partial funds for a
new, and badly needed, science, math, and technology building. We need
an additional $10.9 million to help complete this building. Our vision
for the south campus is to serve up to 5,000 students. We expect that
funding for the project will come from Federal, State, tribal, and
private sources. Without additional funding for titles III and III-A of
the HEA, that provide construction funds for campuses such as ours,
many students will be denied the opportunity for higher education.
Our Department of Education funds are essential to the operation of
our campus. Our programs at UTTC continue to be critical and relevant
to the welfare of Indian people throughout the Great Plains region and
beyond. Thank you for your consideration of our request.

LIST OF WITNESSES, COMMUNICATIONS, AND PREPARED STATEMENTS

----------
Page

Advocate Health Care, Prepared Statement of the.................. 296
Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research, Prepared Statement of the..... 298
AIDS:
Action, Prepared Statement of the............................ 237
Institute, Prepared Statement of the......................... 299
Alexander, Senator Lamar, U.S. Senator From Tennessee, Questions
Submitted by................................................... 234
Alliance for Aging Research, Prepared Statement of the........... 278
Alving, Dr. Barbara M., Director, National Center for Research
Resources, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health
and Human Services, Prepared Statement of...................... 86
Alzheimer's Association, Prepared Statement of the............... 240
America's Promise Alliance, Prepared Statement of the............ 319
American:
Academy of:
Family Physicians, Prepared Statement of the............. 261
Opthamology, Prepared Statement of the................... 272
Physician Assistants, Prepared Statement of the.......... 275
Association:
for:
Cancer Research, Prepared Statement of the........... 254
Dental Research, Prepared Statement of the........... 259
Geriatric Psychiatry, Prepared Statement of the...... 263
Of:
Colleges:
Of:
Nursing, Prepared Statement of the........... 246
Osteopathic Medicine, Prepared Statement of
the............................................ 250
Pharmacy, Prepared Statement of the.......... 251
Immunologists, Prepared Statement of the..... 266
For Teacher Education, Letter From the........... 257
Nurse Anesthetists, Prepared Statement of the........ 270
College of:
Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Prepared Statement of
the.................................................... 279
Physicians, Prepared Statement of the.................... 282
Preventive Medicine, Prepared Statements of the........284, 287
Heart Association, Prepared Statement of the................. 293
Indian Higher Education Consortium, Prepared Statement of the 302
National Red Cross, Prepared Statement of the................ 311
Nurses Association, Prepared Statement of the................ 309
Physiological:
Association, Prepared Statement of the................... 322
Society, Prepared Statement of the....................... 329
Public Power Association, Prepared Statement of the.......... 325
Society:
For:
Microbiology, Prepared Statements of the...........334, 337
Nutrition, Prepared Statement of the................. 340
Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Prepared
Statement of the................................... 344
Of:
Plant Biologists, Prepared Statement of the.......... 342
Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Prepared Statement of
the................................................ 346
Thoracic Society, Prepared Statement of the.................. 349
Americans for Nursing Shortage:
Alliance, Prepared Statement of the.......................... 314
Relief Alliance, Prepared Statement of the................... 317
Animal Welfare Institute, Prepared Statement of the.............. 354
Association:
For:
Clinical Research Training, Prepared Statement of the.... 289
Psychological Science, Prepared Statement of the......... 326
Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Prepared Statement
of the................................................. 332
Of:
American Cancer Institutes, Prepared Statement of the.... 243
Independent Research Institutes, Prepared Statement of
the.................................................... 305
Maternal and Child Health Programs, Prepared Statement of
the.................................................... 306
Rehabilitation Nurses, Prepared Statement of the......... 330
Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, Prepared
Statement of the....................................... 352

Battey, Dr. James F., Jr., Director, National Institute on
Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes
of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Prepared
Statement of................................................... 104
Berg, Dr. Jeremy M., Director, National Institute of General
Medical Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of
Health and Human Services, Prepared Statement of............... 113
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Prepared Statement of the... 356
Birnbaum, Dr. Linda, Director, National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health,
Department of Health and Human Services, Prepared Statement of. 111
Brain Injury Association of America, Letter From the............. 358
Briggs, Dr. Josephine P., Director, National Center for
Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of
Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Prepared
Statement of................................................... 84

Center for Global Health Policy, Prepared Statement of the....... 368
Central Technical Services, Prepared Statement of the............ 380
Children's Environmental Health Network, Prepared Statement of
the............................................................ 362
Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
(CHADD), Prepared Statement of the............................. 372
Close Up Foundation, Prepared Statement of the................... 383
Coalition:
For Health Services Research, Prepared Statement of the...... 374
Of Northeastern Governors, Prepared Statement of the......... 377
Cochran, Senator Thad, U.S. Senator From Mississippi:
Opening Statement of......................................... 1
Questions Submitted by.....................................160, 275
Statements of................................................3, 164
Council on Social Work Education, Prepared Statement of the...... 378
Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, Prepared Statement of
the............................................................ 360
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Prepared Statement of the............ 365

Digestive Disease National Coalition, Letter From the............ 385
Duncan, Hon. Arne, Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Department
of Education................................................... 163
Prepared Statement........................................... 173
Summary Statement of......................................... 167
Durbin, Richard J., U.S. Senator From Illinois, Questions
Submitted by................................................... 61
Dystonia Medical Research Foundation, Prepared Statement of the.. 386

Endocrine Society, Prepared Statement of the..................... 551

Fauci, Anthony S., M.D., Director, National Institute of Allergy
and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health,
Department of Health and Human Services........................ 63
Prepared Statement of........................................ 79
Family Violence Prevention Fund, Prepared Statement of the....... 398
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology,
Prepared Statement of the...................................... 388
Friends of the Health Resources and Services Administration,
Prepared Statement of the...................................... 390
FSH Society, Inc., Prepared Statement of the..................... 395

Glass, Dr. Roger I., Director, Fogarty International Center,
National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human
Services, Prepared Statement of................................ 82
Grady, Dr. Patricia A., Director, National Institute of Nursing
Research, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health
and Human Services, Prepared Statement of...................... 120
Gregg, Senator Judd, U.S. Senator From New Hampshire, Questions
Submitted by................................................... 276
Guttmacher, Dr. Alan E., Acting Director, National Human Genome
Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department
of Health and Human Services, Prepared Statement of............ 91

Harkin, Senator Tom, U.S. Senator From Iowa:
Opening Statements of..................................63, 163, 237
Questions Submitted by.................................31, 145, 206
HIV:
Law Project, Letter From the................................. 403
Medicine Association, Prepared Statement of the.............. 400
Harlem United Community AIDS Center, Inc., Prepared Statement of
the............................................................ 417
Health Professions and Nursing Education Coalition, Prepared
Statement of the............................................... 408
Home Safety Council, Prepared Statement of the................... 412
Hodes, Dr. Richard J., Director, National Institute on Aging,
National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human
Services, Prepared Statement of................................ 93
HONOReform, Prepared Statement of................................ 406
Humane Society:
Legislative Fund, Prepared Statement of the.................. 413
Of the United States, Prepared Statement of the.............. 415
Hutchison, Senator Kay Bailey, U.S. Senator From Texas, Question
Submitted by................................................... 277

Infectious Diseases Society of America, Prepared Statement of the 420
Inouye, Senator Daniel K., U.S. Senator From Hawaii, Questions
Submitted by.............................................54, 151, 259
Insel, Dr. Thomas R., Director, National Institute of Mental
Health, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and
Human Services, Prepared Statement of.......................... 115
International:
Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders,
Prepared Statement of the.................................. 423
Myeloma Foundation, Prepared Statement of the................ 425

Jeffrey Modell Foundation, Prepared Statement of the............. 427

Katz, Dr. Stephen I., Director, National Institute of Arthritis
and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of
Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Prepared
Statement of................................................... 97
Kington, Raynard S., M.D., Ph.D., Acting Director, National
Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services.. 63
Prepared Statement of........................................ 70
Summary Statement of......................................... 65
Kohl, Senator Herb, U.S. Senator From Wisconsin:
Prepared Statement of........................................ 187
Question Submitted by........................................ 154

Landis, Dr. Story C., Director, National Institute of
Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of
Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Prepared
Statement of................................................... 118
Landrieu, Senator Mary L., U.S. Senator From Loiusiana:
Statement of................................................. 167
Questions Submitted by.....................................154, 226
Lindberg, Dr. Donald A.B., Director, National Library of
Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health
and Human Services, Prepared Statement of...................... 123

Maui Family Support Services, Letter From........................ 436
Mended Hearts, Incorporated, Prepared Statement of the........... 552
MENTOR, Prepared Statement of.................................... 432
Mentor Consulting Group, Prepared Statement of the............... 429
Montgomery County Stroke Association, Prepared Statement of the.. 431
Murray, Senator Patty, U.S. Senator From Washington:
Prepared Statement of.......................................19, 166
Questions Submitted by.................................55, 269, 223
Statement of................................................. 164

Nabel, Elizabeth G., M.D., National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health
and Human Services............................................. 63
Prepared Statement of........................................ 77
National:
Alliance:
For Eye and Vision Research, Prepared Statement of the... 443
Of State and Territorial AIDS Directors, Prepared
Statement of the....................................... 453
To End Homelessness, Prepared Statement of the........... 440
Association:
For State Community Services Programs, Prepared Statement
of
the.................................................... 448
Of:
Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, Prepared
Statement of the................................... 436
County and City Health Officials, Prepared Statement
of the............................................. 438
State:
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors, Prepared
Statement of the............................... 446
Directors of Career Technical Education
Consortium, Prepared Statement of the.......... 451
Coalition of STD Directors, Prepared Statement of the........ 462
Congress of American Indians, Prepared Statement of the...... 456
Consumer Law Center, Prepared Statement of the............... 459
Down Syndrome Society, Prepared Statement of the............. 465
Federation of Community Broadcasters, Prepared Statement of
the........................................................ 468
Fragile X Foundation, Prepared Statement of the.............. 470
Health Care for the Homeless Council, Prepared Statement of
the........................................................ 472
Marfan Foundation, Prepared Statement of the................. 473
Network to End Domestic Violence, Prepared Statement of the.. 475
Primate Research Centers, Prepared Statement of the.......... 484
Psoriasis Foundation, Prepared Statement of the.............. 479
Public Radio, Prepared Statement of.......................... 482
Sleep Foundation, Prepared Statement of the.................. 486
Technical Institute for the Deaf, Prepared Statement of the.. 488
Union of Labor Investigators, Letters From the.............492, 493
Wildlife Federation, Prepared Statement of the............... 494
NephCure Foundation, Prepared Statement of the................... 466
Niederhuber, John E., M.D., Director, National Cancer Institute,
National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human
Services....................................................... 63
Prepared Statement of........................................ 74
Oncology Nursing Society, Prepared Statement of the.............. 499
Ovarian Cancer National Alliance, Prepared Statement of the...... 497

Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, Prepared Statement of the...... 510
Pettigrew, Dr. Roderic I., Director, National Institute of
Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of
Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Prepared
Statement of................................................... 99
Population Association of America/Association of Population
Centers, Prepared Statement of the............................. 502
Prevent Blindness America, Prepared Statement of................. 507
Program for Appropriate Technology in Health, Prepared Statement
of the......................................................... 505
Pryor, Senator Mark, U.S. Senator From Arkansas:
Prepared Statement of........................................ 22
Questions Submitted by....................................... 230
Statement of................................................. 188
Pulmonary Hypertension Association, Prepared Statement of the.... 512

Reed, Senator Jack, U.S. Senator From Rhode Island:
Statement of................................................. 166
Questions Submitted by....................................... 273
Rodgers, Dr. Griffin P., Director, National Institute of Diabetes
and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of
Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Prepared
Statement of................................................... 108
Railroad Retirement Board, Prepared Statements of the..........517, 519
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, Prepared Statement
of the......................................................... 515
Ryan White Medical Providers Coalition, Prepared Statement of the 521

Sebelius, Hon. Kathleen, Secretary, Office of the Secretary,
Department of Health and Human Services........................ 237
Prepared Statement of........................................ 240
Shelby, Senator Richard C., U.S. Senator From Alabama:
Prepared Statement of........................................ 128
Questions Submitted by....................................... 161
Sieving, Dr. Paul A., Director, National Eye Institute, National
Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services,
Prepared Statement of.......................................... 88
Solis, Hon. Hilda L., Secretary, Office of the Secretary,
Department of Labor............................................ 1
Prepared Statement of........................................ 6
Summary Statement of......................................... 4
Specter, Senator Arlen, U.S. Senator From Pennsylvania, Questions
Submitted by................................................... 157
Scleroderma Foundation, Prepared Statement of the................ 527
Society:
For:
Healthcare Epidemiology of America, Prepared Statement of
the.................................................... 530
Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Prepared Statement of the....... 533
Women's Health Research and the Women's Health Research
Coalition, Prepared Statement of the................... 540
Of Teachers of Family Medicine, Prepared Statement of the.... 534
Spina Bifida Association and Spina Bifida Foundation, Prepared
Statement of the............................................... 524
State and Territorial Injury Prevention Directors Association,
Prepared Statement of the...................................... 537

Tabak, Dr. Lawrence A., Director, National Institute of Dental
and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health,
Department of Health and Human Services, Prepared Statement of. 106
TB Coalition, Prepared Statement of the.......................... 546
The:
Friends of the National Institute on Aging, Letter From...... 395
Interstitial Cystitis Association, Letter From............... 420
Tri-Council for Nursing, Prepared Statement of the............... 549
Trust for America's Health, Prepared Statement of the............ 543

United Tribes Technical College, Prepared Statement of the....... 553

Volkow, Dr. Nora D., Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse,
National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human
Services, Prepared Statement of................................ 102

Warren, Dr. Kenneth R., Director, National Institute on Alcohol
Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Department
of Health and Human Services, Prepared Statement of............ 95
Whitescarver, Dr. Jack E., Director, Office of AIDS Research,
National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human
Services, Prepared Statement of................................ 125

SUBJECT INDEX

----------

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Office of the Secretary

Page

Access and Completion Incentive Fund............................. 196
Additional:
Committee Questions.......................................... 206
Support for States Related to Data Collection................ 208
Addressing:
Immediate Fiscal Needs and Sustainable Reform................ 186
The Dropout Problem.......................................... 188
Administrative Cost of Originating all Federal Student Loans
Through Direct Loan Program.................................... 235
Adult Literacy Programs and Reauthorization of the Workforce
Investment Act................................................. 224
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act........................... 163
Funding for Postsecondary Education.......................... 172
Innovation Fund.............................................. 229
Basis for Awarding Loan Servicing Contracts...................... 192
Benefits of Dual Enrollment Programs............................. 185
Budget Proposal to Make Pell Funds Mandatory..................... 172
Career and Technical Education................................... 218
Charter:
School Program............................................... 234
Schools...................................................... 183
Choice in Student Loans.......................................... 235
Community College Role--Academic and Job Skills.................. 181
Compliance and Technical Assistance Activities in the Office for
Civil
Rights......................................................... 222
Data Collection:
And The SDFSC Program........................................ 225
On LEA Reduction of Maintenance of Effort.................... 206
Data:
On:
LEA Reduction of Expenditures for Special Education Under
the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). 206
States Ineligible to Use Maintenance of Effort Reduction
Authority.............................................. 206
Quality Campaign............................................. 201
Delivery of Technical Assistance................................. 216
Developing Comprehensive Data Systems............................ 194
Direct Loan Capacity............................................. 233
Dropout Rate of Students with Disabilities....................... 178
Dual Enrollment Programs and Dropouts............................ 185
Early Childhood Education.................................172, 174, 223
And Special Education........................................ 184
Early Learning:
Challenge Fund........................................172, 223, 227
Programs..................................................... 178
Economic Impact of High School Dropouts.......................... 170
Education Priorities............................................. 169
Educational:
Assurances for Education Reform.............................. 168
Materials in Accessible Formats.............................. 210
Estimated Savings From Shift to Direct Loans..................... 233
Even Start....................................................... 226
Expansion and Replication of Promising Charter School Models..... 229
Federal:
Facilities Funding for Charter Schools....................... 228
Support for Early Learning Literacy Programs................. 224
Findings From Monitoring Reviews of State VR Agencies............ 216
Fiscal Year 2010:
Discretionary Funding Request................................ 169
Education Budget Priorities.................................. 167
Focus of Teacher Incentive Fund.................................. 182
Funding:
For:
Pell Grants.............................................. 235
Research on Adult Reading and Writing.................... 220
Sources for Program Improvement Strategies................... 208
Support for Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention and Violence
Prevention Programs........................................ 226
Gear Up Program.................................................. 191
Helping:
More Kids go to College...................................... 175
Struggling Schools........................................... 195
High School Dropouts............................................. 185
Impact:
Of Recovery Act Funds on Education........................... 168
On Employment................................................ 191
Importance of:
A Good Principal............................................. 200
Arts and Physical Education Courses.......................... 204
Deficiencies Identified in State Monitoring Reviews.......... 217
Developing All Skill Sets in School.......................... 205
Mentoring.................................................... 192
Improving:
Education for Students With Disabilities..................... 178
Literacy Through School Libraries............................ 198
Teacher Quality.............................................. 169
Incentive Pay for Teachers....................................... 186
Increased Federal Administrative Costs........................... 233
Increasing:
Instructional Time........................................... 169
The High School Graduation Rate.............................. 179
Intergovernmental Job Training Programs Review................... 218
Investing in:
Innovation................................................... 196
Talent....................................................... 194
Literacy--Early Reading Programs................................. 224
Loan Servicing Under Direct Loans................................ 191
Long-term Impact of Recovery Act IDEA Funds...................... 207
Longer School Year............................................... 193
Major Findings of Research on Adult Reading and Writing.......... 219
Measuring the Effectiveness of the SDFSC State Grant Program and
Mentoring Program.............................................. 230
Mentoring Resource Center........................................ 231
National:
Institute for Literacy....................................... 218
Research and Development Centers Research on Adult Literacy.. 220
New Incentives for Effective Teaching............................ 174
No Child Left Behind and Narrowing of Curriculum................. 204
Obligation Period of Recovery Act Funds.......................... 199
Partnering School Programs With Business Needs................... 180
Pell Grants and College Accessibility............................ 176
Perkins Loans.................................................... 181
Postsecondary Education........................................164, 165
Presidential and Congressional Academies for History and Civics.. 234
Priorities in Use of Funds From American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and the Teacher Incentive Fund......... 227
Program Administration Staff Increases........................... 221
Programs Providing Transition to College Services................ 191
Promoting Innovation in Struggling Schools....................... 175
Proper Use of Recovery Act Funds................................. 203
Proposal:
To Move FFEL to all Direct Loans............................. 190
For all New Loans to be Direct Loans......................... 173
Proposed:
Budget:
Increases................................................ 165
Savings and Program Eliminations......................... 173
Move to all Direct Lending................................... 179
Organizational Placement of Office of Civil Rights Staff
Increases.................................................. 223
Race to the Top Fund............................................. 169
And Charter Schools.......................................... 199
Competition.................................................. 198
Goals........................................................ 194
Request for Proposals........................................ 195
Raising College Graduation by 2020............................... 189
Reading:
Programs..................................................... 171
Skills and Special Education................................. 185
Recovery Act:
Administrative Activities.................................... 221
Discretionary Education Funds................................ 193
Investment in Education...................................... 204
Recovery Funds for Title I and Special Education................. 171
Recruiting and Retaining Special Education Teachers.............. 209
Rehabilitation Services and Disability Research--Vocational
Rehabilitation State Grants Program............................ 214
Replacement of FFELP Loan Volume................................. 233
Research on Adult Education and Literacy......................... 219
Resources for Reviews of Centers for Independent Living.......... 217
Role of Local Student Loan Infrastructure........................ 232
Safe and Drug-free Schools:
And Communities.............................................. 230
National Programs........................................ 231
State Grants................................................. 190
Savings From:
All Direct Lending........................................... 180
Move to Direct Loans......................................... 190
Scaling up What Works............................................ 181
School:
Facilities................................................... 164
Improvement Program.......................................... 170
Leadership Program........................................... 200
Reform....................................................... 183
Setting Higher Standards......................................... 194
Special Education:
Grants to States Program Improvement Strategies.............. 208
Technical Assistance and Dissemination Program............... 209
State Longitudinal Data Systems.................................. 201
Statutory Funding Requirements Under SDFSC State Grants Program.. 225
Steps to Increase Direct Loan Capacity........................... 233
Student Loan Volume.............................................. 233
Students and the Loan Process.................................... 232
Sustaining Recovery Fund Initiatives............................. 193
Targeting:
Recovery Resources--A Test of Leadership..................... 202
Title I Funds to Lower the Dropout Rate...................... 177
Teacher Incentive Fund...............................170, 181, 227, 234
Competitive Grants........................................... 183
Technical Assistance for:
Centers for Independent Living............................... 217
LEAs for SDFSC Programs...................................... 226
Rural Institutions........................................... 232
Special Education State Data Collection...................... 207
The Graduates Act................................................ 189
Title I Funding Gap.............................................. 177
Transition After Recovery Act Funds are Expended................. 202
Turning Around Low-performing Schools............................ 170
Updated Guidance on Title I Waivers.............................. 232
Use of SFSF for Charter School Facilities Funding................ 228
Video Description:
Grant Competition............................................ 214
Performance Assessment....................................... 214
What Works:
And Innovation Fund........................................169, 200
Clearinghouse................................................ 221

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health

A:
Structured Approach to Answering Key Questions............... 84
Wide-ranging Effort.......................................... 77
Addiction Medications: Changing the Culture of Treatment......... 102
Additional Committee Questions................................... 145
Address Health Disparities....................................... 108
Addressing the:
Rising Burden of Noncommunicable Disease..................... 82
Societal Implications of an Aging Population................. 95
Advancing Implementation Science................................. 83
Appreciation for Investment in Research Infrastructure........... 86
Area of Promise and Investment:
Managing Chronic Pain........................................ 85
Natural Products............................................. 85
Translational Tools.......................................... 85
ARRA and Future Support.......................................... 131
Asthma Network................................................... 78
Autism and Language.............................................. 105
Barker Hypothesis................................................ 140
Building a Matrix for Clinical and Translational Research........ 86
Cancer:
And ARRA Funds............................................... 135
Research Portfolio........................................... 90
Cardiac Translational Research Implementation Program (C-TRIP)... 78
Changing Healthcare Delivery Through Point-of-Care (POC)
Technologies................................................... 100
Clinical and:
Population-based Research.................................... 109
Studies...................................................... 99
Transational Awards.......................................... 161
Trial of Hypertension Management Strategies.................. 78
Trials and Diagnostics....................................... 90
Collaborations and Team Science.................................. 98
Comparative Effectiveness Research............................... 144
Complex Genetic Diseases......................................... 98
Curing Cancer.................................................... 159
Current Scope of the Problem and Research........................ 95
Cystic Fibrosis.................................................. 128
Dental Care in the Future........................................ 108
Developing Electronic Health Records............................. 77
Discovery Research: Enabling Innovation.......................... 127
Doubling Cancer Research......................................... 74
Early Detection, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Age-related Disease. 94
Economic and Scientific Benefits of ARRA......................... 66
Enhancing Future Health Research................................. 110
Ensuring Access to Information in Times of Disaster.............. 124
Environmental:
Disruptors of Endocrine Systems.............................. 112
Health and Safety of Nanomaterials........................... 112
Esophageal Cancer................................................ 148
Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications.......................... 92
Expanding Research Capacity...................................... 88
Facing the Future................................................ 106
Finding and Funding Innovation................................... 114
Fiscal Year 2010:
Budget Request............................................... 66
Priorities: Therapeutics Research............................ 126
Research Priorities: Prevention Research..................... 126
Fostering T1 Translational Research.............................. 87
Genes and:
Brain Diseases............................................... 119
Environment: High Pay-off Research........................... 103
Genetic:
Factors in Complex Diseases.................................. 109
Studies Guide Treatments..................................... 113
Genomic Function................................................. 92
H1N1 Flu......................................................... 138
Hair Cell Regeneration........................................... 104
Health Information Technology.................................... 100
Hemoglobinopathies Data System................................... 78
Hexavalent Chromium and Health................................... 112
Identifying Genes Responsible for Communication Disorders........ 105
Improving:
Research Informatics......................................... 88
Technologies to Treat Hearing Loss and Balance Disorders..... 105
Increasing Funding and Greater Number of Awards.................. 154
Information Services for the Public.............................. 124
Innovative Approaches and Novice Researchers..................... 152
Insulin-producing Cells From Amniotic Fluid Stem Cells Treat
Diabetes....................................................... 101
Interstitial Cystitis............................................ 150
Investing Today for American Prosperity.......................... 115
Keep the Pipeline Strong......................................... 107
Large-scale Sequencing........................................... 92
Leveraging Partnerships to Benefit Biomedical Science............ 87
Liver and Bile Duct Cancer....................................... 148
Lower Lp(a)...................................................... 159
Lung Cancer...................................................... 149
Maintaining U.S. Leadership in Global Health Research............ 83
Making Wise Decisions: Outreach.................................. 86
Maternal Fetal Medicine Research Network......................... 157
Medical Sequencing............................................... 91
Medicine of the Future........................................... 90
Mental:
Disorders are Chronic Brain Disorders........................ 116
Healthcare in the Future..................................... 116
Microchip Captures Early Circulating Cancer Cells................ 100
Military Researchers............................................. 152
Miniature Artificial Kidney Replaces Traditional Dialysis........ 101
Molecular Theranostics: New Technologies for the Diagnosis and
Treatment of Diseases.......................................... 101
Moving:
Forward......................................................92, 97
Past a Legacy of Fear........................................ 75
Myeloma.......................................................... 149
NCCAM: Looking to the Future..................................... 86
NCI and CIS...................................................... 153
NHLBI Proteomics Initiative...................................... 79
NIH:
Budget With Presidential Initiatives......................... 158
Medline Plus................................................. 150
NINR:
And the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act............... 122
Research Programs............................................ 121
Neurological Disorders and the Environment....................... 111
New Programs to Prevent and Treat Childhood Obesity.............. 78
Ophthalmic Genetics.............................................. 88
Outlook for the Future........................................... 96
Ovarian Cancer................................................... 148
Oversight of Objectivity......................................... 136
Pancreatic Cancers............................................... 145
Personalized Genomic Medicine.................................... 91
Pharmacy Program................................................. 151
Physical Sciences Shine Light on Biology......................... 114
Planning for the Future.......................................... 118
Prematurity and Respiratory Outcomes Program (PROP).............. 79
Preventing Noise-induced Hearing Loss............................ 104
Prevention....................................................... 147
Preventive Medicine.............................................. 98
Progress in Treatment and Prevention of Pancreatic Cancer........ 146
Promote Clinical Innovation...................................... 107
Promoting:
Health Awareness............................................. 110
Healthy Aging and Preventing Age-related Disease and
Disability................................................. 94
Public Health Burden of Mental Illness........................... 115
Regenerating Brain Tissue to Promote Stroke Recovery............. 101
Research:
Priorities................................................... 135
Training and Community Outreach.............................. 127
Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium (ROC) Renewal.................. 79
Salivary Diagnostics............................................. 157
Sarcoidosis...................................................... 160
Scientific Information Resources................................. 123
Self-management, Symptom Management, and Caregiving.............. 121
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business
Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs............................ 154
Stem:
Cell Consortium.............................................. 77
Cells........................................................ 158
Stomach Cancer................................................... 149
Stroke........................................................... 118
Success Rate of ARRA............................................. 130
Support of Promising Research and Flexibility.................... 133
The:
AIDS Pandemic................................................ 125
Barker Hypothesis............................................ 141
Cancer Genome Atlas.......................................... 91
$1,000 Genome................................................ 92
1000 Genomes Project......................................... 92
Power of the Genome.......................................... 75
Relevance and Impact of Comorbid Conditions.................. 103
Research Workforce........................................... 120
Trans-NIH AIDS Research Program.............................. 125
Translating:
Scientific Insights to Therapies............................. 119
Technology Into Practice..................................... 100
Translational Medicine........................................... 89
Understanding:
Healthy Aging and Disease and Disability..................... 93
The Dynamics of Drug Abuse and HIV........................... 103
Vaccines......................................................... 139
Visual Neuroscience.............................................. 90
Vocal Fold Regeneration.......................................... 106
Wellness and Prevention.......................................... 143
Widen the Scope of Inquiry....................................... 107
Windfall of Discoveries of the Genetic Basis of Disease.......... 91

Office of the Secretary

A Public Health Insurance Option................................. 253
Additional Committee Questions................................... 259
Administration:
For Children and Families: Office of Head Start.............. 262
On Aging..................................................... 261
Assisting Refugees to Achieve Self-sufficiency................... 272
Centers for:
Disease Control and Prevention............................... 262
Medicare and Medicaid Services............................... 261
Conquer Childhood Cancer Act..................................... 275
Decision Makers Differ on How to Mend Broken Health System....... 244
Emergency Housing Assistance..................................... 271
Health Resources and Services Administration..................... 260
Healthcare:
Access in Rural America...................................... 254
Disparities.................................................. 239
Fraud and Abuse.............................................. 258
Reform....................................................... 238
Waste and Hospital-acquired Infections.....................238, 244
Workforce..................................................269, 275
HHS:
Grants Provided to Organizations Serving Native Hawaiians.... 263
National Diabetes Education Program.......................... 261
Home Visiting.................................................... 269
Immunizations.................................................... 274
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program........................ 273
Funding Disparities.......................................... 249
Medical Countermeasures.......................................... 277
Native Hawaiian Healthcare....................................... 260
NIDDK's Diabetes Education in Tribal Schools (DETS) Project...... 261
NIH:
Funding...................................................... 256
Stimulus Funding............................................. 257
Occupational Safety and Health Training Program.................. 259
Office:
Of Minority Health........................................... 260
On Women's Health (OWH)...................................... 262
Pandemic:
Flu.......................................................... 239
Preparedness................................................. 274
Practitioners.................................................... 268
Prevention and Wellness.......................................... 247
Quality of Healthcare............................................ 250
Refugee Resettlement Program..................................... 276
Title X Family Planning Program.................................. 270
University of Pittsburgh Biodefense Initiative................... 256
U.S. Domestic Refugee Program and the Economic Crisis............ 270

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of the Secretary

Additional Committee Questions................................... 31
Administration of Work Opportunity Tax Credit.................... 36
Career Pathways Innovation Fund.................................. 59
Coalition of Immokalee Workers................................... 62
COBRA Premium Assistance Program................................. 20
Community Service Employment for Older Americans................. 58
Contracting Authority Under WIA.................................. 32
Departmental Program Evaluations................................. 49
Disability Navigators Initiative................................. 50
Dislocated Worker Program........................................ 16
DOL Review of Ex-offender Programs............................... 33
Employment:
Of Persons with Disabilities................................. 14
Statistics................................................... 21
Ensuring Accountability and Transparency......................... 12
Fair Labor Standards Act......................................... 22
Farm Labor Conditions............................................ 61
Fiscal Year 2010 Priorities...................................... 7
Flex-options Project at the Women's Bureau....................... 47
Funds for Job Corps.............................................. 18
Further Collaboration With the Department of Education........... 55
Gulfport Jobs Corps Center....................................... 15
High-Growth Job Training Initiatives............................. 56
Hiring at OSHA................................................... 38
ILAB:
Funding......................................................48, 49
Project Portfolio............................................ 48
Improving the Employment Process for Individuals With
Disabilities................................................... 51
Innovative Workforce Training Strategies......................... 9
Job Corps Operations............................................. 52
Monitoring One-stop Access by Individuals With Disabilities...... 33
National Emphasis Program on Recordkeeping....................... 37
Noncompetitive Grants............................................ 60
Office of the Solicitor.......................................... 40
Other Programs................................................... 12
Pell Grants for Unemployed Workers............................... 17
Performance Targets for ODEP..................................... 49
Program Direction and Support.................................... 39
Re-employment Eligibility Assessments............................ 35
Responding to Worker Displacement in American Samoa.............. 54
Restoring Worker Protection Programs............................. 7
Senate Confirmations............................................. 24
Severe Violators Enforcement Program............................. 39
Slot Reallocations at Job Corps Centers.......................... 53
Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.................... 39
Transitional Jobs Programs....................................... 33
Transitioning Veterans Into Civilian Employment.................. 57
Unemployment Overpayments........................................ 21
Veterans' Employment and Training Service........................ 21
WIA:
Dislocated Worker Formula....................................31, 60
Youth Activities............................................. 56
Wage and Hour Division........................................... 36
Work Incentive Grant Program..................................... 59
Workforce Data Quality Initiative................................ 32