[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 148 (Wednesday, November 30, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: November 30, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
U.S. PARTNERSHIP ENCOURAGES EXCELLENCE IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INDICATED 
           BY THE NUMBER OF NOBEL LAUREATES ACROSS THE NATION

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                          HON. GEORGE W. GEKAS

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 29, 1994

  Mr. GEKAS. Mr. Speaker, as we prepare for the 104th Congress and an 
opportunity to reorder our national budget priorities, we should review 
which Federal programs in partnership with private entities make good 
use of our tax dollars and make positive contributions to the United 
States.
  Over the last 3 years, I have participated in 30 briefings for the 
Congress on biomedical research, all research which is funded by the 
National Institutes of Health [NIH] in partnership with universities 
and enterprises. I have in the process come to fully understand the 
value of our partnership through the investment of tax dollars in 
biomedical research, which encourages private investment in research 
and development activities. Biomedical research enhanced by the NIH not 
only improves the quality of our lives but also promotes economic 
growth in new enterprises and a favorable international balance of 
trade.
  There is no more outstanding evidence of U.S. dominance in 
biotechnology nurtured by biomedical research than the number of living 
U.S. recipients of the Nobel Prize in fields related to biomedical 
research. For example, 43 U.S. recipients of the Nobel Prize, in late 
August, 1994, petitioned the Congress to include health research as an 
integral and cost-saving part of health care reform. A review of the 
following list of Nobel laureates demonstrates their geographic 
diversity across the Nation due to our partnership investment, all 
based on competitive peer review. We have demonstrated that Federal 
partnership through the NIH provides the opportunity for excellence in 
science across the Nation, which has achieved international 
recognition. The number of U.S. Nobel laureates in biomedical related 
fields is an accomplishment that should be celebrated and supported in 
partnership with academia and industry, as we plan our budget 
priorities.
  The text of the petition follows:

   Petition on Behalf of a Trust Fund for Biomedical Research in the 
       United States from American Recipients of the Noble Prize

       We the undersigned American recipients of the Nobel Prize 
     petition the United States Congress to establish a trust fund 
     for biomedical research, to supplement appropriations for the 
     National Institutes of Health. The amendment offered by 
     Senators Harkin and Hatfield provides a suitable model for 
     such a trust fund. In these times of deficit reduction and 
     fiscal restraint, we regard the trust fund as essential for 
     the preservation of reliable and adequate funding for the 
     National Institutes of Health. We consider the trust fund to 
     be an appropriate vehicle because we believe that the 
     revenues generated by health care should help support the 
     research required to improve the quality and reduce the cost 
     of that care.
       Christian Anfinsen, Professor of Biology, John Hopkins 
     University, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1972.
       Julius Axelrod, Guest Worker, National Institutes of 
     Health, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1970.
       David Baltimore, Professor, Massachusetts Institute of 
     Technology, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1975.
       Baruj Benacerraf, President, Dana-Farber, Inc, Nobel Prize 
     in Physiology or Medicine, 1980.
       Paul Berg, Cahill Professor in Cancer Research and 
     Director, Beckman Center for Molecular and Genetic Medicine, 
     Stanford University, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1980.
       J. Michael Bishop, Professor of Microbiology and 
     Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, Nobel 
     Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1989.
       Konrad Bloch, Higgins Professor of Biochemistry, Harvard 
     University, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1964.
       Michael S. Brown, Paul J. Thomas Professor of Molecular 
     Genetics, University of Texas Southwest Medical Center, Nobel 
     Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1985.
       Tom Cech, Distinguished Professor, Investigator, Howard 
     Hughes Medical Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, 
     Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1989.
       Stanley Cohen, Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry, 
     Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nobel Prize in 
     Physiology or Medicine, 1986.
       Leon N. Cooper, Thomas J. Watson, Sr., Professor of 
     Science, Director, Institute for Brain and Neural Systems, 
     Brown University, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1972.
       Elias James Corey, Professor of Chemistry, Harvard 
     University, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1990.
       Renato Dulbecco, President Emeritus, The Salk Institute for 
     Biological Studies, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 
     1975.
       Gertude B. Elion, Scientist Emeritus, Burroughs Wellcome 
     Company, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1988.
       Edmond H. Fischer, Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry, 
     University of Washington, Nobel Prize in Physiology or 
     Medicine, 1992.
       William A. Fowler, Institute Professor of Physics Emeritus, 
     California Institute of Technology, Nobel Prize in Physics, 
     1983.
       Jerome I. Friedman, Institute Professor and Professor of 
     Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Nobel Prize 
     in Physics, 1990.
       Ivar Giaever, Institute Professor, Rensselaer Polytechnic 
     Institute, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1973.
       Joseph L. Goldstein, Professor and Chairman, Department of 
     Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical 
     Center, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1985.
       Herbert A. Hauptman, President, Medical Foundation of 
     Buffalo, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1985.
       Dudley Herschbach, Baird Professor of Science, Harvard 
     University, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1986.
       George H. Hitchings, Scientist Emeritus, Burroughs Wellcome 
     Company, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1988.
       David H. Hubel, University Professor, Harvard Medical 
     School, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1981.
       Jerome Karle, Chief Scientist, Laboratory for the Structure 
     of Matter, Naval Research Laboratory, Nobel Prize in 
     Chemistry, 1985.
       Lawrence R. Klein, Benjamin Franklin Professor of Economics 
     (Emeritus), University of Pennsylvania, Nobel Prize in 
     Economics, 1980.
       Arthur Kornberg, Professor of Biochemistry, Stanford 
     University, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1959.
       Edwin G. Krebs, Professor Emeritus, Department of 
     Pharmacology, University of Washington, Nobel Prize in 
     Physiology or Medicine, 1992.
       Leon M. Lederman, Pritzker Professor of Science, Illinois 
     Institute of Technology, Director Emeritus, Fermilab, Nobel 
     Prize in Physics, 1988.
       William N. Lipscomb, Abbott and James Lawrence Professor, 
     Emeritus Harvard University, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1976.
       Bruce Merrifield, John D. Rockefeller Professor, Emeritus, 
     The Rockefeller University, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1984.
       Joseph E. Murray, Professor of Surgery Emeritus, Harvard 
     Medical School, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1990.
       Daniel Nathans, Senior Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical 
     Institute, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1978.
       George E. Palade, Dean, Scientific Affairs, University of 
     California, San Diego School of Medicine, Nobel Prize in 
     Physiology or Medicine, 1974.
       Ilya Prigogine, Director, Prigogine Center for Studies in 
     Statistical Mechanics & Complex Systems, The University of 
     Texas at Austin, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1977.
       Frederick C. Robbins, University Professor Emeritus, Dean 
     Emeritus, Case Western Reserve University, Nobel Prize in 
     Physiology or Medicine, 1954.
       Glenn T. Seaborg, University Professor, University of 
     California, Berkeley, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1951.
       Hamilton O. Smith, Professor of Molecular Biology & 
     Genetics, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 
     Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1978.
       George D. Snell, Senior Staff Scientist, Emeritus, The 
     Jackson Laboratory, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 
     1980.
       Henry Taube, Professor (Emeritus) of Chemistry, Stanford 
     University, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1983.
       E. Donnall Thomas, Member, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research 
     Center, Seattle, Professor of Medicine, Emeritus, University 
     of Washington, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1990.
       Susumu Tonegawa, Professor of Biology, Massachusetts 
     Institute of Technology, Center for Cancer Research, Nobel 
     Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1987.
       James D. Watson, President, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 
     Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1962.
       Torsten Wiesel, President, The Rockefeller University, 
     Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1981.

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