[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 158 (Monday, November 10, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2319-E2320]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         INTRODUCTION OF THE CLINICAL RESEARCH ENHANCEMENT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. NANCY L. JOHNSON

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Sunday, November 9, 1997

  Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to announce 
with my good friend from New York, Congresswoman Nita Lowey, the 
introduction of the Clinical Research Enhancement Act that will improve 
the quality of health care by enhancing our investment in clinical 
research. We introduced a similar bill in the 104th Congress, and I am 
once again glad to be working with Congresswoman Lowey and the health 
research community, led by the American Federation for Medical 
Research, on this proposal.
  Clinical research is the critical component we need to bring the 
discoveries of basic research to the patient in the form of medical 
treatments. Our Government makes significant investments each year in 
basic research through the National Institutes of Health. In fact, the 
Federal Government is the major source of investment in basic 
biomedical research. However, it is crucial that the Government focus 
not only on basic research but also on the translational research that 
utilizes the discoveries of basic research to improve our ability to 
prevent, treat, and cure disease and disability.
  While there is industry support for clinical research and clinical 
trials, private funding is very difficult to secure for the initial 
steps of translational research, which may have little or no commercial 
potential. Examples of this initial research include nutritional 
therapies, new approaches to disease prevention, transplantation 
techniques, behavioral interventions, and studies of off-label uses of 
approved drugs. These initial steps of clinical research used to be 
subsidized in part from patient care revenues to academic medical 
centers. As we heard in our debate on Medicare reform and graduate 
medical education, however, these teaching hospitals are more and more 
stretched for teaching and patient care dollars. They are finding it 
much more difficult to maintain their teaching role, let alone their 
investment in clinical research. Therefore, it is more important than 
ever that NIH devote greater attention and resources to providing 
support for clinical research.
  Without the important link of clinical research, the investment that 
our country makes in basic research does not have the impact on the 
quality of health care that it could have. We have heard concerns from 
the research community that clinical research based on our basic 
research discoveries is going on overseas because it does not have 
financial support in the United States. It would be ironic if our 
expanding commitment to medical research, as evidenced in by NIH's 
growing budget, should create jobs overseas because we fail to address 
the need to fund clinical research, the link between basic research and 
a vital biomedical industry on our soil.
  This legislation also will encourage more of our young researchers 
and physicians to pursue careers in clinical research. The data

[[Page E2320]]

demonstrates that American physicians and researchers are choosing not 
to pursue careers in clinical investigation in large part due to the 
lack of positions and funding for such research.
  It is important that we take steps to rebuild our Nation's supply of 
well-trained physician scientists if the United States is to continue 
its leadership in the medical sciences. This legislation encourages 
physicians and researchers by establishing grant and loan repayment 
programs to support the training and research of clinical 
investigators.
  I encourage my colleagues to examine this legislation carefully and 
discuss the issue with clinical researchers in their district. Many of 
them will highlight the needs that we have heard from researchers and 
universities across the Nation. Numerous polls have also shown that 
health care research is strongly supported by the American public. This 
legislation will make that research much more powerful and real in 
their lives.

                          ____________________