[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 8 (Tuesday, January 19, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S716-S717]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENATE RESOLUTION 19--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE THAT THE
FEDERAL INVESTMENT IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH SHOULD BE INCREASED BY
$2,000,000,000 IN FISCAL YEAR 2000
Mr. SPECTER (for himself and Mr. Harkin) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred jointly to the Committee on the Budget
and to the Committee on Governmental Affairs:
S. Res. 19
Whereas past investments in biomedical research have
resulted in better health, an improved quality of life for
all Americans and a reduction in national health care
expenditures;
Whereas the Nation's commitment to biomedical research has
expanded the base of scientific knowledge about health and
disease and revolutionized the practice of medicine;
Whereas the Federal Government represents the single
largest contribution to biomedical research conducted in the
United States;
Whereas biomedical research continues to play a vital role
in the growth of this Nation's biotechnology, medical device,
and pharmaceutical industries;
Whereas the origin of many of the new drugs and medical
devices currently in use is based in biomedical research
supported by the National Institutes of Health;
Whereas women have traditionally been under represented in
medical research protocols, yet are severely affected by
diseases including breast cancer, which will kill over 43,900
women this year; ovarian cancer which will claim another
14,500 lives; and osteoporosis and cardiovascular disorders;
Whereas research sponsored by the National Institutes of
Health is responsible for the identification of genetic
mutations relating to nearly 100 diseases, including
Alzheimer's disease, cystic fibrosis, Huntington's disease,
osteoporosis, many forms of cancer, and immune deficiency
disorders;
Whereas many Americans still face serious and life-
threatening health problems, both acute and chronic;
Whereas neurodegenerative diseases of the elderly, such as
Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease threaten to destroy the
lives of millions of Americans, overwhelm the Nation's health
care system, and bankrupt the Medicare and Medicaid programs;
Whereas 4 million Americans are currently infected with the
hepatitis C virus, an insidious liver condition that can lead
to inflammation, cirrhosis, and cancer as well as liver
failure;
Whereas 250,000 Americans are now suffering from AIDS and
hundreds of thousands more with HIV infection;
Whereas cancer remains a comprehensive threat to any tissue
or organ of the body at any age, and remains a top cause of
morbidity and mortality;
Whereas the extent of psychiatric and neurological diseases
poses considerable challenges in understanding the workings
of the brain and nervous system;
Whereas recent advances in the treatment of HIV illustrate
the promise research holds for even more effective,
accessible, and affordable treatments for persons with HIV;
Whereas infants and children are the hope of our future,
yet they continue to be the most vulnerable and under served
members of our society;
Whereas approximately one out of every six American men
will develop prostate cancer and over 49,200 men will die
from prostate cancer each year;
Whereas diabetes, both insulin and non-insulin forms,
afflict 15.7 million Americans and places them at risk for
acute and chronic complications, including blindness, kidney
failure, atherosclerosis and nerve degeneration;
Whereas the emerging understanding of the principles of
biometrics have been applied to the development of hard
tissue such as bone and teeth as well as soft tissue, and
this field of study holds great promise for the design of new
classes of biomaterials, pharmaceuticals, diagnostic and
analytical reagents;
Whereas research sponsored by the National Institutes of
Health will map and sequence the entire human gnome by 2005,
leading to a new era of molecular medicine that will provide
unprecedented opportunities for the prevention, diagnoses,
treatment, and cure of diseases that currently plague
society;
Whereas the fundamental way science is conducted is
changing at a revolutionary pace, demanding a far greater
investment in emerging new technologies, research training
programs, and in developing new skills among scientific
investigators; and
Whereas most Americans show overwhelming support for an
increased Federal investment in biomedical research: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This resolution may be cited as the `Biomedical
Revitalization Resolution of 1998'.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF THE SENATE.
It is the sense of the Senate that funding for the National
Institutes of Health should be increased by $2,000,000,000 in
fiscal year 2000 and that the budget resolution appropriately
reflect sufficient funds to achieve this objective.
Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I have sought recognition today for the
purpose of submitting a resolution calling for the Budget Committee to
add $2 billion in the health account for the National Institutes of
Health in fiscal year 2000. I am convinced that National Institutes of
Health are the crown jewel of the Federal Government and they have made
tremendous progress in conducting research into the causes and cures
for disease. My vision for America in the 21st Century is to find the
cure for cancer, for Alzheimer's, for Parkinson's, for the severe
mental illnesses, for diabetes, for osteoporosis, and for heart
cardiovascular disease. All of this is within our reach if we make the
proper allocation of our resources.
As Chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee for Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, I am firmly committed
to prioritizing our resources in order to provide maximum funding for
biomedical research. Funding for the National Institutes of Health has
been increased steadily during my tenure in
[[Page S717]]
the Senate, regardless of who was chairing the subcommittee. Although
the budgets were always tight and frequently had cuts called for by the
administration, when the chairman was Senator Weicker, when the
chairman was Lawton Chiles, when the chairman was Tom Harkin, or more
recently under my chairmanship, we have increased the funding
tremendously. And the National Institutes of Health has responded with
extraordinary advances in research. Now the work has to be pushed
forward to see exactly what can be accomplished in the next century.
On May 21, 1997, the Senate passed a Sense of the Senate resolution
submitted by our distinguished colleague, Senator Mack, which stated
that funding for the National Institutes of Health should be doubled
over five years. Regrettably, even though that resolution was passed by
an overwhelming vote of 98 to nothing, when the budget resolution was
returned, the appropriate health account had a reduction of $100
million. That led to the introduction of an amendment to the budget
resolution by Senator Harkin and myself, Senator Harkin being my
distinguished colleague and ranking member of the subcommittee which I
chair. We sought to add in $1.1 billion to carry out the expressed
sense of the Senate. Our amendment, however, was defeated 63-37. While
the Senate had expressed its druthers on a resolution, when it came to
the dollars they simply were not there.
During debate on the fiscal year 1999 Budget Resolution, Senator
Harkin and I again introduced an amendment which called for a funding
increase for the National Institutes of Health of $2 billion and
provided sufficient resources in the budget to accomplish this. While
we gained more support on this vote than in the previous year,
unfortunately our amendment was again defeated, this time by a vote of
57-41.
In order to provide the necessary resources for biomedical research,
Senator Harkin have worked closely together to find these vital funds.
In the past few years, Senator Harkin and I have consolidated and
eliminated 135 programs to enable us to save $1.5 billion. It's pretty
hard to eliminate a program in Washington, DC but we have been able to
do that. We used the $1.5 billion to provide to the National Institutes
of Health, guaranteed student loans, and many other important programs.
Last year, Senator Harkin and I again went to work with our
subcommittee and we were able, by making economies and establishing
priorities, to add an additional $2 billion to the NIH account, the
largest increase in history. We, however, still have a long way to go
if we are to meet our goal of doubling the funding over five years.
Our investment has resulted in tremendous advances in medical
research. A new generation of AIDS drugs are reducing the presence of
the AIDS virus in HIV affected persons to nearly undetectable levels.
Death rates from cancer have begun a steady decline. Human genome
research has yielded dramatic developments in uncovering genes
associated with a host of diseases, such as breast and prostate cancer,
Alzheimer's disease, cystic fibrosis, and schizophrenia.
I personally have been the beneficiary of the tremendous advances of
the National Institutes of Health. Two decades ago, there was no such
thing as an MRI. That device detected a problem for me. And other
advances led to good results for me. I know millions of people have
benefited from the research and the investment which we have made in
the National Institutes of Health. But that takes money, and that is
why this resolution is being offered--to call upon the Budget Committee
to add in $2 billion so we can carry forward the important work of the
National Institutes of Health.
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