[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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