[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 3 (Wednesday, January 26, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S96]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HAROLD VARMUS, M.D.

 Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, for 6 years I had the pleasure of 
working closely with Dr. Harold Varmus, the distinguished Director of 
the National Institutes of Health. During his tenure as Director, great 
strides were made in medical research--the continued mapping of the 
human genome; new generations of AIDS drugs' gene therapy; the 
remarkable growth of information technology in health research; a 
strong effort to combat the global spread of infectious diseases; and 
exciting new scientific opportunities, such as stem cell research, that 
may one day lead to cures for Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, heart disease, 
and diabetes.
  When I first met Dr. Varmus, I recall being impressed by the force 
and eloquence with which he advanced the cause of medical research. 
When he informed me of his intention to leave his post as Director, I 
could not help but think that NIH would lose one of its most valuable 
assets. His commitment to raise the level of scientific achievement at 
the NIH, and the enthusiasm and vigor that he brought to the job will 
certainly be missed.
  I have no doubt that in his new position as head of the Memorial 
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, Dr. Varmus will 
stimulate the same high level of excitement and energy as he did at 
NIH. And while Sloan-Kettering will benefit from his vast knowledge of 
the biology of cancer, cancer patients there will feel the warmth of 
his deep compassion.
  During his tenure as NIH Director, the agency has seen unprecedented 
funding increases. In 1993, when he assumed the position of Director 
funding for NIH was $8.9 billion. Under his leadership, the NIH budget 
has more than doubled to the $17.9 billion.
  Dr. Varmus was the first Nobel Laureate to serve as NIH Director. He 
was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1989 for his 
work in demonstrating that cancer genes can arise from normal cellular 
genes. He is an international authority on retro-viruses and the 
genetic basis for cancer. Prior to coming to NIH, Dr. Varmus was a 
Professor at the University of California at San Francisco.
  I want to take this opportunity to congratulate Dr. Varmus on his new 
position and to salute his contribution to the Nation and the cause of 
medical research. His wise counsel and responsible leadership helped 
lay the foundation for a research agenda that will have a lasting 
effect on the lives of millions of people throughout the United States 
and the world.

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