[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 20 (Tuesday, February 13, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1351-S1352]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 19--TO EXPRESS THE SENSE OF THE SENATE THAT THE 
   FEDERAL INVESTMENT IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH SHOULD BE INCREASED BY 
                   $3,400,000,000 IN FISCAL YEAR 2002

  Mr. SPECTER (for himself, Mr. Harkin, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Frist, Mr. 
Schumer, Mr. Sarbanes, Ms. Collins, Mr. DeWine, Mr. Hutchinson, Ms. 
Snowe, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Santorum, and Mrs. Murray) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
Appropriations.

                               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, claimed the lives of 40,800 
     women last year; ovarian cancer

[[Page S1352]]

     claimed another 14,000 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 one in one hundred 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 320,000 Americans are now suffering from AIDS and 
     hundreds of thousands with HIV infection;
       Whereas cancer remains a comprehensive threat to any tissue 
     or organ of the body at any age, and remains a leading 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 prostate cancer is the second leading cause of 
     cancer deaths in men and last year 31,900 men died from 
     prostate cancer;
       Whereas diabetes, both insulin and non-insulin forms, 
     afflict 16 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 
     biomimetrics 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 genome by 2003, 
     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 2001'.

     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 $3,400,000,000 in 
     fiscal year 2002 and that the budget resolution appropriately 
     reflect sufficient funds to achieve this objective.

  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I have sought recognition today to 
introduce, with my distinguished colleague, Senator Harkin, an 
important resolution calling for increased funding for the National 
Institutes of Health, to keep us on track to double NIH funding by 
fiscal year 2003. Specifically, the resolution calls for the fiscal 
year 2002 budget resolution to include an additional $3.4 billion in 
the health function, to be allocated for biomedical research at the 
National Institutes of Health.
  As chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee for Labor, Health and 
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, I have said many times 
that the National Institutes of Health is the crown jewel of the 
Federal Government--perhaps the only jewel of the Federal Government. 
When I came to the Senate in 1981, NIH spending totaled $3.6 billion. 
Today, funding is $20.3 billion. This money has been very well spent, 
given that the advances realized by the National Institutes of Health 
has spawned tremendous breakthroughs in our knowledge and treatment for 
diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, 
severe mental illnesses, diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, and 
many others. It is clear that a substantial investment in the NIH is 
paying off and that it is crucial that increased funding be continued 
in order to convert these advances into treatment and cures.
  The effort to double NIH began on May 21, 1997, when the Senate 
passed a sense-of-the-Senate resolution stating that funding for the 
National Institutes of Health be doubled over five years. Regrettably, 
even though the resolution was passed by an overwhelming vote of 98 to 
nothing, the Budget Resolution contained a $100 million reduction for 
health programs. That led to the introduction of an amendment to the 
resolution by myself and Senator Harkin to add $1.1 billion to carry 
out the expressed sense of the Senate to increase NIH funding. Our 
amendment, however, was defeated 63-37. We were extremely disappointed 
that, while the Senate had expressed its druthers on a resolution, they 
were simply unwilling to put up the actual dollars to accomplish this 
vital goal.
  The following year, during debate on the fiscal year 1999 budget 
resolution, Senator Harkin and I again introduced an amendment to the 
budget resolution which called for a $2 billion increase for the 
National Institutes of Health. While we gained more support on this 
vote than in the previous year, our amendment was again defeated by a 
vote of 57-41. Not to be deterred, Senator Harkin and I again went to 
work with our Subcommittee and we were able to add an additional $2 
billion to the NIH account for fiscal year 1999.
  In fiscal year 2000, Senator Harkin and I again offered an amendment 
to the budget resolution to add $1.4 billion to the health accounts, 
over and above the $600 million increase which had already been 
provided by the Budget Committee. Despite this amendment's defeat by a 
vote of 47-52, we were able to provide in the appropriations bill a 
$2.3 billion increase for fiscal year 2000.
  Last year, Senator Harkin and I yet again offered an amendment to the 
budget resolution to increase funding for health programs by $1.6 
billion. This amendment passed by a vote of 55-45. This victory brought 
the NIH increase to $2.7 billion for FY'01. However, after late night 
negotiations with the House, the funding for NIH was cut by $200 
million below that amount.
  This brief history of defeats and victories brings us to where we are 
today. The amount necessary to keep us on our track to double NIH 
funding will require $3.4 billion for fiscal year 2002. I believe that 
this goal can be achieved if we make the proper allocation of our 
resources.
  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 infected persons to nearly undetectable levels. 
Death rates from cancer have begun a steady decline. With the 
sequencing of the human genome, we will begin, over the next few years, 
to reap the benefits in many fields of research as analysis continues. 
And if scientists are correct, stem cell research could result in a 
veritable fountain of youth in replacing diseased cells. I anxiously 
await the results of all of these avenues of remarkable research.
  I, like millions of Americans, have benefited tremendously from the 
investment we have made in the National Institutes of Health. That is 
why we offer this resolution today--to call upon the Budget Committee 
to include the additional $3.4 billion to the health accounts so we can 
carry forward the important work of the National Institutes of Health.

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