[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 124 (Thursday, September 28, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1881]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E1881]]



            NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH REFORM ACT OF 2006

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. GENE GREEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 26, 2006

  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the NIH 
Reform Act and congratulate Chairman Barton on his hard work to develop 
the consensus product before us today. Without a doubt, the work 
performed at the NIH is invaluable. The groundbreaking research 
supported by NIH has provided a lifeline of hope to countless Americans 
living with diabetes, cancer, HIV/AIDS and many other illnesses.
  Congress has not reauthorized the National Institutes of Health in 
more than a decade. Since its last reauthorization, the NIH has seen 
its funding double--a testament to the high priority that Congress 
places on the important research being performed at NIH. This 
reauthorization is an extension of our commitment to ensure that the 
NIH has the resources and proper management structures to conduct the 
kind of research that will ease the burden of disease in this country.
  These days, Americans live with chronic conditions that cannot be 
remedied by studying one particular organ, or one part of the body. 
Obesity and diabetes, for example, affect virtually the entire body, 
and we need to facilitate increased cooperation among the NIH's 
Institutes and Centers to achieve real progress on these pervasive 
conditions. The bill before us would do just that by creating a Common 
Fund, through which the Director of the NIH could support the important 
research that involves several institutes and centers at the NIH.
  While the Common Fund is an innovative approach toward trans-NIH 
research, Chairman Barton also worked to ensure that this new fund did 
not overshadow the important research being performed at the individual 
institutes and centers. To strike this balance, the bill stipulates 
that only 50 percent of funding increases appropriated by Congress each 
year can be dedicated to the Common Fund. I would like to see an 
authorization level high enough to ensure adequate funding for the 
Common Fund and individual institutes and centers; however, in this 
tight budget environment, this provision is an important assurance that 
institutes and centers don't find themselves in a zero-sum game with 
the Common Fund.
  As a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I was proud to vote 
for this bill during our committee markup last week. My hometown of 
Houston is home to the world-class Texas Medical Center, which houses 
many facilities that conduct groundbreaking NIH research. The Baylor 
College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital conduct more NIH 
pediatric research than any other NIH grantee. The University of 
Texas's MD Anderson Cancer Center also conducts critical NIH research 
and is frequently recognized as the top cancer center in the country.
  This bill will ensure that the NIH research performed at the Texas 
Medical Center--and other impressive research facilities across the 
nation--will yield continued contributions to our understanding of 
disease and the development of effective treatments to improve the 
health and well-being of all Americans. I encourage my colleagues to 
join me in support of this important legislation.

                          ____________________