[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 117 (Wednesday, July 16, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6872-S6873]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. SPECTER (for himself and Mr. Harkin):
  S. 3272. A bill to make emergency supplemental appropriations for the 
National Institutes of Health for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
2008, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Appropriations.
  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, the bill that Senator Harkin and I are 
introducing today would provide an additional $5.2 billion in fiscal 
year 2008 for the National Institutes of Health--$1.2 billion for the 
National Cancer Institute and $4 billion for other NIH institutes.
  The increases that the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education 
Subcommittee has provided over the past 20-30 years have dramatically 
improved the survival rates for many diseases--deaths from coronary 
artery disease declined by 18 percent between 1994 and 2004, stroke 
deaths also fell by 24.2 percent during that same time period. The 5-
year survival rates for Hodgkin's lymphoma have increased from 40 
percent in the 1960s to more than 86 percent today. Survival rates for 
localized breast cancer have increased from 80 percent in the 1950s to 
98 percent today. Over the past 25 years, survival rates for prostate 
cancer have increased from 69 percent to nearly 99 percent. So we are 
seeing real progress. But for many other maladies, the statistics are 
not so good.
  The remarkable medical advances we have seen thus far did not happen 
overnight. It takes a sustained commitment of time, effort and money 
for research institutions to train and recruit scientists skilled in 
the latest research techniques, and to develop the costly 
infrastructure where research takes place. Over the past several years 
Senator Harkin and I have worked hard to find ways to increase NIH 
funding. We have offered amendments to budget resolutions, encouraged 
our colleagues on the Appropriations Committee to increase the 
subcommittee's allocation, and undertook what some would call creative 
budgeting to make more resources available for NIH. As scientists, 
doctors, and patients can attest, these efforts have paid off; these 
funding increases have been instrumental in realizing the medical 
breakthroughs we are experiencing today.
  The $875,000,000 increase for NIH approved recently by the 
Appropriations Committee is a step in the right direction, but it falls 
far short of the billions needed to make up lost ground and revitalize 
medical research in this country. Regrettably, Federal funding for NIH 
has steadily declined from the $3.8 billion increase provided in 2003--
when the 5-year doubling of NIH was completed--to only $328 million in 
fiscal year 2008. Beginning in 2004--if we would have sustained 
increases of $3.5 billion per year, plus inflation--we would have $23 
billion more in funding for today. The shortfall in the President's 
fiscal year 2009 budget due to inflationary costs alone is $5.2 
billion. This funding decline has disrupted the flow of research 
progress, not just for today, but for years to come. The problem is 
that an entire generation of research scientists is being discouraged 
from going into the field of medical research, due to a lack of NIH 
research grants. This breach in Federal support, if it continues, will 
further slow on-going research and hamper the ability to fund new 
research opportunities for the future.
  The legislation that Senator Harkin and I are introducing today would 
provide an immediate infusion of new research dollars, and while it 
will only make up the $5.2 billion inflationary costs--it is a good 
starting point. The $1.2 billion contained in this bill for the 
National Cancer Institute is consistent with the Institute's 
professional judgment budget and the recent recommendations of the 
cancer research community.
  On June 6, 2008, I wrote to Ms. Nancy Brinker, Founder of the Susan 
G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation; Dr. Richard Schilsky, American 
Society of Clinical Oncology; Ms. Ellen Stovall, President and CEO, 
National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship; Dr. Raymond Dubois, 
President, American Association for Cancer Research; Mr. Lance 
Armstrong, Lance Armstrong Foundation; and Dr. Ellen Sigal, 
Chairperson, Friends of Cancer Research and asked for their estimate 
and timeline on conquering cancer. Their reply was $335 billion or 
approximately $22 billion a year over the next 15 years.
  While that may seem like a staggering amount of money, it pales in 
comparison to the savings research breakthroughs would produce in terms 
of lower health care costs and caregiver expenses, savings to business 
and the nation's overall economy.
  Senator Harkin and I, along with Senator Kennedy and Hutchison are 
looking for ways to provide not just the $5.2 billion contained in the 
legislation that we are introducing today, but to provide the billions 
of dollars needed for treatment and cures.
  The partnership that Tom Harkin and I have had since 1989 is solid 
and together we will find a way to increase this nation's investment in 
biomedical research.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
placed in the Record, as follows:

[[Page S6873]]

                                S. 3272

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``NIH Emergency Supplemental 
     Appropriations Act of 2008''.

     SEC. 2. SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS.

       That the following sums are appropriated, out of any money 
     in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated for the fiscal 
     year ending September 30, 2008, and for other purposes, 
     namely:
       (1) For an additional amount for the ``Office of the 
     Director, National Institutes of Health'', $4,000,000,000 
     which shall be transferred to the Institutes and Centers of 
     the National Institutes of Health to be used to support 
     additional scientific research.
       (2) For an additional amount for the National Cancer 
     Institute, $1,200,000,000 to be used to support additional 
     scientific research.

     SEC. 3. GENERAL PROVISIONS.

       (a) Availability of Funds.--No part of the appropriation 
     contained in this Act shall remain available for obligation 
     beyond the current fiscal year.
       (b) Emergency Designation.--Amounts in this Act are 
     designated as emergency requirements pursuant to section 402 
     of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th Congress), and pursuant to section 
     501 of H. Con. Res. 376 (109th Congress) as made applicable 
     to the House of Representatives by section 511(a)(4) of H. 
     Res. 6 (110th Congress).
                                 ______