[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 90 (Friday, June 21, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S4983]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                          BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH

  Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I would like to speak today about the 
importance of Federal investment in biomedical research. There are many 
reasons to invest in biomedical research, but the two most important 
reasons are very simple: biomedical research saves lives, and it is 
good for Pennsylvania's economy and the Nation's economy. A thriving 
biomedical sector creates jobs, and we simply cannot afford, from a 
public health or economic standpoint, not to support biomedical 
progress.
  I have been a strong and vocal advocate for Federal funds to support 
biomedical research, including funding for the National Institutes of 
Health--NIH. In 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013, I authored a letter in 
support of funding for the NIH; the letter in 2013 was signed by a 
bipartisan group of 51 Senators.
  In 2012, Pennsylvania researchers received $1,431,589,539--$1.4 
billion--in grants from the National Institutes of Health; the State is 
ranked fourth in the Nation for the number of grants awarded. The 
funding in 2012 supported over 3,400 competitive grants to almost 100 
Pennsylvania companies or universities; in turn, these grants supported 
thousands of jobs across the State--an estimated 2,500 in state jobs 
and total employment impact of over 24,000 jobs.
  Long-term deficits are not sustainable, and government spending must 
be reduced; however, we should not indiscriminately slash funding for 
good programs, like medical research, that benefit Pennsylvanians, 
ensure our global competitiveness and invest in our economic future. I 
have been a champion for the continued growth of the National 
Institutes of Health, NIH, which drives progress of biomedical 
research.
  While the United States has been the world leader in medical 
research, other nations such as China are dramatically ramping up their 
investment in medical research, creating new competition and 
threatening America's dominance in the field. We must continue to 
invest in medical research and maintain the capacity we currently have 
to support work that benefits all Americans.
  We risk a scenario in which promising young researchers, seeing the 
struggles of their mentors and older colleagues to secure funding for 
their work, will choose a different path, putting a whole generation of 
scientists at risk. That capacity, that talent, once lost will not 
easily come back. Failure to invest in research now is a failure to 
invest in our own future, and is incredibly shortsighted. We must work 
to support the basic research that has the potential to lead to major 
advances in medical treatments and improved outcomes for patients.

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