[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 175 (Wednesday, December 11, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1838]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     THE IMPORTANCE OF NIH FUNDING

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                           HON. PETER T. KING

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 11, 2013

  Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support 
for full funding of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The 
largest source of funding for medical research in the world, the NIH 
has supported more than 130 Nobel Prize winners.
  Medical breakthroughs funded through the NIH include new treatments 
for cancer and chronic conditions. Clinical trials hosted at the NIH 
award patients newfound hope that they will be able to overcome 
debilitating diseases or conditions.
  While the significance of NIH funding can be measured through 
patients reached and treatments developed, it can also be gauged 
through economic impact. For every dollar of NIH funding spent in New 
York State, more than twice as much is generated in economic output. In 
2011, NIH grants and contracts created and supported more than 33,193 
jobs in the state alone and more than 500,000 jobs nationwide.
  Due to budget cuts, the NIH funded approximately 700 fewer research 
grants in 2013 than 2012 and admitted 750 fewer patients to the NIH 
Clinical Center. Almost immediately, these cuts affected patients 
hoping to be admitted to clinical trials and research jobs at 
universities nationwide. In the long term, these cuts will almost 
certainly delay progress in medical breakthroughs.
  We must not allow the significant legacy of the National Institutes 
of Health be diminished by the harmful effects of funding cuts.

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