[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 178 (Monday, December 16, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1874]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. MICHAEL K. SIMPSON

                                of idaho

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, December 16, 2013

  Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Speaker, the mission of the National Institutes of 
Health (NIH) is to seek and improve the quality of knowledge in the 
medical sciences, and to apply that knowledge in a meaningful way. The 
NIH fulfills this mission by maintaining high standards of scientific 
integrity, public accountability, and social responsibility. The NIH 
also enriches many colleges and universities across the country, 
because, though many Americans are not aware, a large portion of the 
budget is sent out to all fifty states in the form of extramural 
research grants. Through these grants, better education yields higher 
return on public investment in medical research.
  Thanks in part to research performed by the NIH, the life expectancy 
of a baby born in the United States is now 79--which is three decades 
longer than one born in 1900. Not only are we living longer, but our 
quality of life is improving. According to the NIH, the proportion of 
elderly with chronic disabilities has dropped by almost one third over 
the last 25 years.
  Research and development in the medical field is the key to curing 
not only cancer, but also a host of other diseases that impact millions 
of Americans. For citizens who suffer from pancreatic cancer, one of 
the deadliest major cancers, such funding is not just necessary, it's 
urgent. It is critical that Congress do whatever is possible to support 
pancreatic cancer research at the NIH and the National Cancer Institute 
(NCI). In meetings with my constituents who have shared their stories 
about pancreatic cancer, it has been clear that we could do more to 
find a cure for this disease.
  It is crucial that we, Members of the United States Congress, 
continue to support the NIH and its subsidiary, the NCI, by providing 
sustained and predictable funding. In these times of record debts and 
deficits and reduced budgets, it remains important that Congress 
continue to prioritize what is most important. The NIH is truly a 
national treasure. It is a light that we must not let fade.

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