[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 181 (Thursday, December 19, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1902-E1903]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                GABRIELLA MILLER KIDS FIRST RESEARCH ACT

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                               speech of

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 11, 2013

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Gabriella Miller, 
a brave little girl who was taken from the world much too soon. I know 
Gabriella's parents are here in the House gallery and I want to express 
to them how sorry I am for their loss. Gabriella was a real fighter, 
not only for herself but for the thousands of other children across the 
country who are battling cancer. I'm pleased to join my colleague, 
Michael McCaul, in co-chairing the Congressional Childhood Cancer 
Caucus in the House. Over the years, I've had the privilege of meeting 
hundreds of young people like Gabriella and families like the Millers. 
I've heard their heartbreak and frustration, and share their commitment 
to finding a cure for this devastating disease. The National Institutes 
of Health play a critical role in this effort--conducting basic 
research toward finding cures, supporting clinical trials, and 
developing treatments for childhood cancer and other pediatric 
illnesses. I firmly believe that as a nation we should be investing 
more in pediatric research but the bill on the floor won't do that.

[[Page E1903]]

  Today's bill purports to increase pediatric research by $13 million 
per year by terminating public financing for political conventions. 
Assuming last year's 5 percent sequester at NIH was spread evenly 
across their programs, then pediatric research would have been cut by 
roughly $182 million in 2013. The bill's $13 million would return less 
than 10 percent of the funding to pediatric research that was lost to 
sequester last year. On top of that, the bill doesn't actually 
appropriate any funding, but instead authorizes appropriations, which 
does not guarantee that these funds will be available.
  Mr. Speaker, today's bill isn't a sincere effort to increase funding 
for pediatric research and it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. 
Since the Republican majority took office in 2011, they've racked up a 
dismal record on NIH, having cut its budget by total of $4.2 billion or 
13 percent when adjusted for inflation. If Republicans are really 
serious about pediatric research, and in fact want to put kids first, 
then they should work with us to replace the sequester with a balanced 
budget package.

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