[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 142 (Wednesday, November 19, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1629]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          SUPPORTING FUNDING FOR NIH AND ALZHEIMER'S RESEARCH

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                           HON. NIKI TSONGAS

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 19, 2014

  Ms. TSONGAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to encourage my colleagues to vote 
to fully fund the National Institutes of Health as we consider 
appropriations for FY2015.
  Restoring the agency to its pre-sequestration spending level is 
critical to American health and medical innovation. The consequences of 
insufficient funding for the agency's work are not always immediately 
apparent but are significant. Serious investments in research are 
required if we hope to develop new cures, treatments, and vaccines for 
complex diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's.
  Without this type of significant commitment, the costs of Alzheimer's 
to Americans in 2050 will be a predicted $1.2 trillion dollars.
  As recent events have demonstrated, global health is also becoming a 
national security issue. We have seen how research conducted at the 
National Institutes of Health can be key to protecting American health 
and playing our part as a global health leader. Restrictions on 
research based on funding limitations can also hinder our efforts to 
combat such health crises.
  Mr. Speaker, as a world leader in research and innovation we must 
dedicate the appropriate level of funding to the National Institutes of 
Health.

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