[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 15 (Thursday, January 29, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S656-S657]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. MIKULSKI (for herself and Mr. Cardin):
  S. 318. A bill to prioritize funding for the National Institutes of 
Health to discover treatments and cures, to maintain global leadership 
in medical innovation, and to restore the purchasing power the NIH had 
after the historic doubling campaign that ended in fiscal year 2003; to 
the Committee on the Budget.
  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, today I am introducing the Accelerating 
Biomedical Research Act.
  The bill allows more funding for the National Institutes of Health by 
allowing NIH funding to grow even while we continue to live under 
austere funding caps.
  NIH funding has been a bipartisan effort working with Democrats--
Senators Kennedy and Harkin, as well as Republicans--Senators Hatfield 
and Specter. We successfully fought to double NIH's budget from $13.6 
billion in 1998 to over $30 billion today. We supported it to speed the 
transition of discoveries from science to treatment and maintain 
America's global competitiveness.
  But the NIH budget hasn't kept up with inflation. Its budget has been 
growing, but slowly. That means the NIH budget buys 20 percent less 
than what it did when the doubling was completed in 2003. Which means 
we are missing out. Missing out on potential treatments, potential 
breakthroughs, potential cures. We have no shortage of ideas. 
Scientists have ideas but they cannot test them without funding. What 
is the solution?
  We need to redouble our commitment to medical research. This bill 
creates a 6-year plan to put NIH back on stable ground. It is steady 
growth, it is predictable, and it is fiscally sound.
  The bill allows for new spending for NIH that does not count against 
the strict budget caps. So we can put more money into cures without 
taking it away from other compelling human needs funded within the 
Labor-HHS Appropriations bill.
  Why NIH? Why should we have new spending for NIH when other spending 
is stagnant or being cut? Personally, I would lift the sequester caps. 
I think they are doing real harm, but I recognize we do not all agree 
on that. I think we do all agree that NIH research is worth increasing 
because it both helps the economy and saves lives.
  First, let me talk about how NIH helps the economy. The NIH is a 
world-class institution. I call it the National Institutes of Hope, 
serving as the foundation for U.S. medical innovation which employs 1 
million U.S. citizens, including 19,000 at NIH and 14,000 NIH employees 
who live in Maryland. NIH generates $84 billion in wages and salaries, 
exports $90 billion in goods and services. Every dollar we invest in 
NIH generates $2-$3 in economic activity. Every patent NIH generates 
provides the foundation for 8 private sector patents. In 2013, products 
built on licensed NIH and FDA inventions reported a total of $7 billion 
in sales. Investing in NIH is good for our economy
  But I do not call NIH the National Institutes of Hope because of its 
economic impact. NIH gives hope because of its human impact. Just look 
at what we have done with Federal investments in NIH, cutting the 
cancer death rate by 11 percent in women and 19 percent in men. HIV/
AIDS is no longer a death sentence. Polio and small pox are essentially 
eradicated in this country.
  These medical breakthroughs did not just happen. They occurred 
because our government supported the NIH. And because the NIH supported 
dedicated scientists seeking knowledge and medical breakthroughs.
  And now, that support is being eroded.
  I have heard the American people say, they want Congress to be 
frugal. But I haven't heard anyone say: ``Let's

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delay finding a way to prevent Alzheimer's'' or ``Let's encourage our 
young scientists to work abroad'' or ``Let's put a hold on finding a 
cure for cancer'' or ``Let's discourage our universities from 
researching treatments for rare pediatric tumors''.
  I am for being frugal but we must not jeopardize or hamper America as 
the gold standard, as the worldwide leader in medical research and 
innovation.
  I am for being frugal but not at the expense of the next generation 
of scientists and the health of American families.
  Discovery is the genius of our country. When President Jefferson 
commissioned Lewis and Clark to find water route to the Pacific, the 
mission was called discovery. Discovery is part of our Nation's DNA. It 
is what makes this Nation great.
  To have innovation we must have discovery. This requires: Investing 
in our human capital, educating our people, and funding their research. 
That is why I support funding for NIH. And that is why I am introducing 
the Accelerating Biomedical Research Act today.
  I hope my colleagues will agree and support this bill.
                                 ______