[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 21843]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



     INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT FOR THE MILLENNIUM CANCER RESEARCH ACT

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                           HON. DEBORAH PRYCE

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 6, 2000

  Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, along with my colleague 
Congresswoman Lois Capps, to introduce the Millennium Cancer Research 
Act. This important legislation authorizes a five-year demonstration 
project designed to increase the flexibility, effectiveness and 
creativity of our nation's cancer research program. It has been 
developed in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and 
my colleagues in the Senate, in an effort to encourage high impact, 
cutting-edge research that will lead to future progress in the fight 
against cancer.
  Mr. Speaker, each year millions of Americans are touched by cancer, 
as they or someone they know is struck by this terrible disease. We 
have made enormous strides in the war against this most formidable of 
opponents, but we must do more to accelerate success. As scientific 
breakthroughs occur and innovations happen, our nation's cancer 
laboratories must be able to build upon them and should not be hindered 
by red tape.
  This legislation will allow for a restructuring of the National 
Cancer Institute that will help to rid its scientific laboratories of 
redundancy and inefficiencies that slow progress in our ongoing battle 
against cancer. It will command accountability both to peers through 
mandatory reviews and to Congress through annual reporting 
requirements. This bill will provide the necessary flexibility to 
respond quickly to emerging research opportunities and to engage the 
brightest minds available while maintaining strict congressional 
oversight. It will allow NCI to streamline existing systems, maximize 
cost-effectiveness and more easily enter into strategic partnerships 
and collaborations in pursuit of a cure. In short, it puts in place an 
administrative structure that reflects the complex way in which 
research is conducted today.
  Specifically, this legislation:
  Directs the NCI Director to establish a program to encourage high-
impact, high-risk rapid response research;
  Provides NCI with authority similar to that given to the Defense 
Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to enter into multiparty 
agreements that recognize intellectual property rights as well as 
financial and in-kind contributions;
  Allows NCI to create one simple and cost-effective personnel system 
to better recruit and manage priority research programs and 
initiatives;
  Updates the dollar level for grants that must be reviewed by the 
National Cancer Advisory Board to $300,000, in order to reflect 
inflation and the pace of science over the last 15 years; and
  Requires the NCI Director to report annually to Congress on research 
initiatives advanced under this legislation and to the NIH Director on 
the potential benefits of expanding these activities to other 
Institutes.
  Mr. Speaker, we are at a critical juncture in the war on cancer. By 
the year 2010, we face losing one-fourth of our citizens to this 
disease every year. At a time of such rapid growth and discovery in the 
world of medicine, we need to be as thoughtful in forming the institute 
that leads our nation into the battle against cancer as we are in 
choosing the science that will help us to win. This legislation will 
propel our nation toward that goal and I encourage support for this 
bill.

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