President Bush's FY2007 budget included no increase in funding for the NIH. Scientists have been lobbying Congress to amend the budget to at least increase the NIH budget to keep even with inflation. You can follow the story in these posts:
- Lobbying the Senate
- Amendment passes in the Senate
- Lobbying the House of Representatives
- Amendment fails to pass in the House Budget Committee
I just got word that the House of Representatives passed the FY2007 Budget Resolution which includes an amendment that ensures that all programs within the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations bill will be funded at FY2006 levels, including a 2% increase for inflation. This will mean the NIH budget will receive a $600 million increase. It is not the $7 billion proposed increase that passed in the Senate, but it's better than nothing.
I have reproduced a letter from the Genetics Society of America announcing this small victory below the fold.
Dear GSA Member,
FYI -- The House of Representatives has just passed the FY2007 Budget Resolution by a vote of 218-210.
Yesterday, the following amendment was included in the Rule for the House Budget Resolution:
"The House of Representatives recognizes the need to increase the President's fiscal year 2007 request for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriation bill by not less than $7,158,000,000."
Please note that this amount would allow for all programs within the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations bill to be funded at FY2006 levels, plus a 2% inflationary increase, which would result in a $600 million increase for NIH in FY2007.
In addition to the important health and education programs, Representative Castle also was able to ensure that adequate funding would be provided to accommodate the President's Competitiveness Initiative, which provides funding to the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy's Office of Science.
Much of this victory is due to the efforts of Representative Mike Castle (R-Delaware), a new champion of the NIH budget. But thanks are also due to those GSA members who responded to our previous e-mail notices about impending budget decisions affecting the NIH by contacting their Congressional representatives and encouraging them to support increased funding for research.
GSA will keep you posted during the next few months to make sure these budget stipulations are implemented during the upcoming appropriations process.
Barry Ganetzky, president
GSA Board of Directors
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It hardly sounds like much of a "victory", but I suppose it's better than nothing.
My question is, what will happen to the NCI budget. It's taken cuts in real dollars (no inflation adjustment) two years in a row now.
At least we're keeping up with inflation. Are people worried about changes to the FY2007 Budget Resolution in the a joint congressional committee? (I know that it's unlikely given that both the house and senate passed increases, but you never know)