evolgen reports that that Specter-Harken amendment to restore some of the cuts to the NIH budget and provide a modest increase necessary to prevent the our biomedical research effort from slowly eroding. Support was broad, and it was bipartisan. (No doubt it doesn't hurt that this is an election year.)
However, this is just the first step. The House still has to vote on the Department of Health and Human Services budget, and then there will be a House-Senate conference committee. To preserve the progress made, we'll have to turn our attention to the House. I'll keep an eye out for when this bill comes up for a vote in the House, and I hope you will to. Then it will be time to contact your Representative and urge him to support the budget adjustments in the Specter-Harken amendment.
In the meantime, I join evolgen in urging people to contact their Senators who voted for the amendment and thank them for their support.