SHM Sends Letter to Senate on Omnibus Spending

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Dear Senator:

The undersigned members of the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research, which represents patients and their families, scientists, research institutions, health care providers, and industry, strongly urge you and your colleagues to make fiscal year (FY) 2015 appropriations legislation a priority when you return in November and to work in a bipartisan manner to pass final, omnibus spending legislation before the end of the calendar year. This omnibus spending package should include an FY 2015 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill that restores funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to, at a minimum, pre-sequestration levels.

The breakdown of this year’s appropriations process and the need once again to enact a short-term continuing resolution (CR) to continue funding for medical research creates inefficiencies, and impedes long term planning by NIH and the institutions and scientists it supports throughout the nation. Under a CR, NIH typically cannot issue new grants and often withholds funds from existing projects, adding uncertainty to a system that is already under stress. More concerning, it delays hope to the millions of Americans who look to medical research as the answer to disease and disability.

In addition, Congress has repeatedly failed even to debate the Labor-HHS spending bill through
regular order. It has been almost a decade since the last Labor-HHS spending bill was enacted as stand-alone legislation, and it has been three years since the House has even introduced a Labor-HHS spending bill.

We also are concerned that important emergency funding added to the CR has been offset by an
across-the-board-cut. While relatively small, this cut compounds the impact of deep cuts already taken since 2010 due to federal austerity measures, including sequestration.

Sustained, predictable, real growth in federal support for medical research funded by NIH in your state is essential for making real and continued progress in bringing treatments and cures to patients. Yet, the NIH budget has failed to keep pace with inflation for the past decade, declining by more than 22 percent since 2003 after adjusting for inflation. This is happening at the same time that countries are greatly increasing their investments in biomedical research, thereby creating an innovation deficit for the United States. An omnibus spending bill with a Labor-HHS appropriation restoring NIH to at least pre-sequester funding levels would mark an important step toward a more sustainable, predictable research environment for patients and their families, as well as for those working to address disease. It also would be a step in the right direction to close the innovation deficit.

Members in both chambers and from both parties have expressed enthusiastic endorsements for the life-saving medical research conducted and funded by NIH. Congress needs to finish the job and enact omnibus spending legislation for FY 2015 that restores NIH funding to, at a minimum, presequestration levels. Only through thoughtful and transparent consideration of appropriations bills can lawmakers ensure we are able to address our nation’s health challenges. The American people are depending on it.

Sincerely,

Academic Pediatric Association
AcademyHealth
The Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists
Academy of Radiology Research
Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research
African American Health Alliance
The AIDS Institute
Alabaster
Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM)
Alliance for Aging Research
Alpha-1 Foundation
The ALS Association
Alzheimer's Association
Alzheimer’s Foundation of America
American Academy of Dermatology Association
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine
American Association for Cancer Research
American Association for Dental Research (AADR)
American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases
American Association for Thoracic Surgery
The American Association of Anatomists
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
The American Association of Immunologists
American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association
The American Board of Addiction Medicine Foundation
American Brain Coalition
American Brain Tumor Association
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
American College of Gastroenterology
American College of Radiology
American College of Rheumatology
American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
American Diabetes Association
American Gastroenterological Association
American Federation for Aging Research
American Headache Society
American Heart Association
American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering
American Lung Association
American Occupational Therapy Association
American Pancreatic Association
American Pediatric Society
American Physiological Society
American Psychiatric Association
American Psychological Association
American Society for Bioethics and Humanities
American Society for Cell Biology
American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
The American Society for Investigative Pathology
American Society for Microbiology
American Society for Nutrition
American Society for Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics
American Society for Reproductive Medicine
American Society of Clinical Oncology
American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
American Society of Hematology
American Society of Human Genetics
American Society of Nephrology
American Society of Transplantation (AST)
American Sociological Association
American Thoracic Society
American Urogynecologic Society
Americans for Medical Progress
Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization
Associated Medical Schools of New York
The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD)
Association for Clinical and Translational Science
Association for Glycogen Storage Disease
Association for Psychological Science
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
Association for Surgical Education
Association of Academic Departments of Otolaryngology
Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (AAHSL)
Association of American Cancer Institutes
Association of American Geographers
Association of American Medical Colleges
Association of American Universities
Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges
The Association of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Neurobiology Chairs (AACBNC)
Association of Independent Research Institutes
The Association of Medical School Microbiology and Immunology Chairs
The Association of Medical School Neuroscience Department Chairs (AMSNDC)
The Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs (AMSPDC)
Association of Minority Health Professions Schools
Association of Pathology Chairs
Association of Psychologists in Academic Health Centers (APAHC)
Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU)
Association of University Anesthesiologists
The Association of University Radiologists
AVAC: Global Advocacy for HIV Prevention
Benign Essential Blepharospasm Research Foundation
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Boston
Biophysical Society
Boston University School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University
The Cave Institute
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Center on Aging, NORC at the University of Chicago
Children’s Hospital Association
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute
The Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation
Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation
City of Hope
The Clinical Research Forum
Coalition for Clinical and Translational Science
Coalition for the Life Sciences
Coalition to Promote Research
College of American Pathologists
Columbia University
Conference of Boston Teaching Hospitals
Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine
Consortium of Social Science Associations
Cooley’s Anemia Foundation
COPD Foundation
Creighton University School of Medicine
Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America
Cure Alzheimer's Fund
Cure CADASIL
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Cystinosis Foundation
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Debbie's Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach Cancer
DebRA of America
Digestive Disease National Coalition
Duke University School of Medicine
Dystonia Medical Research Foundation
Emory University
Endocrine Society
Esophageal Cancer Action Network
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences
Florida Atlantic University
Foundation Fighting Blindness
GBS/CIDP Foundation International
Georgia Regents University
Greater New Orleans, Inc.
Green and Healthy Homes Initiative
Gut Check Clostridium Septicum Foundation
Harvard University
The Heart Failure Society of America
Henry Ford Health System
Hepatitis B Foundation
Hepatitis Foundation International
Histiocytosis Association
HIV Medicine Association
Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association
Hydrocephalus Association
Hypoparathyroidism Association, Inc.
Indiana University
Infectious Diseases Society of America
International Association of Medical Science Educators
International FOP Association
International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders
Interstitial Cystitis Association
Jeffrey Modell Foundation
Johns Hopkins University
Kent State University
The LAM Foundation
Lifespan
Loyola University Chicago
LSU Health Sciences Center - New Orleans
LSU Health Sciences Center – Shreveport
Lung Cancer Alliance
Lupus Foundation of America
Lupus Research Institute
March of Dimes
The Marfan Foundation
Mayo Clinic
M-CM Network
Medical College of Wisconsin
Medical Library Association (MLA)
Meharry Medical College
Melanoma Research Alliance
Meridian Health
Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation
Michigan State University
Moebius Syndrome Foundation
Moffitt Cancer Center
Morehouse School of Medicine
Mucolipidosis Type IV Foundation
Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation
National Alopecia Areata Foundation
National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors
National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research
National Brain Tumor Society
National Center for Learning Disabilities
National Coalition for Cancer Research (NCCR)
National Eosinophilia Myalgia Syndrome Network
National Fragile X Foundation
National MPS Society
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation
National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)
National Ovarian Cancer Coalition
National Pancreas Foundation
National PKU Alliance
National Tay-Sachs & Allied Diseases Association
NephCure Kidney International
Neurofibromatosis Network
New York Medical College
New York Stem Cell Foundation
North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
North Louisiana Economic Partnership
Northeast Ohio Medical University
Northeastern University
NTM Info & Research, Inc.
NYU Langone Medical Center
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
One Voice Against Cancer
Oregon Health & Science University
Ovarian Cancer National Alliance
Oxalosis & Hyperoxaluria Foundation (OHF)
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
Parkinson's Action Network
Partners HealthCare
Penn Medicine
Penn State University
Phelan McDermid Syndrome
Population Association of America and Association of Population Centers
Prostate Cancer Foundation
PSC Partners Seeking a Cure
Pulmonary Hypertension Association
Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Coalition
Research!America
The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Saint Francis Care, Inc
Saint Louis University
Sarcoma Foundation of America
Scleroderma Foundation
Sleep Research Society
Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance
Society for Gynecologic Oncology
Society for Investigative Dermatology
Society for Neuroscience
Society for Pediatric Research
Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR®)
Society of Academic Anesthesiology Associations (SAAA)
Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography
Society of General Internal Medicine
Society of Hospital Medicine
Society of University Otolaryngologists
Society of University Urologists
Society of Urology Chairpersons and Program Directors
Stanford University School of Medicine
The State University of New York
Stony Brook Medicine
SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse
Tarlov Cyst Disease Foundation
Temple University School of Medicine
Tourette Syndrome Association, Inc
Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance
Tulane University
Turner Syndrome Society of the U.S.
Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health
Unite 2 Fight Paralysis
United for Medical Research
University at Buffalo
University of California
University of California, Davis
University of California, San Francisco
University of Cincinnati
University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus
University of Connecticut School of Medicine
University of Hawaii
University of Illinois
University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine
University of Kentucky
University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina School of Medicine
University of North Dakota
University of Massachusetts Medical School
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
University of Rochester
The University of Texas Medical Branch
University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences
University of Vermont College of Medicine
University of Virginia
University of Virginia School of Medicine
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Upstate University Hospital, Syracuse
U.S. Hereditary Angioedema Association
Vanderbilt University
Vasculitis Foundation
Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute
Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center
Washington University in St. Louis
Wayne State University
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Weill Cornell Medical College
Western Michigan University
Yale University