CAPITOL 'COMPROMISE': SCIENCE FUNDING BELOW BUSH-ERA LEVELS

[marmar]

Sorry about the all-caps headline; I just copied and pasted from the HuffPost homepage


WASHINGTON -- The scientific research community was left disappointed after lawmakers on Monday night unveiled a new spending bill that only partially restores the funds cut by sequestration.

The omnibus appropriations bill put together by House Appropriations Chair Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) and Senate Appropriations Chair Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) sets funding for the National Institutes of Health at $29.934 billion for the next year. That represents a $1 billion increase from where NIH's funding levels stood in 2013, after sequestration, transfers and the re-programming of funds affected the agency.

But the NIH budget target falls short of what both the White House and Senate Democrats wanted. House Democrats said it was $714 million less than "the 2013 enacted level" of $30.648 billion. According to the NIH's own numbers, meanwhile, it is approximately $950 million less than its 2012 level. In fact, the number is lower than during President Barack Obama’s first year in office and, when adjusted for inflation, is lower than it was in every year but the first of the George W. Bush administration.

“The FY14 omnibus spending bill falls short of restoring funding for lifesaving National Institutes of Health (NIH) biomedical research,” said Carrie Wolinetz, president of United for Medical Research, a coalition of leading research and medical institutions. “The proposed package won’t adequately reverse the damage done by last year’s budget sequester and ensure the nation’s biomedical research enterprise makes continued progress in lifesaving research and development.” .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/14/budget-deal-science_n_4592746.html

[shenmue]

1. We have to get the Republicans out of Congress

It's the only way to undo the logjam.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. ^^THIS^^

[FarCenter]

3. Since healthcare is 16% of GDP, it is doubtful whether we can afford more medical research

Unfortunately, most biomedical research is on more and more expensive treatments and drugs.

Little funding goes to research on how to make healthcare cost less.