Funding Would Support Massachusetts Universities and Research Institutions, Create Thousands of Jobs

 WASHINGTON, D.C. –Representative Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a longstanding supporter of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee with oversight responsibility for NIH, is organizing an effort to seek increased funding to sustain and build on the vital work of the NIH. Markey is leading the effort to circulate a letter to all 435 House Members seeking signatures on a request to the Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee, urging that between $33.4 billion and $35 billion be provided to support the NIH in fiscal year 2011, representing between a 7 and 12 percent increase compared o $31.2 billion in fiscal year 2010.

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“The NIH is our nation’s best hope for finding cures, improving treatments, and gaining a better understanding of the diseases and conditions that affect millions of Americans,” said Markey. “NIH research is a critical part of strengthening our economy, inspiring the next generation of scientists and maintaining our nation’s leadership in innovation. NIH is our country’s ‘Field of Dreams,’ from which we harvest the cures to diseases that devastate families and drain resources from our health care system.  We must ensure the continued success of NIH and the critical work of its researchers in the future.”

As a pioneer in biomedical research, Massachusetts is the second highest recipient of NIH funding in the country after California. In 2007, Massachusetts received $2.3 billion in NIH funding, which created an estimated 30,864 jobs, according to FamiliesUSA. Markey was a strong supporter of a successful initiative that secured $10.4 billion for the NIH in the Recovery Act. The Commonwealth received a critical boost through 1,317 different Recovery Act grants awarded to the state’s universities and research institutions and the investment of $529 million NIH funds that are helping our state’s economy and investing in cutting edge research.

At a time when more than half of the top growing occupations are health care or research related, Rep. Markey is leading the charge to ensure continued support of NIH as an essential means to sustain advances in science and the economic impacts of NIH-funded research. 

 
A full copy of the letter can be found here: http://markey.house.gov/docs/nihdc.pdf

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