from Mike Claeys, Parkinson's Action Network,  [log in to unmask]
July 31, 1998

Appropriations:
=09The Congress, through its Appropriations process, is in the midst of=
=0Adetermining how much money will be spent on federal programs, includin=
g the=0ANational Insitutes of Health (NIH) research for FY99.  This proce=
ss, which=0Awill conclude before Congress adjourns in early October, will=
 affect how much=0Athe NIH in general will receive and how much of the NI=
H budget in particular=0Awill be focused-Parkinson's research as authoriz=
ed in the Udall Act.  Funding=0Afor the NIH is included in one of 13 Appr=
opriations bills that moves through=0Athe Labor-Health and Humans Service=
s-Education (Labor HHS) Subcommittee.  The=0Astatus of the Labor HHS bill=
 in the House and Senate is as follows:

-=09House
-Subcommittee Action:
On June 23, the House Labor HHS Appropriations Subcommittee sent the FY99=
 bill=0Aout of the Subcommittee to the full Committee.
The Subcommittee's bill provides significant increases in funding
for the NIH.  The bill provides for $14.8 billion in NIH funding which
is a 9.1 percent increase for NIH.  This would be the largest dollar
increase ever appropriated for NIH.

-Full Committee Action:
On July 14, the House Appropriations Committee approved the
Labor-HHS Subcommittee bill by a party-line 32-23 vote, including
the 9.1 percent increase for NIH.  A number of controversial "riders" or=
=0Aamendments were adopted in the full Committee that complicate the=0Ale=
gislation=A2s prospects for quick action by the House of Representatives.=


The House Appropriations Committee did not specify a particular
level of funding for Parkinson's disease.  The Committee stressed
in its Report (105-635) that they believe funding should be based
on "scientific opportunity", and as such sought to minimize the
amount of direction provided.  As such "there are no directives to
fund particular research mechanisms, such as centers or requests for=0Aap=
plications, or specific amounts of funding for particular diseases."

The Committee's report, which accompanies the appropriations bill
to the full House and is sent to the NIH, did include the following
important language related to funding Parkinson's-focused research at thr=
ee of=0Athe NIH's eighteen Institutes:

-=09House Report Language:
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS): "The=0AC=
ommittee recognizes the personal and economic costs resulting from=0APark=
inson's disease and considers research in this area a high priority.  The=
=0ACommittee is very encouraged by promising developments in understandin=
g the=0Adisorder's cause and pathophysiology and in developing effective =
treatments=0Aand recognizes the benefit of breakthroughs in such areas on=
 other disorders=0Awithin and outside the Institute's scope.  The Committ=
ee urges the Institute=0Ato intensify its
investment in Parkinson=A2s focused research, including its
coordination with NIA, NIEHS, and other Institutes.  The Committee
is encouraged by the initiation of a core center program and urges
NINDS to expand the program.  In addition, the Institute is urged to
utilize all other available mechanisms, as appropriate, including
requests for applications, program announcements, and extended
funding of selected investigators now working in the field, to further
implement the 1997 Morris K. Udall Parkinson=A2s Research Act.
The Committee requests NINDS to report on its progress in
implementing the Act at its fiscal year 2000 appropriations hearing."

-=09The Committee also included language related to Parkinson's research =
for the=0ANational Institute on Aging (NIA), including "urg[ing] the Inst=
itute to=0Aintensify its investment in Parkinson's focused research, incl=
uding its=0Acoordination with NINDS, NIEHS, and other Institutes."  In ad=
dition, "the=0ACommittee requests NIA to report on its collaborative effo=
rts to implement the=0A1997 Morris K. Udall Parkinson's Research Act at i=
ts fiscal year 2000=0Aappropriations hearing."

-=09In addition the Committee included language on Parkinson's disease fo=
r the=0ANational Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) that=
 reflects the=0Adirectives for NINDS and NIA, including making Parkinson'=
s research a "high=0Apriority" and "encouraging the Institute to intensif=
y its investment in=0AParkinson's focused research."  The Committee also =
encourages NIEHS to=0A"coordinate its research with the U.S. Army Neuroto=
xin Exposure Treatment=0AProgram.  The Committee also urges the Institute=
 to continue with efforts such=0Aas its 1995 workshop on Parkinson's . . =
."

What's Next:
-=09The full House of Representatives must now vote on the Labor-HHS=0AAp=
propriations bill which may or may not happen before Congress adjourns fo=
r=0Athe August recess.  The President has also vowed to veto the bill in =
the form=0Aapproved by the House Committee because of cuts to education p=
rograms.=0AAssuming the final version of the FY99 NIH appropriation (afte=
r passage by=0Aboth House and presidential signature) contains the increa=
se predicted (9% or=0Amore), there should be more than enough funding to =
fully fund the Udall bill=0Awithout cutting other disease research.
=09
-=09Senate
-Appropriations Committee Action:
=09No action has been taken on the Labor-HHS Appropriations bill in the S=
enate.=0AEarly predictions suggest that the Senate Subcommittee will cons=
ider an NIH=0Aincrease of as much or even more than the 9% being recommen=
ded to the full=0AHouse.  No decisions have been made on what directives =
will be given by the=0ASenate to the NIH on the subject of Parkinson's fu=
nding.  The Subcommittee and=0AFull Committee are expected to review and =
vote on the bill when Congress=0Areturns in September.
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from Mike Claeys, Parkinson's Action Network,  [log in to unmask]