This morning I spoke with an aide in the office of Senator Frist (D-TN,
the only MD on Kassebaum's committee). The aide informed me that there
will probably be an attempt to offer the UDALL bill, or some modificantion
of it, as an amendment to the NIH revitalization act when that comes up
on Wed, the 17th. Frist is a co-sponsor of the Udall bill and is
expected to support it. The aide said that Kassebaum's staff is strongly
opposed to the concept of earmarking NIH funds for particular diseases.
He also said, however, that he does not know how strongly Kassebaum
shares her aides feelings about this. I got the impression that there
is a chance of some flexibility here -- and certainly worth our continued
lobbying of her.
There is a precedent for earmarking of funds for AIDS and for
breast cancer. Does anyone know if Kassebaum supported earmarking in
those instances?
By the way, I also learned that there will be amendments for
earmarking of funds for research in some other areas -- diabetes,
pediatrics, and pain centers, are what I recall from the list. Senator
Frist, as the only MD on Kassebaums committee, is being lobbied by all
of these other groups as well. (But we are the only ones with
BSCHIRLOFF spearheading a postcard campaign!).
Lynn Walker
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