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from Michael Claeys, Parkinson's Action Network
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Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1998 18:19:01 -0500
From: Kelly Abbett <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Action Update -- July 31, 1998
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Action Update
July 31, 1998
Appropriations:
The Congress, through its Appropriations process, is in the midst of
determining how much money will be spent on federal programs,
including the National Insitutues of Health (NIH) research for FY99. This
process, which will conclude before Congress adjourns in early
October, will affect how much the NIH in general will receive and how
much of the NIH budget in particular will be focused-Parkinson's
research as authorized in the Udall Act. Funding for the NIH is included
in one of 13 Appropriations bills that moves through the Labor-Health and
Humans Services-Education (Labor HHS) Subcommittee. The status of
the Labor HHS bill in the House and Senate is as follows:
House
Subcommittee Action:
On June 23, the House Labor HHS Appropriations Subcommittee sent the
FY99 bill out 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
amendments were adopted in the full Committee that complicate the
legislation's 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 applications, 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 three of the
NIH's eighteen Institutes:
House Report Language:
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS): "The
Committee recognizes the personal and economic costs resulting from
Parkinson's disease and considers research in this area a high priority.
The Committee is very encouraged by promising developments in
understanding the disorder's cause and pathophysiology and in
developing effective treatments and recognizes the benefit of
breakthroughs in such areas on other disorders within and outside the
Institute's scope. The Committee urges the Institute to intensify its
investment in Parkinson's 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's Research Act. The Committee requests NINDS to report on
its progress in implementing the Act at its fiscal year 2000 appropriations
hearing."
The Committee also included language related to Parkinson's research for
the National Institute on Aging (NIA), including "urg[ing] the Institute to
intensify its investment in Parkinson's focused research, including its
coordination with NINDS, NIEHS, and other Institutes." In addition, "[t]he
Committee requests NIA to report on its collaborative efforts to implement
the 1997 Morris K. Udall Parkinson's Research Act at its fiscal year 2000
appropriations hearing."
In addition the Committee included language on Parkinson's disease for
the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) that
reflects the directives for NINDS and NIA, including making Parkinson's
research a "high priority" and "encouraging the Institute to intensify its
investment in Parkinson's focused research." The Committee also
encourages NIEHS to "coordinate its research with the U.S. Army
Neurotoxin Exposure Treatment Program. The Committee also urges the
Institute to continue with efforts such as its 1995 workshop on
Parkinson's . . ."
What's Next:
The full House of Representatives must now vote on the Labor-HHS
Appropriations bill which may or may not happen before Congress
adjourns for the August recess. The President has also vowed to veto
the bill in the form approved by the House Committee because of cuts to
education programs. Assuming the final version of the FY99 NIH
appropriation (after passage by both House and presidential signature)
contains the increase predicted (9% or more), there should be more than
enough funding to fully fund the Udall bill without cutting other disease
research.
Senate -- Appropriations Committee Action:
No action has been taken on the Labor-HHS Appropriations bill in the
Senate. Early predictions suggest that the Senate Subcommittee will
consider an NIH increase of as much or even more than the 9% being
recommended to the full House. No decisions have been made on what
directives will be given by the Senate to the NIH on the subject of
Parkinson's funding. The Subcommittee and Full Committee are expected
to review and vote on the bill when Congress returns in September.
-----------------------------------
Parkinson's Action Network
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