By Jennifer Zeitzer

The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) recently sent letters thanking several senators for supporting the proposed $605 million (1.8 percent) increase for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that was included in the fiscal year 2015 Labor, Health and Human Services (LHHS) bill awaiting further action in the Senate (see related story). LHHS Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA), Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), and Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) specifically mentioned the NIH increase as a highlight of the bill when it was considered earlier this month.

FASEB’s letter to Chairman Harkin noted that the proposed increase for NIH is remarkable given that the LHHS Subcommittee had a flat allocation and faced considerable fiscal pressures related to other programs supported by the bill. The Federation also praised Chairwoman Mikulski for committing to fight for increases for NIH in future years and Senator Durbin for noting that the NIH budget has failed to keep up with inflation, resulting in a 22 percent decline in real purchasing power in a single decade. The senators were also thanked for their passionate support for biomedical research and their leadership on Capitol Hill on behalf of NIH funding.