August 24, 2018

The U.S. Senate voted 85 to 7 to approve the $2 billion budget increase Lupus Research Alliance advocates requested for medical research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This increase of 5.4 percent would bring the budget for the NIH up to $39,084,000,000.

Per today’s vote, the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) bill is approved in the Senate. Next step is for the Senate and House of Representatives to reconcile the bill to arrive at the final legislation to be signed by the President.

“We applaud Congress for the ongoing support shown to medical research and lupus research in particular,” notes Kenneth M. Farber, President and CEO of the Lupus Research Alliance. “As the largest private funder of lupus research, our organization affords researchers the opportunity to explore their most creative ideas and prove their potential for transforming treatment. But funding from the NIH is what provides the resources to see these projects through to fully realize their promise.”

The Lupus Research Alliance thanks Senate full committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and LHHS appropriations subcommittee Chairman Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) for their work on the LHHS bill.