On Dec. 21 Congress passed the 2006 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill. The bill earmarks $28.6 billion in funding for NIH, a disappointing 1% increase over FY 2005 funding levels. The medical research community, including the Heart Rhythm Society, had advocated for a minimum increase of 3.7%, in order for NIH to keep up with the cost of medical inflation, projected to be 3.5% in 2006. The final amount appropriated by Congress translates into a virtual funding cut for NIH. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute will only receive $3 billion, a .3% increase over 2005 funding levels.
Thank you to the 200 individuals who responded to our legislative action alerts and utilized our online communications tool to contact their Members of Congress regarding this important issue. Your participation is greatly appreciated!
If you have any questions, please contact Nevena Minor, Coordinator, Health Policy at nminor@HRSonline.org or 202-464-3431.
