URGE CONGRESS TO INCREASE NIH FUNDING!

We need your help!  The Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill, which contains funding for the National Institutes of Health, is expected to be drafted by the House of Representatives during the week of July 5^th.

As you may or may not know, the President requested a funding level for NIH for the coming year that is only 2.6% above current levels and is not sufficient enough to even keep up with inflation.  Researchers require, and budget for, at least a 3% increase to maintain current progress with their projects.  As it stands, the House Appropriations bill would increase the number of projects receiving funding, which will further cut the funding that each project will receive. 

 According to the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB,) this would only provide for about a 1.9% increase for continuing projects and a 1.3% for research projects across the board.  As I’m sure you can imagine, this could have a serious impact on the progress of research into the cause and/or prevention of infant deaths, including SIDS and stillbirth.

We are asking that you immediately contact your Representative in the House and urge him or her to speak with House leaders about the consequences that these funding levels will have and ask them to consider the impact this will have on biomedical research and on continued efforts to improve diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to human disease. 

 In addition, we ask that you contact members of the Labor-HHS-Education subcommittee responsible for writing this Bill and urge him or her to provide the highest possible funding allocation for NIH in fiscal year 2005.

The process is quick and easy!  Simply go to www.house.gov, and search for your representative by using your zip code.  When you have reached the page for your representative, complete the form provided and cut/paste the attached letter into the text box.  You can do the same for the members of the appropriations subcommittee (listed on attachment) by putting their name in the search box rather than your zip code.  I have provided a separate text for your email to these committee members.

Your help is desperately needed in this matter, not only to ensure that proper funding is given for research into the causes of infant death and how they can be prevented, but also to ensure that proper funding is given for medical research of all kinds. We thank you in advance, in the belief that every baby should live.

 Warm Regards,

 

Laura L. Reno, Director of Public Affairs

First Candle/SIDS Alliance