Legislation meant to prevent future nationwide health crises – the Research for Lifesaving Cures Act, H.J.Res.73 – was passed by members of Congress on Sunday.
Introduced on Friday by Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), the bill provides immediate funding for the National Institutes of Health at the same rate and under the same conditions as in effect at the end of the just-completed fiscal year.
Under terms of the joint resolution, funds for the NIH would be available until another appropriations bill is enacted or until Dec. 15, whichever comes first.
“I strongly support the NIH and I look at Mr. (Henry) Waxman (D-Calif.), my colleague and ranking member on the Energy and Commerce Committee, and the two of us led the effort to double the money for the NIH a number of years ago,” Upton said. “We have folks waiting in the queue to participate in life-saving clinical trials. They have every right to be furious with this body, but we can fix that by passing this bill so they don’t have to wait. Come on – let’s put policy over politics and do this.”
Upton, a longtime champion of national health research, helped lead a successful bipartisan efforts in the 1990s to double the NIH’s budget.
As chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Upton has made health research a top priority, working to advance health research for millions of young patients suffering from rare and genetic disorders.