The US House is slashing funding to the NIH when there is a virus spreading that has uncertain outcomes. The NRA has been lobbying hard against an amendment that was to bring monies for research on gun violence. But, the this is the third year in a row the US House has cut funding for science and research in the USA. The NRA has been calling every gun telephone list under the sun.
NIH gambles on mandatory funding to keep afloat
What at first glance (click here) looks like modest good news for National
Institutes of Health (NIH) in the president’s budget—a $825 million increase—is instead drawing dismay and a lot of head scratching. That’s because the administration wants to pay for the increase, as well as $1 billion of NIH’s
existing budget, by using so-called mandatory funds that will likely be a hard
sell in Congress.
Institutes of Health (NIH) in the president’s budget—a $825 million increase—is instead drawing dismay and a lot of head scratching. That’s because the administration wants to pay for the increase, as well as $1 billion of NIH’s
existing budget, by using so-called mandatory funds that will likely be a hard
sell in Congress.
“We’re extremely concerned that NIH’s base budget is being cut,” says Jon
Retzlaff, managing director of science policy and government affairs for the
American Association for Cancer Research in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Making up the difference with mandatory funds “is just very problematic and complicated,” he says.
Retzlaff, managing director of science policy and government affairs for the
American Association for Cancer Research in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Making up the difference with mandatory funds “is just very problematic and complicated,” he says.
The budget proposal would give NIH $33.1 billion, a 2.6% raise over 2016. The money would include $680 million for Vice President Biden’s cancer moonshot;
$100 million more for the Precision Medicine Initiative’s 1-million person cohort
study, for a total of $230 million; and $45 million in added funds for the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) initiative.
But the new money for these presidential priorities would come out of so-called mandatory funds, which require Congress to establish a dedicated funding
stream, often by selling assets such as the communications spectrum. Moreover,
the proposal would cut NIH’s existing budget by $1 billion from regular
appropriations process and make up for it with mandatory funding....
$100 million more for the Precision Medicine Initiative’s 1-million person cohort
study, for a total of $230 million; and $45 million in added funds for the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) initiative.
But the new money for these presidential priorities would come out of so-called mandatory funds, which require Congress to establish a dedicated funding
stream, often by selling assets such as the communications spectrum. Moreover,
the proposal would cut NIH’s existing budget by $1 billion from regular
appropriations process and make up for it with mandatory funding....
