WASHINGTON – The Science Coalition (TSC) released the following statement in response to the Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies’ hearing on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020:

“NIH is responsible for achieving tremendous medical breakthroughs and cutting-edge technologies. It is also a vital partner for America’s research universities in enhancing health, improving lives, and curing diseases.

“Unfortunately, looming sequestration cuts would decrease this critical agency’s budget by an estimated $3.5 billion in FY20, threatening its research capabilities and stifling priority initiatives, such as the Cancer Moonshot and the fight against HIV.

“As members of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees begin their work on FY20 spending bills, we urge everyone in Congress and the White House to come to an agreement on raising the budget caps no later than October 1. A budget agreement is the only solution to ensure that NIH and other federal research agencies – as well as their university partners – can keep advancing America’s leading role in medical research and technology.”

A nine percent post-sequester cut for non-defense discretionary spending and an 11 percent cut for defense basic research spending (not adjusting for inflation) would account for the following cuts to other federal research agencies, totaling more than $5.1 billion:

  • Department of Energy, Office of Science: $593 million
  • Department of Defense, Basic Research: $278 million
  • National Science Foundation: $726 million

A recent nationwide poll conducted by The Science Coalition found the American public overwhelmingly supports federal investment in fundamental research, and a majority of voters believe scientific investment should increase.

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About the Science Coalition

Established in 1994, The Science Coalition is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of more than 50 of the nation’s leading public and private research universities. It is dedicated to sustaining the federal government’s investment in basic scientific research as a means to stimulate the economy, spur innovation, and drive America’s global competitiveness.