releases: http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=3c5c3d12-df24-41ae-a45f-e5041e803dfa
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=3c5c3d12-df24-41ae-a45f-e5041e803dfa | Omnibus Bill Includes Blunts $2 Billion Increase for NIH, Eliminates 18 Ineffective Programs in Labor/HHS | 2015-12-16 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | House | MO | Roy Blunt | B000575 | www.blunt.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, DC Today, U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies, announced that the National Institutes of Health has received $32 billion in the omnibus appropriations bill. This represents a $2 billion increase over last years funding level, which Blunt successfully fought for in the Senate committee-passed appropriations bill earlier this year. This is the largest increase NIH has received in the Labor/HHS bill in more than a decade. In a tight fiscal environment, we have to ensure that every dollar we spend reflects the priorities of the American people, Blunt said. In my view, there is no greater priority than to help every American live a longer, healthier life. This bill does that by increasing funding for NIH, and prioritizing funding for key investments while eliminating more than a dozen ineffective or duplicative programs throughout the bill. Over the past decade, NIHs purchasing power has decreased by more than 20 percent, slowing research efforts and advances toward treatments for more than 6,000 incurable diseases. I have been proud to lead efforts to increase funding for NIH, and am glad that the omnibus maintains the $2 billion increase we passed in the committee earlier this year. I will continue working to ensure NIH has the resources necessary to address our nations health challenges, spur medical innovation, increase U.S. competitiveness, and lower healthcare costs, while ensuring that every taxpayer dollar we spend goes toward advancing these priorities. In addition to the NIH increase, the Labor/HHS bill focused on increasing the efficiency and cost effectiveness of government.The Labor/HHS bill eliminates 18 programs and reduces waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars, including preventing the administration from using discretionary funds to bail out the ObamaCare Risk Corridor program as well as defunding the unaccountable ObamaCare Independent Payment Advisory Board. Following Are Several of the Key NIH Investments Included in the Omnibus Bill: A $350 Million Increase for Alzheimers Disease Research: The bill provides a $350 million increase for Alzheimers research at the National Institute on Aging, a 60 percent increase over last years level. Every 68 seconds, someone in America develops Alzheimers. There are currently more than five million Americans living with the disease and that number is expected to reach 16 million by 2050. Yet for every $261 Medicare and Medicaid spend on caring for individuals with Alzheimers disease, the federal government spends only $1 on Alzheimers research. Over the past year, cutting-edge NIH-supported research identified a set of 10 compounds in blood that might be used to distinguish the risk for developing memory deficits or Alzheimers disease. The bill dedicates funding to help advance those efforts. $5.2 Billion for the National Cancer Institute: The measure includes more than $5 billion for the National Cancer Institute, a five percent increase over last years level. Research is underway at NCI to develop therapies that target gene mutations present in 30 percent of cancers. It is one of several key initiatives the Institute is pursuing to advance cancer research and treatment. $200 Million for the New Precision Medicine Initiative: Precision Medicine will allow physicians to individualize treatments based on patients unique genetic makeup. Precision Medicine will give a physician the potential to specifically target a cure rather than move forward with a one-size-fits all treatment. $150 Million for the BRAIN Initiative: The bill provides an $85 million increase for the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative, bringing the total investment to $150 million for the coming year. The BRAIN Initiative will map the human brain to help researchers better understand and treat brain disorders such as Alzheimers and Parkinsons diseases, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and depression. $461 Million to Combat Antibiotic Resistance: Antibiotics have been used to successfully treat patients for more than 70 years, but over time the drugs have become less effective, as organisms adapt to the drugs designed to kill them. The bill provides a total of $461 million, a $100 million increase over last years level, to expand efforts to develop new antibiotics, create rapid diagnostic tests, and build a national genome sequence database on all reported resistant human infections. $12.6 Million for the Gabriella Miller Kids First Act: The Gabriella Miller Kids First Act, which was signed into law last year, created a dedicated fund for pediatric medical research. The bill provides the resources authorized under the law, and prioritizes funding for pediatric cancer research. In addition to these investments, the measure increases funding for every Institute and Center to support innovative research that will advance fundamental knowledge and accelerate the development of new therapies, diagnostics, and preventive measures to improve the health of all Americans. Last year, universities and research organizations in Missouri received more than $457.9 million in NIH funding. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |