APRIL 2010
Research community must send strong message to lawmakers about making cancer research a priority
With the all-consuming debate over health care reform behind them, Congress is now expected to shift its sights to setting spending priorities for fiscal year 2011.
The administration issued its annual budget proposal in February, signaling the official start of the yearlong appropriations and budget process in Congress. Formally, House and Senate Budget Committees are expected to use the president’s proposal as a starting point to develop a non-binding budget resolution that sets a broad framework for federal spending to inform the next steps in the appropriations process. Completing a budget resolution is not required, however, and Congress may forgo the measure altogether this year given the especially contentious political environment.
One way or the other, appropriations committees in each chamber will continue to meet with agency leaders and advocacy groups about FY2011 priorities as they proceed to construct the individual appropriations bills that designate funding levels for specific programs and projects.
The AACR and One Voice Against Cancer (OVAC), a broad coalition of more than 40 cancer-related organizations, are working to engage appropriators to make the case for increasing investment in the NIH by at least $4.2 billion, which is equal to half of the two-year research funding provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, for a total of $35.2 billion for NIH. The AACR is also advocating a total of $5.795 billion for NCI.
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Read more from the April 2010 Edition of the AACR Cancer Policy Monitor:
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