Leaders with the House Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Committee recently increased medical research funding and decreasing funding for programs designed to reduce cancer.
The increased funding went to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), amounting to a $1.25 billion raise, and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), by $124 million.
Unfortunately, the fiscal year 2017 budget reduced funding for the Office on Smoke and Health (OSH) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by $110 million. The CDC’s Colorectal Cancer Control Program (CRCCP) also lost $3.5 million from its budget.
“ACS CAN commends Chairman Tom Cole and Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro’s commitment to increase NIH funding,” Chris Hansen, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), said. “In particular, we appreciate Rep. DeLauro’s proposed amendment to fully fund the National Cancer Moonshot Initiative and Rep. Cole’s willingness to work with her to fund the Moonshot this year. At a time when the Moonshot has energized and focused the nation on the potential to develop unique targeted detection tests, treatments and therapies, year over year research funding increases are essential. Reps. Cole's and DeLauro’s efforts build on the momentum started last year to return NIH to a path of growth after more than a decade of flat funding.”
