It’s 99 degrees (Fahrenheit) outside, but it feels like 107. Luckily, NIH funding champions andProfiles of Promise participants Sen. Robert Casey (D-PA) and Rep. David Reichert (R-WA), rather than wilting, are staying strong in the face of a tough funding battle on the Hill.  Sen. Casey and Rep. Reichert, in concert with their colleagues, are spearheading support in their respective chambers of Congress for NIH funding in Fiscal Year 2012 appropriations bills. Inside Health Policy reporter Amy Lotven covers their efforts and gives a nod to UMR’s new report, “An Economic Engine,” in yesterday’s article, “Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Say NIH Funding Key To Curbing Health Costs.” She writes,

“A bipartisan group of  Senate and House lawmakers are urging the chairs and ranking members of their respective chambers’ appropriations subcommittees to support funding for the National Institutes of Health, which they say is essential to keeping the country competitive in biomedical research and offers one of the best hopes in helping contain the increasing costs of health care.

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“A report by the group United for Medical Research, which includes industry and patient advocates, recently found that NIH funding supported $68 billion in economic activity, including 488,000 jobs.

UMR President Carrie Wolinetz, who is also associate VP for federal relations at the Association of American Universities, stresses that NIH funding is a ‘vital part’ of the nation’s pursuit of reducing the burden of disease, fostering innovation and boosting the economy. ‘As Congress continues its work on the FY 2012 budget, they must put the health and economic well being of their constituents first and renew our nation’s commitment to funding life-saving research through NIH,’ she says.”

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