This past Wednesday, Senator Bob Cardin (D-MD) spoke with NIH employees in Bethesda at a town-hall style meeting, where he addressed their concerns about the future of NIH funding and compensation for federal government workers:

“I am proud of the contribution our federal workforce makes to our nation, making sure that Americans are healthy, safe, and informed.  During these tough economic times, we all need to share in the sacrifices but federal employees have already given much. They did not create the federal deficits now plaguing the nation and they should not be asked to shoulder an unfair burden for reducing the deficit,” said Senator Cardin. “We need to deal with our debt; there is no question about that. But we need a credible, comprehensive plan that does not balance the budget just by cutting discretionary spending. So I am pleased that the recently enacted budget agreement provides some real protections against a further erosion of the compensation for federal workers.”

The full press release can be found here.

Senator Cardin is also one of UMR’s Profiles of Promise Leaders, a group of lawmakers we have chosen to highlight as true champions of the medical research cause. Check out the official Profiles of Promise website to learn more about these legislators and their valiant support for NIH funding.