Dear Friend,
Research and innovation are central to American competitiveness and a key driver of our national economy.
Each year, investments in research through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) help us push the boundaries of scientific knowledge, support promising medical advances and address the heartbreaking diseases facing our nation. Medical innovation not only saves lives, it also creates jobs — NIH alone supports more than 400,000 American workers, including 14,000 right here in Washington.
But research isn’t a faucet that can just be turned on and off. As someone who started her career in medical research, I can tell you firsthand — scientific breakthroughs come after years of incremental progress. That’s why I’m so concerned that federal funding for biomedical research has failed to keep pace with inflation. If we are serious about developing treatments and cures for complex diseases like Alzheimer’s and cancer, we must act now for the millions of patients who are waiting.
In November, I led nearly 150 of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle in calling for a significant increase in funding for NIH. I’m happy to report the omnibus appropriations bill Congress passed at the end of last year included the historic $2 billion investment I requested, providing a much-needed boost to research teams across the country who are on the cutting edge of medical innovation.
However, our work is far from over. Just this month, the President proposed important new resources and tools to support cancer research in his budget for 2017, with the goal of finding a cure for cancer. Do you support that proposal?
As always, my office is here to serve you. If you have questions or comments about the topics that matter most to you, I encourage you to contact me through my website. You may also stay up-to-date on what I’m doing by signing up for my e-newsletter, or following me on social media. If you need assistance dealing with a federal agency, such as the IRS or the VA, please do not hesitate to contact my Bothell office at (425) 485-0085.
Sincerely,
Suzan
