September 19, 2022
The Hon. Patrick Leahy The Hon. Richard Shelby
Chairman Vice Chairman
Senate Committee on Appropriations Senate Committee on Appropriations Room S-146A, The Capitol S-128, The Capitol
Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510
The Hon. Rosa DeLauro The Hon. Kay Granger
Chair Ranking Member
House Committee on Appropriations House Committee on Appropriations H-307, The Capitol 1036 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515,
Dear Chair Leahy, Chair DeLauro, Vice Chairman Shelby, and Ranking Member Granger:
Thank you for your leadership in allocating resources needed to advance the health, wellbeing, and security of all Americans. As in previous years, however, it does not appear that Congress plans to complete its work on FY23 appropriations legislation by the start of the fiscal year on October 1, 2022. We urge you to do all you can to change that trajectory by completing action on appropriations legislation at the start of the fiscal year rather than months into it. This step is critical to fulfilling the vision of the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, out-innovating COVID and future pandemics, and seeding public-private sector success in combating deadly and debilitating health threats.
We understand that finalizing FY23 appropriations legislation can be particularly challenging in an election year. That said, Americans need champions who will assure that, despite challenges, Congress and the Administration commit to concluding the FY23 appropriations process on schedule. Achieving this goal will enable a smooth transition between fiscal years and avoid the costly inefficiency and wasted time that results from stop-gap funding measures. It will also avoid locking in federal agency spending from the previous fiscal year, which postpones our
nation’s ability to address evolving needs and priorities. Our nation needs this flexibility to respond to pressing new challenges rather than being forced to plan for future threats and opportunities using last year’s funding landscape.
Our country reaps a strong return on our investment in our federal research agencies. Medical and health research produces life-changing developments such as antibiotics, vaccines, magnetic imaging, and immunotherapy. The research that NIH funds delivers health and economic benefits that multiply over time and far exceed our initial investment. The steadfast commitment of federal policymakers from both sides of the aisle to rebuild the NIH budget over the past decade is helping to restore our nation’s place at the forefront of medical progress, a trend we hope to see continue. Freezing NIH in time as the threat of new infectious diseases grow is a dangerous mistake for our nation and a tragic mistake for patients.
The research and development facilitated by the NSF is another example of a successful investment. The NSF is a key engine for our nation’s R&D leadership, supporting strategically
important research at more than 1,800 academic institutions in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and multiple U.S. territories. NSF-funded research is the basis of core industries like IT and biopharmaceuticals. It contributes to efforts to thwart bad actors in cyber- and other forms of terrorism, and it advances our nation’s interests in countless other ways.
Our nation’s timely investment in research and innovation is critical to our future. We are grateful for your role, and that of your staff, in advancing the wellbeing of all Americans. In that same spirit, please exert your leadership to complete FY23 appropriations as soon as possible before the end of FY22.
Thank you for all your hard work and please call on us if we can be helpful to you or your staff moving forward.
Sincerely,
Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities
Academy for Radiology and Biomedical Imaging Research
AcademyHealth
Allergy & Asthma Network
Alpha-1 Foundation
American College of Clinical Pharmacy
American Academy of Neurology
American Academy of Nursing
American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research
American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
American Association of Physicists in Medicine
American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges
American Behcet’s Disease Association (ABDA)
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN)
American Chemical Socity
American College of Radiology
American Gastroenterological Association
American Heart Association
American Institute for Medical & Biological Engineering
American Institute of Biological Sciences
American Psychological Association Services
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
American Society for Investigative Pathology
American Society for Microbiology
American Society for Nutrition
American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
American Society for Radiation Oncology
American Society for Virology
American Society of Hematology
American Society of Human Genetics
American Society of Neuroradiology
American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
American Society on Aging
Arthritis Foundation
Association for Clinical Oncology
Association for Psychological Science
Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO)
Association for Women in Science
Association of American Cancer Institutes
Association of American Medical Colleges
Association of Population Centers
Auburn University
Autoimmune Association
BETM CONSULTANTS INC.
Beyond Celiac
Biocom California
BioCT
Biophysical Society
BodyLanguage, LLC
BrightFocus Foundation
Brooklyn-Queens Chapter National Organization for Women
Ecological Society of America
Epilepsy Foundation
EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases
Federation of American Scientists
Federation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences
Fight Colorectal Cancer
Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA)
Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research
Gerritsen Consulting
Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation
Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC)
GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer
HealthyWomen
Heart Failure Society of America
Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome Network
International Dementia Advocate & Connecter
International SCN8A Alliance/DEE-P Connections
International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
JDRF
John A Burns School of Medicine
Johns Hopkins University & Medicine
June Warriors
Lasker Foundation
LEAD Coalition (Leaders Engaged on Alzheimer’s Disease)
Looms for Lupus
Lupus and Allied Diseases Association, Inc.
Lupus Foundation of America
Mass General Brigham
MLD Foundation
Morehouse School of Medicine
National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research
National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
National Ataxia Foundation
National Foundation to End Child Abuse and Neglect
NDRI
North American Vascular Biology Organization
OculoTherapy, LLC
OncoSpherix, Inc
Pain Advocate Warriors
Population Association of America
Prevent Blindness
PSC Partners Seeking a Cure
Radiological Society of North America (RSNA)
Research!America
Sjogren’s Foundation, Inc.
Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine
Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC)
Society for Women’s Health Research
Society of Interventional Radiology
Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
Solve M.E.
The Morgridge Institute for Research
The TMJ Association
Tufts University
UCLA School of Nursing
University of California Davis
University of California Irvine(UCI) School of Medicine
University of California, Davis
University of Utah
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Weill Cornell Medicine
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY
William S. Dynan Scientific Consulting
