President Bush Submits FY 2008 Budget to Congress; Proposes Cuts to NIH and Other Health Programs

February 5, 2007 – President Bush released his FY 2008 budget proposal on Monday, February 5. The proposal includes $28.6 billion in funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). By means of comparison, the final FY 2007 funding bill that the House passed last week (and which the Senate is expected to approve in the near future) contained $28.9 billion in funding for NIH.

Though the President’s budget request is simply a starting point for the annual budget process, the fact that the starting point for this year’s process represents a cut in funding for NIH is significant. If enacted, these proposed levels would represent a $310 million (or 0.8 percent) decrease in funding from FY 2007 to FY 2008. Combined with projected Biomedical Research and Development Price Index (BRDPI) increases of 3.7 percent, the effects of the Administration’s proposed funding for FY 2008 would be devastating to NIH and hematologic research.

Now is the time to contact your Senators and Representative to generate their interest in supporting FY 2008 NIH funding. Congress begins hearings on the budget request this week, and the annual federal appropriations process will commence shortly. In the coming months, the House and the Senate will each compile their own budget proposals that will include spending for priorities that differ with the Bush Administration’s proposal for FY 2008. The President’s Budget is already receiving criticism from Capitol Hill with some Members of Congress seeing the cuts to NIH and other programs proposed by the President to be too drastic.

With a very tight year expected for the entire federal budget, grassroots support for NIH funding is critical to gain any traction in the congressional budget process. Your Senators and Representative need to hear from you about ensuring adequate funding NIH in FY 2008. Please visit the ASH Advocacy Center to send a letter to your Senators and Representative in support of NIH funding.

If you have questions, please contact ASH Research Advocacy Manager, Tracy Becker, at 202-776-0544 or tbecker@hematology.org.