Support NIH Funding

The Genetics Society of America is encouraging its members to write to their US Representative. If you are currently doing research or have received support from the NIH, please write to your Representative.

We have a second chance to influence the fiscal year 2006 budget for NIH. Before leaving town for the Thanksgiving Day break, the House rejected the conference agreement reached on the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill for fiscal year 2006.

While a number of factors contributed to the defeat of this bill, certainly one of the main reasons was the bill's failure to fund critical health and education programs adequately. NIH's growth, for example, would be held to about $250 million (a 0.7% increase), the smallest increase in more than three decades.

The Senate responded by instructing its conferees to support the Senate recommended amount for NIH ($29.4 billion, a $1 billion increase [3.7% increase]). However, the House is resisting adding any more money for NIH.

Therefore, please urge your Representative to support the Senate passed recommendation of $29.4 billion by clicking here: http://capwiz.com/faseb/home/