WASHINGTON, DC -- The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) is releasing the following statements on the Administration's proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2001 federal budget for biological research programs supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The ASM is the largest single life science organization in the world, comprised of over 41,000 scientists in various disciplines including academia, industry and government.
ASM supports 15 percent increase for the National Institutes of Health<
The American Society for Microbiology recognizes with appreciation President Clinton's and Vice President Gore's proposed budget increase of $1 billion in FY 2001 for the National Institutes of Health.
"The Administration's proposed increase for the NIH is an important step in the direction of achieving a doubling of the NIH's budget and reflects President Clinton's and Vice President Gore's continuing commitment to improving the nation's health through medical research," says Dr. Gail Cassell, Chair of the ASM's Public and Scientific Affairs Board.
The ASM has endorsed a $2.7 billion increase for the NIH in FY 2001, a 15 percent increase in funding which would bring the NIH budget to a level of $20.6 billion. Because of the unprecedented opportunities in basic and clinical research, the ASM supports a greater investment in medical research and the goal to double the NIH budget by 2003.
"Public health in the United States and worldwide has benefited from broad based bipartisan support by the Administration and Congress," says Cassell. "Leadership from Congressman Porter, Senator Specter, Senator Harkin, Congressman Obey, Congressman Young, Senator Stevens and other members of Congress, making possible major funding increases for the NIH in the past two years, has helped set the agency on a steady and stronger fiscal path. As we enter the 21st century, medical research is on the threshold of historic advances that will usher in a medical revolution with the potential to conquer cancer, reverse age related diseases, and enhance our ability to understand and find new treatments and cures for disease and disability. The ASM looks forward to working with the Congress and the Administration to achieve a $2.7 billion increase for NIH in FY 2001. This level of funding will accelerate progress in medical research and will keep the nation at the forefront of bio technology."
ASM applauds increases for public health infrastructure needs and urges additional funding for CDC emerging infectious diseases
The ASM applauds the Administration's proposed $20 million increase in FY 2001 for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's emerging infectious diseases initiative to develop a national disease surveillance system that can rapidly detect infectious disease cases that signal an outbreak. Emerging pathogens and resulting infectious diseases are increasing and threaten public health in the United States and worldwide.
Between 1973 and 1999 more than 35 newly emerging diseases were identified. The outbreak of West Nile virus is the most recent example of a new reemerging infectious disease. The flu epidemic of 1918 killed over 20 million people and experts predict a major pandemic for sometime this century. The threatening problem of multidrug resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) grows more serious. The capacity of the public health community to respond to these new threats is being challenged. Effective surveillance, prevention and control programs at the federal, state and local levels must be improved to contain outbreaks and minimize severe illness and loss of life.
The CDC's role in ensuring the health and safety of the nation is critical . The CDC requires additional new resources to operate efficiently and to be able to respond to infectious diseases, which remain the leading cause of death worldwide and the third leading cause of death in the United States.
The ASM urges Congress to appropriate an additional $162 million over FY 2000 to enable the CDC to fully implement its comprehensive plan, "Preventing Emerging Infectious Diseases: A Strategy for the 21st Century."
The Administration deserves high praise for its proposed increase of $130 million in FY 2001 to fund public health infrastructure needs. These funds are essential for CDC to modernize and construct laboratory and support facilities, which are presently dangerously antiquated, unsafe and unsuitable for modern scientific research activities related to CDC's public health mission. The ASM notes that funding for bioterrorism preparedness activities decreases by $6.5 million to a level of $148.5 million. An effective national program for bioterrorism preparedness and response is needed to stop bioterrorism incidents and save lives. The Administration deserves credit for initiating funding for bioterrorism preparedness and response over the past two years.
The ASM recommends that Congress provide additional funding for the CDC bioterrorism preparedness and response program to enable more states and cities to be protected.
ASM endorses fiscal year 2001 NSF budget request
President Clinton's FY 2001 budget request, includes $4.6 billion in research and education initiatives for the National Science Foundation. The $675 million increase (17%), if approved by Congress, would double the previous largest dollar increase in the NSF's 50-year history. The American Society for Microbiology endorses the President's unprecedented NSF budget request as a positive step toward a future doubling of the Foundation's entire budget.
"The President's budget request clearly recognizes the importance of modern molecular microbiology and the application of genomics and related methods to the characterization of our environment, which is the first step in its conservation," says ASM President Julian Davies. "These areas are certain to become major fields of study in the new millenium."
The NSF FY 2001 budget request sets research priorities such as strengthening core disciplinary research and studying biocomplexity in the environment (BE) to explore the complex interactions of environmental systems. Vitally important to BE research is mapping the genomes of organisms in the environment including plants, animals, and microorganisms.
The Information Technology Research (ITR) budget priority, will ensure that computational techniques are in place so that future generations can reap the benefits of information derived from NSF-sponsored research.
The ASM applauds the Administration for recognizing the crucial importance of the interdisciplinary research made possible by NSF grants. The computational field, mathematics, earth sciences, and the physical and chemical sciences all play a crucial part in advancing the biological sciences. An increase of this nature will ensure that each of these scientific fields can fulfill their vital role in an increasingly interdependent research system.