As Congress continues to discuss future COVID-19 relief legislation, U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME), along with 24 other senators, called on Senate leadership this week to include $15.5 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in any relief package.
This, the senators allege, will help avoid significant harm to the U.S. research pipeline. The request included $10 billion to counter unforeseen disruptions and costs for ongoing medical research at large, as well as $5.5 billion for research into cures, treatments, and vaccines the NIH is sponsoring for coronavirus specifically.
“Amid the pandemic, a majority of our researchers have been unable to continue their work while away from their labs, and the impact will be felt for years to come,” the senators wrote. “These disruptions will add a significant delay in our understanding of dangerous diseases as well as cutting-edge treatments to improve quality of life for those suffering from them. This critical funding must be included in the next COVID-19 package so that NIH can continue its groundbreaking research to treat and eventually cure this virus and other deadly diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, and diabetes.”
Citing testimony from NIH Director Francis Collins, the senators noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused over $10 billion in losses to medical research so far. A majority of researchers, they claimed, have been unable to continue their work while away from their labs, leaving a development gap that could be felt for years. The associated slowdown also jeopardizes the economic driver that such research represents: an industry that stirs more than $81 billion annually.
Collins and King were joined in the letter by U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tina Smith (D-MN), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Doug Jones (D-AL), Cory Gardner (R-CO), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Bob Casey (D-PA) and Bill Cassidy M.D (R-LA).