Washington, D.C.—Today the House Appropriations Committee approved an FY 2020 spending bill that includes a $2 billion funding increase for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and a $300 million funding boost for the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The bill also increases funding by approximately $40 million each for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cancer programs and the Office on Smoking and Health (OSH). The CDC cancer programs provide prevention, detection and treatment services to underserved populations nationwide and OSH provides funding for programs that help prevent youth from starting to use tobacco and helps adult tobacco users to quit
A statement from Lisa Lacasse, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) follows:
“Today’s vote is an important step toward ensuring the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute are appropriately funded and can continue making progress on new and improved ways to prevent, detect and treat cancer.
“The additional $2 billion included in this FY 2020 appropriations bill reflects the bipartisan dedication of committee chairwoman Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) and ranking member Rep. Kay Granger (R-Tex) along with subcommittee chairwoman Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and ranking member Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) to the importance of medical research.
“Reducing death and suffering from cancer—a disease 1 out of every 3 Americans will be diagnosed with in their lifetime—needs to be a top national priority. Consistent and continuous funding increases for NIH and NCI along with increased funding for the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) is essential to that effort.
“On behalf of all the patients, survivors, families and loved ones effected by cancer, ACS CAN urges the House to take up and pass this funding bill quickly and for the Senate to use the $2 billion increase as an appropriate starting point for their work on FY 2020.”