FY 2014 Appropriations: NIBIB and NIH
The FY 2014 appropriations cycle is coming to a close. On Monday evening an almost 1,600 page bill was released that was the product of intense negotiations between the House and Senate Appropriations Committees since a budget agreement was announced in December. This omnibus bill, consisting of twelve separate appropriations bills, was passed by the House on Wednesday by a wide margin, by the Senate last night by a vote of 72-26, and has been sent to President Obama.
Accompanying the omnibus bill is an Explanatory Statement detailing program funding levels and new language about various programs. The National Institutes of Health are funded through the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill. The Senate Appropriations Committee wrote its version of the FY 2014 bill (S. 1284); House appropriators did not. Senate committee report 113-71 accompanying the bill detailed the appropriators’ recommendations for the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering and NIH.
The Statement is not in final form as it includes hand-written notations; the section on the NIH starts on PDF page 134. The introduction to this part of the Statement explains: “In implementing this agreement, the Departments and agencies should be guided by the language and instructions set forth in Senate Report 113-71 accompanying the bill, S. 1284, unless specifically addressed in this statement. In cases where the language and instructions in the Senate report specifically address the allocation of funds, each has been reviewed and those that are jointly concurred on have been endorsed in this statement.”
The following program funding levels are taken from the Explanatory Statement. The Explanatory Statement does not include current FY 2013 funding levels; those shown are from the FYI describing the Senate report referenced above. Note that the committee report and the Explanatory Statement did not include post-sequestration program funding levels for FY 2013 (generally a 5 percent reduction.)
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BIOMEDICAL IMAGING AND BIOENGINEERING
The FY 2013 budget (not including the mandatory reduction of approximately 5 percent) is $337.7 million
The FY 2014 request was $338.9 million
The FY 2014 agreement provides $329.2 million
The Explanatory Statement included no language.
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
The FY 2013 budget (not including the mandatory reduction of approximately 5 percent) is $30,639.7 million
The FY 2014 request was $31,093.8 million
The FY 2014 agreement provides $29,926.1 million
The Explanatory Statement included the following language regarding basic biomedical research:
“The NIH is expected to maintain funding support for basic biomedical research. Basic biomedical research is an important investment in the future health, wealth, and international competitiveness of our Nation and plays a critical role in the Nation’s economy. The purpose of basic research is to discover the nature and mechanics of disease and identify potential therapeutic avenues likely to lead to the prevention and treatment of human disease. Without this early scientific investigation, future development of treatments and cures would be impossible. Basic biomedical research must remain a key component of both the intramural and extramural research portfolio at NIH.”
