The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) strongly urges Congress and the Trump Administration to recognize the benefits research has to our nation, including its role as an economic driver. In particular, the ASCB calls on Congress to ignore the Trump cuts and ratify the FY17 budget increases for the NIH that have already been adopted by both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. We also call on Congress to continue its support for the NIH in the FY18 budget.
Scientific research sits at the center of the economy of every modern nation. It serves as a critical job creator, provides an increased quality of life for citizens, and is an essential business generator for high tech industries which supply it with research tools. A recent report by United for Medical Research indicates that in FY16, research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) alone supported 379,471 jobs and was responsible for almost $65 billion in economic activity in the United States.
The two federal budget proposals released by the Trump Administration, first the FY18 federal “skinny” budget and now its FY17 budget proposal, ignore these facts and will decimate the American research community.
On March 16, the Trump Administration released its FY18 budget proposal which called for numerous cuts to federal science agencies, including an 18% cut to the NIH. In a budget document released on Tuesday, the Trump Administration takes another cut at American science, proposing cuts to science programs at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Department of Energy along with reductions in grant funding at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the NIH.
In particular, the Trump FY17 NIH budget will cut 20% from the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) Program, which builds research capacity in states, including a number of mid-western and southern states, which have had low levels of NIH supported research. NIH research grants will be cut by approximately 7% between now and the end of the fiscal year.
About the Author:
Kevin M. Wilson serves as Director of Public Policy and Media Relations for The American Society for Cell Biology. He's worked as the Legislative Director for U.S. Congressman Robert Weygand (D-RI) and as a Legislative Assistant for U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell (D-RI). He has a BA in Politics and American Government from the Catholic University of America. Email: kwilson@ascb.org
