Washington, D.C. - Today, Energy and Commerce Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Health Subcommittee Republican Leader Brett Guthrie (R-KY) delivered remarks in support of H.R. 5585, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Health (ARPA-H) Act.
AMERICAN BIOMEDICAL LEADERSHIP
Leader Rodgers: “America is the envy of the world for our leadership in biomedical innovation. People from all over the world have an incredible amount of hope in the promise of our lifesaving, breakthrough research for more cures and treatments.
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“In this bill, we put ARPA-H on the right path with a targeted mission, increased accountability and transparency, and a laser focus on promoting American innovators."
Health Subcommittee Leader Guthrie: “The legislation would authorize the establishment of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The agency would specifically be charged with helping to foster high-risk, high-reward treatments and cures for diseases with clinically unmet needs. Some of my colleagues may be concerned about a new agency, and that’s where a number of Republicans on Energy & Commerce were when this legislation was introduced last October."
STRONG SAFEGUARDS LIKE NO FUNDING TO CHINA
Leader Rodgers: “This bill defines ARPA-H’s mission so it is laser-focused on high-risk breakthrough technologies in health and medicine that are NOT being addressed by the private sector or current federal programs.
“This bill also prohibits federal funding to China, Russia, and other recipients subject to malign foreign influence. It moves the agency back outside of NIH. We’re also making sure ARPA-H sets the right priorities.
“The Director must provide Congress with a strategic plan within one year of enactment and every 3 years on how ARPA-H will carry out projects. Projects will be evaluated every 18 months, and those not meeting milestones are expected to be terminated.
“We placed guardrails on ARPA-H to prioritize projects that provide the greatest return on investment to improve human health and lower health care costs.
“This bill also keeps the focus is on lifesaving research, not political agendas or wasteful spending.
“The Director will have the power to hire and make appointments based on merit and expertise, not based on provisions that reward undeserving government bureaucrats.
“We require those who receive ARPA-H funding to provide a public itemized report on indirect facilities and administrative costs.
“And, to further cut down on duplication and mission creep, we limited the number of offices to six, not the 14 proposed by the administration. Of those offices, at least four must be exclusively focused on R&D. In addition, not more than fifteen percent of total agency funding is allowed to go to administrative costs."
WHY NOW
Health Subcommittee Leader Guthrie: “Not authorizing this agency erodes our oversight role in Congress. Funding decisions made by ARPA-H must require diligence to ensure that these resources are being spent as appropriately and effectively as possible. The Biden Administration’s ARPA-H organizational chart with 14 offices, less than half of which were actually dedicated to research, gave us an insight on how the Biden Administration would manage this new agency without congressional guidance.
“The bill before us today puts ARPA-H on the right track, gives Congress the opportunity to set high-standards, and promotes greater biomedical innovation for patients."
