Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey (D-NY), Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, delivered the following remarks at the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee's hearing on the fiscal year 2020 budget request for the National Institutes of Health:
Thank you Madam Chair. It gives me great pleasure to be here.
Dr. Fauci, Dr. Bianchi, Dr. Lowy, Dr. Gibbons, Dr. Volkow, and of course, Dr. Collins. I just want to tell you what an honor and privilege it has been for me to serve on this committee and now as chair of the full committee.
We all know many people - relatives, friends, neighbors - who suffer from cancer, who suffer from Alzheimer's. And I just want to assure you, I was here, as was my friend Ms. DeLauro, as was our leader, Nancy Pelosi, and I served with John Porter, and we doubled the money for the NIH.
So, if you think that this 13 percent cut is even relevant to this discussion...
I want to assure you, if it's up to me and my friends - my friend Mr. Cole, my friend Rosa DeLauro, and all the wonderful people on both sides of the aisle - I would like to increase this budget as much as we possibly can. Because I feel that we're not really working on numbers here. There's a passion, there's a commitment to all those people who are suffering - who come to you, who come to local doctors, who travel across the country, trying to live.
And I am going to work as hard as I can, as chair of the full committee, to give you as much money as we can, because you have the brilliance, you have the commitment, and you have the determination. All you need is more money.
So, we're going to work together. I know there's a bipartisan commitment, and I look forward to hearing from you all today.
Thank you so much for your service, your commitment to the health of our country. Thank you.
Source: U.S. Department of HCA
