In written testimony submitted to the U.S. House Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education recently, ASCO asked Congress to increase federal support for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot Initiative in fiscal year 2018 (FY18). Specifically, ASCO asked for at least $34.8 billion for the NIH and a supplemental $300 million in funding for the Moonshot Initiative.
In its testimony, ASCO thanked the subcommittee for its long-standing commitment to supporting federal research funding at the NIH and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), as well as its inclusion of full funding for the Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot Initiative in the fiscal year 2017 continuing resolution. ASCO also reiterated the need for the Moonshot funding to supplement, rather than supplant, predictable increases in the underlying NCI budget.
As Congress deliberates on funding for FY18, ASCO will continue to advocate for increased federal support for research. Stay updated on the appropriations discussions by visiting ASCO in Action at ascoaction.asco.org. ■
© 2017. American Society of Clinical Oncology. All rights reserved.
