Opioid, Cancer, AIDS, and Biomedical Research Are Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Request Priorities

May 07, 2019 by Alec Stone MA, MPA, Former ONS Director of Government Affairs and Advocacy
Alec Stone
Alec Stone MA, MPA, ONS Public Affairs Director

Each year, federal agency leaders submit their budget proposals to the U.S. Congress for review. Often, the committee of jurisdiction will request formal testimony from an agency, which provides an opportunity for the department to speak directly to the elected officials who have the authority to fund programs and projects of interest.

In April 2019, Francis Collins, MD, PhD, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), presented the NIH’s 2020 fiscal budget (https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/who-we-are/nih-director/testimony-fiscal-year-2020-budget-request-before-house-committee) before the U.S. House of Representatives’ Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies. Collins was accompanied by various NIH department leaders ranging from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to provide explanation for their respective priorities.

Their testimony elaborated on the following points:

Budget conversations for the 2020 fiscal year continue, but NIH—and its related agencies—are wasting no time. The institute is forging ahead with new programs and efforts to address health issues throughout the country.  


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