[[{"fid":"1900","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","alignment":"","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"default","alignment":"","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}},"attributes":{"height":1228,"width":1900,"style":"height: 162px; width: 250px; margin-left: 6px; margin-right: 6px; float: left;","class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"1"}}]]Aug. 24, 2018 – Using the House Defense appropriations bill (H.R. 6157) as a vehicle, the Senate passed their joint Defense, Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill in a vote of 85-7. This is a huge step forward in health and research funding, as Congress has not passed a Labor HHS funding bill without an omnibus since 2007.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) primarily invests in medical research related to heart, lung, blood, and sleep disorders, supporting researchers at more than 520 research institutions in the United States and abroad – including the groundbreaking research of SVS members, as well as projects conducted by roughly 80 scientists at NHBLI.
The Senate language as passed provides NHLBI with funding levels at $3,490,171,000 – a significant increase over current funding levels, which are $3,206,589,000. however, the House has yet to pass their Labor-HHS Appropriations legislation. Currently, the House Labor-HHS Appropriations bill (H.R. 6470) sets NHLBI funding at $3,423,604,000. This will be up for a vote on the floor when the House returns from August recess.
The White House released a Statement of Administration Policy regarding the Senate Substitute Amendment to H.R. 6157 indicating its displeasure with the increases to NIH funding above the requested amounts in the FY2019 President’s Budget, although there seem to be no indications that the President will veto a bill if the House and Senate come to an agreement on defense and health funding.
