Katie Porter: “I stand today as one of what I am pleased to say is a growing number of members of this body who believe that biomedical…”

“I stand today as one of what I am pleased to say is a growing number of members of this body who believe that biomedical research must be one of Congress' highest priorities in allocating scarce federal funding. The role of such research in combating disease is well known. Federally-supported biomedical research creates high-skill jobs, helps retain U.S. leadership in biomedical research and development, and supports an industry which generates a positive balance of trade for our country. Research provides great hope for effectively treating, curing and eventually preventing disease and thereby saving our country billions of dollars in annual health care costs. For example, in terms of health care savings, the development of the polio vaccine alone--one of thousands of discoveries supported by NIH funding--has more than paid for our country's five decades of investment in federal biomedical research. I serve as Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee which funds NIH--as well as the departments of Education, Health & Human Services and Labor--and I have made funding for biomedical research one of my highest priorities.”