Dick Durbin: “I find it hard to understand why anyone would want to eliminate funding for militarily relevant defense medical…”

“I find it hard to understand why anyone would want to eliminate funding for militarily relevant defense medical research--research that offers families hope and improves and saves lives--especially now. When you look at the body of medical research across all Federal agencies, we are getting closer to finding cures for certain cancers, closer than ever to understanding how to delay the onset of neurological diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, closer than ever to developing a universal flu vaccine. Now is the time to be ramping up our investment in medical research, not scaling it back. Yet, there are two provisions in this Defense authorization bill that would effectively end the Department of Defense medical research program. These two provisions are dangerous. They cut medical research funding, which will cost lives--military lives and civilian lives. That is why I filed a bipartisan amendment, together with Senator Cochran, the Republican chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which will be considered by the Senate this afternoon. My legislation would remove Chairman McCain's provisions so that lifesaving research at the Department of Defense can continue. Senator McCain's two provisions, found in sections 756 and 898, work hand in hand to end the Department of Defense medical research program.…”