Arlen Specter: “the amendment provides for an additional $1.5 billion for the National Institutes of Health. This is one of the most…”

“the amendment provides for an additional $1.5 billion for the National Institutes of Health. This is one of the most important functions of the Federal Government. I don't think we have anything in our budget on the domestic side which is more important, perhaps not as important, as funding for the National Institutes of Health. That is the crown jewel of the Federal Government. We are asking that this be classified as an emergency because the budget resolution provides for an emergency classification if it meets the following criteria: No. 1, vital; No. 2, urgent and compelling; No. 3, unpredictable; and No. 4, temporary. It is vital because the lives and health of Americans are at stake. It is a life-and-death matter in the way NIH funding has saved lives, moving forward the cures of so many dreadful maladies. It is urgent and compelling because Americans who have family members with muscular dystrophy, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, or a host of other ailments will tell you that with each passing day, the hope that their loved one will be saved grows dimmer. It is unpredictable and unanticipated because the nature of the scientific enterprise is unpredictable. The potential cures for disease have grown through research at NIH. It is temporary because a disease such as cancer or Alzheimer's costs our economy billions of dollars a year.…”