Lizzie Fletcher: “I am glad the gentleman asked that, because when we look at the quality health care we have in this country, it really…”

“I am glad the gentleman asked that, because when we look at the quality health care we have in this country, it really derives from our basic research. A number of years ago, and the gentleman may remember back when JFK said he wanted to put a man on the moon and had a goal of doing that. Well, we have many diseases that NIH is funding and diseases like the gentleman has mentioned, like cancer. There are several cancers that we really have cures for now, but there are many that we do not, and this increased funding will go toward finding cures for the different types of cancer that we have. If anyone has been affected by that in the family, they know what a tragedy it is to have someone struck down in the prime of their life or even in their later years with cancer and how devastating that disease can be. I will tell the gentleman, there is probably not any greater impact that we could have in this country than to find a cure for those diseases. This is exactly where it will come from, as we begin to fund more basic research to find the causes of cancer and the cures. There are other things like disease which is obviously very important. Madam Speaker, 24 percent of our Medicare budget goes toward treating diabetes and the complications of diabetes. It is one of the largest reasons for kidney failure in the country. It is one of the largest reasons that we have in blindness. I think we are close.…”