Billy Long: I will continue to support the National Institutes of Health

(From Seventh District Congressman Billy Long)

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world and has invested more than $30 billion this past year to enhance our quality of life, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability.

This vital agency improves national health by conducting and supporting research and drives economic growth by funding cutting-edge research in the biomedical field, creating thousands of jobs across the country. 

Thanks to this agency, our nation is at the helm of medical innovation, and thousands of Americans are living longer and healthier lives.

Last year, the NIH awarded Missouri $655 million in grants and contracts that generated over $1.5 billion in new economic activity and supported over 9,000 jobs statewide.

NIH’s research concluded that cancer, heart disease, and chronic lower respiratory disease were the top three causes of disease-related deaths in Missouri, claiming 12,696, 14,579, and 3,961 lives, respectively.

All fifty states, including the District of Columbia, have received these critical investments and we are optimistic that they will help decrease the number of disease-related deaths across the nation. Overall, this investment has generated $81 billion in economic activity and has created 475,000 new jobs.

As a member of the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, I have had worked closely with the Director of NIH Francis Collins and others at NIH and have seen first hand their dedication to eliminating threats to our overall health and wellbeing.

Doctor Collins is an American physician-geneticist who discovered the genes associated with a number of diseases and led the Human Genome Project. I am a member of the Black Maternal Health Caucus and recently along with folks from NIH we have held meetings to discuss the growing maternal mortality epidemic in the U.S.

The NIH recognizes this crisis and is funding research addressing the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality, such as infections and pregnancy-related illnesses. The NIH is also at the forefront of advances in genetics research to find gene-based cures to cancers, sickle-cell disease, and HIV.

President Trump has advocated for a cure for HIV since he took office and recently pledged, in his State of the Union address, to end the HIV epidemic in the next ten years. Though there is still much work to be done to address this health crisis, tackling this epidemic would be far more difficult without research from the NIH.

The NIH has earned the reputation for being the world leader in health research, pioneering life-changing discovery and maintaining American output, employment, and a globally competitive life sciences industry.

Since 2016, Congress has provided strong increases to the NIH budget every year because we recognize its importance and global influence, creating a noticeable difference in grants, jobs, economic activity, and health outcomes. I am proud of the progress Congress and the NIH have made in finding cures, and I look forward to offering my continued support as the NIH continues its vital work.