NAEVR Commends Senate LHHS Bill For Its $3 B NIH, $44 M NEI Funding Increases

(Washington, D.C.) Today, the National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (NAEVR) issued a statement about the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS) Appropriations bill, which was released on September 18. The bill includes a $3 billion, or 7.7 percent increase over FY2019, in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding to a level of $42.08 billion and a $44 million, or 5.5 percent increase over FY2019, in National Eye Institute (NEI) funding to a level of $840.2 million.

NAEVR Executive Director James Jorkasky stated:

“NAEVR commends the Senate LHHS Appropriations Subcommittee for the proposed robust NIH/NEI funding increases in its FY2020 spending bill.

NAEVR appreciates the leadership of Subcommittee Chair Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA)—as well as the efforts of their House counterparts Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Ranking Member Tom Cole (R-OK)—for their longstanding support for the NIH.

We also recognize that each the FY2020 Senate and House LHHS bill recognizes the importance of funding the important work of the Institutes and Centers (I/Cs), such as the NEI.

NAEVR now urges Congress to finalize FY2020 appropriations to minimize the detrimental impact on research of a Continuing Resolution, and NAEVR will continue to work with both chambers toward this goal. That request was echoed in September 19 NAEVR-hosted Congressional delegation visits made by 20 early-stage investigators from academic institutions across the country during the Alliance for Eye and Vision Research’s (AEVR) Fifth Annual Emerging Vision Scientists Day on Capitol Hill.”

The National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (NAEVR) is a 501(c)4 non-profit advocacy coalition comprised of 55 professional, consumer, and industry organizations involved in eye and vision research. Visit the Web site at www.eyeresearch.org.