At a hearing of the House of Representatives Budget Committee, Congressman Brian Higgins advocated for Congress to authorize a Federal 2010 budget that doubles funding for cancer research, sending a clear message of America’s commitment to fighting this deadly disease.

"Our Nation’s budget is not just a spending plan, it is a statement of America’s values - and I don't think there's a more important statement than that made relating to cancer in this years budget,” said Higgins, a member of the Congressional Cancer Caucus.  "This is an extraordinary time of discovery that will increase the survival rate for people with every type of cancer.  Ending all suffering and death due to cancer is a goal that is within our reach and it should be America’s goal.”

Below is the Congressman’s testimony as prepared and submitted for the record: 

Testimony of The Hon. Brian Higgins
Before the House Budget Committee
March 18, 2009

Chairman Spratt, Ranking Member Ryan, members of the Committee, thank you for allowing me to testify before the Committee today.  Mr. Chairman, I’d like to make the case that the Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2010 should take the first step toward doubling funding for cancer research at the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health. 

President Obama, in his address to Congress on February 25th, announced his goal of doubling federal cancer research funding during his administration from $6 billion a year to $12 billion a year.  I am proud to share the President’s goal, and it is one that I think should be America’s goal, to end suffering due to cancer in our lifetime. 

Simply put -- we are not doing enough to fight cancer.  After we doubled cancer research funding from 1998 to 2003, the Bush Administration proposed decreasing funding by $250 million, forcing research grants to dry up, labs to go dark, and making promising young researchers move overseas or leave the field altogether.

These funding decreases, if factored for inflation, represent a devastating 17 percent cut in research funding for the National Institutes of Health since 2003.  This is unacceptable, appalling, and offensive, and the cuts must stop. 

A doubling of cancer research funding over time will ultimately improve the quality of life for cancer patients.  This funding will lead to new ways to treat cancer in a less invasive and more efficient way for both those undergoing treatment for cancer and survivors of cancer who live with the side-effects of cancer treatment every day.  New research will lead to better ways to screen for cancerous cells as well as using the Human Genome Project to understand who is predisposed to getting cancer, so we can prevent cancer from spreading by treating it early.

A doubling of funding will also have a stimulative economic effect on areas of the country like Western New York, which I represent.  For example Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, the first comprehensive cancer institute in our country, has a tremendous economic impact on my community and represents the future of what is good in our economy.

Roswell is struggling due to the rising cost of research and stagnant federal funding.  In these tough economic times, we need to provide institutions like Roswell with more support.  With more support, Roswell can increase the number and size of research grants exploring the development of cancerous cells.  This funding would also allow Roswell increase its translational research activities and create the next generation of biotechnology firms, creating high quality jobs.

I strongly urge this Committee to produce a budget document that reflects the President’s call to double cancer research funding with all immediate speed, and I thank the Committee for giving me the opportunity to come before you this afternoon.