ATS Urges Congress to Enact NIH Funding Increase

The ATS joined several other medical and public health organizations in a sign-on letter urging Congress to pass the appropriations bills that provides significant funding increases - $46.4 billion, as passed by the House of Representatives – for NIH and other public health agencies for fiscal year 2022. The letter commends the Congressional Committee leadership for their longstanding bipartisan support of the NIH and expresses appreciation for the House and Senate’s proposed increase for the NIH base in FY 2022. The letter also supports the creation of the proposed new NIH institute - Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) – but cautions that ARPA-H funding should supplement, not supplant, NIH research support.

The House of Representatives has passed its appropriations bills. The Senate has not yet enacted its appropriations measures for fiscal year 2022. The federal government is operating under a continuing resolution through early December that uses FY21 spending levels.