LCA News:

Lung Cancer Alliance Urges Inclusion of $5 Billion for Biomedical Research in Economic Stimulus Package

Washington, DC [January 29, 2008]--Today, Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) urged leadership of the United States Senate to include funding for biomedical research in an economic stimulus package currently under consideration. 

In letters (pdf) hand carried to Capitol Hill, LCA Board Chairman Rear Admiral Phil Coady, USN (Ret.) and LCA President & CEO Laurie Fenton Ambrose pointed out that every family in America is paying an increasing proportion of income on health care costs - a de facto tax increase that is falling disproportionately on low and middle income families.

“An injection of $5 billion in biomedical research with a mandate to prioritize funding based on disease mortality would provide an economic stimulus that would have far-reaching short and long-term benefits for the people of the United States and bolster our claim to world leadership on these issues,” they stated.

They noted that the preeminence of US biomedical research is starting to slip which will result in further job losses and disincentives for young people to pursue careers in innovation and technology.

LCA also called for benchmarks and accountability, proposing that research funding increases be allotted to diseases that continue to have high mortality rates.

The Senate Finance Committee is currently reviewing and revising the $150 billion economic stimulus package considered by the House of Representatives.  The House package does not call for any increase in biomedical research.

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