Supporting the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health and the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1662) to increase funding for the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration and for the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: S. 1662
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Supporting the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health and the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration Act''. SEC. 2. REAGAN-UDALL FOUNDATION AND FOUNDATION FOR THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH.
(a) Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration.--Section 770(n) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 379dd(n)) is amended by striking ``$500,000 and not more than $1,250,000'' and inserting ``$1,250,000 and not more than $5,000,000''.
(b) Foundation for the National Institutes of Health.-- Section 499(l) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290b(l)) is amended by striking ``$500,000 and not more than $1,250,000'' and inserting ``$1,250,000 and not more than $5,000,000''.
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Mr. PALLONE. 1662.
I rise today in support of S. 1662, the Supporting the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health and the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration Act.
In December, this Chamber considered and passed the House companion of this legislation by a vote of 374-52. Earlier in the year, the legislation advanced out of the Energy and Commerce Committee, where it garnered bipartisan support.
I commend the House bill's sponsors, Health Subcommittee Chairwoman Eshoo and Representative Hudson, for their strong leadership and commitment to this bill.
The Foundation for the NIH is an independent nonprofit organization established by Congress in 1990 to develop private-public partnerships and advance American leadership in biomedical research.
Likewise, the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA was established by Congress in 2007 to advance the mission of the FDA and catalyze innovation, modernize medical product development, and improve safety.
The NIH and FDA are authorized to transfer funding to their respective foundations, but that limit has not been increased since 2007.
This bill, S. 1662, would increase the transfer authority for both foundations, allowing the foundations to continue and expand upon the important work they have been doing. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, they have done important work to enhance the FDA and NIH's work on COVID-19 vaccines and diagnostics.
This bill will help build upon our ongoing efforts to advance biomedical research and promote better public health outcomes.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support S. 1662, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, again, there is bipartisan support for this bill, which I also believe would be going to the President, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1662, Supporting the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health and the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration Act, to increase funding for the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration and for the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health.
The Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration is an independent 501(c)(3) organization created by Congress ``to advance the mission of the FDA to modernize medical, veterinary, food, food ingredient, and cosmetic product development, accelerate innovation, and enhance product safety.''
The Foundation embodies FDA's vision of collaborative innovation to address regulatory science challenges of the 21st century and assist in the creation of new, applied scientific knowledge, tools, standards, and approaches the FDA needs to evaluate products more effectively, predictably, and efficiently, and thereby enhance the FDA's ability to protect and promote the health of the American public.
The Foundation serves as a crucial conduit between FDA and the public, providing a means for FDA to interact directly with stakeholders, including industry and consumers.
The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) has created hundreds of cross-discipline consortia and partnerships whose initiatives have generated new ideas, overcome obstacles and achieved groundbreaking biomedical research results.
The FNIH has created an environment where trust and the exchange of new ideas can thrive, resulting in scientific innovations.
The FNIH and its partners have successfully generated and implemented new research models that are lowering the cost and accelerating the progress of biomedical research nationwide and across the globe.
Article I, section 8 of the Constitution grants Members of Congress the powers and the authority to ``promote Science and useful Arts.''
As Members of Congress, it is our duty to award funding to these institutions, so they may continue their groundbreaking work in their respective fields.
Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this legislation and urge all Members to vote for the S. 1662, Supporting the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health and the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration Act.
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