National Institues of Health Reform Act of 2006

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH REFORM ACT OF 2006 -- (House of Representatives - September 26, 2006)

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Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Madam Speaker, I rise today to echo the strong support for H.R. 6164. I want to thank Chairman Barton and my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, Chairman Deal, committee staff, everybody who put so much of their heart and soul into this bill, including my legislative assistant, Kelly Childress, who spent hours helping us put some of the provisions in this bill and the bill that was just before us.

This legislation does a lot of great things. The chairman of the committee stated why the NIH is our crown jewel. This bill does something very, very important. It is going to get more money to the people doing the research who come up with the solutions for so many ailments in this country. No other nation in the world has this kind of intellectual power in one place working to solve some of our most challenging health care problems. This bill accomplishes great things to that end.

I want to highlight one thing, if I may, a provision that for the first time addresses pain and palliative care. It is long overdue, but it is here. Fifty million Americans are either partially or completely disabled because of acute or chronic pain, and for the first time we elevate it in the eyes of NIH so they can study it. I always say lend me your EAR: Education, Access and Research can happen now because of this bill and because of the work of this House in a bipartisan way to reach out to 50 million Americans who suffer from pain, for people who suffer cancer and diabetes and arthritis and HIV-AIDS. The list is long. This House gives them hope tonight.

I want to say thank you to all who have put so much in it. This will make a difference in Americans' lives for now and in the future. I commend everybody who had a piece of it.

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