| DrBlumenthal’s Introduction of Congressman John Porter (R-IL)

It’s now my great privilegeand honor to introduce to you a champion of women’s issuesin the United States House of Representatives, Congressman JohnPorter. Congressman Porter is a senior member of the HouseAppropriations Committee and chairman of its Labor, Health, HumanServices and Education Subcommittee. In this capacity, he hasearned the respect and admiration of those of us fighting toimprove women’s health. Congressman Porter is a nationalleader who works to ensure that women’s health concerns areheard and that they are protected in the halls of Congress. It isCongressman Porter who has led the fight for increased fundingfor women’s health programs. It is Congressman Porter whohas encouraged and protected international and domestic voluntaryfamily planning programs, and it is Congressman Porter whocontinues to work to improve awareness of women’s healthissues among health care professionals and the public. Thanks toCongressman Porter’s work, our new national focus onwomen’s health is moving forward. With his leadership andlegislative skills, women’s health is now at the forefrontof our nation’s health care agenda. I commend him for hiscommitment and continuing support for improving women’shealth. It is my pleasure to introduce to you a national leaderwho is working to improve the health of all Americans,Congressman John Porter. 

Congressman JohnPorter (R-IL)

Susan, with an introduction likethat, I think I’ll take you everywhere I go, if youdon’t mind. Thank you for those very kind words. Let mebegin by telling all of you something that you already know, andthat is there is not a stronger or more effective advocate forwomen’s health in this country that Dr Susan Blumenthal. Shebrings the important public health issues for women forcefully tothe attention of the public and the Congress. Susan, you’redoing an absolutely magnificent job as Assistant Surgeon General.

This conference is a very positiveone, and I very much appreciate the opportunity to speak with youtoday. The conference symbolizes how far we’ve come inaddressing the health needs of women, but it also highlights theamazing territory that is ahead of us, that we have yet toconquer. Today you’ve heard about the many advances thatscience has made in understanding diseases and disorders thataffect women specifically—MS, lupus, andscleroderma—and Dana Delany tells me she is going to hitCongress between the eyes when she gets a chance to talk with youin a minute. I said to her, "I think I have a vote on theHouse floor about that time." But it’s absolutelyright. These diseases are prototypes for all of the ailments thataffect women that have been misdiagnosed and mistreated, andthere have been very, very many. While we have come a long way inexposing the inequities regarding women’s health, we mustcontinue our commitment to research and preventive health. Iapplaud that work of the National Institutes of Health and thecontributions of Dr Anthony Fauci and Dr Katz, who spoke at thisconference. I applaud the work also of the Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention. But we must continue to give both of themthe resources that they need to do the magnificent work that theydo.

Today’s theme,"Unlocking the Mystery," does wonderfully describe thepath ahead for biomedical research. Our goal is to advance thecause of preventing, alleviating and curing disease throughbioscience. Never has such a goal been closer to attainment, andin another sense, never has it been under greater siege. I’ma strong supporter of both basic research and a member ofCongress who places deficit reduction and balanced budgets at thehighest priority. With huge deficits that we have been running,we are destroying opportunities for our children andgrandchildren. We are dragging down the growth rate thatotherwise our economy could achieve. Our job in Congress is totake responsibility for the bottom line, to choose priorities,what’s important, what’s not, what should beeliminated, what should be retained, what could be better done inthe private sector or by state or local government. We lookedlast year and we are looking this year at every federal program,every department, every agency, every line item of the budget,and we’re asking ourselves whether the funding stacks up,whether it provides real results for people. There’s nothingwrong with that process. Every organization, and particularly thegovernment, needs to do it often.

How does biomedical research stackup? My answer, and I know yours as well, is there is no morevital endeavor in our country. Investment in basic research helpsthe promise of longer, more healthy lives, not only for everyAmerican woman and man, but for every person on the planet. Allof you here helped make research a priority for our country lastyear by lobbying your representatives in Washington. For fiscalyear 1996, last year and this year, I was able to pull NIH andCDC funding out of the budget battles, and 4 year funding forboth was included in a continuing resolution that was signed bythe President in January. It provided a 5.7% increase for NIH,$642 million above fiscal year 1995, the previous year, and $165million higher than the President’s request. For CDC, weprovided $2.1 billion, about level funding, with increases inpriority areas including education and prevention of HIV/AIDS,increases for sexually transmitted diseases, and for breast andcervical cancer screening. None of this was easy. We did it inthe face of a budget for the House that required us to cut $9billion out of $70 billion of discretionary spending, about anaverage decrease of each line item of 13%, and yet we were ableto increase NIH funding and hold CDC level. It was not easy, butit will not be as easy this year. In other words it’s goingto be very, very tough. Every year that we’re working tobalance the budget, increasing funding for NIH and CDC getstougher.

So what am I here to do today?I’m here to lobby you to lobby the American people and theCongress. Your participation in the process is absolutely vital.For Congress to make medical research and preventive healthpriorities, the American people have to make them priorities. Youmust help get this message out. We must maintain the momentum.For fiscal year 1997, and we’re about to mark up the bill inour subcommittee tomorrow at 3:00 in the afternoon, we’reaiming at an increase of 6.5% for NIH. Now the Presidentsuggested a 3.9% increase, two-thirds of which would be for a newclinical center, leaving only 1.6% for extramural grants. We mustdo better. In addition to the 6.5% for NIH, we’re putting inthe subcommittee chairman’s mark the funds for the clinicalcenter as well, so it’s 6.5% plus the clinical center.

You know and I know that thepossibilities of bioscience are endless if only we have the willand the courage to make it the highest priority. Subsequently, wemust effectively transform the knowledge gained from researchdiscoveries into preventive strategies. For fiscal year 1997, forpreventive health, my goal is to increase the CDC, and within theCDC to provide more money for the preventive health block grants.Once we have the knowledge, we need to educate, to disseminate,and to help people lead healthier lives. Again, we need to putadditional money in for breast and cervical cancer screening. Wehave the technology; we must ensure that women have access to itand are able to get the screening. I will also continue tosupport increases in chronic and environmental disease preventionand infectious disease prevention as well. You’ve heardtoday, I understand, from Congresswoman Nita Lowey, a member ofmy subcommittee, and Congresswoman Connie Morella, so youprobably already realize that in a fight these are people youwant to have on your side. Now I want to have them on my side,whatever the issue is being debated. We know that they will therefor NIH and for CDC and for women’s health generally. 

We will work together with you toensure that we do have the necessary momentum. Together, we canincrease awareness and dollars for women’s health includingresearch and preventive health needs. I look forward tosucceeding in this endeavor with your help. Please get the wordout to every member of Congress and every member of the Americanpublic that this is, indeed, a very, very, high nationalpriority.

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