Legislation would protect funding for NIH from annual budget process

Newly introduced legislation would make NIH’s medical research funding a non-discretionary program, separating it from the annual congressional budget process. Under bill H.R.5724, introduced by U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D – Fla.) and U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D- N.C.), NIH funding would be treated in the same way as programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. The two House Democrats said the measure would remove NIH from threats of shutdowns and spending cuts. NIH funding peaked in 2010 at $31.2 billion. But it fell to $30.6 billion in 2014 as part of a bipartisan spending agreement.