Alzheimer Association statement on passage of omnibus legislation
The Alzheimer’s Association is extremely disappointed that Congress and the administration have once again failed to adequately fund research through the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The tiny increase for NIH in the budget bill passed by Congress, to be signed by the president, is an increase in name only and does not come close to slowing the erosion in research support caused by biomedical research inflation.
All Americans, and especially the 78 million baby boomers who face the threat of Alzheimer's disease now or in the near future, want effective treatments and a cure. The declining commitment to NIH funding, reduced in inflation adjusted dollars by 8 percent since 2003, has already slowed progress toward an Alzheimer cure. More importantly, the slowdown in funding is beginning to dismantle the research infrastructure by discouraging new scientists from entering the field or being able to sustain careers in research.
Alzheimer advocates from across the nation made their voices heard during the budget debates in Congress and will continue to do so until elected leaders respond appropriately. In one two-day period, for example, nearly 3,600 calls flooded the White House phones, all from Alzheimer advocates calling on the president to support a more substantial increase in research funding.
Looking to the future, Alzheimer advocates will be communicating their support for research funding to candidates at all levels of public office. Recent data from a public opinion poll commissioned by the Alzheimer's Association shows that two out of three Americans are supportive of candidates who support increases in Alzheimer research funding. Candidates who fail to heed these voter sentiments will have difficulty convincing their constituents that they have their interests at heart and that they deserve their votes.
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