Capitol Hill And The White House Eye NIH And Medical Research Funding Issues

The Baltimore Sun: House GOP Proposes Changes For NIH, FDA
House Republicans are considering significant changes to the way billions of dollars in National Institutes of Health grants are awarded to research institutions under a proposal intended to speed medical breakthroughs. The proposal, which Republican lawmakers unveiled Tuesday, would require the Bethesda-based NIH to set aside more money for high-risk research and young, emerging scientists while also giving the director more power to shape the agency's direction. (Fritze, 1/27)

CQ Healthbeat: Democrats Revive Effort To Free NIH From Sequester
House Democrats are wagering that pleas for increased funding for the National Institutes of Health could gain traction in the 114th Congress thanks to biomedical research legislation unveiled Tuesday. Rosa DeLauro, ranking member of the House Appropriations Labor, HHS-Education Subcommittee, introduced a measure on Monday that would ease sequester caps on domestic discretionary spending to allow a series of annual budget increases for NIH through 2021. Supporters maintain that the bill would enable appropriators to restore the agency’s financial condition to what it would have been had Congress adjusted its budget for inflation annually since 2003. (Zanona, 1/27)

Reuters: Obama's 'Precision Medicine' Plan To Boost Research, But Faces Hurdles
President Barack Obama's plan to put the United States at the forefront of individually tailored medical treatment should give a much-needed boost to research in the field but experts say it won't work without reforms to healthcare, including drug testing and insurance. The administration is expected to give the first details this week on the "precision medicine" initiative that Obama announced in his Jan. 20 State of the Union address. Obama said he wanted the United States to "lead a new era of medicine, one that delivers the right treatment at the right time." (Begley and Clarke, 1/28)

The Hill: Republican Seeks To Revive Mental Health Bill
Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Pa.) is attempting to unite mental health advocates around his plan to reshape the nation’s treatment and prevention systems, vowing to work with those who “are mired in the old ways.” Murphy, who is trained as a child psychologist, said he plans to reintroduce his bill in the next few weeks “after we do some other polishing and tinkering on this.” Murphy’s bill had won support from Republican leadership in Congress, who painted the bill as the GOP’s solution to the nation’s intensifying mental health crisis. But the bill’s path forward came into question last session, after the House Energy and Commerce Committee decided to break it in pieces to improve its chances of passage. (Ferris, 1/27)

The Associated Press: Schumer Eyes Health Coverage For Disabled Vets' Children
Sen. Charles Schumer plans to discuss a proposal for legislation that would extend health care coverage for the children of disabled military veterans. According to the New York Democrat, more than 13,000 state residents are enrolled in the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs — or CHAMPVA. It's available for spouses and children of severely disabled vets. (1/28)

Meanwhile, a House committee easily approved the Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act -

The Washington Post: House Panel Easily Passes Veterans Sick Leave Bill But Can’t Shake Partisan Past
Despite the partisan tussle over rules, this first meeting managed a good bipartisan start for one group of feds in particular — newly hired disabled veterans. On a voice vote, the committee unanimously approved the Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act. It would allow most new federal employees with at least a 30 percent disability rating related to military service 104 hours of paid sick leave. That’s 13 work days. Generally, employees initially have no sick leave and earn hours as they work. Additional legislation is planned for the 15 percent of employees not covered. (Davidson, 1/27)