Investing in federal research, including doubling of the budget of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from 1998 to 2003, has fueled a spectacular growth in our understanding of human biology. Powerful new treatments for cancers, heart disease, AIDS, and other clinical conditions have emerged from NIH laboratories. The sequenced human genome and other major advances of the past decade are poised to serve as a launch pad for an enormously productive decade of discovery in which there will be new ways to diagnose, treatment, and prevent many diseases. The need to focus on infectious diseases has been heightened by the real threat that infectious agents could be used as weapons by terrorists. But success in building on the promise of biomedical research depends in part on the outcome of the presidential election.

John Kerry understands the scientific opportunities ahead and shares the hopes of patients and patient advocates. He proposes a forward-looking commitment to continued growth of health research. He will remove ideological barriers to objective scientific assessment of these opportunities, including current limitations on stem cell research. He will support FDA approvals of ways to avert unwanted pregnancies and HIV infections. He will focus research on technologies that improve the quality and safety of medical care and reduce costs, partly through more effective use of information technology.

Kerry Proposals

"If we pursue the limitless potential of our science - and use it wisely - we will save millions of lives and earn the gratitude of future generations." Specifically John Kerry proposes to:

• Sustain annual significant increments in the research budgets at the National Institutes of Health and at other agencies which support relevant research, from the Veterans Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy, rather than cutting these research budgets.
• Reverse the Bush administration's extreme restrictions on federally supported stem cell research, which could lead to innovative treatments for diabetes, spinal cord injuries, Parkinson's and many other diseases. Kerry states that "I have full faith that our scientists will go forward with a moral compass-with humane values and sound ethics guiding the way". He supports bipartisan legislation that will open this innovative avenue of research and assure ethical guidance to all stem cell researchers at universities or in industry.
• Invest in biotechnology research, seeking breakthroughs for human health, agricultural production, and environmentally-friendly industrial processes.
• Restore the scientific integrity of federal science review panels advising the White House, the NIH, the FDA, and other agencies.
• Expand research on health promotion, disease prevention, and quality of care.
• Provide strong support for development of detection systems, vaccines, and other countermeasures needed to protect Americans against biological terrorism.
• Provide federal leadership on standards and through procurement of information technologies that can dramatically improve the safety and quality of American health care. These technologies can slash administrative costs, allow patients to make more informed decisions about their health care needs, improve the management of chronic diseases, and reduce medical errors.
• Join the international efforts to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic and fight tuberculosis, malaria, and other debilitating parasitic diseases.
• Anticipate the needs of our growing senior population, including comprehensive implementation of the just-enacted "Welcome to Medicare" initial visit for new 65 year-old Medicare patients and positive health promotion and disease management for older individuals.

These commitments reflect a broad investment in health-related basic, clinical, population, and policy research via many agencies, including research to increase the value of our huge healthcare expenditures.

The Bush Record

The Bush administration has allowed ideology to frustrate science in critical areas and fails to recognize the compelling opportunities in biomedical research. The Bush program:

• Proposes to cut inflation-adjusted funding for the National Institutes of Health by 5.8% from 2005 to 2009.
• Will make deeper cuts in the rest of biomedical research in order to carve out $1.8 billion for biosecurity research.
• Blocks federal funding for critical human embryonic stem cell research. Bush mis-informing the American people in August 2001, saying that some 69 human stem cell lines were available and would be permitted to be used in research when in fact the vast majority did not exist or where otherwise contaminated or proprietary.
• Removed information about "effectiveness of condoms" and "programs that work" from NIH and CDC web sites
• Frustrated domestic and international AIDS prevention and family planning efforts with draconian gag rules.
• Failed to fully commit U.S. resources in the ongoing global AIDS epidemic.