We rely on your voice to advocate for our policy priorities. Join us to show our strength as a community that cares about endocrinology. Throughout the year, you will have the opportunity to participate in campaigns that support endocrinology research, care, professionals, and patients. Contact us to get more involved: [email protected].
Congress did not reach an agreement on appropriations for the fiscal year 2022 by the October 1st deadline. Instead, they passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) that will fund the federal government at this year's level through December 3rd. Unlike regular appropriation bills, CRs forgo increases and instead fund the NIH and other government programs at their current level, which is really a cut because it doesn't consider inflation. The Endocrine Society is urging Congress to pass the final FY 2022 appropriations bill as soon as possible and include at least $46.4 billion for NIH (a $3.5 billion increase from last year).
The Endocrine Society has long been a vocal advocate for increasing funding for biomedical research and we have been successful. Last year, we helped secure a $1.25 billion increase for NIH, continuing a six-year trend of increases to the NIH budget. Steady funding is essential to maintain momentum from previous investments and support the new opportunities for life-saving medical research. Long term CRs disrupt momentum and impede new research because NIH will hold back funds, further restricting funding for R01s and new RFAs.
NIH funding is in jeopardy. It is critical that all members of Congress hear from YOU, their constituents, about the need to provide robust, sustained, and timely funding for NIH in FY 2022 before the end of the fiscal year. Join our campaign today.
Right now, Congress is working on a large legislative package to advance several domestic policy agenda items of the Biden administration. Legislation that would lower the cost of prescription medications is being considered as a possible offset or savings that could be added. This is the best, and likely only, opportunity that we will have for a long time to see drug pricing legislation passed. However, it is not a done deal. Every Representative and Senator needs to hear from constituents now about the importance of passing drug pricing legislation.
The Endocrine Society is calling on Congress to take advantage of this opportunity and act now to pass legislation to lower the cost of insulin. There are several policy options that Congress could take, ranging from allowing government negotiation of the price of insulin to other policies that would lower out-of-pocket costs for people with diabetes, such as eliminating the deductible and cost sharing. The most important thing is that Congress acts now to address this issue and work on a solution that can be passed because people with diabetes cannot wait any longer for help.
The Endocrine Society is urging Congress to help researchers recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, restart their labs, and continue making progress on important research progress that was interrupted by the pandemic. The most promising vehicle for providing research relief through additional funds is the Research Investment to Spark the Economy (RISE) Act, which was introduced last year and has bipartisan support. The RISE Act would authorize approximately $25 billion in additional funds for research recovery, including nearly $10 billion for the NIH. While the bill has significant bipartisan support – they need more cosponsors to ensure that the Act makes it across the finish line!
Take action in our campaign and tell your Representative support the RISE Act so that our research community can recover from pandemic-related closures and other disruptions. Advocacy matters and if the research community is vocal about their needs, we can ensure that increased federal funds for research are consistent and sustainable.
Our advocacy calendar provides a global overview of upcoming legislative and regulatory deadlines and events.
Read our newsletters covering the latest science-based information on endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) for policymakers in the European Union.