Delayed Obligation Letter
Sent to Porter, Obey, Specter and Harkin
October 26, 1999
The Honorable John Edward Porter
Chairman
Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education and Related Agencies Committee on Appropriations
United States House of Representatives
2373 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Mr. Chairman:
On behalf of the members of the Association of American Medical
Colleges (AAMC) I write to thank you for the $17.9 billion
proposed for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as part
of the negotiations on the FY 2000 Labor, Health and Human
Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill.
This $2.3 billion increase will enable the NIH to expand scientific
knowledge, further our understanding of disease, and improve
the quality of life for all Americans.
However, we are concerned about the potential adverse effects
associated with the magnitude of the delayed obligations proposed
for the NIH. We are informed that as much as $7.5 billion
will be unavailable for obligation until September 29, 2000.
Delaying such a large portion of the NIH budget will be a
massive managerial challenge for the agency and will likely
force the NIH to defer the out-year obligations for continuing
grants, put severe pressure on the funding of new and competing
grants, and inevitably cause a significant shift of research
costs to the awardee institutions. The cumulative impact of
these effects will slow the overall pace of research. We also
are concerned that delaying the obligation of this amount
of money will only compound the impact of the already tight
funding caps in subsequent years.
We understand the difficult choices that are inherent in
the appropriations process and sincerely appreciate the support
you have shown for the NIH. We urge you to make every effort
to minimize the percentage of the NIH appropriation subject
to delayed obligation.
Sincerely,
Jordan J. Cohen, M.D.
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