Washington, D.C., November 17, 2005 - AAMC President Jordan J. Cohen, M.D., sent a letter to Congress today urging all members to oppose the final version of the FY 2006 Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS) appropriations bill scheduled for a vote this week.

Dr. Cohen points out in the letter that the legislation's proposal for funding the National Institutes of Health (NIH) falls nearly $800 million short of the level needed to meet inflation.

"This marks the third year in a row that NIH has failed to grow by inflation. At a time when we face major new health challenges, now is not the time to weaken this nation's investment in medical research," writes Dr. Cohen.

In the letter, the AAMC also voices strong opposition to the bill's proposed 69 percent cut to the Title VII health professions education programs.

"Eliminating these programs will seriously impair federal efforts to increase the supply and diversity of the health care workforce and provide access to quality health care for all segments of the population," states Dr. Cohen.

Read the AAMC letter to Congress (PDF - 1 page, 33KB).

# # #

The Association of American Medical Colleges is a not-for-profit association representing all 130 accredited U.S. and 17 accredited Canadian medical schools; nearly 400 major teaching hospitals and health systems, including 68 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers; and nearly 90 academic and scientific societies. Through these institutions and organizations, the AAMC represents 125,000 faculty members, 70,000 medical students, and 104,000 resident physicians. Additional information about the AAMC and U.S. medical schools and teaching hospitals is available at www.aamc.org/newsroom.

Contact Us    © 1995-2008 AAMC    Terms and Conditions    Privacy Statement