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  • Washington Highlights

    Senators Introduce Research Relief Bill

    Christa Wagner, Manager, Government Relations

    Four senators introduced bipartisan legislation on July 23 to authorize approximately $26 billion to support federal research agencies and their grantees who have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.  

    The Research Investment to Secure the Economy (RISE) Act (S. 4286) aims to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 to the U.S. research enterprise by providing emergency relief to federal science agencies, including a proposed $10 billion investment in the National Institutes of Health. Sens. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) are the original co-sponsors.

    The bill is the Senate companion to H.R. 7308, which was introduced by Reps. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Fred Upton (R-Mich.), Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas), Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), and Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio) on June 24 [see Washington Highlights, June 26]. The AAMC joined over 250 organizations in supporting the legislation when it was first introduced.

    AAMC President and CEO David J. Skorton, MD, sent a letter of thanks to the co-sponsors on July 24, saying, “Your legislation takes an important step in preserving our nation’s investment in research across federal science agencies and in ensuring that we do not lose ground in innovation and discovery. Research relief will be key to allow the research enterprise to resume operations and restore progress as quickly as possible to pre-pandemic levels.”