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Congress passes 2008 federal budget

Congress recently passed the fiscal year 2008 federal budget package. For programs funded through Labor-Health and Human Services-Education appropriations, the bill provides $144.8 billion in discretionary spending for 2008, an increase of $316 million (0.2%). Most of these programs are subject to a 1.7% across-the-board cut to meet the president's spending limit.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will receive $29.2 billion, an increase of $329 million (1.1%), well below the current inflation rate. In a statement earlier this week, AAMC President Darrell G. Kirch, MD, noted, "The AAMC is particularly frustrated with this outcome for the NIH, given that members from both sides of the aisle in the House and Senate approved a conference agreement in early November that provided a $900 million (3.1%) increase for the NIH." The bill also provides:

  • $194 million for the Title VII health professions training programs, a 5% increase over fiscal year 2007
  • $123.5 million for the National Health Service Corps, a $2.2 million decrease
  • $334.6 million for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a 4.9% increase
  • $301.6 million for children's hospitals graduate medical education, a 1.6%increase
  • $6.5 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a 1.8% increase.

In addition to programs within the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations, the federal budget bill includes funding for other spending bills that have not been signed into law, including:

  • $36.7 billion for veterans affairs medical care (a 9.8% increase) and $480 million for veterans medical and prosthetics research (a 7.58% increase)
  • $6.1 billion for the National Science Foundation, a 2.4% increase
  • $1.7 billion for the Food and Drug Administration, a 9.1% increase.

For additional information go to the following websites http://www.aamc.org/advocacy/washhigh/start.htm and http://www.aamc.org/newsroom/pressrel/2007/071218.htm.

Source: Association of American Medical Colleges STAT, December 21, 2007 issue


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