Endocrine Insider
June 28, 2007

On June 21, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed the FY2008 spending measure of the departments of Labor-Health and Human Services-Education (L-HHS-E), setting the stage for debate on the Senate floor. The bill allocates $29.9 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a 2.8 percent increase over FY2007 actual funding and $250 million more than the House allocates in its bill. The Senate measure, like the House version, provides discretionary spending in excess of that proposed in the president’s budget. After the Senate passes its measure, the two chambers will have to reconcile their versions before sending a joint resolution to the president. Bush has indicated that he would veto any measure that exceeds his proposal.

The threat of veto for the Senate measure is increased by the inclusion of language that would expand federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. However, congressional leaders who champion increased resources for federally funded stem cell research have vowed to attach such language to future must-pass legislation in order to increase the chances of having it signed into law by the president.