Jennifer Zeitzer, Director of Legislative Relations

Office of Public Affairs

SfG/ASMB Joint Meeting, Nov, 14, 2012

Biomedical Research: A Perspective from Washington, DC

What is FASEB?

What Does FASEB Do?

Our Mission… Advance health and welfare by promoting

progress and education in biological and biomedical sciences through service to our member societies and collaborative advocacy.

It is accomplished through FASEB Public Affairs activities including… Policy research and development Advocacy and our role as government liaison Coalition building Communication and outreach

Core Science Policy Issues

FASEB policy development, advocacy, coalition-building, and communication frequently revolves around these

issues…

TRANSLATIONALBASIC

Research Portfolio Balance

Animals in Research

Stem Cell Research

Annual Funding for NIH, NSF, DOE,

USDA, VA

Training and Workforce

Regulatory Burden Peer Review Open Access

Biosecurity

A Day In The Life…

Direct lobbying/advocacy Meetings with members of Congress &

their staff

Information gathering Attend Congressional hearings and

agency briefings Monitor news, federal legislation

progress, regulatory agency policies, scientific advances

Writing & reporting Washington Update newsletter Press releases Policy summaries and analysis FASEB statements, testimony, letters,

talking points, and press releases

2012 Election Results

www.faseb.org

Senate54 – 45 – 1*

D R I

* Sen. Elect Angus King (ME) is an Independent.He is expected to caucus with the Democrats.

Dems +2

Republicans -2

197 – 233 D R

House

5 House Races Are Undecided (as of 11.12.2012)

AZ-02: Ron Barber (D) ahead by 700 votesCA-07: Recount likelyCA-52: Recount likelyFL-18: Patrick Murphy (D) ahead by 1,900 votes. Allen West (R) has not concededNC 7: Recount in process

Changes in Key Committees

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Daniel Inouye (D-HI), ChairmanRichard Shelby (R-AL), Ranking Member

Patty Murray (D-WA), ChairmanJeff Sessions (R-AL), Ranking Member

Tom Harkin (D-IA), ChairmanMike Enzi (R-WY), Ranking Member

Hal Rogers (R-KY), ChairmanNita Lowey (D-NY), Ranking Member

Paul Ryan (R-WI), ChairmanChris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ranking Member

Fred Upton (R-MI), ChairmanHenry Waxman (D-CA), Ranking Member

Changes noted in italics

Potential New Congressional Champions

Senator-Elect Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)

Senator-Elect Tim Kaine (D-VA)

Representative-Elect Bill Foster (D-IL-11)

Representative-Elect Joe Kennedy (D-MA-04)

Representative-Elect Mark Pocan (D-WI-02)

Representative-Elect Scott Peters (D-CA-52)

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Agenda for the “Lame Duck” Session

Congress is back to work on Capitol Hill but will break for Thanksgiving Nov. 19 – 23, leaving only 4 weeks before Christmas to tackle a MASSIVE “To Do” list:

Farm Bill Medicare payment rates for doctors Expiration of the Bush era tax cuts Alternative minimum tax Tax “extenders” (e.g. R & D tax credit) Unfinished Fiscal Year 2013 spending bills Sequestration Raising the debt ceiling Supplemental disaster aid for Hurricane Sandy Extension of Social Security payroll tax holiday Extension of unemployment benefits Cybersecurity legislation

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Fiscal Year 2013 Science Funding

Current Funding

(As of Nov. 1)

House Recommended

Senate Recommended

NIH $30.6 billion $30.6 billion(flat funding)

$30.7 billion(+$100 million / +0.3%)

NSF $7.0 billion $7.3 billion(+$299 million

/+4.3%)

$7.2 billion(+$240 million / +3.4%)

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Fiscal year 2013 began on Oct. 1, 2012. However, since Congress did not pass any of the 2013 funding bills, all federal agencies are

currently operating under a “continuing resolution” (H J Res 117) that expires on March 27, 2013.

Super Committee fails to agree on plan to reduce deficit by $1.5

trillion

Congress adopts plan to cut deficit

by $1.5 trillion

UNLIKELY

Congress passes bill to

cancel sequestration SEQUESTRATION

8% - 10% cut to non-defense discretionary

spending (NIH, NSF, etc.)

November 2011

January – December 2012

Obama vetoes the bill?

“Sequestration”

OR

Jan. 2, 2013

Sequestration: Impact on Science Funding

NIH, NSF, and other agencies face at least an 8%-10% cut. However, several programs* will be exempt from sequestration – so NIH and NSF will have to absorb more of the cuts

In April FASEB released an analysis illustrating the potential damage to NIH if sequestration is implemented

11.1% ($2.8 billion) cut to the FY 2013 extramural budget Loss of 700 (OMB estimate) to 2,300 grants (NIH/ Senator Harkin, D-IA, estimate) FASEB estimates that the NIH cuts will exceed $100 million in 8 states (CA/ MD/

MA/ NY/ NC/ PA/ TX/ WA) FASEB has factsheets showing impact of sequestration on NIH funding for each

state

NSF could face a cut of $530 million Loss of 1,500 research & education grants

* Exempted from sequestration: Veterans medical care, Pell grants, salaries/benefits for members of the military, etc.

Sequestration Scenarios

Five Options Have Emerged….

1. Jump Off the Fiscal Cliff

2. Strike A “Grand Bargin”

3. Balanced Approach

4. Kick-the-Can (No Deficit Reduction)

5. Kick-the-Can + Down Payment on Deficit Reduction

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The Scenarios And Funding For Research

1. Jumping Off the Cliff = 8% - 10% cut for NIH

2. “Grand Bargin” = focus would be on tax code changes and cuts to entitlements, potentially limiting cuts to research and other programs

3. Balanced Approach = the best option, especially if it includes no further cuts to research and other programs

4. Kick-the-Can/ No Deficit Reduction = not likely given the possibility of another downgrade to the U.S. credit rating

5. Kick-the-Can/ Down Payment on Deficit Reduction = almost as bad as Scenario #1 because the “down payment” would include cuts to research and other programs

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How YOU Can Get Involved

Subscribe to FASEB’s Washington Update

Follow us on Twitter - @FASEBopa Become a fan of our Facebook page Explore FASEB’s NIH and NSF

Advocacy Clearinghouses Join one of the 26 FASEB member

societies for extensive benefits!

Let FASEB help you get started!

Promote The Benefits of Research!

Scientists can do a lot to engage policymakers and the public:

Tell a personal

storyInvite your

members of

Congress to your

lab

Speak to a

community group

Go to Capitol

Hill

Write a letter to

the newspap

er

Visit members of Congress in your home

state

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FASEB Advocacy Resources

Visit our Congressional Visit Toolbox

Sign Up for our E-Action Alerts

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FASEB Office of Public Affairs

http://www.faseb.org/Policy-and-Government-Affairs.aspx

Jennifer Zeitzer

Director of Legislative Relations

jzeitzer@faseb.org

(301) 634-7128

For More Information