Forbes: Congress’s NIH Funding Increase: Reasserting America’s Competitiveness In Medical Innovation
Bill Frist, former U.S. senator from Tennessee and chair of Hope Through Healing Hands

“To continue to lead the world in medical science, we need to invest now. On Friday [December 18, 2015], the House and Senate approved the 2016 spending bill, which includes the largest investment in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in over a decade. … While most Americans have a positive view of the NIH, most do not realize it is the largest funder of biomedical research in the world. … Today’s increase in NIH funding is a vital step in the right direction. But more work needs to be done to bring our regulatory process into the 21st century. … Investing more in biomedical research will pay full dividends only if we make regulatory changes to rein in unnecessary costs for researchers and developers. … I commend Congress for coming together on this national priority. For 2016, I hope we pair this funding with policies that modernize the discovery, development, and delivery of drugs and devices — leading to vital cures for today’s life-threatening diseases” (12/23).

Washington Post: Congress is finally investing in health
Editorial Board

“Congress has finally started to boost federal funding for biomedical research. … Progress in [the biomedical research field] is difficult, and there may not be results right away. Biomedical research must be seen as a long-term investment. Now that Congress has done the right thing for one year, it must continue to provide a sturdy, multi-year funding platform for NIH and avoid going back to the days of slow stagnation” (12/25).