>> GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. I'M JOHN BURKLOW, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR AT NIH, I WANT TO WELCOME YOU ALL TO A BRIEFING ON THE BUDGET BY SENATOR MIKULSKI, FOLLOWED BY A BRIEF Q&A WITH REPORTERS WHO JOINED US HERE TODAY. FIRST I WANT DO TO INTRODUCE THE NIH DIRECTOR, DR. FRANCIS COLLINS. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU, JOHN, IT'S MY GREAT PLEASURE ONCE AGAIN TO INTRODUCE SENATOR BARBARA MIKULSKI. WHO REPRESENTS THE GREAT STATE OF MARYLAND, HOME TO NIH. THE NATION'S LEADING SUPPORTER OF BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH AS YOU ALL KNOW. ALSO JOINING US ON STAGE ARE JUST A FEW OF HIPPO'S FINEST, EIGHT OF THE THOUSANDS OF RESEARCHERS THAT WE SUPPORT WHO ARE MAKING NEW DISCOVERIES EVERY DAY. A YEAR AGO WHEN SENATOR MIKULSKI WAS HERE, SHE GAVE A PRESENTATION IN A SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT TIME FOR ALL OF US AS THE SEQUESTER WAS LOOMING, MANY CLOUDS WERE GATHERING AND SHE PROMISEDDED IN A LEGENDARY STATEMENT THAT SHE WAS GOING TO WORK HER EARRINGS OFF FOR NIH. LET ME SAY, NOTHING HAS EVER BEEN MORE TRUE THAN THAT OVER THIS YEAR. SENATOR MIKULSKI'S TIRELESS EFFORTS ON NIH'S BEHALF HAVE HELPED ENSURE OUR IMPORTANT MISSION WILL GO FORWARD AGAIN AT FULL STRENGTH AFTER WHAT HAS BEEN ADMITTEDLY A VERY DIFFICULT TEN YEAR PERIOD OF LOSS OF PURCHASING POWER FOR RESEARCH. SHE DID THIS ORCHESTRATING A FEAT THAT MANY THOUGHT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE IN OUR TIME. SHE SECURED A BIPARTISAN COMPROMISE ON THE FEDERAL BUDGET. JUST A LITTLE MORE THAN A MONTH AGO THE CONGRESS LED BY SENATOR MIKULSKI AND HER HOUSE COUNTER PARTS HAL ROGERS PASSED AN OMNIBUS APPROPRIATION BILL FOR 2014 WHICH INCLUDED A $1 BILLION INCREASE FOR NIH OVER THE FY 13 POST SEQUESTER LEVEL BOOST OF 3-POINT P 4%. I THINK WE SHOULD APPLAUD THAT. [APPLAUSE] SO WHILE WE STILL HAVE A WAYS TO GO TO MAKE UP FOR THE LOSSES THAT HAVE HAPPENED OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS WE CAN FINALLY BREATHE A SIGH OF RELIEF THAT THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL OF SUPPORT IS DRAWING TO AN END AND A CONNER HAS BEEN TURNEDDED. SO SENATOR, WE REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT. ON A PERSONAL LEVEL I WOULD LIKE TO THANK SENATOR MIKULSKI FOR HER REGULAR EMAIL UPDATES, PARTICULARLY HER USE OF EMAIL ABBREVIATIONS WHICH YOU HAVE TO SEE TO BELIEVE. BUT ARE ACTUALLY VERY INFORMATIVE AND RATHER ENTERTAINING. AND I LACK FORWARD TO MORE -- LOOK FORWARD TO MORE OF THOSE IN THE FUTURE, SENATOR. SO PLEASE, WE ARE MOST FORTUNATE TO HAVE HER HERE THIS AFTERNOON TO TALK ABOUT WHERE WE HAVE BEEN AND WHERE WE'RE GOING. JOIN ME IN WELCOMING THIS STRONG AND CONSISTENT VOICE FOR NIH, THE SENIOR SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF MARYLAND I CHAIRWOMAN OF THE SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE, SENATOR BARBARA MIKULSKI. [APPLAUSE] >> HELLO, EVERYBODY. HERE I AM, BACK ONCE AGAIN, REMEMBERING WITH FONDNESS AND AFFECTION MY VISIT HERE A YEAR AGO WHEN I JUST BECOME THE CHAIR OF THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE. WE WERE LOOKING INTO THE QUICKNESS OF SEQUESTER AND I FIRST OF ALL CALLED YOU THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HOPE P AND I'M BACK HERE TO SAY YOU ARE THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HOPE, WE LOVE YOU, WE'RE PROUD OF YOU, AMERICA SUPPORTS YOU, AND WE WANT TO DO ALL WE CAN IN THE FEDERAL LAW BOOK, IN THE FEDERAL CHECKBOOK LET YOU BE YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> NOW, I DID PROMISE THAT I WOULD GO BACK, THAT I WOULD WORK ON A BIPARTISAN BASIS, A BIPARTISAN BASIS TO WORK MY EARRING OFF TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CANCEL SEQUESTER, THAT YOU HAD CERTAINTY H IN THE BUDGET AND THAT WE COULD DELIVER FOR FISCAL 14. I'M BACK AND IF YOU NOTICE, I HAVE NO EARRINGS ON. [APPLAUSE] I DID -- I WISH FIGHTING FOR YOU WAS AEROBIC SO THEN I WOULD MAKE THE BMI INDEX THINGS YOU ALL PUT OUT ALL OF THE TIME. BUT I'M HERE TO SAY I KNOW IT'S BEEN A VERY HARD YEAR FOR YOU AND I KNOW IT'S BEEN A DIFFICULT YEAR, NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE STORMY WEATHER OUTSIDE BUT THE STORMY WEATHER WITHIN THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS AND WITHIN OUR BUDGET. I KNOW THAT YOU FACE SEQUESTER. I KNOW THAT IT CUT NIH BY 5%. I KNOW IT LOST OUT ON PETTIVE GRANTS, FEWER PATIENTS ADMITTED TO THE CLINICAL MEDICAL CENTER. IT MEANT BREAK THROUGHS WE THOUGHT THAT WE COULD ACHIEVE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO BE DONE. AND THAT EVERY DAY INSTEAD OF THINKING ABOUT NEW IDEAS FOR NEW CURES OR THE CONTAINMENT OF THINGS THAT WE KNOW LIKE ALZHEIMER'S WHERE JUST EVEN THREE YEARS OF COGNITIVE STRETCH OUT WOULD HAVE A TREMENDOUS IMPACT ON THE PERSON'S HEALTH, THE FAMILY BUDGET AND THE FEDERAL BUDGET. WE KNOW WHAT YOU FACED. AND IF SEQUESTER WASN'T BAD ENOUGH, THEN WE CAME TO THAT FAMOUS THREE WEEKS IN OCTOBER WHEN WE FACED SHUT DOWN. SHUT DOWN SLAM DOWN POLITICS FOR 16 LONG DAYS. I KNEW THAT 74% OF THE NIH EMPLOYEES WERE FURLOUGHED. I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. I JUST COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. THAT FOR THREE WEEKS WE WERE IN THIS SHUTDOWN. I KNEW THE OUTSTANDING WORK THAT YOU HAD DONE, SO INSTEAD OF GETTING MEDALS ON THE NIH EMPLOYEESES WHO DO THE RESEARCH AND THE WONDERFUL SUPPORT STAFF THAT ENABLES YOU TO DO YOUR RESEARCH FROM THE LAB TECHS TO FACILITY MANAGER, EVERYONE WAS BEING TOLD THAT THEY WERE NON-ESSENTIAL. SHUTTING DOWN THE DOORS OF THE CLINICAL CENTER. SHUTTING DOWN THE DOORS OF NIH. NOW, THERE WERE THOSE THAT WANTED TO OPEN JUST -- AND WE SHAMED THEM INTO IT. WE TOOK TO THE FLOOR, TOM HARKIN, BARB MIKULSKI, WE WERE LIKE A FLYING SQUAD. IF THE RAVENS DEFENSE HAD BEEN AS GOOD AS TOM AND I, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE SUPERBOWL. THEN THEY SAID WE'LL FUND HIPPOBUT NOTHING ELSE. THAT WAS A TOUGH DECISION. BUZZ WE SAID WE NEED NIH, WE NEED FDA, WE NEED THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION. WE NEED TO HAVE A GOVERNMENT THAT PEOPLE CAN COUNT ON. SO THANKS TO THE STEADFASTNESS OF PRESIDENT OBAMA, AND ALL OUR HARD WORK, WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT. AND AS A RESULT BECAUSE OF REALLY WILLING TO STAIR DOWN THE SHUTDOWN CROWD, WE WERE ABLE THEN TO GET AN AGREEMENT TO GO FOR A BUDGET AND WITH SENATOR PATTY MURRAY AND OUR OWN CHRIS VAN HOLLEN FROM MONTGOMERY COUNTYING LED THE WHICH WITH PAUL RYAN AND WE GOT A FEDERAL BUDGET. WHAT DID THAT MEAN? THANKS TO SENATOR MURRAY, WE HAVE NOW CANCELED SEQUESTER FOR TWO YEARS. THERE WILL BE NO SEQUESTER IN FISCAL 14 AND THERE WILL BE NO SEQUESTER IN FISCAL 15. WE JUST WON'T DO IT. AND THEN WITH ALSO SENATOR MURRAY WAS ABLE TO DO WORKING WITH CHRIS AND PAUL RYAN. WE WERE ABLE TO COME UP WITH WHAT IS CALLED THE THREE OQA. THAT IS WHAT IS GIVEN, THE 3OQA OF THE BUDGET ACT. 302 OF THE BUDGET ACT GIVES TO THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE THE BLOCK GRANT TO SPEND ON DISCRETIONARY SPENDING. IT'S CALLED THE TOP LINE. THERE WAS A BIG DIFFERENCE BECAUSE WE HAD A DIFFERENT TOP LINE THAN THE HOUSE. A $90 BILLION DIFFERENCE. AND THE $90 BILLION DIFFERENCE CAME BECAUSE OF LABOR HHS WHERE WE ADDED $50 BILLION DIFFERENCE THAN THE HOUSE. SO WHEN I STARTED MY NEGOTIATIONS FOR THIS YEAR, THE HOUSE WAS AT 2003 LEVELS. 2003 LEVELS. WE SAID HELL NO, THAT'S GOT TO GO. THERE WE WERE WORKING THROUGH HOLIDAYS BUT WE WERE HAPPY TO BECAUSE THE REAL PRESENT IS WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AN APPROPRIATIONS THEY COULD COUNT ON. I MUST SAY IN IS SENATE I HAD THE FULL COOPERATION OF SENATOR RICHARD SHELBY OF ALABAMA, MY RUB DAN VICE CHAIR, WE WORKED IN A WAY WITH THE HOUSE, ROGERS AND CONGRESSWOMAN (INDISCERNIBLE) AND WE HAD A COUPLE OF RULES. ONE, WE FUNCTION WITH CIVILITY. NUMBER 2, WE WOULDN'T NEGOTIATE THROUGH THE PRESS, WE WOULD NEGOTIATE DIRECTLY WITH ONE ANOTHER. STRAIGHT TALK. BOTTOM LINE. NO STUFF. IT TOOK A LOT OF WORK AND A LOT OF CONCENTRATION. WE WERE ABLE TO DO IT. AND WE PRODUCED THE BILL THAT HAS FUNDED NOW FISCAL 14 WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO INCREASE THE NIH BUDGET BY $1 BILLION. [APPLAUSE] BY $1 BILLION. THE PRESIDENT WANT PED ANOTHER BILLION. WE KNEW YOU WANTED ANOTHER BILLION. IT'S NOT ONLY WHAT UPPED, IT'S WHAT YOU ACTUALLY NEED. TO KIND OF DO THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, TO DO THE MISSION OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, AND ALL ITS INSTITUTES IN WHAT WE WANT TO DO. THAT IS WHERE WE'LL COME TO FISCAL 15. BUT FOR THIS YEAR WITH THE BILLION DOLLARS MORE, WE KNOW FIRST THERE WILL BE CERTAINTY, NO SEQUESTER. THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER CERTAINTY, THAT THERE WILL BE NO SHUTDOWN NO SHUTDOWN IN FISCAL 14. SO ON THIS CAMPUS AND IF THE EXTRAMURAL CAMPUSES AT RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE CERTAINTY IN THE BUDGET. AND FOR THE FEDERAL EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING THE BLUE COLLAR WORKERS, WE HAD A MODEST, A VERY MODEST, EVEN PARTANS BUTCOLA INCREASE OF 1%. I WANTED MORE BUT THE PEOPLE REALLY DESERVE MORE AND BETTER. THIS WILL MEAN A LOT. WE HAVE NOW INCLUDED MONEY FOR THE BRAIN INITIATIVE OVER AN EXTRA MONEY FOR PRESIDENT'S BRAIN INITIATIVE TO DO THE IMPORTANT WORK THAT ALZHEIMER'S AUTISM, PARKINSON'S, SCHIZOPHRENIA, ALL THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE. WE HAVE ALSO INCREASED THE FUNDING FOR SOMETHING NEAR AND DEAR TO ME WHICH IS THE NATIONAL, THE NIH OFFICE OF WOMEN'S HEALTH. IT WILL HAVE $41 MILLION FOR FISCAL 14. THEN BREAST CANCER RESEARCH IT WILL HAVE CLOSE TO $900 MILLION. THIS IS A LONG WAY FROM WHEN I FIRST MET WITH BERNADINE (INAUDIBLE) SO MANY YEARS AGO TO TALK ABOUT THIS NEW OFFICE THAT WE HOPE WOULD BE NEW HOPE AND NEW OPPORTUNITY. I THINK ABOUT BERNADINE HEELEY AND I THINK ABOUT TED KENNEDY, I THINK HOW WE WORKED ACROSS THE AISLE TO BE ABLE TO GET THE JOB DONE WHERE WE WORKED WITH THE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT AND THE DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS, WITH THE HEAD OF NIH AS PARTY WE DO NOT KNOW, NOR DOES IT MATTER. NOR DOES IT MATTER. WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT IS THE ROLE AND ISSUE, WE DON'T BELONG TO A POLITICAL PARTY, WE BELONG TO THE RED, WHITE AND BLUE PARTY, IT'S CALLED THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THE USA PARTY. THAT'S WHO WE ARE. WE NEED TO GO BEYOND POLITICS FOR WHAT WE DO. SO AS I LOOK AHEAD FOR FISCAL 15, THANKS TO WHAT SENATOR MURRAY AND PAUL RYAN DID, WE HAVE THAT TOP LINE. WE GET THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET IN JUST A FEW MORE WEEKS IN MARCH. WE INTEND TO MOVE VERY QUICKLY IN TERMS OF OUR APPROPRIATIONS, IT WILL BE OUR GOAL FOR THIS YEAR, NOT ONLY WILL WE NOT HAVE SEQUESTER BUT I WANT NO LAME DUCK SESSION AND I WANT NO SHUTDOWN ON OCTOBER 1st. AND YOU KNOW WHAT DEEP IN MY HEART I WANT TO DO, SENATOR TOM H HARKEN NOW SERVING HIS LAST YEAR IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE, I WANT HIM TO BE ON THE FLOOR OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE WITH THE BILL ONE BY ONE. SENATOR HARKEN HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO BRING UP THE LABOR HHS BILL SINCE 2007. CERTAINLY IN EIGHT YEARS WE CAN NOW FIND A WAY FOR HIM TO BRING TO THE FLOOR THE LABOR, HHS, EDUCATION BILL, NIH'S SENATE, LET'S OFFER AMENDMENTS AND FOR GOD SAKE, LET'S PASS IT. [APPLAUSE] >> SO FRIENDS, AS I LOOK AHEAD TO 2015, WE'RE ALREADY PLANNING OUR WORK, PLANNING OUR GOALS. I HAVE ALREADY GIVEN MY EARRINGS AWAY, BUT I WILL TELL YOU I'LL WORK OFF THESE EXTRA CALORIES, I WILL BURN THE MIDNIGHT OIL TO DO WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE SURE WE PRESERVE INNOVATION, OPPORTUNITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. AND WHERE WE WANT TO PROMOTE INNOVATION, WE WANT IT TO BE IN OUR FIELD PARTICULARLY IN LIFE SCIENCES, WHERE WE'RE GOING TO SAVE LIVES. WHERE WE'LL COME UP WITH NEW IDEAS EVEN TO SAVE THE PLANET. WHERE YOUNG PEOPLE IN OUR OWN COUNTRY CAN DREAM IF THEY WORK HARD TO GET THEIR MASTER, TO GET THEIR Ph.D., TO GET THEIR MD, THAT THEY WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET THEIR GRANTS FUNDED SO AT THE END OF THE DAY IT'S JUST NOT 10 OR 15% WHO GET THEIR GRANTS. FOR PEOPLE ALL OVER AMERICA WHO ARE STRUGGLING, THANKS TO THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ACCESS TO MEDICAL CARE, BUT WHEN I WALK INTO THEIR DOCTOR'S OFFICE WE WANT THOSE DOCTORS TO HAVE THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO HELP THOSE PEOPLE EITHER CONTAIN CHRONIC ILLNESS, DO WHAT THAT DREADED C WORD OR THE EPIDEMICS OF AUTISM AND ALZHEIMER'S THAT WE'RE FACING. THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO. YOU KNOW WHAT, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT US TO DO IT. EVERYWHERE THAT I TRAVEL IN MY OWN STATE AND THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH IS THE MOST WELL KNOWN AND THE MOST REVERED FEDERAL INSTITUTION IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. AND YOU ARE BELOVED BECAUSE THEY KNOW EVERY DAY IN EVERY WAY YOU WAKE UP NOT THINKING ABOUT YOU, YOU WAKE UP THINKING ABOUT WE THE PEOPLE. AND HOW WE CAN HELP THE PEOPLE BE ABLE TO HAVE OPPORTUNITY AND HOPE WHEN THEY FACE THESE MEDICAL SITUATIONS. SO I'M HERE TODAY TO LET YOU KNOW WHERE WE ARE, WHERE WE'RE GOING, THAT WE DO THINK ABOUT YOU. WE DO CARE ABOUT YOU AND WE DO WANT TO LET YOU BE YOU. GOVERNMENT GOD BLESS YOU, GOD BLESS AMERICA AND MAY THE FORCE CONTINUE TO BE WITH US. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU, DR. COLLINS. WE HAVE TIME FOR A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FROM CREDENTIALED MEMBERS OF THE PRESS, I SEE TWO OVER HERE. NOT THAT I KNOW YOU. SHOW YOUR CREDENTIALS. WE INVITED YOUNG REPORTERS HERE WITH US TODAY, KERRY YOUNG AND SKY YOUNG. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, SENATOR MIKULSKI, WHAT ARE YOU TELLING SENATOR REED FOR GETTING FLOOR TIME FOR LABOR BILLS PARTICULARLY LABOR? WHAT ARE YOU TELLING? HIM? I'M GOING TO TELL SENATOR REED I WILL BE TALKING TO HIM THIS WEEK AND MY SUGGESTION IS WE ON THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE HAVE OUR BILLS MARKED UP SHORTLY AFTER MEMORIAL DAY AND SHE SCHEDULED THEM IN A -- HE SHE DUALED THEM IN A WAY HE THINKS MOST EFFECTIVE TO GET DONE. >> THE ELECTION COMPLICATE THAT AT ALL? >> ELECTIONS ALWAYS COMPLICATE LEGISLATION. >> INDEED. >> DONNA. >> HI, DONNA (INAUDIBLE) MY QUESTION IS YOU WERE HERE TODAY YOU GOT TO SEE -- SPEAK WITH SOME OF THE SCIENTISTS, SEE THEIR WORK, LISTEN TO THEIR CONCERNS. DOES IT TAKE EVERY MEMBER OF THE CONGRESS COMING HERE ON THE CAMPUS LISTENING TO SOME OF THE RESEARCHERS? I WILL LIKE ON THE SHUTTLE BUS WITH ONE RESEARCHER WHO WAS TELLING ME THAT HIS LAB IS ON THE VERGE OF CLOSING BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF GRANTS OUT THERE. BECAUSE OF THE BUDGET CUTS THAT HAVE GONE ON. HE'S AT MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL. HE WAS AT A WORKSHOP HERE TODAY. SO THAT'S WHAT HE WAS SAYING, HE DOES PET IMAGING RESEARCH, HE SAYS IF BUDGET HAS BEEN SO TIGHT FOR THEM NOW THAT THEY'RE LOSING GRANTS, HIS LAB IS ALMOST CLOSED. >> HE'S GOT REALLY A VERY SIGNIFICANT POINT. REMEMBER, AGAIN ON A BIPARTISAN BASIS, THERE WAS AN EFFORT TO DOUBLE THE FUNDING AT NIH FROM THE MID '90s UNTIL 2003. AND THERE ARE THOSE WHO STILL THINK WE HAVE DONE THAT. SO IF I WERE THERE WITH SAY SENATOR SHELBY, WE SAID WE WANT TO DOUBLE NIH, PEOPLE WOULD SAY DID WE JUST DO THAT? AND THE ANSWER WAS, THAT WAS TEN YEARS AGO. THAT WAS TEN YEARS AGO. WHAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO FIND IS A SUSTAINABLE WAY TO INCREASE, I'M NOT PREPARED TO SAY THAT TODAY, WE'LL HAVE MORE TO SAY ABOUT THAT AS THE NEXT EIGHT WEEKS GO ON. I INTEND TO HOLD A ALL SUBCOMITTEE HEARING WITH THE STATE OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN OUR COUNTRY WHERE WE REALLY LISTEN TO WHERE WE ARE IN THE RESEARCH AND LIFE SCIENCE, ENERGY, AND OTHER FIELDS ON HOW WE CAN REALLY INCREASE IT WITH ACHIEVABLE GOALS. AND I'LL HAVE MORE TO SAY ABOUT THAT IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. >> THEY SHOULD COME HERE TO THE CAMPUS AND SEE FIRSTHAND, YOU THINK MAYBE THEY'RE SO DISCONNECTED BECAUSE THEY'RE THERE, HEARING ROOMS ON CAPITOL HILL AND NOT LIKE HERE ACTUALLY SEEING SOME OF THIS WORK, SEEING WHERE THOSE DOLLARS ARE GOING? >> I WOULD ENCOURAGE THEM TO LISTEN TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS, FIRST, THE PEOPLE WHO REALLY NEED HELP, WHO COME TO OUR OFFICE NOW, DURING THIS SPRING THING WHERE THE JUVENILE DIABETIC PEOPLE VISIT THE LUPUS PEOPLE VISIT, ET CETERA. LISTEN TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS AND THEY WOULD HEAR THE COMPELLING HUMAN NEED THAT PEOPLE ARE FACING IN FAMILIES. THE SECOND THING IS NOT ONLY BUT IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES BECAUSE NIH DOES BRILLIANT EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH AND ACADEMIC CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE AN MEDICAL CENTERS ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. SO GO TO YOUR MEDICAL SCHOOL AND SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO, ALSO LISTEN TO THEM ABOUT WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO DO, WHAT THEY FEEL THEY NEED TO DO, LIKE THE MASS GENERAL PERSON, BUT WHAT THEY NEED TO DO IS MONEY IN THE FEDERAL CHECKBOOK TO BE ABLE TO DO IT. I THINK WE NEED THE WILL AND I THINK WE CAN FIND THE WALLET. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SENATOR. [APPLAUSE] >> ARE YOU JUST HOLDING IT? HE LOOKED LIKE A CREDENTIALED MEDIA PERSON. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, EVERYBODY. UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN. [APPLAUSE]