Congressman Peters Visits National Institutes of Health

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) visited the National Institutes of Health (NIH) headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland. He met with NIH director Dr. Francis Collins, was led on a tour of the National Human Genome Research Institute and the National Cancer Institute’s laboratories, and met with two young patients in the Undiagnosed Disease Program.

“It was my pleasure to visit the NIH,” Congressman Peters said. “Promoting scientific research must on our nation’s priority list if we are to be successful in the next generation. Now is not the time to be cutting the NIH budget or moving away from a federal investment in science – if anything we need to be expanding opportunities for American innovation here at home.

David Gollaher, President and CEO of the California Healthcare Institute (CHI) which is headquartered in La Jolla, CA, had the following statement regarding Rep. Peters’ tour of the NIH: “California’s life sciences industry is built on the foundation of our state’s universities and private research institutions, which depend on funding from the NIH. This funding of basic research has produced thousands of inventions, leading to the creation of thousands of companies in biotechnology, medical devices and diagnostics. They produce drugs and treatments that benefit patients around the world. And they also create high-wage jobs that contribute to California’s economy and America’s global competitiveness. We applaud Congressman Peters for working with his colleagues and NIH leaders to produce a clearer understanding of how discovery science improves human health and the health of our economy.”

This visit continues to demonstrate Congressman Peters’ strong commitment to investing in scientific research and NIH. He has sponsored several measures supporting NIH priorities. Further he has advocated against the harmful cuts from sequestration that are being felt across the country, including at NIH.

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