Cohen: Republicans Crying "Crocodile Tears" Over NIH Funding

[WASHINGTON, DC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today lambasted a politically-motivated effort by House Republicans to save face after forcing the federal government to shut down by selectively restoring partial funding to their favored agencies—including agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that they have historically ignored. Footage of the Congressman criticizing the House Republicans’ most recent effort on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives is available here.

“In 1954, I came down with polio—and it affects me to this day,” said Congressman Cohen. “It wasn’t until 6 months later that the polio vaccine was made available, and it might never have been without the National Institutes of Health.”

“Over the last 6 months, I have asked my Republican colleagues, I have spoken on this floor, I have written editorials—all to get this Congress to adequately fund the NIH so that it can find cures for diseases like cancer, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and AIDS. Not once have Republicans said that they will fund it at the level it should be. Not once.”

“But today, they are crying crocodile tears, they are playing politics. They aren’t trying to cure people, they aren’t trying to stop illness, they’re just trying to save face. I object to them using the NIH to score political points, it’s too important for that. I know that first-hand.”

Over the last year, Congressman Cohen has repeatedly called on House Republicans to save the NIH from the crippling effects of sequestration—but his calls have consistently fallen on deaf ears. In July, the Congressman even introduced the Research First Act to prevent and reverse the disastrous effects of sequestration cuts on critically important NIH research projects that could one day lead to cures for diseases that plague people around the globe. Even today, with House Republicans claiming that the government shutdown is harming the NIH, not a single one has signed on to co-sponsor the legislation.