Call your Congress Critter: Join the bipartisan effort to add $1B to the NIH budget

From Research!America we find link to a letter from Reps Markey (D; MA) and Bilbray (R; CA) who ask their colleagues for support in an effort to increase NIH funding. It reads.

We urge you to join the following bipartisan letter supporting the proposed level of funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the FY 2012 Labor-HHS appropriations bill.
The $31.75 billion proposed for NIH (a $1 billion increase from FY 2011) is vital to sustaining NIH’s mission of improving health through medical science breakthroughs and maintaining international leadership in science and biomedical research.
By supporting bright and talented researchers, NIH ensures that the next medical breakthrough will be discovered in American rather than imported from China or India. Today, NIH funding supports more than 350,000 high-paying research positions at over 3,000 universities and research institutions across the country. Another 6,000 scientists work in NIH’s own laboratories.
The letter also urges the Appropriations Committee not to fund NIH at the expense of other programs that improve the health of Americans and supplement the work of the NIH, such as CDC or other medical research and surveillance programs.
We urge you to join this letter and support promising scientific research projects, high-paying jobs, and the hopes of finding cures for devastating diseases that impact millions.
Sincerely,
Edward J. Markey Brian Bilbray
Member of Congress Member of Congress

Indeed. Please go to the Congressional directory, find your CongressCritter, click to his/her page and find the “submit email” button. Use their Web form, not capwiz or your own email. Write a note expressing why NIH funded science is important to you, your community, your Congressional district and our country.

If you need some talking points, go on over to RePORTER and do a search gated by your Congressional District. Say something specific about the amount of funding, the awesomeness of your research University or Institute, the types of projects, etc. Take note of your Critter’s pet interests that may intersect with NIH funded science, be they health, the military, children or whatever. Point out the connection between your interest and theirs.

Thanks. All it takes is a few minutes of your time.

[h/t: Isis]