Dr. Bucshon votes to fund life-saving research, open parks as Senate continues to stall

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220px-Larry_Bucshon,_official_portrait,_112th_Congress(Washington, D.C.) – On Wednesday, the House passed separate funding bills that continue funding the vital life-saving research done at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and open our national parks and museums.  The bills are awaiting Senate approval and the President’s signature.

Rep. Bucshon released the following statement:

“While the Senate Democrats and President refuse to negotiate with House Republicans and force a government shutdown, we are working to protect the American people by passing legislation that should find common ground among everyone,” said Bucshon. “Tonight, we passed bipartisan legislation to mandate that life-saving research continue at NIH and we open our national parks and museums like the World War II memorial.  These are areas where we can all agree.  If the President can negotiate with dictators in Iran and Syria, he can surely meet Republicans at the table to end this shutdown.”

According to a CBS report, the NIH Director estimated that the agency would be forced to “…turn away about 200 patients, 30 of them children” each week if the Democrats continue to force a shutdown. Many of these patients have “exhausted other options.” (CBSNews; 10/1/2013)

Today, CNN reporter Dana Bash pressed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) on why the Senate refuses to consider H.J. Res. 73, the Research for Lifesaving Cures Act, by asking, “If you can help one child who has cancer, why wouldn’t you do it?” Senator Reid shockingly responded by saying, “Why would we want to do that?” Watch the full exchange here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0lFyFJeZSY.

The NIH is the primary hub for federal health research and provides tens of billions of dollars in grants to tens of thousands of scientists in thousands of research institutions.  To read the CRS breakdown of NIH functions, click here.

BACKGROUND:

Bucshon sent a letter to the Chief Administrative Officer of the House requesting that his pay be withheld until an agreement is reached is the government is opened. Read the letter here.

Full text of each bill can be found by clicking on these hyperlinks: H.J.Res 73 – Research for Lifesaving Cures Act and H.J. Res. 70 – Open Our Nation’s Parks and Museums Act.

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6 COMMENTS

  1. The way to end the govt. shutdown is for Speaker John Boehner to put the Senate’s clean continuing resolution on the floor and let the House vote. It will pass! Then go to conference, and work out the details.

    Believe me, liberals and conservatives alike know there are various provisions of Obamacare that need revision. But that is an issue that should be kept separate from the Congress’s constitutional duty to pass a budget.

    And heaven forbid the majority of moderate Republicans and Democrats cave into a radical faction’s putting a gun to the head of the Congress and the Government of All the People. That would only lead to more of the same in 2 weeks when raising the debt ceiling comes to a vote.

    Right now, with 800,000 federal workers (500,000 of them veterans) furloughed, programs shut down, checks delayed, contractors idled, etc., the U.S. economy is losing $300,000,000 a day! That means that by Friday noon, we’ve lost a billion bucks.

    That’s just a drop in the bucket to what we will lose if the radicals force default on our debt October 16th.

    Speaker Boehner: Stop the Farce! Call the Vote!

  2. Bucshon wants á la carte government funding. He wants to fund only the things he favors regardless of the wishes of the majority. He is nothing more than another Republican running scared from the radicals, trying to avoid a primary challenge. He should be replaced at the next election, he has not represented the 8th District. He is afraid of the Cantor/Cruz mob.

    Boehner cannot call for a vote on the Senate passed budget. It would cost him further embarrassment, if that is possible, and his weakership.

  3. thank you dr……..the house has the purse strings because they are closest to the people………keep representing the people who voted you in…….good job……

  6. Rep.Bucshon, continues to do to our District what he has become known for, these short alleged “news” releases, supplied to him by persons unknown and designed to churn his small base and mislead his constituents. Seems he has his head in the sand, repeating only his talking points over and over and assuming readers will believe them and not blame the Republican Gang of Thugs. The Capitol Police, the men and women protecting his safety and his life are not getting a paycheck. Enough harm has been done to this Nation, vote and pass a clean CR and actually start to work!

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