Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 3361 - National Institutes of Health Reauthorizations Act of 1988

(House)
(Waxman (D) California)

The Administration opposes enactment of the Senate-passed version of H.R. 3361. Moreover, we understand Representative Waxman will be offering an amendment to H.R. 3361 in the nature of a substitute which the Administration finds totally unacceptable. The amendment makes substantial changes to the $7 billion programs of the National Institutes of Health.

An amendment of this magnitude should only be acted upon following appropriate consideration of the issues. The Waxman amendment was not subject to hearings, committee markup, or agency comment. The Waxman amendment contains controversial and objectionable provisions which would:

—    permit waivers to be granted allowing for certain fetal research to be funded;

—    prohibit the Biomedical Ethics Board from considering issues related to the use of fetal tissue in research or in any other biomedical application; and

—    establish a number of new, unnecessary, and unwarranted program authorities and requirements, such as a new construction authority and authorization for a new National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research, which would divert scarce resources away from research. In addition, the bill would create a new Office of Scientific Integrity which is premature in view of ongoing rulemaking on the broader subject of scientific misconduct.

If the bill is presented containing the Waxman amendment, the President's senior advisers would recommend its disapproval.