Washington, DC – The House Appropriations Committee today released the draft fiscal year 2016 Labor, Health and Human Services (LHHS) funding bill, which contains a $300 million increase for Alzheimer’s disease research, $1.1 billion above the fiscal year 2015 enacted level for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and a more than 25% increase for the National Institute on Aging (which funds the majority of the Alzheimer's disease research at NIH).

Below is a statement from George Vradenburg, founder and co-chair of USAgainstAlzheimer’s.

“We strongly applaud today’s action by the House Appropriations.  The call for an additional $300 million is a meaningful increase in Alzheimer’s research funding and demonstrates a real commitment to addressing this horrific disease.

“While this is just the first step in a long Appropriations process, it is significant and sets an important maker. We call on all Members of Congress to follow the Appropriations Committee’s lead and will work closely with them as the process unfolds.

“The additional funding is an important step toward the rapid ramp up to $2 billion a year in research funding for NIH that Alzheimer’s researchers and the NAPA Advisory Council have said is necessary to meet our national goal of stopping Alzheimer’s disease.”

The bill is expected to be considered in the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee tomorrow, followed by full Committee consideration.

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USAgainstAlzheimer’s is an innovative and relentless advocacy organization demanding a transformative solution to Alzheimer's.  Driven by the suffering of millions of families, USAgainstAlzheimer’s presses for greater urgency from government, industry and the scientific community in the quest for an Alzheimer's cure – accomplishing this through effective leadership, collaboration, advocacy, and strategic investments.  We are committed to ending Alzheimer’s by: accelerating the means of prevention and treatments; increasing the resources committed to stopping Alzheimer’s; and delivering dramatic improvements in the systems to support those living with Alzheimer's and their care partners, while continuing our fight for a cure.