As a brother and an uncle to two people with autism, and as your constituent
and a member of the Society for Neuroscience, I urge you to maintain funding
for the National Institutes of Health. I understand that Congress may address
the unfinished FY 2007 appropriations bills with a year-long Continuing
Resolution (CR). Further, the CR would eliminate earmarks that were included in
the House and Senate-passed versions of the bills, freeing additional money to
be redirected to programs and agencies.

Should Congress pass such a CR, I urge you to include an additional $7 billion,
above the President's FY 2007 budget request, for the National Institutes of
Health. This is the amount that the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on
Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (L-HHS) approved, which is $2
billion above the FY 2006 funding level for NIH.

Research efforts aim to improve diagnosis, treatment, and cures for the
millions of people afflicted with neurological and psychiatric disorders such
as autism, from which my brother and my niece both suffer and which my
laboratory studies. Decreased funding for NIH would hinder scientific progress
toward finding answers to the world's public health problems.

I urge you to request that the year-long CR reflect the Senate L-HHS passed
level, which would include an additional $2 billion for NIH. Thank you for your
consideration.