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Washington Roundup January 24, 2003 |
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Contact: Jenny Collier and Alexa Eggleston Legal Action Center 202-544-5478 |
Dr. Nora D. Volkow Named New Director of NIH's
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
National Institutes of Health Director Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., this week
announced the appointment of Nora D. Volkow, M.D., as the new director of
the NIH's National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Dr. Volkow is currently
Associate Director for Life Sciences at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL),
Director of Nuclear Medicine at BNL, and Director of the NIDA-DOE Regional
Neuroimaging Center at BNL. She is also Professor at the Department of Psychiatry,
SUNY-Stony Brook, and Associate Dean for the Medical School at SUNY-Stony
Brook. Dr. Volkow replaces Glen R. Hanson, D.D.S., Ph.D., who has served as
Acting Director of NIDA since December, 2001.
Dr. Volkow is known for her work on the brain's dopamine system. Her research
focuses on the investigation of the mechanisms underlying the reinforcing,
addictive and toxic properties of drugs of abuse in the human brain. As a
scientist, she has been supported by grants from NIDA, the National Institute
on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the Department of Energy. Dr. Volkow's
work includes more than 275 peer-reviewed publications, three edited books
and more than 50 book chapters and non-peer reviewed manuscripts. A recipient
of multiple awards, she was elected to membership in the Institute of Medicine
in the National Academy of Sciences and was named "Innovator of the Year"
in 2000 by U.S. News and World Report.
Dr. Volkow received her B.A. from Modern American School, Mexico City, Mexico, her M.D. from the National University of Mexico, Mexico City, and Postdoctoral training in Psychiatry at New York University.
Senate Concludes Consideration of FY 2003 Omnibus Appropriations
Bill:
While Alcohol and Drug Education, Treatment and Research Programs Would Receive
Increases,
a 2.9% Across-the-Board Cut Would Hurt All Programs
This week, the full Senate concluded its consideration of an FY 2003 omnibus appropriations bill, which incorporates all 11 of the 13 appropriations bills that remain unfinished for fiscal year 2003. While final information is still not available, early reports have indicated that discretionary programs would sustain a 2.9% across-the-board cut. This cut would affect the final Senate FY 2003 funding levels that would go into the conference (negotiation process) with the House of Representatives. Additionally, Senate staff have reported a $15 million cut below FY 2002 funding for the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. However, the Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities program, which funds a significant number of community-based prevention programs nationwide, did receive a $10 million increase over FY 2002 funding in the State Grants portion of the program.
Treatment programs also received increases, with an $18 million increase over FY 2002 funding for the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment and a $60 million increase for the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant. However, it is unclear at this time whether the block grant increase would be available for direct services or available only for a new evaluation program. The National Institutes on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and Drug Abuse received a $34 million increase and an $80 million increase over FY 2002 funding, respectively.
Conference Committee action to establish final FY 2003 funding
levels could begin after President Bush's State of the Union Address on Tuesday,
January 28th. The current resolution providing funding for government programs
is due to expire on January 31st.
Senate Committee Appointments Determined for the 108th Congress
Senate committee membership for the 108th Congress has been determined by
Republican and Democratic leadership. The House of Representatives will be
finalizing its Committees when it returns on Monday, January 27th. The Senate
Committees, which make decisions key to the drug and alcohol prevention, treatment
and research fields, include the Committees on Appropriations; Governmental
Affairs; Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP); Finance; and Judiciary.
COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
The appropriations committee is the committee that allocates federal funds
to numerous government agencies, departments, and organizations, including
those that fund drug and alcohol prevention, education, treatment, and research.
| Republicans *Chairman Stevens, Ted (AK) Cochran, Thad (MS) Specter, Arlen (PA) Domenici, Pete (NM) Bond, Christopher "Kit" (MO) McConnell, Mitch (KY) DeWine, Mike (OH) |
Burns, Conrad (MT) Shelby, Richard C. (AL) Gregg, Judd (NH) Bennett, Robert (UT) Campbell, Ben Nighthorse (CO) Craig, Larry E. (ID) Hutchison, Kay Bailey (TX) Brownback, Sam (KS) |
Democrats *Ranking Member Byrd, Robert C. (WV) Inouye, Daniel K. (HI) Hollings, Ernest (SC) Leahy, Patrick J. (VT) Harkin, Tom (IA) Mikulski, Barbara (MD) |
Reid, Harry (NV) Kohl, Herbert (WI) Murray, Patty (WA) Dorgan, Byron L. (ND) Feinstein, Dianne (CA) Durbin, Richard J. (IL) Johnson, Tim (SD) Landrieu, Mary (LA) |
COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
The committee on governmental affairs oversees the operations and organization
of government.
| Republicans *Chairman Collins, Susan M. (ME) Stevens, Ted (AK) Voinovich, George (OH) Coleman, Norm (MN) |
Specter, Arlen (PA) Akaka, Daniel K. (HI) Durbin, Richard J. (IL) Dayton, Mark (MN) Lautenberg, Frank (NJ) |
Democrats Bennett, Robert (UT) Fitzgerald, Peter (IL) Sununu, John (NH) Shelby, Richard (AL) |
*Ranking Member Lieberman, Joseph (CT) Levin, Carl (MI) Pryor, Mark (AR) Carper, Thomas. (DE) |
COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR AND PENSIONS
The Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee deals with issues
related to education, labor, public health, and public welfare. It has responsibility
for reauthorizing the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA).
| Republicans *Chairman Gregg, Judd (NH) Alexander, Lamar (TN) Bond, Christopher S. "Kit" (MO) Frist, Bill (TN) Enzi, Michael B. (WY) |
DeWine, Mike (OH) Independent |
Democrats *Ranking Member Kennedy, Edward (MA) Dodd, Christopher (CT) Harkin, Tom (IA) Mikulski, Barbara (MD) Bingaman, Jeff (NM) |
Murray, Patty (WA) Reed, Jack (RI) Edwards, John R. (NC) Clinton, Hillary Rodham (NY) |
COMMITTEE ON FINANCE
The Finance Committee is the committee with jurisdiction over issues related
to Medicaid and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)/Welfare Reauthorization.
| Republicans *Chairman Grassley, Charles (IA) Hatch, Orrin (UT) Nickles, Don (OK) Lott, Trent (MS) Snowe, Olympia (ME) Kyl, Jon L. (AZ) |
Thomas, Craig (WY) Independent |
Democrats *Ranking Member Baucus, Max (MT) Rockefeller, John IV (WV) Daschle, Thomas (SD) Breaux, John B. (LA) |
Conrad, Kent (ND) Graham, Bob (FL) Bingaman, Jeff (NM) Kerry, John F. (MA) Lincoln, Blanche (AR) |
COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY
The Committee on the Judiciary has jurisdiction over issues relating to criminal
justice legislation.
| Republicans *Chairman Hatch, Orrin G. (UT) Grassley, Charles (IA) Kohl, Herbert H. (WI) |
Democrats Specter, Arlen (PA) Kyl, Jon L. (AZ) DeWine, Mike (OH) Sessions, Jeff (AL) Graham, Lindsey (SC) |
Chambliss, Saxby (GA) Cornyn, John (TX) *Ranking Member Leahy, Patrick (VT) Kennedy, Edward (MA) Biden, Joseph Jr. (DE) |
Craig, Larry E. (ID) Feinstein, Dianne (CA) Feingold, Russ (WI) Schumer, Charles (NY) Durbin, Richard J. (IL) Edwards, John R. (NC) |