This week, SWHR President and CEO Kathryn G. Schubert, MPP, provided outside witness testimony on behalf of the Society for Women’s Health Research to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies regarding Fiscal Year 2021 (FY2021) appropriations.
In her testimony, Schubert called for $44.7 billion in funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including proportional increases to fund the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH). Schubert’s testimony supported at least $8.3 billion in funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); $8.8 billion for HRSA, including at least $715 million for the Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Services Block Grant; and $471 million for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Finally, Schubert encouraged sustained, broad support for the department of Health and Human Services and programs relevant to women’s health and women’s health research.
Schubert used her testimony to highlight NIH and NICHD programs of specific relevance to women’s health, including studies on maternal mortality and pregnancy, as well as NICHD’s recently launched study analyzing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on pregnancy and delivery nationwide. She also praised efforts of the Task Force on Research Specific to Pregnant Women and Lactating Women (PRGLAC) in ensuring pregnant and lactating women are included in clinical trials. In considering issues related to the ongoing global pandemic, Schubert emphasized the need for strong appropriations for the CDC in enhancing COVID-19 monitoring capabilities to better capture important factors including sex and gender.
Read Testimony
