Tony's Diary Package — page 954

The House and Senate Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittees included report language in the FY 2021 that directed NIAID to_divide evenly $40M among the twelve RBLs to support specific research activities, operations and facilities upgrades, and training new BSL-3 researchers. This language was included despite NIAID technical assistance regarding the challenges of this directive. In the FY 2022 appropriations bill, the House and Senate Labor-HHS Subcommittees included report language that that directed NIAID to divide evenly $52M among the twelve RBLs to support specific research activities, operations and facilities upgrades, and training new BSL-3 researchers. Again, this language was included despite NIAID technical assistance regarding its challenges. NIAID has reviewed draft report language that indicates that the Subcommittees intend to include a similar directive in FY2023. NIAID staff met with House and Senate Subcommittee staff (majority and minority) on June 14, 2022, to provide an update on the distribution of the $52M for FY2022 as well as to discuss the draft report language for FY2023. NIAID expressed a number of concerns with the continued directive to evenly divide such a large amount of funding in a way that limits competition and does Pp ° National Institute of N I IH Allergy and Infectious Diseases NIAID Director Fauci Tests Positive for COVID-19 June 15, 2022 STATEMENT Today, Anthony 3. Fauci, M.D., director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, and Chief Medical Advisor to President Biden, tested positive for COVID-19 on a rapid antigen test. He is Tully vaccinated and has been boosted twice. He is currently experiencing mild symptoms. Dr. Fauci will isolate and continue to work from his home. He has not recently been in close contact with President Biden or other senior government officials. Dr. Fauci will follow the COVID-19 guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and medical advice from his physician and return to the NIH when he tests negative. NIAID conducts and supportsresearch--at NIH, throughoutthe United States, and worldwide--to study the causes of infectious and immunemediated diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. Newsreleases, fact sheets and other NIAIDrelated materials are available on the NIAID website. About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers andis a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational meéedicalresearch, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and curesfor both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit wwrw.nih.qov. not support the best science. Despite these concerns, the Subcommittee staff indicated that this directed funding would be likely to continue in FY2023and for the foreseeable future June 15, 2022