On June 27, the House approved the FY2003 defense appropriations bill (H.R. 5010), 413-18, three days after the House Appropriations Committee approved the bill by voice vote. H.R. 5010 would provide $354.7 billion for defense spending for FY2003. This funding level is a $33 billion increase over last year and $2.1 billion less than the President’s request.
Several women’s health research programs are funded under the bill: $150 million would be provided for the Department of Defense’s (DoD) peer-reviewed breast cancer research program, $10 million would be provided for ovarian research, and $1.5 million for bone health research. Both breast cancer research and ovarian research would be level funded from FY2002 allocations. Last year, Congress allocated $2.8 million for osteoporosis research.
H.R. 5010 also would provide $15 million for the DoD’s Comprehensive Breast Care Project and $10 million for Peer-Reviewed Breast Cancer Imaging Research. The House Appropriations Committee report accompanying the bill states that the funds would be used “to investigate and develop new imaging techniques aimed at early detection of breast cancer.”
In addition, funding for global HIV/AIDS prevention would be earmarked at $10 million. H.R. 5010 also would provide $9 million for HIV/AIDS research programs as well as $58 million for international humanitarian assistance. Last year, Congress allocated $14 million for HIV/AIDS prevention activities.
