By Eileen Buckley
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wbfo/local-wbfo-952935.mp3
Buffalo, NY – Western New York Congressman Brian Higgins spoke on the House floor Wednesday night blasting a bill that he says puts big oil executives before cancer patients.
Higgins is working to restore funding in proposed cuts that divert funding from National Institutes of Health to oil and gas companies.
Congressman Higgins said instead of fighting cancer, the bill "declares a war on cancer research."
Higgins told House members it would hit the Western New York region hard.
Higgins is cosponsoring an amendment to restore $1.6 billion in cuts to the National Institutes of Health. The amendment, introduced by Rep. Ed Markey and co-sponsored by Higgins, pays for the NIH programs by ending $40 billion in subsidies to gas and oil companies. But House Republican leadership refused to let the amendment be considered on the House floor.
"This is nonsensical budgeting," said Congressman Higgins, a member of the House Cancer Caucus.
"This bill takes from researchers on the verge of promising discovery and cancer patients so deserving recovery and instead gives valuable taxpayer dollars to big oil already recording hundreds of billions in annual revenue. It offensive to the hardworking people of Western New York and the entire nation and this amendment attempts to set our priorities straight," said Higgins.
You can click the above audio to hear Higgins on the House floor.