A spending bill that would increase the National Institutes of Health 2009 budget by $1.2 billion over President Bush's proposed NIH budget was sidelined by partisan wrangling in the full House Committee on Appropriations today (June 26).

"[Bush's] budget would result in 6,000 medical research scientists who will no longer be able to get their research funded," said Representative David Obey (D-WI), who is the chair of the Appropriations Committee, in his opening remarks. "I don't believe members of this committee on either side of the aisle want to see this happen."

The NIH budget increase is part of a larger Labor, Health and Education bill which would restore several cuts or boost slight increases to federal education, healthcare, and energy assistance programs. The bill would increase spending by $8.2 billion over last year's bill and by $8 billion over Bush's Labor, Health and Education budget request for FY 2009.

The snafu in committee occurred when ranking member Jerry Lewis (R-CA) proposed tabling the Labor, Health, and Education appropriations bill and instead considering the Interior appropriations bill, which addresses the issue of skyrocketing energy prices by "offering relief at the pump." In urging the committee to defeat the amendment, Obey said, "It's stunts like this that make people hate Washington."

The bill must go through a final markup in the Appropriations Committee before heading to the House floor for a vote.

The committee adjourned after Lewis proposed the amendment and has not yet scheduled a time to reconsider the bill. "Mr. Obey does not put up with nonsense," an Appropriations Committee spokesperson said, when asked why the session had been adjourned.

A bill that would increase the FDA budget by $2.1 billion in the coming fiscal year faired better earlier this week when it was passed by the House Agriculture Subcommittee.