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The NIH needs money, and now, everyone can pitch in. If legislation proposed August 3 passes Congress, you will be able to buy a US Treasury bond and send 10% of the interest to the NIH institute of your choice.

It may not seem like much, but US Rep. Steve Pearce (R-New Mexico) -- who co-sponsored the bill along with Emanuel Cleaver (D-Missouri) and Dan Burton (R-Illinois) -- noted that in fiscal year 2006, the Treasury Department redeemed $7.9 billion in interest on bonds. If 20% of those bonds had been "Healthy Bonds," as Pearce calls them, the NIH would have pocketed an extra $158 million.

That's about 1/200th of the current NIH budget, but some scientists probably will take whatever they can get. The Association of American Medical Colleges endorsed the bill, the "Americans Saving Through Health Research Bonds Act of 2007"(H.R. 3434 ) on August 7. The bill has been referred to the House Ways and Means Committee for review. Jessica Carter, a spokesperson for Pearce, says that if it's passed, the Congressman hopes to use other lobbying groups to get the word out.