Statement by the Press Secretary: President Bush Signs the National Institutes of Health Reform Act of 2006

On Monday, January 15, 2007, the President signed into law:

H.R. 6164, the "National Institutes of Health Reform Act of 2006," which authorizes appropriations for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through FY 2009; authorizes the restructuring of offices within NIH's Institutes and Centers under certain conditions; creates a "Common Fund" to promote trans-NIH research; and redistributes funds for the State Children's Health Insurance Program(SCHIP) that were unspent in FY 2004 and FY 2005 to alleviate anticipated SCHIP funding shortages.