CONTENTS Page Adams, James, chairman, executive committee, American Cancer Connor, Dr. Charles A. R., medical director, American Heart Associa- Ewing, Oscar R., administrator, Federal Security Agency- Harrison, Dr. Tinsley, representing American Heart Association__ Jones, Dr. T. Duckett, representing American Heart Association__. Keefe, Hon. Frank B., a Representative in Congress from the State of Lasker, Mrs. Albert D., vice president and secretary, Albert and Mary Rusk, Dr. Howard A., assistant editor, New York Times_. Rutstein, Dr. David D., representing American Heart Association_ Scheele, Dr. Leonard, Surgeon General of the United States___ Smathers, George A., a Representative in Congress from State of Willkie, Mrs. Wendell, New York, N. Y. Briefs, reports, statements, etc., submitted for the record by- Requirements for a National Heart Institute, tabulation_ American Medical Association, statement submitted on behalf of, by American Osteopathic Association, statement submitted by Dr. Ches- HEART DISEASES WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 1948 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE, Washington, D. C. The committee met at 10 a. m., in room 1334, New House Office Building, pursuant to call, Hon. Charles A. Wolverton (chairman) presiding. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will come to order. The committee has under consideration today several bills relating to the establishment of research for the study of diseases of the heart: H. R. 3059 is introduced by Arthur G. Klein, a Member of Congress; H. R. 3464 was introduced by T. Millet Hand; H. R. 3762 was introduced by Jacob K. Javits; H. R. 5087 was introduced by Frank B. Keefe; and H. R. 5159 was introduced by George A. Smathers. (The bills are as follows:) [H. R. 3059, 80th Cong., 1st sess.] A BILL To authorize and request the President to undertake to mobilize at some convenient place or places in the United States an adequate number of the world's outstanding experts and coordinate and utilize their services in a supreme endeavor to discover new means of treating, curing, and preventing diseases of the heart and arteries. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President is hereby authorized and requested to undertake, in whatever manner he may deem most appropriate, to mobilize at some convenient place or places in the United States an adequate number of the world's outstanding experts, and coordinate and utilize their services through the Surgeon General of the United States or through an independent group appointed by him, and build needed clinical and laboratory research facilities, in a supreme endeavor to discover means of preventing, treating, and curing diseases of the heart and arteries, which now kill five hundred and eight-seven thousand three hundred and fourteen people a year in the United States and cause disability to seven million eight hundred and forty thousand more; and to take any additional action that he may consider necessary or proper to achieve the desire result. The sum of $100,000,000 is hereby authorized to be appropriated, to remain available until spent, to enable the President to carry out the provisions of this Act. [H. R. 3464, 80th Cong., 1st sess.] A BILL To provide for the mobilization of the scientific resources and knowledge of the United States for the purpose of seeking the causes and cure of cancer, heart disease, infantile paralysis, and other diseases of mankind Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That to secure the full development and use of the Nation's resources for the national health and welfare, there is hereby established and independent agency to be known as the Medical Research Agency. SEC. 2. The Agency is authorized and directed to initiate, conduct, and support 1 scientific research with respect to the cause and cure of cancer, rheumatic fever, Bright's disease, diabetes, diseases of the heart and circulation, and other major diseases of mankind, and to investigate the cause and spread of contagious or infectious diseases, including malaria, and to make recommendations with respect thereto. SEC. 3. The powers and duties of the Agency shall be exercised by a governing board (hereinafter called the "Board") of five to be nominated by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate, and the President shall fix their terms of office, not to exceed five years. One of the members so appointed shall be the Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service, and the members of the Board shall serve without compensation, but shall be allowed actual and necessary traveling expenses, and the expenses of subsistence when engaged, away from home, in the duties of their offices. SEC. 4. (a) The Board shall appoint, and prescribe the term, powers, and duties of a Director of the Agency who shall be the principal executive officer of the Agency. The Director may appoint two Deputy Directors. The Director shall receive compensation at the rate of $18,000 per annum, and the Deputy Directors shall receive compensation at the rate of $12,000 per annum. (b) The Board shall, except as herein otherwise provided, determine the organization of the Agency and employ and establish such offices and scientific personnel it deems expedient. The Board may assign to persons, officers, and committees within the Agency such powers and duties as it may deem expedient. SEC. 5. The Agency is empowered to do all things necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act, and without being limited hereby, the Agency is specifically authorized (a) to prescribe such rules and regulations as it deems necessary governing the manner of its operations and its organization and personnel; (b) to enter into contracts to facilitate the performance of its functions; (c) to acquire by purchase or gift, hold, and dispose of a suitable building for administration of this Act, and for scientific investigation, together with needed equipment therefor; (d) to receive and use funds donated by others: Provided, That such funds are donated without restriction; (e) to publish medical scientific and technical information; (f) to accept and utilize the services of voluntary personnel, and to pay the actual and necessary traveling and subsistence expenses of such personnel incurred in the course of such services. SEC. 6. To enable the Agency to organize, and to commence to carry out its powers and duties, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated the sum of $5,000,000. Appropriations shall be made annually in amounts authorized by the Congress. SEC. 7. An annual report shall be made to the President and the Congress at the end of each year. [H. R. 3762, 80th Cong., 1st sess.] A BILL To provide for research relating to diseases of the heart and circulation and to aid in the development of more effective methods of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of such diseases, and for other purposes Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the "National Heart Disease Act." PURPOSE SEC. 2. For the purpose of improving the health of the people of the United States through the conduct of researches, investigations, experiments, and demonstrations relating to the cause, prevention, and methods of diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the heart and circulation (hereafter in this Act referred to as "heart diseases); assisting and fostering such researches and activities by public and private agencies, and promoting the coordinaation of all such researches and activities and the useful application of their results; training personnel in matters relating to heart diseases; and developing, and assisting States in the use of, the most effective methods of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart diseases; there is hereby established in the Public Health Service (hereafter in this Act referred to as the "Service"), a division of the National Insti tute of Health to be known as the National Heart Disease Institute (hereafter in this Act referred to as the "Institute"). SEC. 3. In carrying out the purposes of this Act, the Surgeon General of the Service (hereafter in this Act referred to as the "Surgeon General") is authorized, through the Institute, to— (a) conduct, assist, and foster researches, investigations, experiments, and demonstrations relating to the cause, prevention, and methods of diagnosis and treatment of heart diseases; (b) promote the coordination of researches conducted by the Institute, and similar researches conducted by other agencies, organizations, and individuals; (c) make available research facilities of the Service to appropriate public authorities, and to health officials and scientists engaged in special studies related to the purposes of this Act; (d) make grants-in-aid to universities, hospitals, laboratories, and other public or private institutions, and to individuals for such research projects as are recommended by the National Heart Disase Council (hereafter in this Act referred to as the "Council"), including grants to such institutions for the construction, acquisition, leasing, and equipment of hospital, clinic, laboratory, and related facilities necessary for such research; (e) collect and make available, through publications and other appropriate means, information as to, and the practical application of, research and other activities carried on pursuant to this Act; (f) secure from time to time, and for such periods as he deems advisable, the assistance and advice of persons from the United States or abroad who are experts in the field of heart diseases; (g) establish and maintain, from funds appropriated or donated for the purpose, fellowships in the Institute with such stipends and allowances (including travel and subsistence expenses) as he may deem necessary to procure the assistance of the most brilliant and promising research fellows from the United States and abroad; (h) (1) provide training and instruction in matters relating to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of heart diseases to persons found by him to have proper qualifications, and fix and pay to any of such persons as he may designate a per diem allowance during such training and instruction of not to exceed $10, the number of such persons receiving such training and instruction to be fixed by the Council; and (2) provide such training and instruction, and demonstrations, through grants, upon recommendation of the Council, to public and other nonprofit institutions, including grants to such institutions for the construction, acquisition, leasing, and equipment of hospital, clinic, laboratory, and related facilities necessary for such training and instruction; (i) for purposes of study, admit and treat at the Institute voluntary patients suffering from heart diseases, whether or not otherwise eligible for such treatment by the Service; (j) adopt, upon recommendation of the Council, such additional means as he deems necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of this Act. NATIONAL HEART DISEASE COUNCIL SEC. 4. (a) There is hereby created a National Heart Disease Council, to consist of the Surgeon General or his representative, the chief medical officer of the Veterans' Administration or his representative, the Surgeon General of the Army or his representative, the Surgeon General of the Navy or his representative, and twelve members appointed without regard to the civil-service laws by the Surgeon General with the approval of the Federal Security Administrator thereafter in this Act referred to as the "Administrator"). The twelve appointed members shall be outstanding persons who have had wide experience and have demonstrated competence in scientific matters, and six of such twelve shall be selected from leading medical or scientific authorities who are outstanding in the study, diagnosis, or treatment of heart diseases. (b) Each appointed member of the Council shall hold office for a term of six years, except that any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which his predecessor was appointed, shall be appointed for the remainder of such term, and except that, of the members first appointed, four shall hold office for a term of four years and four for a term of two years, as designated by the Surgeon General. None of such twelve members shall be eligible for reappointment until a year has elapsed since the end of his preceding term. Every two years the Council shall elect one member to act as Chairman for the succeeding two-year period. |