Senator Murray Votes to Confirm Monica Bertagnolli to be NIH Director, Speaks to Strong Qualifications on Senate Floor

Statement

"Mr. President, I have always advocated strongly for the NIH, because I know the work that they do at so many world class institutions--including several in Washington state--isn't just cutting edge, it's lifesaving.

This agency--NIH--holds the hope and future of patients across the country in its hands. So, it is of the utmost importance to me to make sure we have an experienced leader at the helm of NIH.

And Dr. Bertagnolli is an excellent choice to lead the agency at this critical moment--you need a steady hand to be a cancer surgeon, after all!

And her credentials go far beyond her record of accomplishment as an oncologist. She is a respected researcher, and a proven leader.

She has served on the board of directors of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Cancer Society, and the Prevent Cancer Foundation.

She was CEO of Alliance Foundation Trials LLC--a not-for-profit focused on making sure rural communities are included in clinical studies.

And of course, now she is the head of the National Cancer Institute, where she has led the research and strategy and goals for President Biden's Cancer Moonshot Initiative.

And in addition to that she brings to this role, she also brings a strong personal connection, which she spoke about at our HELP Committee hearing.

She brings the personal experience of growing up in a rural community where she watched her uncle travel across the state to provide care to patients, and watched her father fight cancer while care was far from home.

And she brings the most recent personal experience of receiving a cancer diagnosis, and then receiving care that was made possible by NIH research.

It's clear that those experiences will inform how she approaches her new role at NIH--and I know patients will be better for it.

And I also want to take a moment to recognize that, in the field of biomedical research, where women have long been severely underrepresented--both in clinical trials and in the workforce--

It will be truly meaningful to have such an accomplished woman serving in a role that has the real power to tackle issues like improving diversity in clinical trials, fighting sexual harassment that has pushed too many women out of the field, and tearing down other barriers to achievement and equal representation for women in medical research.

Mr. President, Dr. Bertagnolli is the right person to ensure the NIH stays on the cutting edge of innovation and research, and fulfills its critical mission to promote health, improve equity, keep our nation competitive, and give patients across the world real hope for the future.

She has the experience in medicine, research, and management for this role and, most importantly, she has a deep understanding of what the NIH's work means for families in this country, who are counting on medical breakthroughs.

I am proud to be voting "yes,' I urge my colleagues to do the same."

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