DeLauro on Selection of Varmus to lead National Cancer Institute

Washington, DC— Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) released the following statement today in reaction to President Obama's expected selection of Dr. Harold E. Varmus as the new director of the National Cancer Institute.

Currently serving as the president of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, Dr. Varmus is also a Nobel Prize-winning biologist and former director of the National Institutes of Health.

"Dr. Varmus will bring his extensive experience in all aspects of medicine, from clinical and research expertise to leadership and development skills, to one of our nation's top health posts at the National Cancer Institute. I had the privilege of working with him to double National Institutes of Health's budget in the late 1990s. I am confident that Dr. Varmus will lead us into the future of medicine, and look forward to working with him in implementing the new health care reforms and bettering the health of our nation."