mr. chairman , my amendment will prohibit the national institute of mental health from further funding two grants whose research falls outside the mission set by nimh . 
the amendment would not reduce overall research funding . 
rather , it would focus the funding toward serious mental health issues . 
according to nimh , its goal is to `` reduce the burden of mental illness and behavioral disorders '' and prevent `` disabling conditions that affect millions of americans. '' this is a noble goal . 
serious mental health diseases such as autism and alzheimers do affect the lives of many americans . 
and finding cures and treatments for these debilitating diseases is something we all hope for . 
this is why i was curious when i saw that two nimh grants have been going on for years that do not focus on our most pressing mental health issues . 
for nearly 15 years , more than $ 1.5 million has been awarded to study `` perceptual bases of visual concepts. '' according to nimh , this study trains pigeons to distinguish between natural and man made objects . 
now on its fifth year , a second study has spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to determine how the self-esteem of newlyweds affects their marriage . 
now , i am a fan of marriage . 
in fact , i have actively participated in one for 35 years . 
but what does this research contribute to the effort to find better treatment , or even a cure , for alzheimers or autism or schizophrenia ? 
whatever scientific merits these research projects may have , they are not directed at serious mental health disorders . 
sending millions of dollars to research that falls outside the mission of nimh is problematic enough . 
however , this problem is compounded when you look at the list of grants that have been rejected over the same time period . 
if you look at the list , you will find grant after grant which specifically targets serious mental health diseases , such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder . 
according to a 2003 study done by a group of mental health professionals and entitled , `` a federal failure in psychiatric research , '' only 1 out of every 17 , 2002 research grants is reasonably likely to improve the treatment and quality of life for individuals presently affected by serious mental health illness . 
some here today may feel hesitant about ending these grants . 
but , ladies and gentleman , as members of congress , we must become better stewards of taxpayer dollars . 
i urge my colleagues to support research on serious mental health issues by supporting the neugebauer amendment . 
