Trump gives GOP senators heartburn with NIH spending cuts – Washington Examiner
The Trump administration’s proposed cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, which aims to reduce medical research grants by $4 billion, has raised concerns among GOP senators. This proposed funding cut notably threatens to impact universities and hospitals in Republican-led states, wiht Alabama projected to lose over $47.5 million in NIH support. Senator Katie Britt (R-AL) expressed her worries about the implications for research in her state, emphasizing the necessity of NIH funding in saving lives and the importance of a thoughtful approach to budget adjustments.
While a federal judge temporarily blocked these cuts, the injunction only applies to 22 states involved in a lawsuit, leaving Alabama unaffected. Various senators, including Susan Collins (R-ME) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA), have also raised concerns about the adverse effects the cuts could have on research capabilities, particularly in states with smaller university endowments.
The NIH’s strategy entails capping administrative costs for research grant funding,which could impact numerous biomedical research fields,including cancer and chronic disease studies. Some Senators have urged a reevaluation of this directive, aiming to ensure ongoing support for critical research while maintaining fiscal responsibility.
Trump gives GOP senators heartburn with NIH spending cuts
The Trump administration’s bid to slash $4 billion from medical research grants is giving GOP senators pause as universities and hospitals in red states stand to lose substantial federal aid.
Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL), whose state could lose more than $47.5 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health under the proposed cuts, questioned what it could mean for research at the University of Alabama.
A federal judge blocked the Trump policy on Monday, but the pause is temporary and only applies to the 22 states that filed a lawsuit. Alabama is not included in that list.
“We’re taking a look across the board at everything and making sure that we’re being efficient with taxpayer dollars,” Britt told reporters. “I also understand the importance of NIH and the research it does, and the work that is done that ultimately saves lives. I want to make sure that that important research can continue in an effective and efficient way.”
She previously urged a “smart, targeted approach” to changes in aid.
The episode adds another wrinkle in the battle to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom President Donald Trump tapped to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Britt said she plans to discuss the matter on Tuesday with Kennedy ahead of a confirmation vote later this week.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), who revealed her plans Monday to support Kennedy’s confirmation, spoke with him earlier that day about what she described as a “poorly conceived directive.”
The NIH order would cap the amount of administrative expenses for “indirect costs” like overhead that the agency covers to 15%, down from an average of nearly 28%. The move would save more than $4 billion annually, according to the NIH. The funding supports an array of biomedical research covering cancer and chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.
Collins said Kennedy “promised that as soon as he is confirmed, he will reexamine this initiative that was implemented prior to his confirmation.”
Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) expressed similar concerns. Murkowski has not said whether she will support Kennedy, while Cassidy plans to do so after the HHS nominee and vaccine skeptic made concessions to the former physician.
“I’ve spoken to folks from Louisiana who say that for universities which [do not have] super big endowments, it’ll be very difficult for them to conduct this research,” Cassidy said. “Of course, I want people in Louisiana to benefit from research dollars. [It’s] important to not only go to Massachusetts and California.”
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) extended more deference to the Trump administration in clamping down on “bogus” administrative costs.
“I think an audit and a review process is in order,” Cornyn told the Washington Examiner. “Institutions that are being good stewards of the money that they’ve been given for research are not going to have a problem.”
Texas is the third-largest receiver of NIH funding, behind California and New York, at almost $1.9 billion. It would stand to lose around $303 million, according to data from the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research.
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