Rep. Watson Coleman Condemns Trump Administration Attempts to Hijack N.I.H. Research Grants
Yesterday, the New York Times reported that White House officials were attempting to make massive cuts to research grants at the National Institutes of Health, conflicting with months of denials from NIH officials. Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), who sits on the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education subcommittee, released the following statement:
Today, we learned that the White House is trying to cancel funding that "does not conform to Trump's political agenda."
Over the last year and a half, the NIH director and his sub-directors have assured my colleagues and me that politics would be kept out of decisions for health research that saves millions of lives in the United States.
Last June, I introduced legislation to insulate vital NIH research grants from Trump's political attacks.
As recently as this past Tuesday, NIH Institute directors told members of the Appropriations Committee that grant funding was still on track. Yet today, we get the news that President Trump and OMB Director Vought are moving to cut funding that doesn’t align with their extreme ideology.
Funding decisions are supposed to be made by experts based on scientific merit and the likelihood of outcomes that could save lives and reduce suffering.
The Trump Administration's public health record has been an abysmal failure. Instead of correcting course, they're doubling down and playing political games with the lives of the American people. Congress MUST reassert its authority over the budget and ensure the government works for the American people regardless of partisan politics.