Senators warn administration actions are jeopardizing NIH, FDA and U.S. biomedical research

The Senate Appropriations Committee convened a hearing on biomedical research where senators from both parties and leading scientists warned that recent administration actions and proposed budget cuts threaten the United States' leadership in biomedical research.

The hearing, chaired by Senator Collins and led in opening by Vice Chair Senator Patty Murray, focused on “Biomedical Research: Keeping America’s Edge in Innovation.” Collins said the hearing reflects “the high priority that this committee places on biomedical research.” Murray told the committee she was “deeply alarmed that President Trump has taken a wrecking ball to our biomedical research enterprise,” listing grant cancellations, staff layoffs and a proposed steep reduction in NIH funding as immediate threats.

The concern centered on two near-term disruptions: abrupt personnel actions that removed thousands of scientists and administrators from agencies that distribute and regulate research funding, and delays or cancellations in grant awards. Dr. Sudip Parikh, chief executive officer of Science and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, warned of “impoundment by default”…