Jayanta Bhattacharya, director of the National Institute of Health, will speak at a confirmation hearing in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions in Capitol Hill on March 5, 2025. (Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON – Jay Batacharya, director of the National Institute of Health, testified on Tuesday that the White House, proposed earlier this year at a budget request, could potentially reverse agency funding.
Bhattacharya told very important Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Committee that he was “happy” to work with lawmakers on the NIH annual spending bill to find a level of funding that anyone can support in the coming months.
“I’m still learning because it’s the first time I’ve done this budget fight, but what I understand is that the budget is a joint effort between the Congress and the administration,” Bhatacharya said. “We look forward to working with you, not only with the people in the room representing Alzheimer’s patients, but also with the health needs of all Americans.”
Susan Collins, Senate Approval Speaker of R-Maine, said the president’s budget demands were “worried” because lawmakers proposed to cut around $18 billion (40% (40%) on future spending bills.
“We’re going to cancel our long-standing Congressional investment in the NIH,” Collins said. “And that slows or stops effective treatments and treatments from developing for diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, type 1 diabetes, and more.
“We also risk falling behind China and other countries, which are increasing investment in biomedical research.”
Collins said the committee is planning to “improve these issues and defects” in its budget request “to improve these issues and defects” as the committee writes the annual government funding bill.
Collins also rebuked Bhattacharya for trying to reduce the amount the NIH pays grantees for facilities and management costs.
NIH’s efforts to limit these indirect costs to 15% Pending In the case of the Democratic Attorney General, the American Association of Medical Colleges and the American Association of Universities work through the federal court system.
“This proposed cap is very underconsidered,” Collins said. “And I saw firsthand how harmful it is. It leads to scientists leaving the US for opportunities in other countries. It promises to halt clinical trials and abandon medical research. It also violates federal law.
Collins told Batacharya to speak to Kelvin K. Drogemeyer, who worked as a scientific adviser to President Donald Trump in his first term. Droegemeier is the chairman The groups are grouped together By the University Grants Association for Proposing Changes to the Indirect Cost Model by the Public and Land Grants Association.
“Frankly, devastating.”
Washington Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, a ranking member of the Approximately pursuit committee, urged Batacharya to defend the actions he has taken so far and proposed actions in budget requests.
“What the Trump administration is doing to NIH right now is frankly devastating,” Murray said. “Over the past few months, the administration has fired and pushed out nearly 5,000 key employees across the NIH, awarding nearly $3 billion in grant funding, and has concluded a total of nearly $5 billion in grant funding for life-saving research, including clinical trials for HIV and Alzheimer’s disease.”
Murray added that no one in the US would like to study less treatments and treatments for cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
West Virginia Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capit, Worker – Chairman of Education Approximate Budget Public hearingexpressed concern about the budget cuts proposed by the NIH, saying that many research universities have issued warnings.
“These institutions are why America maintains its advantage in biomedical research and innovation,” Capito said. “Like many changes in leadership, there appears to be growing concern and confusion that diverting resources from research will lead to healthier America.”
Capit emphasized that he hopes NIH will continue to focus research efforts on Alzheimer’s, a disease that affects more than 7 million Americans.
“For almost ten years, this committee has supported research aimed at finding treatment and treatment for Alzheimer’s,” Capito said. “As you know, this goal is very personal to me, because both my parents live together and eventually succumbed to this disease. And I was able to look behind you and see in the audience that many of the people here are very interested in the field of study.”
State funding has been delayed
Wisconsin Democrat Sen. Tammy Baldwin, a ranking member of the subcommittee, rebuked Battacharya for cutting funding for projects considering Alzheimer’s and several other illnesses.
“NIH has postponed funding for 14 Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers in nine states, including the University of Wisconsin-Madison,” Baldwin said. “We have delayed the Cancer Center Support grants at nine cancer centers in eight states by $47 million, delaying $55 million for 11 rare disease clinical research network grants from eight states.
“Let’s sink that. The administration has made the conscious choice not to fund research on Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and rare diseases. The NIH has also ended its Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Centre grant.
Alabama Republican Sen. Katie Britt asked Batacharya to refocus the NIH on maternal health research and ways to reduce the country’s high maternal mortality rates.
“Look, too many women in this country are dying from pregnancy-related causes,” Britt said. “Looking at Alabama, we have one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country. It disproportionately affects black women, Native American women, and rural women.”
