Durbin, In Response To Trump Admin Cuts To NIH: People Are Going to Die If We Don't Fund Medical Research
During a forum on the consequences of cutting federal funding to NIH, Durbin called on his Republican colleagues to stand up to Trump, Elon Musk as they slash federal funding for medical research that saves lives
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today participated in a roundtable forum, entitled “Cures in Crisis: What Gutting NIH Research Means for Americans with Cancer, Alzheimer's, & Other Diseases,” which was hosted by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Peter Welch (D-VT). The forum underscored the dangerous consequences of the Trump Administration’s decision to lay off researchers and freeze funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Durbin began his speaking time by stressing the importance of medical research conducted at NIH and by sharing his admiration for former NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins. Durbin recalled his conversation with Dr. Collins about working on a bipartisan basis to increase federal funding for NIH annually.
“It was about 10 years ago when I went out to NIH and met with Francis Collins… We recalled a time… when Senator Harkin and Senator Specter and a fellow named John Porter, a congressman from Illinois, decided to set out to double the NIH budget. And they did it,” Durbin said.
“I said to Dr. Collins, ‘I wish I could promise the same thing. What can I do?’” Durbin said. “He [Dr. Collins] said, ‘Give us five percent real growth every year.’”
Durbin continued, describing how he convinced two Republicans, former U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN), as well as Democratic Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), to work with him to secure annual five percent increases in NIH funding.
“We went from $30 billion a year to NIH, and ten years later, we were at $48 million, [a] 60 percent increase. How did we do it? A bipartisan team of Senators,” Durbin said. “The four of us, two Democrats, two Republicans, put that kind of investment and made a difference in the lives of millions of people… What we’re lacking now, frankly, is support from the other side of the aisle.”
“We need a few Republicans who will stand up and say, ‘Enough. Enough, Mr. Musk. Enough, DOGE,’” Durbin said. “People are going to die if we don’t fund medical research. Period.”
Durbin then asked Mr. Jessy Ybarra, a veteran with ALS and a board member of the ALS Association, about the future of ALS research.
“Mr. Ybarra, thank you for your service to our country. What do you see in terms of research for ALS?” Durbin asked.
Mr. Ybarra replied that while progress has been made in treating the disease, funding for research must continue. If not, people with ALS will never see a new treatment or eventual cure.
Durbin then asked Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, former NIH Director, if Dr. Collins’ challenge to Members of Congress to increase NIH funding annually made a difference in medical research.
Dr. Bertagnolli replied, “Both Dr. Collins and I share the sentiment that everything we did at NIH was understanding how precious that support [federal funding] was.”
Durbin concluded by remarking on how funding NIH is critical in the treatment of diseases that are impacting American families.
“I think about that moment, which many of us have faced… when the doctor says, ‘Here’s the diagnosis.’ And you say, ‘is there anything we can do? Is there a medicine? Is there a surgery? Is there a treatment?’ And you pray to God that some researcher at NIH found a breakthrough that’s going to give you or someone you love a chance,” Durbin concluded.
Video of Durbin’s remarks is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s remarks is available here.
This year, Durbin has twice asked for unanimous consent (UC) to pass a resolution he introduced with U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), as well as 21 other Senators, that would pledge support for NIH. The resolution simply said that the work of NIH should not be subject to interruption, delay, or funding disruptions in violation of the law, and it reaffirmed that the NIH workforce is essential to sustaining medical progress. The first UC request was blocked by U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) and the second was blocked by U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK).
Durbin has long been a strong advocate for robust medical research. His legislation, the American Cures Act, would provide annual budget increases of five percent plus inflation at America’s top four biomedical research agencies: NIH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Defense Health Program, and the Veterans Medical and Prosthetics Research Program. Thanks to Durbin’s efforts to increase medical research funding, Congress has provided NIH with a 60 percent funding increase over the past decade.
-30-