Durbin: President Trump's Proposed Freeze On NIH's Work Is Cruel And Will Have Life Or Death Consequences
WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the serious consequences the Trump Administration’s plan to freeze federal assistance would have on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and medical research. NIH supports more than 400,000 jobs nationwide—jobs focused on conducting vital medical research that leads to new cures and treatments that improve and save lives. Each year, NIH awards nearly $38 billion in research grants to all 50 states and the District of Columbia. They support hundreds of thousands of jobs, generate $92 billion in economic activity, and facilitate life-saving medical research.
On Monday night, President Trump ordered a stop to federal grant funding, including at NIH. Today, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the White House Press Secretary sent out conflicting information related to whether or not the freeze had been rescinded.
Durbin said, “Because of work funded by NIH with taxpayer dollars, people with cancer are living longer and even being cured, HIV/AIDS is no longer a death sentence, and groundbreaking treatments exist to slow the progression of neurological disorders such as ALS and dementia. Chances are, if you or a loved one take any medication, you have NIH to thank—because 99 percent of drugs approved over the past decade benefited from NIH research funding. And, chances are, if you or a loved one ever get sick and are wondering what options exist to save your life, your doctor will suggest a treatment developed with NIH funding.”
“Do you know what the leading causes of death are in the U.S.? The number one cause of death in the United States is heart disease,” Durbin continued. “But there are others. Cancer; unintentional injuries, such as drug overdoses; stroke; respiratory disease; Alzheimer’s; and diabetes. NIH researchers work every day to find breakthroughs to save lives in America from these leading causes of death in the U.S. When you freeze this agency’s work, when you tell your researchers to stay home and not to spend a penny because it can’t be compensated, it means you’re putting a stop to the research that critically is trying to keep us alive. You handicap our nation’s effort to develop new cures and treatments that address the top causes of death.”
Durbin continued, “NIH is considered the world’s leader in biomedical research—providing treatments and cures that other people across the world dream of. President Trump’s proposed freeze on NIH’s work is cruel and will have life or death consequences. If your parent has dementia, you want NIH’s work to continue. If your husband or wife has been diagnosed with glioblastoma, ALS, or Parkinson’s, you need NIH’s work to continue. If you have a child diagnosed with a rare childhood cancer or heart condition—you are desperate for NIH’s work to continue.”
“This should not be a partisan issue,” Durbin concluded. “Over the past decade, Congress has, on a bipartisan basis, increased NIH’s budget by 60 percent because we believe in their work. This federal freeze must not be allowed to take effect. I would hope my Republican colleagues would join me in calling on President Trump to reconsider this harmful policy. Lives depend on it.”
Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.
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