NEW: Baldwin, Welch Announce Former NIH Director, Researchers, Clinical Trial Patients as Witnesses for Forum on Trump’s NIH Cuts

WASHINGTON, D.C.– Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Peter Welch (D-VT) announced the witnesses for their forum Wednesday, “Cures in Crisis: What Gutting NIH Research Means for Americans with Cancer, Alzheimer's, & Other Diseases.” The forum will featureformer Director of the National Institutes for Health (NIH), Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, M.D., two Alzheimer’s disease researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Emory University, andtwo patients who have benefitted from NIH clinical trials. The panelists will testify in front of Senators on how deep cuts, staffing layoffs, and delayed funding at NIH will impact life-saving research and outcomes for patients battling cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, ALS, and other serious illnesses.
Below are details of the forum:
WHEN:
Wednesday, March 26, 2025,2:30pm EST
WHERE:
SD-106,Livestream availablehere
WHO:

“As Donald Trump and Elon Musk claim they want to ‘Make America Healthy Again,’ they are halting lifesaving research that gives Americans battling Alzheimer’s disease and cancer hope every day that they have a fighting chance at getting better,”said Senator Baldwin.“This week, we’re bringing together patients and researchers to spotlight who is impacted by their reckless cuts and encourage this Administration to immediately reverse course. Right now, we’re losing critical time we cannot get back for American families who are desperate for cures. It’s those families this Administration must answer to as they actively put the next generation of medical breakthroughs out of reach.”
Over the last two months, the Trump Administration has attacked, compromised, and gutted research at the NIH for lifesaving cures and treatments, including:
NIH funding contributed to research for roughly 99 percent of drugs approved between 2010 and 2019, including heart medications, according to theCenter for American Progress. The advocacy group United for Medical Research found that in fiscal year 2023, funding from the agency supported more than410,000 jobs, with 10,000 NIH-supported jobs in some states. In that same year, NIH-funded research fueled nearly$93 billionin economic spending. Overall, the economic benefit of NIH funding ismore than twicethe investment made through NIH appropriations. For a breakdown of how much funding each state receives from the NIH, clickhere.
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