'So Disturbing': Susan Collins Grills NIH Director About Budget Cuts That Are 'Against Federal Law'

7 months ago

At a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Tuesday, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) questioned NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya about NIH cuts to Alzheimer's research.

Transcript

00:00To turn to the chair of the committee, who we're very honored to have with us, Senator Collins.

00:05Thank you very much, Senator Capito.

00:08Doctor, let me start by welcoming you to the committee.

00:13I am well aware that you have devoted your life to medical research, to health economics,

00:21and that you care very deeply about NIH.

00:25That is why the administration's reduction of more than $19 billion to the agency's budget,

00:37that is approximately 40%, is so disturbing.

00:43It would undo years of congressional investment in NIH,

00:49and it would delay or stop effective treatments and cures from being developed

00:58for diseases like Alzheimer's, cancer, type 1 diabetes.

01:05I could go on and on.

01:08We also risk falling behind China and other countries

01:14that are increasing their investment in biomedical research.

01:20Let me give a specific example.

01:25There are an estimated 7 million Americans living with Alzheimer's today.

01:32Barring any major breakthrough to prevent, slow down, or cure this devastating disease,

01:41this number could almost double to claim the lives of more than 13 million Americans by the year 2060.

01:51And that's why this committee has been so dedicated to increasing the funding for biomedical research

02:00and for Alzheimer's in particular to more than $3 billion last year alone.

02:07And it's produced results.

02:09We've seen the first two drugs that have been shown when administered early enough to slow cognitive decline.

02:19We have also seen the development of a breakthrough blood test,

02:25which will help lead to earlier diagnosis.

02:29Yet the administration's budget proposes a decrease of 40% for the National Institute on Aging,

02:37which funds most Alzheimer's research.

02:40As a senator representing the oldest state in the nation, this is of particular concern to me.

02:52And like Senator Capito, I too lost my father to this devastating disease,

02:59as well as my grandfather, two uncles, and just last year, a brother-in-law.

03:05So I know personally what it means to so many American families.

03:11Why is the administration proposing to cut the funding for the National Institutes of Aging

03:21when we are making progress in treating Alzheimer's and other dementias?

03:28Senator Capito, thank you for the question.

03:31So first, let me just say that I am fully committed to making progress, scientific progress, on Alzheimer's.

03:36I know all too well from my own research work and from friends and family members the devastating toll of this disease.

03:44And we have made tremendous progress.

03:47The NIH supports a very wide range of hypotheses on Alzheimer's,

03:52and it's resulted in some advances, like, for instance, the blood test for early detection.

03:56We still don't have, I think, in my professional opinion, a sufficient way to manage the disease,

04:03to prevent the disease, and to cure the disease.

04:06We need more advances.

04:07And so I'm absolutely committed to making sure the NIH plays a tremendous role in that.

04:12The president wrote a letter to Michael Kratzios, his science advisor,

04:16committing the United States to be the leading nation in the world in biomedicine.

04:22And so that's the intention of this administration.

04:26The budget, I mean, this is my first time through this budget fight, and so I just, I'm still learning.

04:31But I'll tell you, what I understand is that this, the budget is a collaborative effort between Congress and the administration.

04:40And I look forward to working with you all to advance the needs, the real health needs of not just the folks here in the room

04:47who represent Alzheimer's patients, but also the health needs of all Americans.

04:51We have tremendous health needs that we have to address.

04:53It's only excellent research that's going to solve those problems.

04:56We look forward to working with you to remedy these problems and the deficiencies in the budget.

05:04Prior to your confirmation, NIH abruptly and without any notice or input from the scientific community

05:14announced a 15% arbitrary cap on research-related costs, also called indirect costs,

05:24for institutions that receive grants from the NIH.

05:30This proposed cap is so poorly conceived, and I have seen firsthand how harmful it is.

05:39It is leading to scientists leaving the United States for opportunities in other countries.

05:48It's causing clinical trials to be halted and promising medical research to be abandoned.

05:57It's also against federal law.

06:01Since 2018, we in Congress have specifically included language to prevent NIH from arbitrarily imposing such a cap.

06:14During your confirmation hearing, you committed to working with us on this issue,

06:20so I was alarmed and surprised that the administration's budget request contains the same harmful 15% cap.

06:31Recently, I met with Dr. Calvin Drogenmeyer, who was President Trump's science advisor during the first term.

06:41He has come up with two possible models, which are far fairer, make way more sense, increase accountability.

06:52Have you had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Drogenmeyer and look at the models that he has come up with

07:02after extensive consultation?

07:05So I spoke with Dr. Drogenmeyer before he started the process, and he told me about those proposals,

07:12but in the planning stages.

07:14I have not yet met with him after the – because he had a working group that he put together of experts to think about this.

07:21I just – and I think they're quite promising.

07:25The key thing – first, I can't speak about the 15% because it's subject to litigation,

07:29so I'm not going to – I don't want to get into that, but I want to bring the broader policy issue,

07:34which is how should the federal government support the research institutions in this country

07:38where the research we've been talking about take place.

07:40I think it is an opportunity to rethink that.

07:44We absolutely have an obligation to make sure that the institutions have the capacity to do the research correctly.

07:51Are we doing it fairly?

07:52Do we have processes in place that you have sufficient geographic representation

07:57that scientists across the country, wherever they are, have access?

08:01I think we can do a lot better, and I'd love to work with Congress to address that.

08:07I think there's lots of great possibilities for reform.

08:10I encourage you to sit down with Dr. Drogenmeyer as soon as you can.

08:16Thank you, Madam Chair.

'So Disturbing': Susan Collins Grills NIH Director About Budget Cuts That Are 'Against Federal Law'

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