Advocacy at the Forefront
It’s been an important week on Capitol Hill with confirmation hearings for NIH and FDA, President Trump’s address before Congress, and ongoing budget talks. A busy time on the Hill means our work as advocates takes center stage.
On the Hill: This week, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee held hearings for key health nominees.
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya: On March 5, Dr. Bhattacharya, nominee for NIH Director, testified before the HELP Committee. As anticipated, the hearing covered a range of topics bearing on the pace of medical progress. Dr. Bhattacharya affirmed his support and regard for NIH, as did members of the committee from both sides of the aisle. That’s critically important. An overwhelming majority of Americans (more than 9 in 10) want our nation to do more and invest more in medical progress. Here is Dr. Bhattacharya’s written testimony, as well as the recorded hearing.
Dr. Martin Makary: Today, Dr. Makary, nominee for FDA Commissioner, appeared before the committee. Read his written testimony here, which captures Dr. Makary’s inspiring personal journey, and view the hearing here.
On March 13, the HELP Committee is set to vote on the nominations of Dr. Bhattacharya and Dr. Makary, followed by a hearing for Dr. Dave Weldon, the nominee for CDC Director. We will continue to update this HHS nominations and appointments tracker as the timing of Dr. Weldon’s committee vote and the three full Senate votes are announced.
Fiscal Year 2025 Funding: We’re just eight days away from a possible government shutdown. There’s still time to take action! Urge your members of Congress to prevent a shutdown and pass the FY25 budget by using our quick, editable email.
Speaking of Action: Reports indicate that the Department of Defense is considering reprogramming FY25 funding for the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) into the Defense Health Agency’s Operations & Maintenance (O&M) account. This shift would jeopardize critical medical research that benefits service members, veterans, and the broader public. Research!America sent a note to each member of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees today, urging them to protect CDMRP funding by including an anomaly, proposed by the Defense Health Research Consortium, in any long-term CR. In case useful in your own advocacy efforts, here is a template based on the notes we sent.
Public Input is Important: On Monday, The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) formally announced that it would no longer consider public input on decisions bearing on grants, benefits, contracts, and other significant agency matters. Research!America is urging HHS to reconsider this decision, which appears to directly contradict the president’s call for increased federal government transparency and accountability.
Update on Facilities and Administrative Cost Reimbursement: On Wednesday, a federal judge put a nationwide hold on the Trump administration’s plan to cut NIH indirect cost reimbursements to 15%. This means, for now, research institutions won’t face immediate funding cuts that could disrupt labs, staff, and critical infrastructure.
Research!America will keep pushing to protect NIH funding and the research ecosystem it supports. Stay tuned for updates and check out our timeline to track key administration actions impacting medical and health research.
Advocacy Awards: We are less than a week away from one of our biggest events of the year. The 2025 Advocacy Awards will take place on Wednesday, March 12, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. (reception afterward) at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. Take a moment to review the full list of the advocacy stars we are honoring, and register now because registration closes tomorrow. Thanks to our generous sponsors, there is no charge to attend.
Alliance Member-only Meetings:
Advocacy 101: Want to advocate for research but don’t know where to start? Research!America members are invited to join us on Tuesday, March 18, at noon ET for a member-only advocacy training on Zoom designed to equip you with the tools to engage policymakers and effectively communicate the value of research.
Policy & Law: Join us for an alliance member-only meeting over Zoom on Thursday, March 27, from noon – 1 p.m. ET, featuring Georgetown Law Professor David Super. We’ve asked David to discuss the administrative, statutory, and regulatory implications of recent Executive Branch actions affecting medical and health research.
To RSVP for either event, email Jacqueline Lagoy.
ICYMI: We had an incredible turnout yesterday, March 5, at our standing-room-only Hill briefing on the capability and potential of genetically targeted technology. We were honored to have Rep. Diana DeGette (CO-1) open the briefing and set the stage for a truly engaging event. A huge thank you to our moderator and panelists, who provided invaluable insights on the power of these technologies and their impact in speeding solutions for patients.
We extend our sincere thanks to our partners: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, the American Brain Coalition, Eli Lilly and Company, the EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, and the Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR).
Check out our new resource on genetically targeted technology released at the briefing and join us for future events. Subscribe to Research!America’s email updates.
Your Support: Research!America’s all-out efforts to ensure our nation continues to fight for scientific, medical, and public health progress take tremendous resources – your donations help support our work at this particularly challenging time. Please contribute today to help us sustain and grow our activities and our impact. Please consider donating today.