Statement by Research!America President and CEO Mary Woolley on Trump Administration’s FY21 Budget Proposal
The Trump Administration’s 2021 budget proposal includes increases to advance much-needed progress in pediatric cancer and pain research, among a few other targeted areas. However, overall, the budget would deal a devastating blow to patients and their families.
Medical, public health, and scientific progress requires us to treat R&D as a strategic national priority. Yet, the Administration’s proposal embraces steep cuts to NIH which would undermine crucial, lifesaving research. It would also slash other critical investments; for example, the proposal would cut CDC by 10%, NSF by 7%, and zero out the budget for AHRQ.
In a national survey just commissioned by Research!America, 61% of respondents across party lines say current funding for research to prevent, cure, and treat disease is not enough. The budget released today is misaligned with the views and interests of the American people.
These cuts not only compromise the pace of such research, they also would further erode our competitive lead in science and technology. We urge Congress and the Administration to work together to craft spending bills that bolster life-saving research to the benefit of us all.
The Research!America alliance advocates for science, discovery, and innovation to achieve better health for all.