In Appropriation Hearing, Durbin Blasts HHS Secretary Kennedy For Cutting Medical Research, Hope For Patients
In today’s budget hearing, Durbin pressed Secretary Kennedy on why HHS has cut funding for ALS research, smoking prevention
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today participated in a Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee hearing to review the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). During the hearing, Durbin questioned Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. about the dramatic cuts to medical research and the mass layoffs at HHS.
Durbin began by questioning Secretary Kennedy about gutting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Office of Smoking and Health, eliminating it from HHS’ budget request and laying off its entire staff.
“Do you know the number one cause of preventable death in America today?” Durbin asked Secretary Kennedy.
Durbin followed up after Secretary Kennedy stunningly admitted that he did not know the answer.
“I’m talking about tobacco. You fired the head of the CDC’s Office of Smoking and Health and eliminated their efforts from your budget. Hundreds of employees at FDA’s [Food and Drug Administration] Tobacco Center, including the director, have been let go. If we are genuinely concerned, and I believe you are about the health of America and making it better, something as basic as the number one preventable cause of death is not served by that kind of dismissal,” Durbin said.
Durbin then turned to the Trump Administration’s senseless cuts to medical research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), derailing scientists searching for cures to neurodegenerative diseases like ALS. Durbin shared the story of Illinoisans Brian Wallach and Sandra Abrevaya, co-founders of I AM ALS.
“Brian met his wife-to-be, Sandra Abrevaya, who was my press secretary. They married. When their second daughter was born, Sandra came home from the hospital to learn her husband had ALS. Brian and Sandra have been fighting a battle now for eight years. He is still alive. He can no longer walk or talk. But he has hope. He loves his family, and he is hoping that something will break through in ALS that gives him a chance for a future,” Durbin said.
“Please explain to Brian and Sandra and their two young daughters why you’ve canceled ALS grants at institutions across this country, and why you think research for diseases like ALS should be cut by 40 percent next year,” Durbin said to Secretary Kennedy.
Secretary Kennedy claimed ignorance of the cuts to ALS research, saying, “Senator, I don’t know about those cuts. I don’t know if that’s true.”
Durbin continued, “On April 1, 10 laboratory heads at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes received their layoff notices. They were all PhDs and senior investigators. They’re not administrators. They were running intramural labs at NIH. If you have your way, they’ll all be gone on June 2.”
“Science Magazine reported 25 of 320 physician researchers at NIH’s Internal Clinical Center are leaving. The number of patients treated in the hospital has been reduced by 30 percent. Three grants involving ALS and dementia work at Northwestern University in Illinois have been paused – one looking at how to stop the buildup of damaged proteins and another looking at cellular mechanisms that can be drug targets,” Durbin said. “Just last week, an ALS researcher at Harvard had his grant cut [for research] using AI to accelerate the reversal of ALS symptoms.”
“Brian Wallach is waiting for a cure. He is not giving up. His source of hope is this research that you, unfortunately, have terminated. How can we possibly address his concerns and give hope to people across the country who are suffering from so many diseases when our government is cutting back on that research?” Durbin asked Secretary Kennedy.
“I do not know about any cuts to ALS research,” Secretary Kennedy replied.
“I just read them to you,” Durbin returned.
Secretary Kennedy failed to offer any insight about why NIH research funding has been cut, instead deflecting, mentioning that he would need to speak with NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya about what cuts were made. Secretary Kennedy said, “I didn’t know about them until you told me about them at this moment.”
Durbin concluded his speaking time by reiterating to the nation’s chief health official that medical research is critical to public health and developing treatments for the devastating diseases impacting Americans.
“I want to make this point – cutting medical research is giving up on the future. You can’t do that. These families are counting on you, Secretary, and counting on your department to do this research that gives them hope to live another day,” Durbin said.
“Turning out the lights and saying you’re doing it in the name of ‘efficiency’ or ‘DOGE’ is no consolation to these families that are struggling,” Durbin concluded.
Video of Durbin’s questions in Committee is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s questions in Committee is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s question in Committee is available here for TV stations.
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