• World News
  • Politics
  • Stock
  • Investing
  • Editor’s Pick
Time And Sales Reporter
Politics

Trump NIH appointee defends president’s research funding cuts, lays out new vision for future

by March 5, 2025
March 5, 2025

President Donald Trump’s pick to be the next Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, spent much of his confirmation hearing Wednesday defending the president’s decision to put a 15% cap on indirect research costs dispersed by the NIH. 

Bhattacharya, a physician, Stanford professor of medicine and senior fellow at the university’s Institute for Economic Policy Research, would not explicitly say he disagreed with the cuts, or that, if confirmed, he would step in to stop them. Rather, he said he would ‘follow the law,’ while also investigating the impact of the cuts and ensuring every NIH researcher doing work that advances the health outcomes of Americans has the resources necessary to do their work.

Bhattacharya also laid out a new, decentralized vision for future research at NIH that he said will be aimed at embracing dissenting ideas and transparency, while focusing on research topics that have the best chance at directly benefiting health outcomes of Americans. Bhattacharya added that he wants to rid the agency’s research portfolio of other ‘frivolous’ efforts, that he says do little to directly benefit health outcomes.

‘There’s a lot of distrust about where the money goes because the trust in the public health establishment has collapsed since the pandemic,’ Bhattacharya said. ‘I think transparency regarding indirect costs is absolutely worthwhile. It’s something that universities can fix by working together to make sure that where that money goes is made clear.’  

Democratic Sens. Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland and Ed Markey of Massachusetts both pressed Bhattacharya specifically about research that looks into health issues that impact minorities — an area Democrats worry could be undermined at the NIH due to Trump’s campaign against the Left’s views on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). 

‘The health needs of minority populations in this country are a vital priority for me … I want to make sure the research that the NIH does addresses those health needs, and I don’t see anything in the president’s orders that contradicts that, in fact, quite to the contrary,’ Bhattacharya said. ‘What I’ve heard from [Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.] and from the president is ‘Let’s make America Healthy,’ meaning all Americans.’

When Alsobrooks cited a project Bhattacharya worked on related to Alzheimer’s disease, which included mentoring ‘diverse’ professionals, he said that his understanding of that part of the project meant mentoring researchers with a diverse set of ideas, not a diverse set of skin colors. 

‘I think fundamentally what matters is: Do scientists have an idea that advances the scientific field they’re in?’ Bhattacharya replied. ‘Do they have an idea that ends up addressing the health needs of Americans?’

Bhattacharya acknowledged that ‘identifying’ health disparities among minority groups is important, but emphasized the need for research that drives meaningful outcomes.

Bhattacharya also challenged the premise of a similar line of questioning from Markey, who argued Trump was utilizing ideological flashpoints to ‘slow’ life-saving research.

‘I don’t agree with you, senator, that President Trump is opposed to [speeding up research]. In fact, quite the opposite, he is quite in favor of making America healthy,’ Bhattacharya told Markey. ‘I don’t believe that ideology ought to determine whether one gets research or not.’

In addition to addressing numerous questions from Democrats about Trump’s funding cuts, Bhattacharya also outlined his plans to reform the NIH’s research portfolio during his Wednesday confirmation hearing.

Trump’s NIH nominee said he hopes to focus on cutting-edge research and other ‘big ideas’ as opposed to continuing to put all the federal government’s money into research that doesn’t involve the same ambitious goals. He also briefly spoke about improving the frequency of ‘validation research’ and increasing the number of NIH applications funded for younger investigators.

Concerns from Republicans during the hearing included whether Bhattacharya would continue supporting research investigating the link between vaccines and autism, something Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said has been proven over and over again to have no link, and whether he will permit the continued use of aborted fetal tissue in NIH-funded research.

Bhattacharya agreed with Cassidy that the linkage between autism and vaccines is clear — there isn’t one. However, he acknowledged that others may disagree with him. In line with his commitment to embracing dissenting ideas and promoting free speech in medical research, he suggested that commissioning studies could help the public gain a clearer understanding that no link exists.

On the issue of halting the use of aborted fetal tissue, during Trump’s first term, he banned its use, and Bhattacharya said he would follow the president’s lead on the issue.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
previous post
Greenland, Panama fiercely reject Trump’s ambitions in address to Congress
next post
SEE IT: Republicans reveal expectations for Elon Musk’s closed-door meeting with lawmakers tonight

Related Posts

Trump pushes ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ as solution to...

June 3, 2025

Trump administration open to allowing Iran to continue...

June 3, 2025

Trump’s fresh White House portrait sparks interest amid...

June 3, 2025

Puerto Rico permits nonbinary gender marker on birth...

June 3, 2025

South Koreans cast votes for new president to...

June 3, 2025

Rand Paul says he would support ‘big, beautiful...

June 2, 2025







    Stay updated with the latest news, exclusive offers, and special promotions. Sign up now and be the first to know! As a member, you'll receive curated content, insider tips, and invitations to exclusive events. Don't miss out on being part of something special.


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.




    Recent Posts

    • The Best Five Sectors, #21

      June 3, 2025
    • What’s Next for Dollar Tree, CrowdStrike, and Broadcom? Watch These Setups

      June 3, 2025
    • Hedge Market Volatility with These Dividend Aristocrats & Sector Leaders

      June 3, 2025
    • Trump administration open to allowing Iran to continue some uranium enrichment: report

      June 3, 2025
    • Trump pushes ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ as solution to four years of Biden failures: ‘Largest tax cut, EVER’

      June 3, 2025
    • About us
    • Contact us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Copyright © 2025 timeandsalesreporter.com | All Rights Reserved

    Time And Sales Reporter
    • World News
    • Politics
    • Stock
    • Investing
    • Editor’s Pick

    Read alsox

    With Trump’s blessing, Israel has Hamas terrorists on...

    March 26, 2025

    NEWT GINGRICH: The Trump-Johnson-Thune budget victory

    March 15, 2025

    Elon Musk makes surprise appearance at CPAC

    February 20, 2025