WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) questioned Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. at a Senate hearing on why his agency has dramatically stopped research for lifesaving cures and clinical trials for cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, ALS, and more. Last week, a report found the Trump Administration has effectively cut nearly $3 billion in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding in the first three months of 2025, which Mr. Kennedy oversees.
Senator Baldwin questions RFK, Jr., in front of the Senate Appropriations Committee
The hearing was in front of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Services, where Senator Baldwin serves as Ranking Member. A recent report found that Trump officials effectively cut $2.7 billion in NIH funding in the first three months of 2025 – including a 31 percent cut to cancer research through March, compared to the same timeframe last year. Those cuts have resulted in 3,288 fewer disease studies and research projects being funded compared to last year. Senator Baldwin led a forum earlier this year to spotlight how cuts are impacting researchers and Americans in clinical trials.
Last week, Senator Baldwin pressed Secretary Kennedy on how staffing cuts at HHS has slowed Milwaukee’s response to a lead crisis in schools and how frozen funding for Wisconsin Head Starts threatened critical care for families.
A recording of Senator Baldwin’s questions is available here.
An online version of this release is available here.
