In response to the Trump administration attempting to slash NIH funding for critical disease prevention and treatment research, Idaho Democratic Party Chair Lauren Necochea released the following statement:

“Idaho has a proud history of groundbreaking research, from nuclear advancements at Idaho National Laboratory to Micron’s innovations in memory technology. NIH funding builds on that legacy, powering lifesaving research at colleges and universities across our state, like preventing sudden unexpected infant deaths and reducing the harsh side effects of chemotherapy. Yet Idaho’s Republican leaders refuse to stand up to Trump as he guts this critical funding, all to appease a man who cares more about billionaires than working families. Idaho Democrats refuse to put politics ahead of the future of our state. We will fight to protect the research that fuels our economy, strengthens our universities, and improves the health of Idahoans.”

In Idaho, the NIH funds 63 research projects, investing over $31 million to advance medical breakthroughs. These projects include developing treatments to ease the side effects of chemotherapy, reducing risk factors for Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID), and improving therapies for Parkinson’s disease.

NIH Idaho Active Funding: “Organizations…University of Idaho, Boise State University, Idaho State University, Idaho Veterans Research and Education Foundation, Caring Technologies, Inc., College of Idaho, and Lewis-Clark State College.”

“Projects…63”

“Funding…$31,601,171”

Trump’s attempted NIH funding freeze could pause pediatric cancer research for many small and mid-sized institutions that rely on federal funding for research:

New York Times: “While some elite universities do have large endowments,

Lawrence O. Gostin, an expert in public health law at Georgetown University, said indirect costs are a lifeline for smaller academic institutions, including historically Black colleges, that depend on federal dollars and conduct medical research on tight margins, often losing money.

“‘This would be catastrophic,’ Professor Gostin said. ‘It would mean that, at the most extreme, universities wouldn’t be able to even take N.I.H. money, and would have to stop doing essential research, including research on pediatric cancer and heart disease and dementia and a whole range of other things. At the very best, they would be hemorrhaging money.’”

Democratic attorneys general across 22 states filed a successful lawsuit in an effort to stop the Trump admin from implementing new NIH capped rates that will slash federal grant funding universities, medical centers, and other research institutions.   

Washington Post: “The agency’s new policy will cap the rate at 15 percent and take effect on Monday, cutting tens of millions of dollars or more in funding for many universities — virtually overnight.”

Reuters: “A U.S. judge on Monday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s administration’s sharp cuts to federal grant funding for universities, medical centers and other research institutions.

“U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley’s decision was a win for Democratic attorneys general from 22 U.S. states who sued on Monday in federal court in Boston to challenge cuts adopted by the National Institutes of Health to the reimbursement rate for some costs of the research institutions.

“The cuts were due to take effect on Monday.”

The consequences of these proposed Trump cuts would be swift and devastating – Americans will lose their jobs and critical research programs will be forced to pause.

Missouri Independent: “A federal judge on Monday prevented the National Institutes of Health from changing the percentage that universities and medical schools are paid in facilities and administrative costs in 22 states that filed a lawsuit, blocking a decision that was rebuked by academic institutions throughout the country and members of Congress.

“The order followed a long weekend of speculation as research universities and medical schools grappled with how to implement a major change in grant funding from the National Institutes of Health that they warn could curtail breakthroughs or halt projects altogether, and that a senior Democrat in Congress called ‘nothing short of catastrophic.’”