New lawmakers pledge to protect health equity programs
New House members vow to fight Trump administration's health equity funding cuts
Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed speaks to his supporters at his last campaign rally at The Majestic Theater in Detroit the day before the midterms. Salwan Georges/Getty Images (Photo via STAT)
Two newly elected members of Congress with backgrounds in science have announced their intention to challenge recent cuts to federal health equity initiatives. The lawmakers aim to address the impact of policy changes implemented by the Trump administration during the past two years.
The administration has overseen significant reductions in federal health programs, including the termination of more than 1,700 research grants across the National Institutes of Health. Additional actions have included the layoff of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention team dedicated to maternal mortality and the removal of health disparity teaching requirements for medical schools.
Financial constraints have also affected the scientific community, with the National Science Foundation withholding over $1 billion in funding. Furthermore, the National Institutes of Health has delayed or canceled more than 2,000 biomedical research grants throughout 2025 and 2026.
Their stated focus on health equity comes as the federal government continues to navigate the aftermath of these widespread workforce reductions and policy shifts.