Boyle, Pallone, Merkley, Sanders Statement on CBO’s Analysis Showing That Trump’s Proposed Cuts to NIH, FDA Will Mean Fewer Medications
Cuts to NIH and FDA Will Lead to 53 Fewer New Prescription Drugs
Trump Administration’s Proposed 40 Percent Cut to NIH so Drastic That CBO is Unable to Provide Analysis
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Brendan F. Boyle (D-PA), Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee; U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee released the below statement following new analysis from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) showing that the Trump Administration’s reckless dismantling of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and deep cuts at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will result in fewer new medicines being made available for patients with unmet needs. CBO’s analysis shows that a 10 percent cut to the NIH and a 9-month delay in FDA review timelines would lead to 53 fewer new drugs approved for patients.
The Trump Administration is proposing a nearly 40 percent cut to the NIH’s budget, suggesting the harms could be far greater than what CBO estimates. In fact, the proposed cuts are so enormous that CBO’s own model is unable to produce an estimate. Additionally, the termination of employees at FDA, including leaders overseeing drug reviews and approvals, will lead to delays in FDA reviews.
“The United States leads the world in medical innovation because of our continued investments in research and development at the NIH. Every $1 invested in NIH research returns $2.50 to the U.S. economy. This unprecedented assault on our health care institutions by the Trump Administration will cut off access to medicines that patients are waiting for, and cause wide-ranging harms to our nation’s economy. The United States’ effort to bring cutting-edge treatments to patients with cancers, rare diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases, will come to a grinding halt because of the Trump Administration’s devastating cuts to NIH and FDA funding,” said the lawmakers.
The new analysis from CBO is HERE.
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