AL GOP senator urges Trump admin 'to not hinder' research schools as cuts threaten economic juggernaut

Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) on Saturday vowed to work with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services — on a ”targeted approach” to cut the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

As the Guardian reported Saturday, “the Trump administration is cutting billions of dollars in medical research funding for universities, hospitals and other scientific institutions by reducing the amount they get in associated costs to support such research." In response to the cuts, NIH announced it will slash spending by $4 billion dollars a year by “reducing the amount of ‘indirect’ medical research” institutions receive.

According to AL.com, Britt insisted. “every cent of hard-earned taxpayer money should be spent efficiently, judiciously, and accountably — without exception."

But, she also urged a "target approach" to the spending cuts.

“While the administration works to achieve this goal at NIH, a smart, targeted approach is needed in order to not hinder life-saving, groundbreaking research at high-achieving institutions like those in Alabama,” Britt told AL.com.

AL.com's Scott Turner offers this breakdown of the economic power research institutions bring to Alabama:

UAB [The University of Alabama at Birmingham] alone has received more than a billion dollars in NIH funding in recent years, AL.com’s John Archibald reports. UAH [University of Alabama in Huntsville] also receives NIH funding, university spokesman Russell Nelson said Saturday but couldn’t say how much.

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin urged people “be reminded that UAB is not just the largest employer in the city, it’s the largest employer in the state,” telling Turner the cuts relate to state Gross Domestic Product (GDP), economic growth, “future around genomics, personalized medicine, and where health care is going, NIH research dollars play a massive, significant role.”

Speaking with AL.com, Britt extolled Trump's purported desire for the “United States to lead the world in innovation and achieve the impossible.”

“State-of-the-art facilities, equipment, and technology — along with the best and brightest people — are needed to fulfill President Trump’s vision,” Britt said.

Read the full report at AL.com.