HHS Secretary and anti-vax zealot RFK, Jr had a hissy fit over being called to the carpet by Senator Tammy Baldwin because he took a sledgehammer to cancer research and other important grants and studies aimed at curing illnesses in the name of anti-DEI measures.
For much of his testimony, Jr. refused to give coherent answers and claimed how much he loves research.
Kennedy tried to filibuster his non-answers, feigning outrage and declaring the proceedings a “fun game.” By the way, how does defunding the NIH make the health of this country better? Why don’t we poll cancer patients and see?
BALDWIN: Is it DOGE reviewing NIH funding opportunity announcements? Is it DOGE reviewing NIH grant awards?
RFKJR: We’ve got administrators, we’re cutting waste, we’re cutting duplicative programs.
BALDWIN: And you’re funding three billion dollars less in medical biomedical research than you did a year prior?
RFKJR: We’re spending less on administration of those programs.
BALDWIN: 3,200 fewer grants.
RFKJR: Many of the grants were terminated because they were grants that were not advancing.
BALDWIN: These aren’t grants terminated; these are grants not awarded because the panels weren’t convened.
RFKJR: Senator, we spend 70% of the world’s biomedical research out of NIH, 70%, and we’re the sickest country in the world.
BALDWIN: We’re cutting 18 billion dollars, or 40% from the NIH budget, to slow the development of new treatments.
