Nanette Barragán Has Tense Exchange With RFK Jr. About Reported Cuts To Alzheimer's Research

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At a House Energy Committee hearing on Tuesday, Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-CA) questioned HHS Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

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00:00Representative Merrigan from California. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Mr. Secretary,

00:05for being here today. You mentioned that one of the focuses is to end chronic disease epidemic.

00:12So I want to talk about Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's devastates millions of Americans across this

00:16country. It robs loved ones of their memories, their independence, and ultimately their lives.

00:21Today, almost 7 million Americans live with Alzheimer's disease, and that number will

00:25double by 2060. I believe the NIH is doing research that is critical to the development of Alzheimer's

00:33disease treatments. Do you agree with that assessment? Yes or no? We are completely committed

00:38to solving the problem of Alzheimer's. Do you agree that the NIH's research is critical to the

00:43development of Alzheimer's disease treatments? I do. The issue is complicated. You do? Okay. If you want

00:49a real answer to that question, I'm happy to give it to you. I have limited time. So you said that you

00:54think it's critical, yet you are proposing to cut $1.7 billion from the NIH's National Institute on

01:04Aging, which is the primary federal agency that supports and conducts Alzheimer's and dementia

01:11research. That's a lot of money, Mr. Secretary, for you being committed to ending an epidemic like

01:18Alzheimer's. And saying that you believe that NIH does critical work, that is a ton of money.

01:27I want to turn to Alzheimer's disease research centers. Are you familiar with Alzheimer's disease

01:35research centers? No, I can't say that I am. Okay. Well, let me tell you that the research centers,

01:4335 NIH-funded Alzheimer's research centers, were helping families across the country. They support

01:50things like research, diagnosis, brain donation, and caregiver services. They were really critical,

01:59and they are very critical across this country in all states, red states, blue states, purple states. As of

02:06May 13th, 13 of the 35 centers have lost federal funding due to delays and uncertainty at the NIH.

02:1613. That's a lot of them. Mr. Secretary, are you aware of that? I am not, but I will look into it.

02:23I really appreciate that you will look into that, because states like Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee

02:30have lost millions and millions of dollars. And I'm talking about red states and purple states,

02:35not just blue states. It's irrelevant to us whether it's in a blue or red state. Well,

02:41sometimes it doesn't feel that way. That's why I say that. Now we're seeing layoffs, frozen brain banks,

02:49and halted research. That's almost 40 percent of our Alzheimer's research centers in crisis.

02:56So I want to ask that we insert into the record a number of articles. Alzheimer's disease research

03:01centers struggle as one-third lose their federal funding, and a second article of life-saving

03:07Alzheimer's research delayed by Trump funding cuts. Mr. Chair, into the record? Okay, I'm going to move

03:14on. I'm going to assume that's a yes, because my time is going. Okay, with no objection. So,

03:19Mr. Secretary, 14 of the centers that remain have their funding that's up for renewal in 2026.

03:28The budget you propose, as I mentioned, is going to cut $1.7 billion from the NIH's National Aging,

03:35the Institute of Aging, which is the main federal agency supports it. What I would like is for you to

03:43commit that you are going to fund, fully fund, the NIH's 14 centers whose renewal and up is in 2026.

03:54Will you commit? I can tell you that we have not cut any clinical trials on Alzheimer's.

04:01I'm telling you that we, I'm just telling you there was 35, and you guys have already cut

04:0713 of them because of the funding. This was congressionally approved dollars on a bipartisan

04:16basis. It's, there is almost nothing more bipartisan than Alzheimer's funding. Okay, money was approved,

04:23congressionally approved dollars, and your agency has cut 13 of 35. I'm simply asking for a simple

04:32commitment, and that is from the 14 that remain, okay, that you at least commit to fully funding those.

04:41I'm happy to work with you on this, Congresswoman. I don't know that what you're saying is true.

04:46It's something that I'll have to confirm, and I'm happy to work with you on it.

04:51Well, I appreciate that you're going to work with, with me on that. Um, but it is troubling that the,

04:57the head of the department doesn't know about these drastic cuts to something like Alzheimer's,

05:02which is so very, very critical. Again, I don't know if what you're telling me is true,

05:06but I'm happy to work with you on it. General meeting's time has expired.

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