In House Floor Speech, Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Denounces Trump Administration’s NIH Funding Cuts and Their Impact on Puerto Rico’s Healthcare Systems

Click HERE to watch the Resident Commissioner’s speech.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Rivera took to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to strongly oppose the Trump Administration’s recent cuts to federal grant funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

These reductions, which slash crucial research funding for universities, medical centers, and research institutions, will have devastating consequences for Puerto Rico’s most vulnerable populations, particularly seniors and patients and their families suffering from diseases like cancer, diabetes, and other rare diseases.

In fiscal year 2024, NIH funding supported 73 projects in Puerto Rico amounting to over $53 million to provide resources for Puerto Rico universities, hospitals, and research centers, like Centro Médico in San Juan, that work tirelessly to care for our citizens in Puerto Rico.

Click HERE to view the Resident Commissioner’s speech.

Below is the Resident Commissioner’s speech as delivered:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the Administration recently announced sharp cuts to federal grant funding to universities, medical centers, and other research institutions.

These cuts will devastate our students, our professors, our seniors, and what concerns me the most, these cuts will devastate Puerto Rico.

Why?

The NIH, the target of these cuts, funds critical medical research. During the past year, the NIH has supported 73 projects and provided up to 53 million dollars for Puerto Rico’s universities, hospitals, and research centers, like Centro Médico in San Juan.

These cuts threaten local programs studying diseases that disproportionately affect Puerto Ricans, like diabetes, Alzheimer's, cancer, and other rare diseases.

These cuts will hinder scientific research and progress.

These cuts will hinder the people’s access to health care.

These cuts will set us back vis-a-vis China and our geopolitical rivals.

The government cannot treat people like numbers on a spreadsheet.

We can’t cut corners on health care and education.

We can’t fall behind our global rivals.

We must protect the NIH.

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