Following a string of executive orders from President Donald Trump regarding public health funding, The Equinox is concerned that the current administration is slashing critical research and grant-funded work without care or cause.
Throughout Trump’s campaign for president, he frequently reiterated his desire for government efficiency, even going so far as to launch the Department of Government Efficiency under the leadership of billionaire Elon Musk.
While we think it is a noble goal to strive toward a better-working and more well-run government, Trump’s targeting of critical public health infrastructure such as research is deeply concerning.
Dartmouth College and Dartmouth Health recently held a press conference detailing the potential impacts of Trump’s cap on research funding, which has currently been placed on pause by a federal judge, according to National Public Radio reporting.
Dean Madden, vice provost for research at Dartmouth College, told New Hampshire Public Radio what the potential impacts of the order would be if it were to survive legal challenges.
“The result is going to be less science, fewer breakthrough therapies and less innovations,” Madden said.
We share Madden’s sentiment and would ask the Trump administration to more closely examine genuine instances of fraud, waste and abuse present in the federal government.
Applying an artificial cap to critical funding infrastructure for a wide variety of medical projects, including those that seek to advance cancer and Alzheimer’s research, is a deeply inhumane move and leaves us wondering if the current administration even sees the importance of such work.
We cannot help but worry about the future of public health in the country, as the actions taken by this administration appear to be in direct contradiction to what the goals of the health sector should be.
In addition to the funding caps, the federal government ceased all communication with public health agencies amid the rapidly expanding bird flu crisis, according to a report from NBC.
While some communications have since resumed, a large portion of public releases remain stonewalled for the time being.
It is hard to wrap our minds around how a blanket freeze on the release of important health information would help anyone or make the government more efficient.
Additionally, the confirmation of vaccine-skeptic Robert Kennedy Jr. as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services does not bode well either.
Kennedy has claimed he wants to “Make America Healthy Again” which, again, seems like a great idea on paper. However, the issue lies within the execution, or lack thereof, toward this goal.
Kennedy himself does not have any background in the health sector or relevant experience in the field, having previously worked as an environmental lawyer for much of his life.
The level of inexperience and incompetence, particularly on the health front of this administration, makes it clear we are in for a brutal next few years in terms of uncertainty in all facets of day-to-day life.
In terms of striving toward efficiency, there are some areas where this could potentially be valuable work and end up saving taxpayers millions, if not billions, of dollars overall.
One example of waste in government to look at would be the Department of Defense, which has failed to pass a single financial audit in the past 33 years, according to reporting from Forbes.
The defense sector would be a wise place to start if the federal government is serious about examining waste and abuse, but we understand there is little interest among Congress in doing so.
It is easy to see why Congress would prefer not to examine military spending especially given the prevalence and power of defense contractors’ lobbying money. Unfortunately, the medical community does not have such a built-out lobbying arm, save for the pharmaceutical industry whose primary goal is to turn a profit rather than advance medical research for the most part.
Regardless, we encourage our readers to stay informed on the issues facing them. It is not productive to simply read the newest headlines coming out of the federal government and wallow in how bleak things seem nowadays.
We implore members of the campus community, to take action whether it be through contacting your relevant representatives or attending protests.
It takes a village to strive toward a better community and push back against these anti-science measures.
