ICYMI: Congresswoman Schrier, Physicians and Researchers at Fred Hutch Discuss Dire Impacts of Budget Cuts on Vital Medical Research, Healthcare Access

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08) joined physicians and researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (Fred Hutch) to discuss how DOGE and proposed federal budget cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and critical medical research have already and will further jeopardize patient access to clinical trials, cutting-edge medical research, future generations of U.S. scientists and clinical care providers, and overall access to innovative cancer therapies in Washington state.

“The treatment provided and research conducted by Fred Hutch have been lifesaving for patients in the Eighth District and all across our nation. However, the Trump Administration’s proposed cuts to medical research and key agencies like the NIH directly threaten Fred Hutch’s work – and the work of similar centers throughout the country, endangering the well-being of countless individuals,” said Congresswoman Schrier, M.D. “At a time when Republicans in Congress have already ripped healthcare away from 15 million Americans, additional slashing of funding for medical research will further compromise our health. As a doctor, I know how critical institutions like Fred Hutch are, and that’s why I’ll continue to stand up for my constituents and for science, and against these reckless cuts.”

"Discovery science often takes us in directions we can’t predict—but that’s exactly where breakthroughs are born. Only with sustained federal investment in research can we continue to see progress in cancer treatment," said Dr. Peter Nelson, vice president of precision oncology at Fred Hutch where he holds the Stuart and Molly Sloan Precision Oncology Institute Endowed Chair. "We owe it to future generations and the patients undergoing treatment right now to not let that momentum slip away." 

Congresswoman Schrier with Dr. Peter Nelson, Vice President of Precision Oncology at Fred Hutch (photo courtesy of Robert Hood, Fred Hutch)

Federal funding comprises more than $400 million – or 70% – of Fred Hutch’s research funding and is fundamental to its mission of preventing, treating, and curing cancer and infectious diseases. Budget cuts will have a dire impact on the institution’s work today and into the future, cede this ground to China, and kneecap an agency that is currently the envy of the world - our crown jewel.

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