In a major victory for Seattle’s biomedical research hubs and Washington state families, Senator Murray prevents Trump’s devastating cuts to NIH and research into lifesaving cures and treatments
NIH funding supports more than 12,000 jobs across Washington state and more than $3 billion in economic activity
ICYMI: Senator Murray Secures Hundreds of Millions for Transportation & Housing Projects Across WA in Final Appropriations Bills; Boosts Funding for Medical Research, Housing, Child Care & More
***FULL VIDEO OF PRESS CONFERENCE HERE, PHOTOS AND B-ROLL HERE***
Seattle, WA — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, held a press conference at Seattle Children’s Hospital on the heels of securing $48.7 billion, a $415 million increase, for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to strengthen biomedical research. Last year in Seattle, Senator Murray heard from leading researchers and others about the havoc Trump wreaked on NIH, Senator Murray pledged early on to tear up Trump’s budget and write a new one—now, roughly a year later, Senator Murray has outright rejected Trump’s proposed 40% cut to NIH.
Senator Murray was joined by Dr. Christopher Longhurst, Seattle Children’s CEO, Dr. Vittorio Gallo, Seattle Children’s Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Rachel Issaka, Director of the Medicine Population Health Colorectal Cancer Screening Program at Fred Hutch and the University of Washington, Dr. Elizabeth Wayne, Assistant Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Washington, and Brianne Riley and her son Camden, who is a patient at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
“Instead of cutting cancer and Alzheimer’s research by nearly half like Trump wanted—I won a more than $415 million increase,” said Senator Murray. “Last week we won a huge victory for medical research across the country: a spending bill that said no to Trump’s war on research and yes to lifesaving breakthroughs. We said no to Trump’s plan to ax medical research by a whopping 40 percent. We once again said no to Trump’s indirect cost cap proposal that would devastate biomedical research institutes across the country. And we said no to Trump’s new ‘lump sum’ grant scheme which was just one more attempt to rob researchers of grant award opportunities, and leave patients with fewer chances for a cure. ‘No’ may not be something President Trump hears often enough. But we said it clearly in our funding bill—and we made him sign it into law.”
In the government funding bill Trump signed into law on Feb 3, 2026, Senator Murray secured $48.7 billion, a $415 million increase, for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to strengthen biomedical research, including $226 million for Senator Murray’s landmark 21st Century Cures Act. The bill delivers funding boosts for NIH’s Office of Research on Women’s Health (+$30 million), Alzheimer’s disease (+$100 million), cancer (+$128 million), allergies and infectious disease (+23 million), ALS (+$15 million), maternal mortality (+$10 million), diabetes (+$10 million), and rare diseases (+$10 million). Senator Murray continues to be the leading Democratic voice speaking out for more investments in biomedical research and protecting NIH, and this bill is an important step in preventing the Trump administration from decimating the biomedical research enterprise Congress has built in a bipartisan manner over decades, which has long been the envy of the world and drives medical innovation that has saved millions of lives.
- The bill rejects the Trump administration’s proposal—and illegal efforts—to cap indirect cost rates at 15%, which would devastate biomedical research, and it continues a longstanding provision that prohibits NIH from implementing such a cap. The bill also rejects the Trump administration’s misguided elimination of programs across NIH by maintaining level funding for HIV vaccine research, training programs that support the next generation of researchers, and the Safe to Sleep campaign, among others.
- The bill includes a new provision that prevents implementation of the Office of Management and Budget’s misguided policy for NIH to fund significantly more multiyear research grants in one lump sum. This poorly thought-out policy would significantly cut the number of research grants NIH awards — just as it did in fiscal year 2025 when it resulted in 2,000 fewer research grants being funded.
- The bill also includes a new authority for NIH to address loopholes in sexual harassment reporting and strengthen accountability.
Senator Murray also secured $3 million in Congressionally Directed Spending for Seattle Children’s Hospital, for the construction of a youth behavioral health crisis stabilization unit—to provide a safe and comfortable space for kids in crisis, who are at risk of seriously harming themselves or taking their own lives. Prior to the press conference, Murray was able to see the current spaces being used for children in behavioral health crisis and hear more about the need for the federal funding she secured.
Senator Murray, a longtime congressional leader on health care, has been fighting back tirelessly against the Trump administration’s efforts to gut lifesaving research at NIH and push out nearly 4,000 skilled scientists, grants administrators, and other employees at the agency. She led the entire Democratic caucus in a letter last February raising the alarm over the Trump administration’s actions to threaten American biomedical research infrastructure and set us back generations. Senator Murray released a statement decrying the Trump administration’s all-out assault on the NIH upon meeting with Dr. Bhattacharya last February, and at his nomination hearing in March, she pressed Bhattacharya on the Trump administration’s efforts to cut billions from biomedical research through an illegal cap on indirect costs, and their unprecedented halt on NIH Advisory Council Meetings, among other issues. In October, Senator Murray slammed the Trump administration at a HELP hearing for upending biomedical research and cancelling grants, taking a toll at NIH and FDA. She has sent numerous oversight letters and hosted numerous press conferences and events to lay out how the administration’s reckless gutting of HHS is risking Americans health and safety and will set our country back decades, and lifting up the voices of HHS employees who were fired for no reason and through no fault of their own. Murray has not let up on her oversight of NIH, at a recent HELP hearing earlier this month, she once again pressed Dr. Bhattacharya accountable for his decision to disband the NIH’s Advisory Committee to the Director—an unprecedented change to the longstanding expert panel—and Institute and Center advisory councils and review panels, and for the fallout of the Trump administration’s cuts to clinical trials.
Throughout her career, Senator Murray has led Congressional efforts to boost biomedical research. Over her years as Chair of the Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee, she secured billions of dollars in increases for biomedical research at NIH, and during her time as Chair of the HELP Committee she established the new ARPA-H research agency as part of her PREVENT Pandemics Act to advance some of the most cutting-edge research in the field. Senator Murray was also the lead Democratic negotiator of the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act, which delivered a major federal investment to boost NIH research, among many other investments.
Senator Murray’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below:
“Trump did everything he could to turn medical research upside down, he fired federal researchers, he cancelled research mid-study, he tried to implement an illegal funding cap that would have devastated biomedical research, and he ultimately funded fewer grants by changing how NIH got money out the door. And perhaps most alarmingly he wanted to cut medical research funding by 40%! Absolutely not. I was not going to let that happen. No way, no how.
“I was at Seattle Children’s last year, holding a roundtable where I heard from so many about how Trump’s cuts would crush our research institutions. I made a commitment early on that I would tear up Trump’s budget and write a new one. And, now, a year later—that’s exactly what I’ve done. Instead of cutting cancer and Alzheimer’s research by nearly half like Trump wanted—I won a more than $415 million increase.
“Every penny will make a difference because let’s not forget, Washington state is a hub of medical discovery with so many powerhouse institutions like, Seattle Children’s Hospital, The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and UW that are doing pioneering research. That translates to more than 12,000 jobs in our state and more than $3 billion in economic activity. Let’s just remember: that investment in medical research really pays off.
“Now look, I am not letting any President defund promising research, destroy world class institutions, and toss potentially lifesaving cures and treatments in the trash. So, I fought to stop the damaging cuts and reckless firings. I put a spotlight on the heartbreaking stories of patients—pushed out of clinical trials and researchers forced to halt groundbreaking work. I made clear the stakes if we let Trump succeed in undermining lifesaving research happening at world class institutions like the ones represented here today. I refused to let any of my Republican colleagues look away.
“Some fights—we were able to win quickly, We got some research back on track, we got some attempted cuts reversed, we got some funds unfrozen so folks could get back to work. We also blocked Trump’s plan to slap sudden, arbitrary caps on research expenses—something I helped write into our laws years ago. But of course, with Trump and RFK Jr. at the wheel—there is always another attack on our medical researchers we have to be ready for.
“So I have been lacing up my tennis shoes—and fighting the good fight every single day. Last year, I helped lead a hearing in Washington D.C.—focused specifically on biomedical research, and the damage Trump was doing. We heard powerful testimony from Emily Stenson, a mom and patient advocate, whose daughter Charlie, was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at just three years old, but who got lifesaving care here at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Charlie had care that would not have been possible without NIH clinical trials—including an alternate treatment regimen that avoided side effects like hearing loss. And now she is cancer free.
“Shortly after that hearing—I came here, and held a roundtable a Seattle Children’s—to hear from more voices on the ground. The excellent doctors and researchers here in our state. And another young patient—Olivia, who was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder several years ago and got incredible care here.
“I carry those stories back with me in the other Washington, and I bring them with me into the negotiating room, so I can make sure patients like Charlie and Olivia have their voices heard in the halls of power. And—last week—those voices were heard.
“Because last week we won a huge victory for medical research across the country: a spending bill that said no to Trump’s war on research and yes to lifesaving breakthroughs. I’ll repeat myself because it’s good news and we need more of that: We said no to Trump’s plan to ax medical research by a whopping 40 percent.
“We once again said no to Trump’s indirect cost cap proposal that would devastate biomedical research institutes across the country. And we said no to Trump’s new ‘lump sum’ grant scheme which was just one more attempt to rob researchers of grant award opportunities, and leave patients with fewer chances for a cure. ‘No’ may not be something President Trump hears often enough. But we said it clearly in our funding bill—and we made him sign it into law.
“So, I could not be more thrilled to come back here and share that good news with everyone. And I could not be more excited to see what good work our researchers are able to do with these new investments. Because I know, we have people across Washington state fighting some heroic battles against deadly diseases. And I will keep fighting for them every day in the other Washington.
“I hear their stories all the time—and we will hear from some of them today as well. And my message to all our brave patients, and dedicated researchers—I know you are never giving up and I’m not either! Because this is about so much more than the economic activity and the science—all of that matter tremendously, yes, but it’s also about hope.
“Hope for kids like Charlie and Olivia. And hope for kids like Camden, and his parents Chris and Brianne. Brianne, Camden, I read about your incredible story. Thank you for being here. I can’t wait for everyone to hear from you.
“So I’ll close with this: As long as I have anything to say about it—and as Vice Chair of Appropriations I do have a lot to say about it. We are going to keep funding—and keep finding—lifesaving cures.”
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