NIH cuts blocked by judge as Trump’s comments spur debate on research priorities
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A U.S. judge halted President Donald Trump’s plan to impose deep cuts to National Institutes of Health federal research grants, a move universities and Democratic-led states argued would trigger layoffs, lab closures and hinder scientific and medical advancements.
U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley in Boston issued a nationwide injunction after 22 Democratic attorneys general, medical associations, and universities argued the NIH's planned funding cuts were unlawful. Kelley argued the policy affects grants across the country, calling it "a unilateral change over a weekend, without regard for ongoing research and clinical trials."
She also warned of an "imminent risk of halting life-saving clinical trials" and shuttering research facilities. Kelley issued a temporary restraining order to block the Department of Government Efficiency's hopes to decrease federal funding on Feb. 10, so she could weigh arguments before issuing the injunction.
Trump’s Comments Spark Debate
The move comes a day after Trump boasted about cuts being made at the federal level during his joint session of Congress in which he said that NIH dished out “$8 million for making mice transgender.”
The comment caught the attention of several lawmakers, including U.S Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO) who posted on X, “Democrats want to study transgender mice, President Trump wants America to succeed. That’s the difference.”
Democrats want to study transgender mice, President Trump wants America to succeed. That’s the difference.
— Rep. Mark Alford (@RepMarkAlford) March 5, 2025
Trump’s comment on transgender mice left many speculating that Trump was referring to transgenic mice, which are used in laboratories to study diseases.
“I don't think he did misspeak," Sen. Josh Hawley told ABC 17 News on Wednesday. "I think he is talking about transgender surgeries. Transgender mice. Transgender operas in Peru. Transgender comic books in Colombia. The money that we have been spending under Joe Biden and frankly, a lot of other administrations for many years on this kind of garbage that is directly contrary to our principles as a nation is astounding."
According to a release from the White House, NIH funded roughly $8.3 million to perform transgender experiments on mice. However, the studies designed aimed to examine how these treatments might impact human health, not to make mice transgender.
Using transgenic mice is common practice to research diseases such as cancer. In 2023, the National Cancer Institute awarded $299,940 to a project comparing breast cancer rates between female mice and those undergoing testosterone therapy. Since hormone regulation of breast development is similar in mice and humans, the research enables faster findings than a long-term human study.
"It's amazing to me that anybody defends this stuff,” Hawley said when asked about Trump's comments on NIH. “We ought to be spending money on the American taxpayer delivering Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, as the president has promised to do and is doing, spending more money on our cops and on our veterans. And, of course, cutting the deficit and getting rid of the waste and the fraud, spending and all this garbage.”
Hawley was one of several Republicans who criticized Democrats for not clapping for DJ Daniel, a 13-year-old with brain cancer who was honored during Trump's address. Democrats in Congress have responded by pointing out that the cuts Trump is trying to make to NIH could have an impact on finding a cure for diseases.
This is Dianne and her daughter Emma, who has a rare disease that has been treated thanks to NIH-funded research in NY.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) March 5, 2025
They're here sharing her story and showing why NIH funding is so lifesaving.
And I will stand with them to fight any Republican efforts to slash NIH funding. pic.twitter.com/x9bG5f0hyL
This is Dianne and her daughter Emma, who has a rare disease that has been treated thanks to NIH-funded research in NY.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) March 5, 2025
They're here sharing her story and showing why NIH funding is so lifesaving.
And I will stand with them to fight any Republican efforts to slash NIH funding. pic.twitter.com/x9bG5f0hyL
Impact on Missouri’s Cancer Research
Cuts to NIH could have a direct impact on cancer research across the state.
Missouri has the 28th highest incidence of cancer in the country, reporting an average annual count of 34,875. The data shows that those numbers have been falling in recent years.
The Division of Oncology at Washington University School of Medicine and Siteman Cancer Center runs one of the nation’s leading clinical cancer research programs. In 2022, it enrolled 2,799 patients in more than 600 clinical trials, making it one of the largest cancer trial programs in the Midwest.
In the last federal fiscal year, Missouri received 1,553 NIH grants totaling $901 million. If President Donald Trump's efforts to cut indirect research costs succeed, Missouri universities and research organizations could face about $100 million in funding reductions or be forced to find alternative sources.
Washington University in St. Louis received the most money in NIH funding with 1,192 grants totaling $732 million. ABC 17 News reached out to WashU, which declined to comment.
However, Chancellor Andrew Martin provided a statement to the WashU community on February 8th saying that the University was monitoring the situation.
“These cuts also will be implemented by other federal agencies and stand to have a significant impact on institutions like WashU,” the statement said. “We’re writing to you today because we know this news is probably concerning to many of you. We want to assure you that the university’s leadership team is fully activated and closely monitoring the situation to see what these cuts could mean for our mission-critical work, and to ensure that we are prepared to respond as needed on behalf of the institution.”
The University of Missouri, which received 62 grants worth nearly $70 million, ranked second in NIH funding statewide. The university said NIH grants have supported research in medicine, agriculture, NextGen Precision Health, and diseases like cancer, AIDS, and dementia, as well as a swine research center.
"It will be affected. Period. The question is: How much? And how we were able to figure out how to pay for it?" Associative Journalism Professor and MU Faculty Council Chair Tom Warhover told ABC 17 News in February. "When I hear that, I hear budget cuts."
ABC 17 News has reached out to the University of Missouri for comment.
