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The Trump administration is not making America healthy again. The mission statement of the National Institutes of Health includes: “NIH’s mission is to … enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability.”
As noted by the Brennan Center, a non-partisan law and policy organization, the Trump Administration froze or cut $2.3 billion in previously approved NIH grants in 2025. These cuts not only disrupted research progress but also had serious consequences for patients, as trials of potential new medical treatments were delayed or halted.
The effects of these cuts will be felt for decades — advances in biomedical research rely on consistent funding over the years, and interruptions to funding now will result in fewer new drugs in the future. These disruptions also threaten to shrink the scientific workforce across the country, including Maine.
I edited biomedical research grants at The Jackson Laboratory and the MDI Biological Laboratory, both in Bar Harbor, for a total of 28 years. Scientists at these institutions dedicate their lives to bettering human health. The uncertain prospects for research funding makes it difficult for them to plan their research projects and their career paths. The turbulent research landscape can also discourage motivated young students from pursuing careers in science.
If we want to steer biomedical research back on course, and create and protect jobs in Maine, I believe we need to vote for candidates who will oppose the Trump administration’s reckless approach to scientific research.
Stephen Sampson
Southwest Harbor
Source: www.bangordailynews.com
