Shadow President Musk & Republicans Defund Life-Saving Medical Research

MADISON, Wis. — Over the weekend, Shadow President Elon Musk and Republicans announced a new, $4 billion cut to NIH medical research. This cut would devastate research into diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s and diabetes, and threaten more than 7,000 jobs and $1.4 billion in economic activity in Wisconsin alone.

Democratic Party of Wisconsin Communications Director Joe Oslund issued the following statement:

“The $4 billion cut to medical research announced by Republicans over the weekend is unforgivable. People will die as a result of this, and thousands of jobs and more than a billion in economic activity here in Wisconsin are now under threat thanks to the Republican defunding of cutting-edge research that saves lives and powers Wisconsin’s economy.”

Republican defunding of life-saving medical research into cancer, Alzheimer’s and other diseases will imperil more than 7,000 jobs and $1.4 billion in economic activity.

MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL: “The University of Wisconsin-Madison, one of the nation’s top research institutions, says National Institutes of Health funding cuts will ‘significantly disrupt vital research activity and delay lifesaving discoveries and cures’ for cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and more. The cuts for medical research are part of a broader push by the Trump administration and Elon Musk to reshape and reduce the size of the federal government. On Monday, 22 states, including Wisconsin, sued to block the cuts.”

Gov. Evers and AG Josh Kaul are fighting in court to stop the lawless Musk-led Republican attack on life-saving research.

WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO: “On Monday morning Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul joined a federal lawsuit filed by Massachusetts Attorney Andrea Joy Campbell against the Trump Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services and NIH saying they are unlawfully cutting funds that support cutting-edge medical and public health research at universities and research institutions across the country. Twenty two states are party to the suit. In a statement, Gov. Tony Evers said ensuring UW System’s success is a critical part of ensuring Wisconsin’s future economic success. ‘To think that the Trump administration wants to gut funding to help find cures and treatments for things like cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes—it’s unconscionable,’ Evers wrote. ‘The University of Wisconsin System is a national and global leader in helping solve real problems for people here in Wisconsin and the world over.’”

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin conduct life-saving research—such as a national study to better understand biological signs of Alzheimer’s, testing of new drug therapeutics to treat blindness, and clinical trials of a new treatment for Parkinson’s disease.

WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO: “Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have collected brain scans in a first-of-its kind study on Alzheimer’s disease. The national research project is working to gather comprehensive brain imaging and blood-based biomarkers from 2,000 participants across the country. The data, which is collected from individuals twice over three years, will allow researchers to track biological signs of Alzheimer’s in order to better understand the disease. Scientists also hope the research will further understanding of other types of cognitive impairments or dementias in older adults.”

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN: “With new support from the National Institutes of Health, a team of researchers at the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery will lead drug therapeutics testing for two diseases known to cause blindness. Over the next five years, the collaborative project will use the $29 million NIH grant to merge new drug delivery systems with advanced genome CRISPR technology, innovating new treatments for Best Disease (BD) and Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA), both of which are currently untreatable hereditary diseases.”

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN: “People with Parkinson’s disease are receiving a new treatment in a clinical trial started after University of Wisconsin–Madison scientists demonstrated the safety and feasibility of the therapeutic delivery method in a study of non-human primates. Parkinson’s disease damages neurons in the brain that produce dopamine, a brain chemical that transmits signals between nerve cells. The disrupted signals make it progressively harder to coordinate even simple movements and cause rigidity, slowness and tremors that are the disease’s hallmark symptoms. Patients are typically treated with drugs like L-DOPA to increase dopamine production. Although the drugs help many patients, they present complications and lose their effectiveness over time.”

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.