Sen. Ossoff Warns Cuts to Medical Research Funds Could Cost Children's Lives

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WALB) – With the Trump administration implementing significant budget reductions for multiple governmental organizations, funding aimed at pediatric cancer research is also being impacted.Senator Jon Ossoff has cautioned that these cutbacks could be detrimental to children’s health and may lead to loss of young lives.

During an April 30 U.S. Senate Appropriations committee hearing focused on the effects of reduced funding for medical research, Senator Jon Ossof expressed worries over the consequences of the previous administration’s decision to terminate certain medical studies.

At the hearing, Senator Ossoff voiced his worries about the well-being of families whose children are battling cancer.

He stated, "Any parent can relate to this: When you cradle your beloved, pure-hearted child, and experience overwhelming dread at the thought of anything happening to them, imagine being an American parent whose kid has cancer and not knowing if you can get them into a clinical trial—because perhaps there might be hope for saving their life—that feeling is absolutely heart-wrenching."

The reduction in cancer research financing is due to President Trump’s strategy to limit indirect expenses for National Institutes of Health (NIH) research awards to 15%. As reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, this move slashes several billion dollars in funding.

The recipients of this cut include individuals from all over the state, however, Emory University is significantly the biggest beneficiary in Georgia.

Throughout South Georgia, information provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) enabled WALB to analyze the number of individuals who have received diagnoses of cancer within several nearby neighborhoods.

In Dougherty County, nearly 105 individuals out of every 100,000 are affected by some type of invasive cancer. This statistic includes people from all racial backgrounds who are below the age of 50.

Other counties’ approximate measure:

• Lowndes County: 109 people
• Coffee County: 84 people
• Tift County: 118 people
• Thomas County: 131 people

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