Trump and Musk Accused of Breaking the Law by Slashing Billions in Funding for Cancer and Disease Research

The Trump administration is under fire for pushing a policy that would slash federal funding for research focused on finding cures for some of the most deadly diseases affecting American families.

The administration’s latest move would cap indirect costs on National Institutes of Health research grants at 15 percent, a decision that could cut billions in support for essential research into cancer, Alzheimer’s, ALS, diabetes, mental health disorders, opioid abuse, and other serious health conditions.

These indirect costs, also known as facilities and administrative expenses, cover the backbone of scientific research. They fund lab space, scientific equipment, research staff, and critical infrastructure that make advanced biomedical breakthroughs possible.

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Health, called the move illegal and dangerous. She pointed out that Congress has repeatedly passed laws since 2018 that prevent any administration from changing NIH funding structures without approval.

“President Trump and Elon Musk are acting in clear violation of the law,” DeLauro said. “They are attempting to steal critical funding from institutions working to save lives.”

In 2017, Trump first proposed cutting NIH funding by nearly 20 percent, which included almost one billion dollars slashed from cancer research. That plan was widely rejected by both Democrats and Republicans. In response, Congress held hearings and crafted legislation to protect NIH grants, including specific language preventing changes to how indirect costs are funded.

That law has been renewed in every annual appropriations bill since then. Yet the Trump administration is again attempting to override it.

DeLauro warned that the move could delay or derail research into diseases that affect millions of Americans and accused the administration of putting lives at risk.

“President Trump is taking an axe to our country’s medical progress,” she said. “This proposal will cost lives and must be stopped.”

Legal experts expect a federal judge to weigh in soon. Until then, researchers and public health advocates remain concerned about the future of vital research that keeps the United States at the forefront of medical innovation.