Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed is pushing back against federal cuts for vaccine development.
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Tuesday that he's halting funding for projects targeting viruses like COVID-19 and the flu.
Reed says Kennedy's move to bow down to anti-vaxxers and cancel 500-million-dollars for mRNA vaccine development is bad for public health and bad for science.
“First President Trump depleted the FDA, then he delayed price cuts on prescription drugs. Now he’s threatening massive price hikes on people’s prescription medications. Under Trump, billionaires get bigger tax breaks while working people get higher prices,” said Senator Reed.
“The American people deserve real relief when it comes to high drug prices,” Reed continued. “But President Trump’s haphazard approach is counterproductive. Instead of lowering costs, President Trump is threatening new, backdoor taxes to make prescription drugs even more expensive for people who are already struggling with higher medical bills and less access to health insurance because of his other misguided policies. Through a myriad of ways, President Trump is actively raising people’s premiums and out of pocket costs for needed medications.”
Reed says the move will stop U.S. researchers from making discoveries in the fight against cancer, respiratory illnesses, and much more.
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