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On Thursday, after receiving a briefing from researchers and officials at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, AL-07, spoke out against the Trump administration’s February decision to cut billions of dollars in research grants from the National Institutes of Health — including up to $70 million for UAB alone — and their leaked 2026 budget documents which propose slashing NIH’s budget by 44 percent.
Below is a transcript of her comments.
“Hi, it’s Congresswoman Terri Sewell, and I’m standing here in front of the University of Alabama at Birmingham to bring a spotlight to the amazing research that’s being done right here in the state of Alabama.
“For decades, UAB has been a leading research institution, receiving millions of dollars from the National Institutes of Health for its amazing programing and its amazing research.
“This work is something that is a source of great pride, not just to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, but to our state and to this nation. Sadly, just like so many of the services that our communities rely on, this research funding is being threatened by President Trump and his co-president, Elon Musk, along with thousands of jobs and the livelihoods that it supports.
“In February, at the direction of President Trump, NIH announced sweeping cuts to overhead costs for the research institutions like UAB. That money helps cover the costs of equipment, facilities and other infrastructure that is essential to conducting the lifesaving research that’s done right here.
“Unfortunately, these cuts are only the tip of the iceberg. Just a few days ago, a leaked version of the near-finished 2026 Republican budget showed that the Trump administration wants to have major cuts to NIH.
“We’re looking at nearly half of the budget of NIH being cut and reducing that agency from 27 institutes and centers to just eight.
“Let’s be clear. If this budget is passed, it will have a devastating impact on the biomedical research that’s done right here at UAB. It will not only cut that research, but thousands of jobs will be lost as well.
“So today, I stand on the campus of UAB, which is one of the crown jewels of Alabama and Alabama’s 7th Congressional District. UAB is among the largest employers in the state of Alabama, and it’s a leading research institution, hospital and college and was in the top 1 percent of all NIH funded institutions last year, receiving $407 million in funding in just that year.
“Every day, the phenomenal medical experts here at UAB are hard at work researching the causes and potential cures for conditions like strokes, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other diseases and disorders that devastate families throughout this nation.
“Sadly, President Trump’s cuts will cost UAB approximately $70 million a year. Behind all of those dollars are jobs, livelihoods and potential medical breakthroughs that could save lives. And if the proposed 2026 Republican budget were to pass, it would not only slow lifesaving research to a crawl, but it could eliminate so many of those studies that are ongoing right now.
“This morning, I received a briefing from UAB regarding the state of the research capabilities and the anticipated impact of cuts to research from NIH. I heard directly from researchers who would see their studies harmed or even halted. That is why I am standing here and standing up for UAB.
“We need to fight back against these draconian cuts to research. We know behind every research dollar are lives and livelihoods, and I will continue to stand up for the people that I represent and that includes the amazing research that’s being done right here at UAB.
“Our job as elected officials is to provide resources and better opportunities to the people that we represent, not the opposite.
“To be clear, I welcome the opportunity to work with my Republican colleagues and this administration where and when we can. But if they want to cut lifesaving research in order to give tax breaks to the wealthy and well-connected, I will fight back. I will stand up for UAB and the medical research that they’re doing right here in the state of Alabama.
“It’s about lives and livelihoods. It’s about jobs. It’s about lifesaving technologies. And we simply can’t sit back while this administration continues to make cuts to these lifesaving research institutions like UAB.
“Thank you for the opportunity to represent you every day, and I look forward to you amplifying your voice and letting it be known that the research that’s being done right here in UAB is invaluable to lifesaving breakthrough technologies for the future.
“We will not stand back and watch this happen without a fight. Thanks.”
