• Investing
  • Stock
  • Economy
  • Editor’s Pick
Portfolio Performance Today
Economy

Trump’s pick to lead NIH, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, confirmed by Senate in party-line vote

by March 26, 2025
by March 26, 2025

The full Senate voted Tuesday evening to confirm President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Dr. Jay Bhattacharya.

The party-line vote followed approval from the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, which also voted along party lines to advance Bhattacharya, leading to today’s full Senate vote.  

A physician, Stanford professor of medicine and senior fellow at the university’s Institute for Economic Policy Research, Bhattacharya was a leading voice during the COVID-19 pandemic against lockdown measures and vaccine mandates. 

He was one of the co-authors of the Great Barrington Declaration, a document published in October 2020 by a group of scientists advocating against widespread COVID lockdowns and promoting the efficacy of natural immunity for low-risk individuals as opposed to vaccination.

Bhattacharya was probed by the Senate HELP Committee earlier this month over various issues related to his potential role as NIH director. However, for much of the hearing, he was forced to defend the president’s decision to cut certain research funds at NIH, including a 15% cap on indirect research costs, also known as facilities and administrative costs, dispersed by the NIH.

Bhattacharya would not explicitly say he disagreed with the cuts, or that, if confirmed, he would step in to stop them. Rather, he said he would ‘follow the law,’ while also investigating the effect of the cuts and ensuring every NIH researcher doing work that advances the health outcomes of Americans has the resources necessary.

‘I think transparency regarding indirect costs is absolutely worthwhile. It’s something that universities can fix by working together to make sure that where that money goes is made clear,’ Bhattacharya said of the indirect costs going to universities, hospitals and research clinics from the NIH. 

In addition to addressing questions about the Trump cuts, Bhattacharya also laid out what he called a new, decentralized vision for future research at NIH that he said will be aimed at embracing dissenting ideas and transparency, while focusing on research topics that have the best chance at directly benefiting health outcomes of Americans. Bhattacharya added that he wants to rid the agency’s research portfolio of other ‘frivolous’ efforts that he says do little to directly benefit health outcomes.

‘I think fundamentally what matters is do scientists have an idea that advances the scientific field they’re in?’ Bhattacharya said last week during his confirmation testimony. ‘Do they have an idea that ends up addressing the health needs of Americans?’

Prior to his confirmation, Bhattacharya, alongside several other scientists, including Trump’s pick to head the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Marty Makary, launched a new research journal focused on spurring scientific discourse and combating ‘gatekeeping’ in the medical research community. The journal, the Journal of the Academy of Public Health (JAPH), aims to spur scientific discourse by publishing peer reviews of prominent studies from other journals that do not make their peer reviews publicly available.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

0 comment
0
FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

previous post
GOP senator says Dr Oz ignored his questions on transgender issues, abortion
next post
Trump FDA pick clears last hurdle after flipping vaccine question on Dem in confirmation hearing

Related Posts

Despite Tariffs, Inflation Remained Low in May

June 27, 2025

PBS and NPR: A Free Press Doesn’t Need...

June 27, 2025

Trump v Powell: The Credibility Cost of Politicized...

June 27, 2025

Trump v Powell: The Credibility Cost of Politicized...

June 27, 2025

PBS and NPR: A Free Press Doesn’t Need...

June 27, 2025

Drone incursions on US bases come under intense...

June 27, 2025

Fury erupts as unelected Senate ‘scorekeeper’ blocks Trump’s...

June 27, 2025

GOP senator calls for parliamentarian’s firing after serving...

June 27, 2025

‘Swiss army knife’: Inside VP Vance’s first 5...

June 27, 2025

‘Presidential incapacity’: Senate Republican seeks paper trail of...

June 27, 2025

Stay updated with the latest news, exclusive offers, and special promotions. Sign up now and be the first to know! As a member, you'll receive curated content, insider tips, and invitations to exclusive events. Don't miss out on being part of something special.

By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

Recent Posts

  • Despite Tariffs, Inflation Remained Low in May

    June 27, 2025
  • PBS and NPR: A Free Press Doesn’t Need a Government Budget Line 

    June 27, 2025
  • Trump v Powell: The Credibility Cost of Politicized Monetary Policy

    June 27, 2025
  • Consumer IoT Products are Priced 44% Higher on Average Than Similar Non-Connected Products

    June 27, 2025
  • Morse Micro Wi-Fi HaLow Technology Receives Matter Certification

    June 27, 2025
  • Nordic Semiconductor acquires Memfault, launches the first complete chip-to-cloud platform for lifecycle management of connected products

    June 27, 2025

Editors’ Picks

  • 1

    Meta executives eligible for 200% salary bonus under new pay structure

    February 21, 2025
  • 2

    Walmart earnings preview: What to expect before Thursday’s opening bell

    February 20, 2025
  • 3

    New FBI leader Kash Patel tapped to run ATF as acting director

    February 23, 2025
  • 4

    Anthropic’s newly released Claude 3.7 Sonnet can ‘think’ as long as the user wants before giving an answer

    February 25, 2025
  • 5

    Nvidia’s investment in SoundHound wasn’t all that significant after all

    March 1, 2025
  • 6

    Elon Musk says federal employees must fill out productivity reports or resign

    February 23, 2025
  • 7

    Cramer reveals a sub-sector of technology that can withstand Trump tariffs

    March 1, 2025

Categories

  • Economy (1,642)
  • Editor's Pick (171)
  • Investing (185)
  • Stock (1,062)
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Copyright © 2025 Portfolioperformancetoday.com All Rights Reserved.

Portfolio Performance Today
  • Investing
  • Stock
  • Economy
  • Editor’s Pick
Portfolio Performance Today
  • Investing
  • Stock
  • Economy
  • Editor’s Pick
Copyright © 2025 Portfolioperformancetoday.com All Rights Reserved.

Read alsox

Credit Markets on Edge as Tariff Pressure Builds

April 16, 2025

Booker delivers record Senate speech against Trump...

April 2, 2025

Mike Lawler tells NY Dem to ‘f—...

June 13, 2025