Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
The cochairs of the bipartisan Congressional Diabetes Caucus are pressing HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for answers about the administration's decision to terminate funding for a decades-long Columbia University–led study on diabetes prevention.
Why it matters: Rep. Gus Bilirakis, the Republican cochair of the caucus, joined Energy and Commerce health subcommittee Ranking Member Diana DeGette in criticizing the decision and questioning whether funds would be reallocated to continue the work.
Catch up quick: A letter first shared with Axios states that this month the NIH terminated grant support for a Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study, which was managed by Columbia.
- The Trump administration canceled more than $400 million in federal grants and contracts to the university in early March over its handling of Gaza war protests.
- Columbia has since changed policies to try to comply with the administration's demands, while two organizations representing Columbia faculty sued the administration over the grant freeze Tuesday.
State of play: The diabetes study has been ongoing for decades and is investigating the link between type 2 diabetes and dementia, as well as whether lifestyle preventions help prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.
- DeGette and Bilirakis asked Kennedy whether NIH is considering shifting the funding to another institution and whether there are plans to ensure that the taxpayer funds spent on the program don't go to waste.
What they're saying: "We are dedicated to to the preservation of DPPOS funding and urge the continuation of this critical study advancing diabetes prevention and public health efforts," they wrote.
