Hundreds gather at HHS to protest NIH, academic research cuts

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Hundreds of people gathered on the steps of the Department of Health and Human Services in D.C. on Wednesday afternoon, criticizing changes and cuts to federal agencies connected to public health.

The event, called 鈥淔und Don鈥檛 Freeze,鈥� brought community members, federal workers, union leaders and lawmakers together to speak out against the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, which Elon Musk was tapped to lead, and warn about the consequences of cutting funding to research cures and treatments for diseases.

The National Institutes of Health cut billions in medical research as part of President Donald Trump鈥檚 administration鈥檚 plans, The Associated Press reported.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-M.D., meanwhile, told the crowd that cuts and changes will be fought by Congress, in courts and through protests and demonstrations.

鈥淚 was part of the illegal mass firings that have occurred,鈥� one former Food and Drug Administration worker, who asked not to be named, said. 鈥淚 was told that I was being let go because I was no longer needed, and that my position was not a service to the American people anymore, which I find hard to believe as a food safety chemist.鈥�

That worker said she was on probationary status, and was told she鈥檇 have 30 days of administrative leave. She was part of a unit developing chemical methods to protect the food supply.

鈥淲hen you get rid of people doing those kinds of jobs, you put infants at risk, because there’s not enough chemists to look at formula,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here’s bird flu going around right now, and we have all kinds of people that are responsible for being able to test poultry, along with USDA, and I don’t quite fathom the effects that this will have on the food supply in America.鈥�

Holding signs that said things from 鈥淪cience saves lives鈥� to 鈥淚 hope you don鈥檛 get sick,鈥� the crowd chanted 鈥淗ey, hey, RFK, hands off the FDA!鈥�

Summer Harvey, a graduate student at George Washington University, said she does gynecologic cancer research funded by NIH.

鈥淕W received $86 million in NIH funding last year, which, if we did not get that this year, would be pretty bad for our research,鈥� Harvey said. 鈥淎nd just in terms of grants that are already being pulled, there are multiple people at our cancer center who have got their grants fully pulled because they work on cancer research and cancer screening and trans populations and other things that have been considered DEI or not appropriate for research.鈥�

Diane Kupelian, meanwhile, said the government needs to be running well, 鈥渁nd we don鈥檛 need some tech bros coming in and just ripping it all apart with no rhyme or reason or accuracy in anything that they鈥檙e doing.鈥�

Doug Foxvog, who worked at NIH for 10 years, said cuts are 鈥渉urting research in many different areas. Research that鈥檚 ongoing is stopped in the middle.鈥�

Rep. Glenn Ivey, a Democrat representing Maryland’s 4th District, said his father died from Alzheimer鈥檚 and Parkinson鈥檚 diseases, and his mother died from heart disease.

鈥淭he things that you all are doing, the research that you’re doing, is making a difference. We’re all counting on you to continue to have a chance to work,鈥� Ivey said.

DC educators seek guidance on immigration policy changes

Over a dozen D.C. Public School teachers gathered outside the city鈥檚 board of education headquarters Wednesday night, urging leaders to offer clear guidance in response to the Trump administration鈥檚 changes to federal immigration policies.

Specifically, the Trump administration reversed a longtime policy that didn鈥檛 allow immigration officers to make arrests in schools, hospitals or places of worship.

A D.C. Public Schools spokesman said school leaders have been directed to guidance from the city鈥檚

However, the educators said in some schools, it isn鈥檛 being talked about.

Dieter Lehmann Morales, a 10th grade world history teacher, said the attorney general’s guidance is too broad in how to deal with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

鈥淲e鈥檙e looking for more specific guidance around the schools themselves,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat do we do if ICE were to come to the door? What exposure do we have as faculty, as teachers in the legal system? Is DCPS going to protect us? Is DCPS going to protect our students and our families?鈥�

During the demonstration, one teacher said she wanted to include a 鈥淜now Your Rights鈥� section in a routine newsletter, but was told to hold off.

鈥淲e received guidance from the Office of the Attorney General, and it’s unclear if we even follow the guidance, if we’ll be supported by our schools, or if we’ll be fired,鈥� said a math tutor who asked not to be named. 鈥淚’ve been hearing reports that principals are told not to talk about it.鈥�

Meanwhile, Laura Fuchs said, 鈥淢any principals are feeling like they have to take the liability on themselves and that they’re not going to be supported by the District, and some principals, it sounds like, are sharing this information, saying basically they’re doing it without permission. And that’s very troubling, because the guidance very clearly states this is what we should be doing.鈥�

In other parts of the region, educators and bus drivers have been offered insight into how to respond if an ICE official enters a school campus or bus.

Last month in Fairfax County, Virginia, a spokeswoman said 鈥淔CPS provided clear direction to transportation leaders on how to appropriately respond to federal officials.”

In Prince George鈥檚 County, Maryland, the school district shared a document called 鈥淪teps for Handling ICE Officer Visits鈥� with principals.