Democrats From D.C., Maryland and Virginia Warn That NIH Cuts Are ‘Devastating’ for Medical Research

“Without immediate action, the harmful consequences of this outrageous purge will be with us for decades to come as the fired employees are forced to find new careers outside of their chosen field: medical research for the public good,” lawmakers wrote in a new letter first obtained by NOTUS.

Jamie Raskin

Rep. Jamie Raskin speaks during a news conference at the Capitol. J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Democratic lawmakers are sending Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. a letter on Tuesday urging the secretary to reinstate fired HHS and National Institutes of Health employees.

The letter, led by Rep. Jamie Raskin — whose district encompasses the NIH headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland — is co-signed by nine other Democratic representatives and delegates hailing from Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, where hundreds of thousands of federal government employees live and work.

The lawmakers accuse Kennedy of taking part in an “illegal mass firing” that the signatories claim will contribute to an “overall environment of chaos and poor morale” at HHS.