{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://boyle.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/icymi-boyle-stands-research-leaders-oppose-cuts-philadelphia-health", "ICYMI: Boyle Stands with Research Leaders to Oppose Cuts to Philadelphia Health Research Programs and Announce Letter Demanding Answers from Trump Administration", "2026-08-05", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Brendan F. Boyle", "B001296", "boyle.house.gov", "boyle", "https://boyle.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "PHILADELPHIA, PA \u2013 Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, joined Philadelphia health research leaders to oppose the Trump Administration\u2019s cuts to programs at Children\u2019s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the University of Pennsylvania (Penn). Congressman Boyle also announced that, as the top Democrat on the Budget Committee, he sent a formal letter today to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Director Roger Klein, demanding answers on these cancellations.\n\n\u201cThis funding isn't partisan, nor is it controversial. It represents exactly what our federal government should be doing, creating jobs and saving lives by funding critical medical research,\u201d said Congressman Brendan Boyle (PA-02). \u201cAs the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, I'm using my authority to demand answers. Hardworking Philadelphia scientists are counting on this funding. So are the patients across the country, our most vulnerable, who benefit from their work.\u201d\n\nBoyle sent the letter in his capacity as Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, which has jurisdiction over the budget process, including illegal impoundments or funding freezes.\n\nIn the letter, he demanded the detailed information needed to determine whether the terminations are illegal, pressed the Administration to identify the authority it claims in canceling these grants, and asked whether the cuts are politically motivated. Boyle also demanded to know whether the Trump Administration will commit to fully spending the funding Congress appropriated for AHRQ.\n\nThe full letter can be read here.\n\nIn recent weeks, AHRQ cut funding for dozens of grants nationwide, including several major programs at CHOP and Penn. AHRQ has also frozen or halted funding for other research grants, often without notice.\n\nCongressman Dwight Evans (PA-03) said, \"I stand with my colleague Congressman Boyle in demanding the Trump-Vance administration provide answers about canceling federal grants to CHOP, Penn and other important centers that do life-saving health research.\"\n\nCongressman Boyle was joined by Dr. Christopher Forrest, Professor of Pediatrics at CHOP and Scientific Director of PEDSnet; and Dr. Rachel Werner, Professor of Medicine at Penn\u2019s Perelman School of Medicine and Research Education Core Leader at PennPORTAL. Boyle was also joined by Drs. Kit Delgado, Meeta Kerlin, and Jaya Aysola with Penn Medicine.\n\n\u201cSeven years ago, we started a program called PEDSnet Scholars. That program has trained 44 physicians, psychologists, and nurses who are now improving health care and improving the health and well-being of children,\u201d said Dr. Christopher Forrest. \u201cOur scientists have focused on conditions like kidney disease, mental health disorders like ADHD and substance use, pain, infections, high blood pressure, lung diseases like asthma and cystic fibrosis. Without this funding, this program is going to be terminated, and I thank Congressman Boyle for his leadership.\u201d\n\n\u201cAlong with a number of my colleagues here today, and with the AHRQ's support, we built a program called PORTAL, which trains clinicians to become leaders in building a healthcare system that provides better care for patients,\u201d said Dr. Rachel Werner. \u201cWhat specifically do we lose from these terminations? First, they mean fewer discoveries that can make healthcare safer and more effective. Second, they mean the immediate loss of jobs. And third, they mean losing the next generation of scientists.\u201d", 1, "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://boyle.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/icymi-boyle-stands-research-leaders-oppose-cuts-philadelphia-health"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.59731088206172, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}