A coalition of Philadelphia’s research, education and health care workers rallied on April 8 in the city in front of Senator Dave McCormick’s office. Their message to him was: “Kill the Cuts!” Thousands of workers and supporters took similar actions across the country that day to demand that Congress members publicly oppose all cuts to federal research funding, health care and higher education. 

Despite unseasonably cold, windy weather, the boisterous crowd stayed for an hour, chanting and cheering. Speakers included professors from the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University; Lolita Owens, executive board member of Service Employees Union (SEIU) Healthcare Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania State Senator Nikil Saval; President of the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO Danny Bauder; and Higher Ed Labor United National Director Ian Gavigan. Clancy Murray, a graduate student worker and the head of the bargaining committee for Graduate Employees Together – University of Pennsylvania (GET-UP), emceed the rally.

Midway through the rally, Saval and Bauder walked up to the building entrance to deliver a letter to Senator McCormick on behalf of over 50,000 union workers, calling on him to oppose all federal funding cuts that affect workers across industries and the services they provide. The letter asked the senator to “fight to restore funding already cut” and to “hold a public face-to-face town hall with his constituents in Philadelphia to discuss the impact of these federal funding cuts.” They weren’t allowed to enter, but did hand the letter through the door to an agent.

National Institute of Health funding makes lifesaving research possible and throughout the country has improved treatments for working people, children, seniors and others who are affected by cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, diabetes, HIV and many other illnesses. NIH funding supports training opportunities that develop the next generation of scientists.

Cuts to NIH funding will mean cuts to ongoing clinical trials, lifesaving treatments, jobs and local economies. The Trump Administration has threatened cuts to federal health research funding amounting to $397 million in Philadelphia alone. (scienceimpact.org)