1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

The proposed cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget of $2 billion and a 40% reduction to the overall NIH budget pose a grave threat to critical brain research on the cusp of transformational treatments and cures. Considering the gross additions to the national debt by passing the "Big Beautiful Bill," cutting $18 billion at NIH is absolutely unnecessary, when also considering the potential human loss. These drastic funding reductions will force the halt of promising initiatives like the Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative. This vital program is mapping our most complex and least understood organ, bringing us closer than ever before to revolutionizing diagnoses and therapies for brain diseases. We are at a pivotal juncture where decades of rigorous scientific work are poised to yield breakthroughs in predicting and treating conditions like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injuries. Cutting funding now would derail this progress, shelving projects on the verge of life-changing discoveries. It would drive away early-career researchers, losing an entire generation of brilliant minds. Longitudinal studies gathering invaluable data over years would be abruptly terminated, wasting immense investments. Brain diseases impact 1 in 3 Americans, stealing memories, independence, and futures from millions of families already overwhelmed by emotional turmoil and financial hardship. We have a moral imperative to seize this unparalleled opportunity to transform brain health for generations to come. Undermining the NIH's vital role as the largest funder of biomedical research globally would forfeit a battle we are winning, with irreversible consequences. Additionally, we stand to lose our place of preeminence in medical research. How are these cuts making America great? I urge you to stand firm against these proposed budget cuts and secure robust, continued funding for the NIH to protect the promise of revolutionary brain disease treatments within our grasp. We cannot afford to lose this incredible momentum towards curing devastating brain conditions that affect so many lives.