1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

Federal health cuts are forcing our state to bear costs we cannot afford. Secretary Kennedy has fired over 20,000 scientists and health workers, canceled $1.81 billion in research grants, and proposed cutting NIH funding by $18 billion annually. These cuts don't just hurt Washington. They devastate research hospitals, universities, and medical centers in our state that depend on federal grants. They also stick us with higher Medicaid costs when preventable diseases go unchecked. Alzheimer's research is being gutted at the federal level, which means our state will pay more in long-term care. Dementia costs the nation $781 billion annually and will exceed $1 trillion by 2050. Medicaid already covers 62 percent of nursing home residents, with costs 22 times higher for dementia patients than for seniors without it. When federal research stops, our state budget absorbs the difference through Medicaid spending on nursing homes, emergency care, and preventable hospitalizations. If an effective Alzheimer's treatment were discovered by 2030, it could save the United States $500 billion. Instead, Kennedy terminated the Women's Health Initiative and canceled grants studying cancer, HIV, and chronic disease. Fifteen states have already formed the Governors’ Public Health Alliance to coordinate disease surveillance, share best practices, and establish evidence-based health policy when federal agencies fail. These states are protecting vaccine access, monitoring outbreaks, and pooling resources for emergency preparedness. Maryland Governor Wes Moore stated that "at a time when the federal government is telling states you're on your own, governors are banding together." Our state needs similar protections. We have world-class hospitals, research universities, and medical institutions that drive our economy and save lives. We cannot let federal incompetence undermine them. Kennedy has promoted vitamin A as a measles treatment while his former nonprofit spreads vaccine misinformation. More than 15,000 physicians called his appointment "actively dangerous." The CDC director was fired for demanding scientific evidence before approving vaccine recommendations. This administration is teaching residents to distrust doctors and dismiss science. That mindset will kill people for years. When children grow up learning that expertise is optional, they make deadly health decisions as adults. The damage to public trust in medicine will outlast any administration. I urge you to join or form a state health alliance, allocate emergency funding to protect research institutions and public health programs, and demand that our state prioritize evidence-based medicine over federal conspiracy theories. Our hospitals, universities, and families depend on your leadership when Washington abandons science, truth, and common sense.