Latest news with #SenateAppropriations
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukraine's foreign minister reacts to congratulations by some countries on Russia Day
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has said he found it "unpleasant" to read the congratulations extended by "certain countries" on Russia Day. Source: Sybiha ahead of a Weimar Plus meeting in Rome, as reported by European Pravda Details: Sybiha did not explicitly name the countries in question. However, it is worth noting that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio published an official message congratulating Russia on its national day. Quote: "As a minister of a country at war, it was especially unpleasant for me this morning to read the public congratulations from certain countries addressed to the Russian aggressor." Details: Sybiha added that he "has the moral right to voice this" and stated that "there can be no rewarding of an aggressor state". Background: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was challenged with a barrage of hard-hitting questions, including on Ukraine, during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the armed forces held on 11 June. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pentagon chief confronts barrage of tough questions in Senate committee, including ones about Ukraine
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was challenged with a barrage of hard-hitting questions, including on Ukraine, during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the armed forces held on 11 June. Source: The Hill, as reported by European Pravda Details: Republican senators from the subcommittee on the armed forces bombarded Hegseth with questions on Wednesday 11 June. Mitch McConnell, one of three Republicans who initially opposed Hegseth's appointment, "grilled" him on budgetary issues and also warned against showing leniency towards Russia in attempts to end the Russo-Ukrainian war. McConnell said that US allies are "wondering whether we're in the middle of brokering what appears to be allowing the Russians to define victory". "I think victory is defined by the people who have to live there – the Ukrainians," he stressed and directly asked Hegseth whose side Trump's administration is on. "America's reputation is on the line. Will we defend Democratic allies against authoritarian aggressors?" he asked. "We don't want a headline at the end of this conflict that says Russia wins and America loses." Later, Senator Lindsey Graham asked Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, whether he believed that Russian leader Vladimir Putin would stop if he got what he wanted in Ukraine. Caine said he does not "believe he is" and Hegseth responded that it "remains to be seen". "Well, he says he's not. This is the '30s all over," Graham then sharply countered him. Background: This week, Hegseth said that Trump's administration plans to reduce the budget for security assistance to Ukraine. The Trump administration has not provided new military aid to Ukraine since taking office, although weapons from previously approved packages under the prior administration continue to arrive. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Politico
11-06-2025
- Business
- Politico
NIH's ‘forward-funding scheme'
FOLLOW THE MONEY NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya and Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) sparred over a proposal in the White House budget plan to give more grant recipients their money up front during a Senate Appropriations panel hearing on the agency's budget Tuesday. At the hearing, Baldwin asked Bhattacharya to explain the proposal's 'forward-funding scheme,' which she said would result in even deeper cuts to the NIH than the 40 percent cut proposed by the White House. By the numbers: Typically, NIH research grants are awarded for multiple years and funded incrementally. In the case of a $1 million award, for example, which might normally be paid out over four years with $250,000 paid out yearly, the full $1 million would now be paid in year one. 'It means billions will effectively be put in escrow and won't actually be spent on research for a number of years to come,' Baldwin said at the hearing. It would also mean awarding fewer new grants. The fiscal 2026 budget proposal estimates that NIH research grant awards would drop from 42,143 in 2024, to 38,069 in 2025, to 27,477 in 2026. First-time awards are estimated to fall from 10,086 in 2024, to 6,095 in 2025, to 4,312 in 2026. Big picture: The change could deter grant applicants, said Erik Fatemi, a principal at lobbying firm Cornerstone Government Affairs and former Democratic staffer on the Senate Appropriations subcommittee with authority over health care spending. 'When the success rate goes down to 7 percent, the odds are so low of winning an award that many researchers will ask themselves: 'Why even bother?'' Fatemi said. Baldwin vs. Bhattacharya: 'It clearly shows the administration's intent,' Baldwin told Bhattacharya. 'You can cut $7 billion and dramatically reduce the number of NIH awards next year on your own, unless Congress steps in to stop that.' Bhattacharya stood behind the proposal. 'In the long run, what it does is allow you to spend more money and have more flexibility for new research projects,' he said. 'That's funny math,' remarked Baldwin, a college math major, to which Bhattacharya shot back: 'That's just the math. I'm an economist also.' When asked about the exchange, Baldwin told Erin: 'I can't get into his head to see how he can twist the facts around that much. But again, it's funny math if he's trying to insist that it won't negatively impact their research enterprise.' WELCOME TO FUTURE PULSE This is where we explore the ideas and innovators shaping health care. Tonga, a constitutional monarchy in the South Pacific, is considering recognizing whales as legal persons, which would involve appointing human guardians to represent them in court, Inside Climate News reports. Share any thoughts, news, tips and feedback with Danny Nguyen at dnguyen@ Carmen Paun at cpaun@ Ruth Reader at rreader@ or Erin Schumaker at eschumaker@ Want to share a tip securely? Message us on Signal: Dannyn516.70, CarmenP.82, RuthReader.02 or ErinSchumaker.01. FORWARD THINKING POLITICO EXCLUSIVE: The Joint Commission, an Illinois-based nonprofit that accredits health care organizations, and the Coalition for Health AI, an alliance of health systems and tech companies, are teaming up to certify that hospitals using AI are doing so responsibly, Ruth reported yesterday. Through partnering with CHAI, the Joint Commission plans to launch tools, best practices, as well as certifications that accelerate responsible use of AI. The Joint Commission will lean on CHAI for technical expertise. The certification program is expected this fall. The new AI standards will focus on ensuring AI is implemented correctly and managed safely. They will also offer a framework for assessing the technology's impacts. Dr. Jonathan B. Perlin, CEO of the Joint Commission, said the standards will cover AI's use in medical care as well as operational functions. Why it matters: Health systems are increasingly interested in using AI and adoption of the technology is expected to explode. As health care continues to get more expensive and the supply of physicians grows short, health systems are looking to AI to fill in the gaps. 'If we can reduce some of the administrative burden through [large language models], the sitting on hold, prior authorizations, documentation, if we can remove those things to allow providers to do the work that providers are best at,' said Matt Kull, chief digital officer at Inova, a North Carolina-based health system. 'I think we're going to do a lot for making people feel better in this country.' But, but, but: There are not agreed upon standards for how AI should be implemented, managed, validated, or monitored across the industry. And health systems technology infrastructure, resources, and patient populations vary widely, making it especially difficult to come to a consensus on the issue. How it could work: The Joint Commission already accredits large health systems, clinics, and hospitals. And it works with regulators, like the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which uses the Joint Commission to determine whether an institution meets or exceeds Medicare and Medicaid requirements for reimbursement. As far as AI is concerned, the Joint Commission has already launched a responsible-use-of-health-data certification, which lays the groundwork for AI's adoption in medicine by ensuring data is properly de-identified and safeguarded.
The Hill
11-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump's Joint Chiefs chair says Putin won't stop at Ukraine
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan 'Razin' Caine told senators on Wednesday that he did not believe Russian President Vladimir Putin would stop at Ukraine if he succeeds in overtaking the country, a marked contrast to President Trump's typical ambiguity on the question. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) asked Caine and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth whether Putin would 'stop at Ukraine' in a series of rapid-fire questions on foreign conflicts. 'I don't believe he is,' Caine told the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on armed services. Graham turned to Hegseth with the same question. 'Remains to be seen,' Hegseth said. The senator then said the answer was obvious. 'It doesn't remain to be seen. [Putin] tells everybody around what he wants to do,' the South Carolina Republican said, noting that Russia's build-up of ordnance is well beyond what it might need to take Ukraine. 'I like what you're doing,' Graham added to Hegseth. 'I just think we gotta get this stuff right.' Graham had earlier asked Hegseth if he agreed the world miscalculated in its approach to Hitler in the years leading up to WWII. 'The danger that is like 50 million people get killed,' he said. 'So, let's don't do that.' Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the subcommittee chair, came out of the gates asking Hegseth about Ukraine, asking which side he wanted to win the war. The Defense chief said the Trump administration wanted the killing to end but would not choose a side. Hegseth criticized former President Biden's handling of Russia and Ukraine before McConnell cut to say he agreed the previous administration was 'completely inadequate,' and encouraged Putin with its withdrawal from Afghanistan. 'But we are where we are, and beating up the past is not a plan for going forward to the future,' the former Republican leader said. He noted that other NATO members and Europe seemed to be spending more on defense generally and committed to increasing support for Ukraine. 'Everybody seems to be moving in the right direction, and they look at us and wonder whether we're in the midst of brokering what appears to be allowing the Russians to define victory,' McConnell said. Biden often spoke about Putin's threat beyond Ukraine's borders, both in terms of taking more territory in former Soviet states and emboldening autocrats around the world. Trump promised to end the war within 24 hours of taking office but has made little apparent headway about five months into his second term. Russia has so far refused U.S. proposals for a 30-day ceasefire. Trump has expressed increasing frustration with Putin, but often says he is unsatisfied with Ukraine as well. After Ukraine carried out a stunning drone attack on Russian military bases on June 1, Trump complained it would set back his push for peace, comparing Russia and Ukraine to children fighting a schoolyard. Russia has ramped up drone strikes on Ukraine since 'Operation Spider Web,' on Wednesday launching what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the biggest strikes on Kyiv since the war began more than three years ago.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Senators grill NIH director on massive budget cuts
National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya faced critical questions from both Republican and Democratic senators Tuesday as he sought to defend the Trump administration's sweeping plans to reorganize the agency and slash budgets for medical research. Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Susan Collins (R-ME) swiftly criticized the current budget cuts and proposed changes, including a nearly 40% reduction to the National Institute of Aging's spending and 40% overall cuts to the agency's institutes. 'As the senator representing … the oldest state in the nation, this is a particular concern,' Collins said. 'I know personally what it means to so many American families.' The senator also said caps on indirect spending for universities are 'so poorly conceived' and have harmed U.S. medical research. 'It is leading to scientists leaving the United States for opportunities in other countries. It's causing clinical trials to be halted and promising medical research to be abandoned.' A federal court has paused the 15% cap on payments for indirect costs, but the administration assumed savings from the change in its 2026 fiscal year budget. Bhattacharya defended certain administrative changes while distancing himself from others, such as a pause on Northwestern University's grant funding, saying certain terminations happened before he assumed his role. In answering Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) about overall cuts, Bhattacharya took responsibility for other sweeping grant cancellations. 'There's changes in priorities at the NIH to move away from politicized science, I made those decisions,' he said. The hearing room was filled with purple-garbed advocates for Alzheimer's disease research and representatives of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network dressed in light blue. Baldwin harshly criticized the proposed $18 billion reduction to the NIH's total spending, saying cuts will resonate as the NIH funds 15,000 fewer medical research projects. 'While I think Congress will reject your budget request, it clearly shows the administration's intent,' Baldwin said. 'How is this proposal anything but intentionally sabotaging biomedical research?' Bhattacharya said he is 'happy to work with Congress' on the budget and more flexible spending on medical research.
