Pennsylvania senators McCormick, Fetterman seek answers on canceled health grants
PHILADELPHIA —
Pennsylvania senators Dave McCormick and John Fetterman are seeking answers from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) after the cancellation of health research grants.
McCormick and Fetterman sent a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. expressing concern about the termination of grants administered by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
According to the senators, more than 150 AHRQ grant recipients were notified on July 15 that continued funding for ongoing, multiyear research projects would be canceled. Researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pittsburgh were among those affected.
The senators said many of the projects had passed peer review and received federal funding in previous years.
“While we appreciate the Department of Health and Human Services’ commitment to ensuring federally funded research promotes scientific rigor and delivers meaningful value for taxpayers, we believe these objectives should be balanced with consideration of projects that have already undergone review and received federal funding,” McCormick and Fetterman wrote.
Concerns about jobs, taxpayer money
McCormick and Fetterman cautioned that ending multiyear projects after the federal government has already made substantial investments could waste taxpayer money and undermine medical research.
The cancellations could disrupt ongoing studies, eliminate jobs and delay innovations intended to improve patient care, the senators wrote. They also warned that uncertainty surrounding federal research funding could make it more difficult for institutions to plan long-term projects, retain experienced researchers and pursue scientific breakthroughs.
“Careful stewardship of federal research spending is important to maintaining public trust in our nation’s research enterprise,” the senators wrote.
They argued that any changes to federal research policy should preserve the value of investments already made by the government. Continued instability, they said, could ultimately weaken the United States’ leadership in scientific research.
Requested HHS briefing
McCormick and Fetterman asked HHS to brief their offices by Sept. 25, 2026, on how the department selected grants for cancellation.
The senators requested information about:
The criteria used to determine which AHRQ grants would be canceled or continued.How HHS considers prior federal investments, a project’s progress and potential disruptions to researchers and other personnel.Whether affected institutions can request reconsideration or take other steps to reduce the effects of terminated funding.Whether money previously designated for the canceled grants will be reallocated.The department’s long-term plans for AHRQ and its role in supporting research on safe, effective and affordable health care. 
Previous efforts to protect research funding
The letter follows previous efforts by McCormick and Fetterman to protect Pennsylvania’s medical and scientific research sector.
In May, the senators urged the National Institutes of Health to move quickly to obligate research funding appropriated by Congress for fiscal year 2026. They cited the importance of federal research investments to Pennsylvania jobs, scientific advances and the nation’s leadership in biomedical research.
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