Top Stories· August 18, 2026 at 10:32 p.m.
Massive Cuts to Health Research Agency Spark Outrage from Lawmakers and Experts
Key takeaways
- AHRQ faces potential closure due to staff cuts and unspent funds
- Ongoing research projects have been halted
- Senators accuse Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of sabotage
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is facing significant challenges, with experts warning it may not survive the second Trump administration. The agency has seen a 75% staff reduction, grant cancellations en masse, and unspent funds totaling tens of millions of dollars appropriated by Congress.
In a recent opinion piece, health policy experts Aaron Carroll and David Atkins expressed concern over the impact of these cuts on patient safety, healthcare quality, care delivery, and new technologies and practices. They lamented the loss of ongoing research projects and the halt in the development of the next generation of health services researchers.
Last week, 30 Democratic senators sent a letter to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., accusing him of sabotage and an abuse of administrative power. The senators highlighted several research programs that were axed under Kennedy, including studies on maternal medical emergencies, home dialysis access, patient fall risks, antibiotic overuse, autism screening for Black children, and chronic pain management.
The senators demanded that Kennedy immediately rescind the grant cancellations and ensure funding is invested in health research as intended by Congress. They gave Kennedy until August 25 to respond.
