Amo Defends Public Health Funding, Affirms Need to Fight Cuts Proposed by Republican Budget
Congressman Amo discussed efforts to invest in science and research with Dean Ashish Jha of Brown University School of Public Health
PROVIDENCE, RI – Today, Congressman Gabe Amo (RI-01) joined Dean Ashish Jha of Brown University’s School of Public Health for the February installment of “Dean’s Conversation Series.” Taking place during Black History Month, Congressman Amo spoke about his efforts to close racial equity gaps in health care, such as supporting funding for health care facilities that provide comprehensive primary care to medically underserved communities, as well as his work to protect critical funding for medical research and public health programs under threat due to cuts by the Trump administration.
“In the 31 days since President Trump took office, he has signed executive orders that have cut research funding at the National Institutes of Health that could lead to curing diseases, frozen foreign aid for programs such as AIDS relief, paused vital health communications with the general public, and withdrawn the U.S. from the World Health Organization (WHO),” said Congressman Gabe Amo. “As the response plays out in our judicial system, it is also Congress’s responsibility to call out these harmful attempts to stifle innovation and undermine our public health response. Through legislation, litigation, and mobilization, we will continue to demand an end to these attacks on essential government efforts that keep communities healthy and prosperous both at home and around the world.”
“I am grateful that Congressman Amo took the time to join us at the Brown School of Public Health,” said Dean Ashish Jha. “At a time when public health is under attack, we need leaders who are committed to protecting the health of all Americans. We need to ensure that if there are outbreaks of avian influenza, we can investigate them. We also need a robust research infrastructure to develop the next generation of cures for Alzheimer’s and childhood cancer. Ultimately, the health of the American people is at risk, and we need leaders, like Congressman Amo, who will use their platform to protect it."
BACKGROUND
On February 14, 2025, Congressman Amo led a letter signed by 152 House Democratic colleagues calling on the National Institutes of Health to rescind its illegal decision to caps indirect research costs at 15% — a proposal which would negatively affect Brown’s growth in life sciences and biomedical research.
On February 19, 2025, Congressman Amo visited Barrington Peck Center for Adult Enrichment where he spoke about his support for critical programs like Medicare and Medicaid. Despite President Trump’s claims that these programs would not be touched, the Republican budget resolution passed by the House Committee on Budget is a simple math exercise that contradicts him. The House Republican budget resolution opens to door to at least $4.5 trillion in tax cuts primarily for the wealthy and corporations, paid for by cutting critical programs that keep families healthy like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, and Medicare
On February 18, 2025, Congressman Gabe Amo visited East Bay Dental Center, a community health center administered by East Bay Community Action Program (EBCAP), that delivers services to Rhode Islanders on Aquidneck Island. During the visit and tour, he spoke with staff about the downstream impacts of Medicaid cuts and how they would affect the services that East Bay Community Action Program provides for children, adults, and seniors in Rhode Island. In their budget proposal passed last week, Republicans opened the door to at least $880 billion in Medicaid funding cuts nationwide.