Hundreds of people gathered on the steps of the Department of Health and Human Services in D.C. on Wednesday afternoon, criticizing changes and cuts to federal agencies connected to public health.
The event, called “Fund Don’t Freeze,” brought community members, federal workers, union leaders and lawmakers together to speak out against the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, which Elon Musk was tapped to lead, and warn about the consequences of cutting funding to research cures and treatments for diseases.
The National Institutes of Health cut billions in medical research as part of President Donald Trump’s administration’s plans, The Associated Press reported.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-M.D., meanwhile, told the crowd that cuts and changes will be fought by Congress, in courts and through protests and demonstrations.
“I was part of the illegal mass firings that have occurred,” one former Food and Drug Administration worker, who asked not to be named, said. “I was told that I was being let go because I was no longer needed, and that my position was not a service to the American people anymore, which I find hard to believe as a food safety chemist.”
That worker said she was on probationary status, and was told she’d have 30 days of administrative leave. She was part of a unit developing chemical methods to protect the food supply.
“When you get rid of people doing those kinds of jobs, you put infants at risk, because there’s not enough chemists to look at formula,” she said. “There’s bird flu going around right now, and we have all kinds of people that are responsible for being able to test poultry, along with USDA, and I don’t quite fathom the effects that this will have on the food supply in America.”
Holding signs that said things from “Science saves lives” to “I hope you don’t get sick,” the crowd chanted “Hey, hey, RFK, hands off the FDA!”
Summer Harvey, a graduate student at George Washington University, said she does gynecologic cancer research funded by NIH.
“GW received $86 million in NIH funding last year, which, if we did not get that this year, would be pretty bad for our research,” Harvey said. “And just in terms of grants that are already being pulled, there are multiple people at our cancer center who have got their grants fully pulled because they work on cancer research and cancer screening and trans populations and other things that have been considered DEI or not appropriate for research.”
Diane Kupelian, meanwhile, said the government needs to be running well, “and we don’t need some tech bros coming in and just ripping it all apart with no rhyme or reason or accuracy in anything that they’re doing.”
Doug Foxvog, who worked at NIH for 10 years, said cuts are “hurting research in many different areas. Research that’s ongoing is stopped in the middle.”
Rep. Glenn Ivey, a Democrat representing Maryland’s 4th District, said his father died from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, and his mother died from heart disease.
“The things that you all are doing, the research that you’re doing, is making a difference. We’re all counting on you to continue to have a chance to work,” Ivey said.
DC educators seek guidance on immigration policy changes
Over a dozen D.C. Public School teachers gathered outside the city’s board of education headquarters Wednesday night, urging leaders to offer clear guidance in response to the Trump administration’s changes to federal immigration policies.
Specifically, the Trump administration reversed a longtime policy that didn’t allow immigration officers to make arrests in schools, hospitals or places of worship.
A D.C. Public Schools spokesman said school leaders have been directed to guidance from the city’s Office of the Attorney General, which has been posted online.
However, the educators said in some schools, it isn’t being talked about.
Dieter Lehmann Morales, a 10th grade world history teacher, said the attorney general’s guidance is too broad in how to deal with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“We’re looking for more specific guidance around the schools themselves,” he said. “What do we do if ICE were to come to the door? What exposure do we have as faculty, as teachers in the legal system? Is DCPS going to protect us? Is DCPS going to protect our students and our families?”
During the demonstration, one teacher said she wanted to include a “Know Your Rights” section in a routine newsletter, but was told to hold off.
“We received guidance from the Office of the Attorney General, and it’s unclear if we even follow the guidance, if we’ll be supported by our schools, or if we’ll be fired,” said a math tutor who asked not to be named. “I’ve been hearing reports that principals are told not to talk about it.”
Meanwhile, Laura Fuchs said, “Many principals are feeling like they have to take the liability on themselves and that they’re not going to be supported by the District, and some principals, it sounds like, are sharing this information, saying basically they’re doing it without permission. And that’s very troubling, because the guidance very clearly states this is what we should be doing.”
In other parts of the region, educators and bus drivers have been offered insight into how to respond if an ICE official enters a school campus or bus.
Last month in Fairfax County, Virginia, a spokeswoman said “FCPS provided clear direction to transportation leaders on how to appropriately respond to federal officials.”
In Prince George’s County, Maryland, the school district shared a document called “Steps for Handling ICE Officer Visits” with principals.
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