Erin Hut, Communications Director, 509.625.6740
Friday, February 21, 2025 at 11:02 a.m.
Mayor Lisa Brown joined mayors from across the United States in signing onto an amicus brief opposing the Trump Administration’s move to cut funding for research institutions.
The brief, filed in the U.S. Federal District Court of Massachusetts, was put forward by the Mayors of Birmingham, Boston, Cleveland, Gainesville, Salt Lake City, and the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, TN.
The brief argues that the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) move to reduce funding for scientific and medical research institutions is not only drastic, but unlawful and threatens the research and innovation that drive local economies.
“The Trump administration is proposing a dramatic and unacceptable reduction in support for health science research that will damage Spokane and the regional economy. Multiple partners and civic leaders have worked for decades to establish Spokane’s University District, which is a hub for health sciences research and education programs offered by multiple higher education institutions throughout our region,” Mayor Brown said. “The research being conducted at Washington State University Spokane helps save lives. Slashing support for research institutions is not only a threat to the health of Americans, but it will have permeating repercussions on local economies through job loss and jeopardizing the progress this institution has made over the last several years.”
