Biomedical Researchers Worried They’ll Feel The Pain From the Government Shutdown
Scientists are worried that if the shutdown continues for too long, money for their projects could be impeded. However, many health programs are insulated from the battle because Congress had passed funding for certain agencies earlier in the year.
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
For Biomedical Industry, Partial Government Shutdown A New Year's Headache
As a partial government shutdown drags on, biomedical researchers and companies are looking at 2019 with anxiety. Researchers who plan to apply for grants from the National Institutes of Health and companies seeking product approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration worry that the shutdown will progressively hinder their work. ...Likewise, UC San Diego researcher/oncologist Dr. Catriona Jamieson said that while work is currently moving ahead, a prolonged shutdown will increasingly interfere with research. (Fikes, 1/2)
California Healthline:
How The Government Shutdown Affects Health Programs
There seems to be no end in sight for the current partial government shutdown, the third since the beginning of the Trump administration. For the vast majority of the federal government’s public health efforts, though, it’s business as usual.That’s because Congress has already passed five of its major appropriations bills, funding about three-fourths of the federal government, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Veterans Affairs. (Luthra, 1/3)
The New York Times:
What Is And Isn’t Affected By The Government Shutdown
Fear not, seniors of America: The Social Security checks are still coming. (And the Postal Service will still deliver them.) That’s because the Social Security Administration already received funding for the 2019 fiscal year, in September, according to Mark Hinkle, an agency spokesman. “Social Security services and offices will remain fully operational, and Social Security benefits will be paid on time,” he said in an emailed statement. It is not the only entitlement program spared from the shutdown. Medicare and Medicaid are also unaffected. (Chokshi and Caron, 1/2)