Newly elected scientists aim to restore health equity programs cut by Trump administration

Two newly elected officials with scientific credentials, Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed, an epidemiologist, and Georgia Rep-elect Jasmine Clark, a microbiologist, are preparing to join Congress.

They point to a wave of Trump-era actions that eliminated hundreds of grants targeting medical disparities, closed initiatives to diversify the scientific workforce, and launched investigations into universities accused of bias.

Both lawmakers say their research backgrounds will guide efforts to revive those health-equity programs and protect funding for studies that address disparities.

Democrats now control the 120th Congress, but with President Trump still able to veto legislation, the pair acknowledge that restoring the programs will require navigating a complex political landscape.