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| 吳弭市長。(檔案照片) |
(Boston Orange 綜合編譯) 波士頓市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu) 和美國24州40名市長所組聯盟， 2月20日（週四）向波士頓地區聯邦法院提交書面 “法庭之友” （amicus brief），支持申請臨時禁制令，以阻止川普政府大幅削減國家衛生研究院（NIH）科研經費，避免地方城市失去工作機會。
吳弭市長為此對外發佈新聞稿，代表受影響的波士頓市內研究機構，感謝麻州總檢察長Andrea Campbell帶頭起訴川普政府刪減經費，指稱這種非法行動將造成裁員，實驗室關閉等後果，從而破壞了美國各城市的科研進展。
吳弭的市長聯盟遞交”法庭之友”是因為美國衛生院
(NIH)在2月7日宣佈，全美各地科學及醫療研究機構的非直接用於研究經費，報銷上限從原本的30%至70%，改為15%的新政策，要從2月10日起暫時生效。
市長們聲稱，這樣的刪減無疑將對全美各地科研機構造成致命性打擊，嚴重衝擊經濟，破壞地方民眾感到驕傲的樑柱。
自從川普政府公佈要刪減大學院校及科研機構的”非直接”用於研究經費的報銷率後，已出現3宗聯邦訟案，試圖推翻這一政策。
第一宗是麻州總檢察官Andrea Campbell率隊，共22州的總檢察長向位於麻州的美國聯邦地方法院遞出訟案，挑戰NIH的新政策違反了行政流程法，並申請臨時禁制令
(TRO)，阻止刪減。聯邦法院法官Angel
Kelley因而發了臨時禁制令給這22州，暫時阻擋了刪減行動。
在2月21日的聽證會上，涉及此案，尋求禁制令的州，數量從22減少成16州。
第2宗是大學院校和醫院協會組成的聯盟，包括美國醫學院協會(AAMC)，美國大學協會
(AAU)，以及代表其他大學、醫學院和醫院的聯盟，在2月10日時遞案申請更廣泛的全國性臨時禁制令，聲稱NIH的經費刪減將重創全美各地的醫藥研究。
Angel Kelley後來也在2月10日這天，擴大了她早前所發臨時禁制令的涵蓋範圍。
第3宗是約翰霍普金斯大學
(John Hopkins)，加州大學系統，以及其他院校在2月11日至18日之間遞交的訟案，聲言”大幅刪減”將對約翰霍普金斯大學、加州大學系統有特定影響，例如約翰霍普金斯的600項臨床試驗等。
21日的聽證會舉行後，目前尚無進一步消息。
根據聯合醫藥研究 (United for Medical
Research)這聯盟的資訊，以人均計算，麻州是NIH經費的最大收受者，去年共獲得35億美元科研經費，支持了219個組織的5000多項研究計畫，大約3萬個工作機會，促成將近80億元的經濟活動。
NIH的僅15%非直接用途經費報銷上限規定，將造成極大影響。例如哈佛大學去年的報銷率為69%。
根據教育機構高等教育政策分析師James S. Murphy的數據分析，15%上限意味著麻州各機構將一年損失5億5500萬元，其中包括麻省總醫院 (MGH)經費將減少1億450萬元，布瑞罕婦女醫院 (Brigham and Women’s)減少7750萬元，波士頓兒童醫院減少5440萬元等。
兒童醫院科學長Nancy Andrews，麻州生務協會執行長Kendalle
Burlin O’Connell，聯邦眾議員Jake Auchincloss等許多人，都為NIH刪減經費作法感到憂慮。
麻州大學陳氏醫學院 (Chan Medical School)是麻州內獲得NIH經費最多的第3名，去年共獲得2億美元左右，其中有大約三分之一的6200萬元，是非直接開銷，一旦NIH實施經費刪減，該校預算將出現4000萬元至5000萬元缺失，估計會危及500多個項目。
COALITION OF MAYORS ACROSS U.S. FILE AMICUS BRIEF IN OPPOSITION TO TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S DRASTIC CUTS TO FEDERAL RESEARCH FUNDING
Led by the City of Boston, MA, City of Cleveland, OH, the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, TN, the Mayor of Gainesville, FL, and the Mayor of Salt Lake City, UT, over 40 mayors, cities, and counties argue that NIH cuts will cause job losses, economic disruption, and undermine U.S. competitiveness
BOSTON - Thursday, February 20, 2025 - Late yesterday, Mayor Michelle Wu co-led a coalition of Mayors from across the United States in writing and filing an amicus brief in federal district court in Boston to stop the Trump Administration's drastic and illegal cuts to federal research funding and immediate job losses in cities nationwide. Over 40 mayors, cities, and counties from across the country joined the brief. These cities are home to universities and hospitals that employ hundreds of thousands of Americans in cutting edge medical and scientific research, and the federally-funded research in these communities has made the United States the global leader in scientific discovery. The brief seeks a temporary restraining order against the Trump Administration, alongside the research universities, medical schools, hospitals, and 22 states that are plaintiffs in the three cases filed last week in federal district court.
“For decades, Congress has made a clear choice to use federally-funded research to invest in cities, build a broadly-distributed infrastructure for scientific discovery, create jobs, and drive economic growth in communities across the United States,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “We join with cities across the country – in red states, purple states, and blue states – to stop this illegal action that will cause layoffs, lab closures, and undermine scientific progress in American cities. I thank Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell for her leadership on behalf of the research institutions of Boston.”
This amicus brief is in response to the abrupt February 7, 2025 announcement by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of an immediate reduction in funding for scientific and medical research institutions across the country. Under the NIH’s new policy, which temporarily went into effect on Monday, February 10, payments for indirect costs reimbursed to research universities would be capped at 15%, down from 30-70%. The brief makes clear that NIH funding cuts would devastate research institutions in cities across the county, cause job losses, create severe economic disruption, and undermine a critical pillar of strength and civic pride in cities across the United States. The cuts would also undermine critical medical and scientific research that residents are counting on, including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, and jeopardize the cities’ and country’s position of global leadership on scientific advancement.
“The Gainesville community depends on this highly efficient, dependable investment of our tax dollars back into our city’s innovation economy,” said Harvey L. Ward, Mayor, City of Gainesville, Florida. “I’m glad to join other mayors in highlighting the vital role NIH funding plays in the lives of everyday hardworking American families.”
“The breadth and diversity of this coalition highlights the devastating and widespread impact of these NIH funding changes, from Alzheimer’s research to cancer clinical trials,” said Jill Habig, Founder and CEO of Public Rights Project. “We’re proud to partner with mayors, cities, and counties in opposing this threat to critical federal funding and the health and vitality of our communities.”
On Monday, February 10th, twenty two states and associations of medical schools, hospitals, and universities, filed three related cases, and secured a temporary restraining order preventing the Trump Administration from slashing the reimbursement rates. That initial order will be revisited this week in a hearing scheduled for Friday, February 21.
The Public Rights Project served as amici counsel. The full list of mayors, cities and counties who joined the brief is below.
Local Governments and Mayors
- City
of Boston, Massachusetts
- City
of Cleveland, Ohio
- Harvey
L. Ward, Mayor, City of Gainesville, Florida
- Metropolitan
Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee
- Erin
Mendenhall, Mayor, City of Salt Lake City, Utah
- City
of Alameda, California
- City
of Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Allegheny
County, Pennsylvania
- City
of Baltimore, Maryland
- Emma
Mulvaney-Stanak, Mayor, City of Burlington, Vermont
- Township
of Canton, Michigan
- Town
of Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- City
of Chicago, Illinois
- Sandra
Welch, Mayor, City of Coconut Creek, Florida
- City
of Columbus, Ohio
- City
of Easthampton, Massachusetts
- Daniel
Biss, Mayor, City of Evanston, Illinois
- City
of Fairfax, Virginia
- Harris
County, Texas
- Ravinder
S. Bhalla, Mayor, City of Hoboken, New Jersey
- Quinton
Lucas, Mayor, Kansas City, Missouri
- Indya
Kincannon, Mayor, City of Knoxville, Tennessee
- City
of Madison, Wisconsin
- Jeff
Silvestrini, Mayor, City of Millcreek, Utah
- Anissa
Welch, Mayor, City of Milton, Wisconsin
- Montgomery
County, Maryland
- City
of New Haven, Connecticut
- Dontae
Payne, Mayor, City of Olympia, Washington
- Adrian
O. Mapp, Mayor, City of Plainfield, New Jersey
- Sue
Noack, Mayor, City of Pleasant Hill, California
- City
of Pittsburgh and Ed Gainey, Mayor, City of Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania
- City
of Providence, Rhode Island
- John
Clark, Mayor, Town of Ridgway, Colorado
- City
of Rochester, New York
- City
of Sacramento, California
- City
and County of San Francisco, California
- City
of Santa Monica, California
- Constantine
H. Kutteh, Mayor, City of Statesville, North Carolina
- Lisa
Brown, Mayor, City of Spokane, Washington
- Tishaura
O. Jones, Mayor, City of St. Louis, Missouri
- City
of St. Paul, Minnesota
- Dennis
R. McBride, Mayor, City of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
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