Late Friday, four key Republican health care leaders sent a letter to President-elect Trump asking him to retain NIH’s Francis Collins. The letter was signed by the chairmen of the Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittees from both chambers, Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) and Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO). It was also signed by Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI).
These crucial Members of Congress are the Republican leadership in health and NIH and include, the outgoing House and Energy Commerce chairman (Fred Upton), Senate HELP committee chairman (Lamar Alexander), and the two chairmen of the appropriations committees that oversee NIH: (Senator Roy Blunt and Congressman Tom Cole).