SIU System President Dan Mahony and SIU-Carbondale Chancellor Austin Lane were in Washington, D.C. Wednesday to meet with Illinois U.S. Senator Dick Durbin.
The three discussed maintaining research funding as the Trump Administration halts federal grants to universities exploring scientific advances and medical breakthroughs.
In the meeting, Durbin also expressed his opposition to Republicans’ efforts to slash $800 billion in Medicaid funding, which could impact SIU Medicine’s community health centers around the state that provide primary care, mental health care, and oral health care to low-income patients.
“Our colleges and universities are under serious threat as the Trump Administration cruelly slashes funding for our education and research institutions. We cannot let the Trump Administration disrupt the critical research happening at Illinois universities, including the Southern Illinois University system,” said Durbin. “In our meeting today, I reiterated that I will continue to be a vocal supporter of Illinois’ revered universities and push back on the President’s shortsighted goal to destroy the future of research.”
