Trump’s HHS withdraws $60 million in federal funding from Harvard

HHS Cuts $60 Million in Grants to Harvard

The Department of Health and Human Services has decided to withdraw an additional $60 million in grants from Harvard, marking yet another action taken by the Trump administration against Ivy League institutions.

A letter dated May 19, which was made public, informed that the funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would be halted. This decision appears linked to findings from Harvard’s Presidential Task Force related to anti-Semitism and bias against Israel.

The report noted that some faculty members have “mainstreamed and normalized what many Jews and Israeli students experience as anti-Semitism and anti-Israel prejudice.” It raised concerns that such biases are becoming increasingly accepted in academia, particularly in politicized areas like public health and education.

Jamie Legier, the CDC’s chief grant management officer, emphasized in the letter that the agency believes it would be discriminatory to allocate funds to institutions that do not uphold non-discrimination principles. “Grant dollars should only support lawful agencies,” Legier wrote.

The letter specifically pointed out that Harvard’s claims about promoting the best public health practices contradicted the university’s failure to create a safe and equitable environment for research.

In response, Harvard Presidents Alan M. Gerber and Provost John F. Manning recently announced that the university would receive $250 million from its central budget to recover from the lost federal funding, in addition to a planned $500 million for regular research activities.

Harvard reportedly manages a substantial $53.3 billion endowment, which it claims allows for only a limited annual expenditure based on donor allocations. School officials noted, “Harvard has a responsibility to maintain the purchasing power of these gifts by spending only a small portion each year.”