Senators Sound Alarm Over NIH Proposal to Remove ‘Lengthen Life’ From Mission Statement Amid Rise in ‘Assisted Suicide’

Sens. Rubio and Duckworth fear the change could negatively affect people’s existing attitudes toward the quality of life of people with disabilities.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) speaks during a press conference in the U.S. Capitol in Washington on July 11, 2023. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) are sounding the alarm on plans by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to revise its mission statement to remove its commitment to “lengthen life.”

The lawmakers sent a letter to NIH Director Dr. Monica Bertagnolli on Jan. 24 expressing their concerns over the potential effects of the change.