National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya faced critical questions from both Republican and Democratic senators Tuesday as he sought to defend the Trump administration’s sweeping plans to reorganize the agency and slash budgets for medical research.

NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya faced sharp questions Tuesday about the agency's proposed 2026 budget from Republican and Democratic senators.

During a Senate hearing, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jayanta Bhattacharya, M.D., Ph.D., said the last few months have been “bumpy,” while underscoring Congress’ role in approving a budget and taking full responsibility for the agency’s move away from “politicized science.”