HHS Secretary Becerra's Statement on the Bipartisan Confirmation of Monica Bertagnolli for NIH Director

Today, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra released the following statement on the Senate’s bipartisan vote to confirm Dr. Monica Bertagnolli as the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH): 

“The United States Senate made an excellent decision today in confirming on a bipartisan basis Dr. Monica Bertagnolli as the new Director of NIH.

“Dr. Bertagnolli has spent her career working to improve the health and well-being of Americans. She has built a reputation for her willingness to take on the deadliest diseases facing patients and as a powerful advocate for cancer patients, working to end cancer as we know it. That same tireless energy and clear vision will serve her well as NIH director.  

“As she has throughout her career, Dr. Bertagnolli will use her new role to advance our nation's understanding of disease and ensure that the groundbreaking research that NIH conducts will yield innovative and life-saving treatments. I have no doubt she will reimagine the boundaries of what is possible when it comes to what the NIH can achieve.   

“Raised in rural Wyoming, Dr. Bertagnolli knows firsthand that innovative medical care can only fulfill its promise if we get it to the people who need it. I am confident her leadership will spark medical breakthroughs that are life-changing and accessible to all Americans. The American people are fortunate to have Dr. Bertagnolli accept this challenge at this time. I look forward to working with her to do great things.  

“I also want to recognize and thank Acting Director Dr. Lawrence Tabak for his exceptional leadership of NIH over the past nearly two years. He stepped up during extraordinary times and delivered extraordinary stewardship of the world’s premier health research and discovery institution.”