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# Senate Dems Denounce FDA Communication Freeze
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/senate-dems-denounce-fda-communication-freeze/
- Published: 2025-02-07T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T14:52:40.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: FDA Policy/General, #legacy-id-D5158627

A group of 24 Senate Democrats have written HHS acting secretary **Dorothy Fink** asking the Department to end the ongoing and unprecedented freeze on all external communications and funding at government health agencies, including FDA. “We write to express our deep concern over the Administration’s recent decision to freeze external communications and suspend federal health funding at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),” wrote the senators in a [2/6 letter](https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=AEA89080-3A74-4BF8-9FBA-81024238F63B?source=email&ref=fdaweb.com). “The abrupt order has already disrupted patient care, public health oversight, halted medical research funding, and obstructed critical regulatory processes.”

Shortly after the inauguration last month, FDA and other agencies were ordered to immediately “pause” all external communications and grant disbursements until at least 2/1\. The directive prohibits agencies from issuing public health advisories and scientific reports, updating Web sites, announcing regulatory decisions, or conducting outreach to patient groups, unless the activity is explicitly approved by politically appointed leadership, according to the lawmakers.

“With the Administration’s own deadline having passed, it remains unclear when these restrictions will be lifted,” they wrote. “While limited exceptions exist for critical health, safety, or national security concerns, the freeze has already severely impeded essential public health and biomedical research functions.”

In conclusion, the letter said that this “political interference in public health agencies is unprecedented and unacceptable… The American people depend on HHS agencies to provide accurate, real-time information about disease outbreaks, medical research, and regulatory decisions. We urge you to immediately reverse this harmful decision.”