ICYMI: Rounds Asks HHS Secretary Kennedy About South Dakota School of Mines Grant in Committee Hearing

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) asked Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about a mining research grant for the South Dakota School of Mines (SDSMT) during a hearing for the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), overseen by HHS, is a federal agency that makes recommendations for occupational health and safety. NIOSH’s Spokane Mining Research Division, which supports research at SDSMT in Rapid City, recently had staff laid off – subsequently impacting a grant awarded to SDSMT to study and improve underground mining safety.

“This is not just a missed opportunity, it undermines our ability to meet national security goals tied to mineral independence and supply chain resilience,” said Rounds. “Mr. Secretary, given the President’s directive to increase American mineral production, and the clear role NIOSH plays in supporting research at accredited mining schools, can you help with regard to why or explain or are you aware that the Spokane Mining Research Division has basically been shuttered?”

“I will work with you… I’ve spent a lot of time, as you know, in your state and have many friends who are working at the mine up in Deadwood and Lead, South Dakota,” said Kennedy. “I’ve been myself to the bottom of that mine many times. I understand the health concerns and how brave you have to be to undertake that kind of work. We need to protect our miners because they are the future of our country.”

Rounds also asked Kennedy about artificial intelligence research happening at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Watch a full clip of the exchange HERE.

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