First Lady Jill Biden is in Massachusetts on Wednesday morning and is expected to announce $100 million in federal funding for women's health research and development that she is leading at an event in Cambridge.
She is scheduled to speak at 11:30 a.m. as part of the White House Initiative on Women's Health Research.
This funding is the first major outcome of the White House Initiative on Women's Health Research, announced late last year. The funding comes from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), part of the federal Department of Health and Human Services.
Biden said women don't know enough about their health because historically this research has been underfunded and lacking. The White House initiative aims to change the approach and increase funding for women's health research.
The first lady will say she will “bridge gaps, accelerate new thinking and transform women's lives,” according to excerpts of prepared remarks shared by The Associated Press.
“We will build a health system that centers women and their lived experiences so that women and girls don't have to hear, 'It's all in your head,' or 'It's just stress.' “We will build a system where women are thought of first, not just an afterthought. And women don't just survive, they live long, healthy, happy lives.” says.
President Joe Biden created the Health Advanced Research Projects Agency in 2022 to work to advance solutions to health problems. The agency is part of what he called a “unified agenda.”
In the coming weeks, the agency will solicit innovative research and development ideas to address women's health, the White House said.
The first lady arrived at Boston Logan International Airport on Tuesday night and was greeted by Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey. She spent the first half of the day in Connecticut, speaking at a Biden Victory Fund fundraiser in Guilford.
In her speech, she touted some of her husband's accomplishments. She covered topics such as economic recovery from the pandemic, the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Kentaj Brown Jackson, and climate change. She also spoke about the stakes of the election, saying, “Democracy doesn't always die at the end of a rifle. Democracy does not always die at the end of a rifle. Democracies die slowly and delicately, one freedom, one right, one hope at a time.” may die.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
