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CCTS Newsletter Copy

By: Dane Christiansen and Kira Flaherty, Washington Representatives

June 26, 2026

June saw the House Appropriations Committee completing its work on the chamber’s twelve annual appropriations bills. The Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies funding measure was the only bill that the House advanced bipartisanly this cycle. All other measures, including Labor-HHS-Education and the Defense Department were reported out on party-line votes (making their prospects for passage on the House floor uncertain). The House Republican leaders have stated that their bills are intended to set a “floor” for funding and included cuts for a public health programs and non-defense spending overall. The exception is medical research with the House adopting an amendment to the VA bill to increase research program funding by $49 million, increasing NIH by $100 million, and even providing increases to DOD research.

Specifically, the House FY 2027 LHHS Appropriations Bill and Committee Report calls for:

• $110.77 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), a proposed cut of $4.03 billion from FY 2026 and $12.16 billion more than the administration’s budget request.

• $0 for the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA), this proposal was similarly not funded in FY 2026, and $432.69 million less than the administration’s budget request.
• $8.36 billion for the Health Resource and Services Administration (HRSA), a proposed decrease of $873.16 million from FY 2026 and $1.86 billion more than the administration’s budget request.
• $8.16 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a proposed decrease of $1.04 billion from FY 2026 and $1.82 billion less than the administration’s budget request.

• $1.4 billion for the Prevention and Public Health Fund, a proposal of level-funding from FY 2026 and $1.4 billion more than the administration’s budget request.

• $47.32 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a proposed increase of $100 million over FY 2027 and $5.29 billion more than the administration’s budget request.

• $1.5 billion for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), a proposal of level-funding from FY 2026 and $555 million more than the administration’s budget request.

• $7.29 billion for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a proposed decrease of $155.34 million from FY 2026 and $609.1 million more than the administration’s budget request.
• $0 for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), a proposed decrease of $345.38 million from FY 2026 and the same level as the administration’s budget request.
• $3.30 billion for the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), a proposed increase of $30 million above FY 2026.
  • $480.96 million for the Institutional Development Awards (IDeA) program, a proposed increase of $30.00 million over FY 2026.
• $954.32 million for the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), a proposed increase of $12 million over FY 2026.
  • $629.56 million for the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program, a proposal level with FY 2026. The CTSA funding line is maintained in the base bill.
• Committee instructions on indirect costs, multiyear funding, and the slow pace of grants and award funding at NIH.

The Senate has not yet started its FY 2027 appropriations markups but is expected to utilize a bipartisan process that provides modest increases and preserves traditional programs.

The administration continued to inject uncertainty into the medical research enterprise. OMB has put forward a proposed rule that would overhaul how all non-defense grants are administered and NIH released an RFI to craft a proposal to cap the number of awards a PI can receive. We are currently working with the community on advocacy responses while crafting appropriate comments.