Strong, sustained investment in research helps Americans live longer, healthier lives.
How the NIH is Funded
The National Institutes of Health are funded through appropriations made by law, as all discretionary spending by the federal government is. Every February, the President submits a budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year to Congress. Next, Congress adopts a budget resolution, which sets an overall budget cap and guidelines for the different categories of spending (health, defense, agriculture, etc.).
Once the House and Senate Appropriations Committees receive their allocations for overall spending, they divide it among their 12 subcommittees. The Labor, Health and Human Services and Education and Related Agencies (L-HHS-Ed) Appropriations Subcommittee is responsible for determining the level of spending for the NIH. First, each L-HHS-Ed Subcommittee in the House and Senate must approve its bill, sending it to their respective chambers to consider it. When both chambers have passed their appropriations bills, leaders in the House and Senate must meet in Conference to negotiate the differences between the bills. After both the House and Senate approve the Conference report, it is sent to the President for signature or veto.
If the appropriations bills are not signed by the President by the start of the fiscal year on October 1, Congress will usually pass a continuing resolution to provide temporary funding. If separate appropriations bills are not passed, they can be combined into an omnibus bill, which can help speed the negotiation and approval process.
History of NIH Appropriations
From 2004-2008, appropriations for the NIH were flat or decreased, causing the agency to make deep cuts to health research funding. This stagnant level of funding followed the "doubling" of the budget from 1999 to 2003. The administration and Congress increased the NIH budget by approximately 15 percent each year, which doubled the NIH budget from $13.6 billion to $27.2 billion.
Members of the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittees
Senate:
Tom Harkin (Chair) (D-IA)
Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
Herb Kohl (D-WI)
Patty Murray (D-WA)
Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Jack Reed (D-RI)
Mark Pryor (D-AR)
Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
Richard Shelby (Ranking)(R-AL)
Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)
Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
Mark Kirk (R-IL)
Ron Johnson (R-WI)
Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Jerry Moran (R-KS)
House:
Dennis R. Rehberg (Chair)(R-MT)
Jerry Lewis (R-CA)
Rodney Alexander (R-LA)
Jack Kingston (R-GA)
Kay Granger (R-TX)
Michael K. Simpson (R-ID)
Jeff Flake (R-AZ)
Cythia M. Lummis (R-WY)
Rosa L. DeLauro (Ranking)(D-CT)
Nita M. Lowey (D-NY)
Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)
Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA)
Barbara Lee (D-CA)