The Advocacy Imperative
I’m going to jump right into the “On the Hill” section of this letter, albeit not because I relish the state of play.
The Senate has approved a “rescissions” package (H.R.4) requested by the Trump Administration that, as outlined in this summary, would send approximately $9 billion in Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) funding back to the federal treasury. The House is likely to approve the Senate version of the bill, which includes the “clawback” (rescission) of funding for numerous foreign aid programs, as well as the clawback of $1.1 billion in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
It only takes a minute or two, at most, to come up to speed on the rescissions process via this excellent primer from the Bipartisan Policy Center. One reason to understand the rescissions process, which undoes spending decisions agreed to as part of the appropriation process, is that we have likely not seen the last of it. The Trump Administration has already signaled its intention to send another rescissions package to Congress.
As of this writing, it is not possible to predict what spending cuts might be included in a second rescissions package.
This leaves open the possibility that Congress will sign-off on under-spending against the FY25 funding levels for NIH and/or other research and public health agencies.
This is a time when speaking up for what we believe and why – in other words, advocacy – is not just important, it is imperative. Advocacy works. An example of effective advocacy during Senate Consideration of H.R.4 was the preservation of PEPFAR funding, which was targeted in the original rescissions package. Numerous organizations, including amfAR, AVAC, GHTC, and many others, raised awareness and kept the volume high in support of PEPFAR. (For those not familiar, PEPFAR is a landmark program established on a bipartisan basis in 2003 to combat the global HIV/AIDS crisis. Learn more here.)
Appropriations Watch: This week, House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-OK) released the House’s topline funding levels for all 12 FY26 spending bills. The Labor, Health and Human Services, Education (Labor-HHS) bill, which funds NIH, CDC, AHRQ, and other research and public health agencies, was allocated $184.49 billion, lower than the FY25 enacted level but higher than the President’s FY26 request of $169.1 billion. Reminder: These numbers don’t reflect specific funding levels for agencies like NIH, they’re overall totals for each bill and serve as a starting point for establishing proposed funding levels for specific agencies and programs. Clear as mud? Here’s a quick refresher on the annual appropriations process.
On Tuesday, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) approved its FY26 funding bill. The measure includes $7 billion for the National Science Foundation (NSF), a 23% decrease from FY25 enacted levels. While that number is an improvement over the President’s proposal to cut NSF funding by 57%, the U.S. cannot cut NSF by nearly 25% and expect to be prosperous and secure going forward, particularly in the face of growing global competition from China and others. Read the bill summary here. The full committee markup is tentatively scheduled for July 24.
While these proposed House funding levels for Labor-HHS and NSF are clearly not what a strong research portfolio for the nation demands, they do indicate a willingness on the part of appropriators to spend more on science than the administration recommends. Advocacy has an impact.
Meanwhile, Labor-HHS Subcommittee Chair Robert Aderholt (R-AL) announced that the House will not mark up the Labor-HHS bill until September, which gives advocates additional time to weigh in with their representatives. Use this editable email to urge your members of Congress to support robust NIH funding. Remember, this is a template! Personalize it to make the case for other research and public health agencies as well!
In the Senate, the Appropriations Committee passed the FY26 CJS funding bill. The Senate bill appropriates $9 billion for the NSF, which is far better than both the House and administration recommendations. Again, advocacy works! Last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee also unanimously advanced its FY26 Agriculture-FDA spending bill, allocating $7 billion for the Food and Drug Administration (comprising $3.6 billion in taxpayer funds and $3.4 billion in user fee revenues). This amount is roughly level with FY25 funding and exceeds the House’s proposed $6.8 billion. The Senate bill also includes provisions not found in the House version, such as requiring the FDA to lift hiring restrictions on scientists, product reviewers, and inspectors within 30 days of enactment. These differences will need to be resolved when the House and Senate negotiate a final version of the bill. More details can be found in this resource created by the Alliance for a Stronger FDA.
HHS “RIFs”: This week, thousands of employees at HHS, including at NIH, CDC, and FDA, were officially let go as part of a major reorganization effort. The layoffs were first announced in the spring but had been on hold while legal challenges played out. A recent Supreme Court ruling allowed HHS to move forward. Some staff remain protected under a separate court case, but most of those previously notified are now, officially, no longer with the federal government. We are deeply grateful for the service of these individuals, who have undoubtedly contributed to saving lives in the U.S. and abroad.
STAC on Capitol Hill: On Wednesday, July 23, the Science and Technology Action Committee(STAC) will host a reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Dirksen Senate Office Building highlighting the importance of a strong U.S. science and technology (S&T) enterprise. Speakers include Sudip Parikh, Research!America board chair, CEO of AAAS, and STAC co-chair; Chris Nomura, University of Idaho; Nate Hartman, Purdue University; Barbara Bichelmeyer, University of Kansas; Isabelle Ferain, GlobalFoundries; and others to be named. RSVP here.
Building Blocks of Research: This infographicfrom alliance member Emory University provides a great overview of the R&D ecosystem and its collaborative nature. Use this resource in your advocacy as an explainer for how the public, private, and academic sectors work together to improve health for all.
Member-Only Meeting: Join us on Tuesday, July 22, at noon ET for a conversation with Cheryl Jaeger of Crossroads Strategies about the current policy and funding landscape. We’ll also provide an update on a major communications and advocacy campaign launching this month. If you are with a Research!America alliance me
mber organization, email Jacqueline Lagoy to register for this meeting.
Nominate a Champion: Time is running out to submit your nominations for our 2026 Research!America Advocacy Awards. The Advocacy Awards recognize individuals and organizations whose commitment to advocacy for research and innovation has advanced medical, public health, and scientific progress in profoundly important ways. Take a look at the award descriptions and submit your nominations now. The deadline is Thursday, July 31, so don’t delay!