Health Groups Pleased With Proposed NIH Budget in Bipartisan Funding Bill
Read the full article in Medpage Today
Health groups praised many of the provisions in the joint House-Senate bill that would fund the NIH and several other agencies under HHS for fiscal year 2026.
“Even in these challenging times, the bill increases the overall NIH budget and includes new protections to help the agency fulfill its lifesaving mission,” Mary Woolley, president and CEO of Research!America, a nonprofit science advocacy group, said in a statement.
Health groups praised many of the provisions in the joint House-Senate bill that would fund the NIH and several other agencies under HHS for fiscal year 2026.
“Even in these challenging times, the bill increases the overall NIH budget and includes new protections to help the agency fulfill its lifesaving mission,” Mary Woolley, president and CEO of Research!America, a nonprofit science advocacy group, said in a statement.
Notably, President Trump had previously proposed cutting the HHS budget by $33 billion, a 26.2% decrease. He’d also proposed decreasing the NIH budget by $18 billion.
“While cuts to several key research and public health agencies signal that this work is far from over, the legislation is a vast improvement over the devastating cuts included in the president’s FY26 budget proposal. We urge Congress to swiftly pass this legislation prior to the Jan. 30 funding deadline,” Woolley said.
The proposed legislation would provide HHS with discretionary funding of $116.8 billion, an increase of $210 million over fiscal year 2025. The bill, released Tuesday with bipartisan support, must still be passed by both houses of Congress and then signed by President Trump. The House is expected to pass it this week, with the Senate expected to follow next week after it returns from a week-long recess.
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