Research!America Encouraged by Senate Appropriations Committee Support for Research and Public Health Agency Funding
Arlington, VA – Research!America, a nonprofit alliance that advocates for science, discovery, and innovation to achieve better health for all, is encouraged by the Senate Appropriations Committee’s markup of its Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS) bill. Research!America applauds the committee and its leadership.
Today, the Senate Appropriations Committee proposed a net $400 million increase over FY25 funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Other agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), were flat funded or received modest budget cuts. These proposed funding levels, which are dramatic improvements over the president’s FY26 budget recommendations, signal that members of Congress from both sides of the aisle recognize the significance of American research and public health security.
“Earlier this year, the administration proposed deep cuts to the NIH, CDC, and other key health agencies,” said Research!America President and CEO Mary Woolley. “The Senate Appropriations Committee has rejected those cuts, and instead, given the American people reason for optimism. Whether the objective is medical progress, American jobs, or national security, research delivers. Today’s bipartisan actions are a step in the right direction.”
The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to act on its version of the FY26 LHHS bill when lawmakers return to Washington following recess. The fiscal year deadline is Sept. 30.
Contact Glenn O’Neal, Senior Director of Communications, at 571-482-2737 or [email protected] with press inquiries.