Advocacy

News from the Hill: September 25, 2025

After returning from the August congressional recess, the House moved forward with a markup of its Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Labor-HHS-Education (L-HHS) Bil. While the bill took a more muted approach than the Senate (which aggressively pushed back on several administration proposals), it similarly did not reorganize NIH, create a new public health agency nor reduce funding for HHS by 20%. Rather, the bill increased NIH funding by $100 million and cut HHS by 6% through the elimination of funding for programs that are viewed as progressive. In fact, the House increased a number of accounts that it prioritizes, and where these increases land and their size will form the basis of upcoming negotiations with the House. These House increases included a $25 million increase for the Institutional Development Awards (IDeA). A general summary is listed below and CCTS will provide further guidance on fall advocacy at the appropriate time.

FY26 House L-HHS Bill.

  • $108.06 billion in discretionary funding for HHS, a proposed decrease of $6.9 billion below FY 2025 and $8.8 billion less than the Senate proposal.
    • $7.12 billion for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), a proposed decrease of $879.1 million below FY 2025 and $1.72 billion less than the Senate proposal.
    • $7.48 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a proposed decrease of $1.74 billion below FY 2025 and $1.67 billion less than the Senate proposal.
    • $46.9 billion for NIH, a proposed increase of $99 million over FY 2025 and $300 million less than the Senate proposal.
    • $945 million for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), a proposed decrease of $555 million below FY 2025 and the Senate proposal.
    • $7.08 billion for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a proposed decrease of $298.45 million below FY 2025 and $350 million less than the Senate proposal.
    • $0 from the AHRQ, a proposed decrease of $369 million below FY 2025 and $345.4 million less than the Senate proposal.
    • $607.19 million for the Office of the HHS Secretary, a proposed decrease of $103.77 million below FY 2025 and $70.75 million less than the Senate Proposal.
      • $100 million for the new MAHA initiative, a proposed increase of $100 million over FY 2025 and the Senate proposal.

NIH Details

  • $3.26 billion for the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), a proposed increase of $21 million over FY 2025 and over the Senate Proposal.
    • $25 million funding increase for the IDeA program and language regarding CTSA collaboration.
  • $544.40 million for the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), a proposed increase of $10 million over FY 2025 and $10 million over the Senate proposal.
  • $928.32 million for the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), a proposal level with FY 2025 and level $10 million less than the Seante proposal.
    • The CTSA line item is removed to provide a new line item of $75 million for N3C support. The Senate maintains the line-item and level funds CTSAs.
  • $2.44 billion for the Office of the Director, a proposed decrease of $164 million below FY 2025, including $672.4 million for the Common Fund, a proposal level with FY 2025.
  • Policy riders on indirect costs that represent a middle ground between the administration and Senate proposals, but likely intended to serve as a place holder while final negotiations continue on a new policy.

 

By: Dane Christiansen and Kira Flaherty, Washington Representatives (the Health and Medicine Counsel)