Dear Chairs Capito and Aderholt and Ranking Members Baldwin and DeLauro:
The undersigned health and research coalitions and organizations write to express our concern regarding the Administration’s draft Fiscal Year 2026 budget for the Department of Health and Human Services. As drafted, the proposed budget would cut about one-third of the agency’s discretionary spending and effectively devastate our nation’s research, scientific, and public health infrastructure.
The draft proposal is dangerous and devastating. It would put our nation’s health and security at risk by defunding, and in some cases eliminating, vital programs that monitor and defend against infectious and chronic disease, battle opioid and mental health epidemics, protect the public against environmental and occupational health threats, reduce preventable injuries, address public health emergencies and deliver high-quality care to veterans, seniors, and other Americans. These cuts will also seriously undermine our ability to remain a global leader in developing the next generation of treatments and cures for cancer and other diseases.
HHS agencies have important roles to play in addressing our nation’s health demands.
Investment in medical research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) plays an irreplaceable role in advancing discovery that leads to new and better cures, diagnostics, and preventive interventions. The other HHS agencies play an equally important role in ensuring outcomes of that work improve public health. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves new treatments. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and Indian Health Service (IHS) ensure we have qualified health professionals who can move discoveries into health care and public health delivery, support Americans while they’re awaiting new cures, and prevent them from getting sick in the first place. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) provides evidence on what treatments work best, for whom, and in what circumstances. Finally, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) supports those who are aging and those who have disabilities — as well as their caregivers. Sustained investments, not budgetary cuts, are needed to protect these roles and functions within HHS in order to safeguard American’s health.
While we acknowledge that creating an efficient and effective health care and public health system is important — cutting funding across HHS agencies will not achieve this goal. Instead, we ask that Congress work in a bipartisan, bicameral manner with the public health, health care, research, scientific and patient communities to strengthen the workings of our health agencies so they can best care for the American public.
We call on you to reject the proposed budget cuts across HHS agencies and centers and instead work together to invest in our nation’s health by ensuring that the essential programs that protect and further American’s health remain adequately funded.