Certainty, Uncertainty, Advocacy
Congress passed and the president signed a continuing resolution (CR) late last week that prevented a government shutdown. This CR funds non-defense federal agencies and programs through Sept. 30 at approximately the same levels as FY24. Advocacy had an impact. Outreach to lawmakers largely prevented deep funding cuts. Advocacy also sustained statutory protections against a drastic reduction in NIH facilities and administrative cost reimbursements.
Disturbingly, though, efforts to stop a 57% cut to Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs were unsuccessful. But we’re not stopping: Research!America will continue to work closely with the Defense Health Research Consortium (DHRC) to reverse this cut and restore the programs to funding growth. Draw from these DHRC talking points in your advocacy efforts.
The CR is Not a Panacea. Let’s face it, we may know the near-term appropriations landscape, but we do not know whether our nation will continue to set the pace for medical progress. Americans across the political spectrum want our nation to lead. They want the Trump administration and Congress to do more to stop chronic and infectious diseases, address mental illness, and more. What will it take to meet those expectations? The outlook for research continues to hinge on advocacy. Using this editable email, urge your representatives to step up on behalf of the progress patients (and we are all patients) need.
HHS Leadership Positions: We expect the Senate to hold votes as early as Tuesday of next week on the nomination of Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the NIH and Dr. Martin Makary to lead the FDA. Stay tuned for leadership updates.
Fiscal Year 2026 Appropriations Requests: Even as Congress wrapped up the prolonged negotiations around FY25 funding, the FY26 appropriations began ramping up. Members of Congress rely on constituent input when setting federal funding priorities. Now is the time to push for stronger investments in NIH, CDC, FDA, AHRQ, NSF, BARDA, ARPA-H, and other research and public health agencies.
To make advocacy easier, we’ve created a quick “how-to” guide with a template to help you reach out to your representatives. If you’re new to the appropriations process, this short explainer from the Coalition for Health Funding is a great resource. Research!America has also compiled a tracker of congressional appropriations deadlines. The latest United for Medical Research (UMR) report provides valuable state-specific data to strengthen your requests.
More on FY26 Appropriations: The Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research invites interested organizations to join its FY26 NIH funding recommendation letter. The deadline to sign on is April 4.
- Read the letter here.
- Explore the Q&A for more details.
- Fill out this form to add your organization’s name.
On April 9, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) will hold a public witness hearing to consider input on FY26 funding levels for NIH, CDC, AHRQ, and the other agencies and programs under its jurisdiction. If you would like to testify, act fast!
- The deadline to request a speaking slot is tomorrow, March 21.
- Written testimony is due by April 9.
- Use Research!America’s written testimony primer to help craft your message.
The deadline for public witness testimony on NSF and the other key science agencies under the jurisdiction of the House Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee is May 9. The hearing itself has not yet been scheduled, but you can request to testify. The House Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee is accepting written testimony in lieu of holding a hearing. The deadline for submitting testimony is May 23.
Don’t Miss this Alliance Member-Only Meeting: Join us for an alliance member-only meeting over Zoom on Thursday, March 27, from noon – 1 p.m. ET, featuring Georgetown Law Professor David Super. We’ve asked David to discuss the administrative, statutory, and regulatory implications of recent executive branch actions affecting medical and health research. Research!America has been tracking relevant executive actions. To RSVP for this event, email Jacqueline Lagoy.
A Fighter for Medical Research: The medical and health research community lost a long-treasured ally and friend, former Representative Nita M. Lowey (D-NY) on Saturday. As her family notes, over the course of her 32-year career in Congress, “she was guided by the Jewish core value of ‘tikkun olam,’ repairing the world.” Research!America was proud to honor Congresswoman Lowey with the Edwin C. Whitehead Award for Medical Research Advocacy in 2019. We extend our deepest condolences to her family.