The AAMC (PDF) and two coalitions convened by the association, the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research (PDF) and the Health Professions and Nursing Education Coalition (PDF) (HPNEC), submitted written outside witness testimony detailing fiscal year (FY) 2026 funding priorities to the Senate Appropriations Committee Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) Subcommittee.
The AAMC testimony outlined its FY 2026 funding recommendations of at least $51.3 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as recommended by the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research; $500 million for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; $1.51 billion for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Title VII health professions and Title VIII nursing workforce development programs, as recommended by HPNEC; $778 million for the Children’s Hospitals Graduate Medical Education program; and at least $11.58 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among other recommendations.
In addition to calling for an increase to the NIH’s FY 2026 funding level, the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research — a coalition of over 500 patient and voluntary health groups, medical and scientific societies, academic and research organizations, and industry — recommended a funding allocation for the Labor-HHS subcommittee that allows for the necessary investment in the NIH and other agencies that promote the health of the nation. The testimony also highlighted the reach of NIH funding across institutions, groundbreaking work supported by NIH-funded research, how NIH research strengthens the U.S. economy and international competitiveness, and concerns over ongoing grant terminations and disruptions in FY 2025.
Further, HPNEC — an alliance of more than 90 national organizations dedicated to training a health care workforce that meets the needs of all patients — stressed the importance of continued investment and support for the HRSA Titles VII and VIII programs to ensure a well-trained workforce and access to care in its testimony. The testimony also reaffirmed HPNEC’s concern, initially detailed in a June 6 statement (PDF), with the proposed $1 billion cut to HRSA health workforce programs, including the elimination of 15 programs, within the FY 2026 president’s budget request, outlining their detrimental impact in the face of health provider shortages.
- Washington Highlights