The House Appropriations Committee amended and voted 34-28 along party lines on June 9 to advance the fiscal year (FY) 2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) Appropriations Act and an accompanying report (PDF). Following the committee vote, AAMC President and CEO David J. Skorton, MD, and Chief Public Policy Officer Danielle Turnipseed, JD, MHSA, MPP, issued a statement thanking the committee for the new resources the bill would provide for medical research and health professions programs, while urging reversal of harmful cuts to other public health agencies, rejection of restrictive policies, and full, timely use of funds to support public health, innovation, and workforce development. The AAMC-convened Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research also issued a statement commending the committee for prioritizing National Institutes of Health (NIH) investment (PDF) and including multiyear funding safeguards.
The bill would provide $47.4 billion for the NIH and $1.5 billion for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, but also proposes new research restrictions, changes to facilities and administrative funding, and other policy provisions. During the markup, the committee adopted a manager’s amendment that would preserve multiyear funding parameters included in the final FY 2026 spending bill and included report language expressing concern over the NIH’s pace of obligating funds.
For other key health agencies, the bill proposes $8.1 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, representing a roughly $1 billion reduction below the FY 2026 funding level, would eliminate funding for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and rescind funding for the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Trust Fund. The bill would also provide $905.7 million for the Health Resources and Services Administration Title VII health professions and Title VIII nursing workforce development programs, a $17 million increase over FY 2026 levels.
As it relates to higher education, the manager’s amendment includes language that would effectively designate advanced nursing programs as professional degree programs for federal loan limits.
The House Appropriations Labor-HHS Subcommittee advanced the bill following a June 5 markup [refer to Washington Highlights, June 5]. The House has not yet announced a timeline for floor consideration, and the Senate schedule is similarly unclear.