The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) and the House Appropriations, Labor, Health, and Human Services (L-HHS) Subcommittee each convened hearings on May 14 to review President Donald Trump’s proposed fiscal year (FY) 2026 budget request for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) [refer to Washington Highlights, May 2]. Lawmakers questioned HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about the agency’s reorganization, reductions in force, and proposed funding cuts to biomedical research.
In his opening statement, Senate HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.) detailed the importance of collaboration between Congress and the administration to implement any reforms to the HHS, describing examples of bipartisan priorities and noting, “In this proposed budget, offices that are responsible for overseeing many initiatives, which were initiated by President Trump, will be consolidated or repurposed.”
Many members discussed goals for bolstering the health care workforce, particularly in rural and underserved areas. House Appropriations L-HHS Subcommittee Chair Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) detailed the disproportionate impact of health workforce shortages on rural communities, noting, “In 2010, at least 14 hospitals in Alabama closed their doors, and even more stopped offering inpatient services and maternal health services. In addition to that our rural communities face ongoing challenges with health workforce shortages.” House Appropriations L-HHS Subcommittee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) added that the president’s budget proposal to eliminate funding for the Health Resources and Services Administration would damage “access to health care for the uninsured, isolated, and vulnerable people.”
During both hearings, several members raised concerns about cuts to biomedical research. DeLauro criticized disruptions to the distribution of congressionally appropriated funds to the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, calling them “unlawful.” She noted that the NIH has spent $2.7 billion less this year compared to the previous year, with cancer research alone facing a 31% reduction. DeLauro also pressed Kennedy to commit to fully utilizing all congressionally appropriated funds, to which he agreed. Both Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.) expressed concerns about the 15% cap on facilities and administrative costs for federally sponsored research.
In several key exchanges, members asked Kennedy about policies to ensure access to care, including Medicare, Medicaid, and the 340B Drug Pricing Program. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) voiced his support for 340B and inquired about the department’s plans to shift oversight of the program from the HRSA to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Kennedy responded that he was unable to answer that question due to a court order, but highlighted concerns about program growth. Despite these concerns, Kennedy affirmed that the program is the “lifeblood of rural hospitals” and concluded, “we can’t mess with the program without giving those rural hospitals something else that is going to support them”.