The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee held a June 24 hearing on President Donald Trump’s fiscal year (FY) 2026 budget request for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) [refer Washington Highlights, June 6]. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testified before the subcommittee, where he was questioned on issues related to the administration’s Make America Healthy Again initiative, HHS reorganization, health care innovation, and proposed cuts within the president’s HHS budget request.
Throughout the hearing, several members expressed concerns about cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and biomedical research. In her opening remarks, Subcommittee Ranking Member Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) emphasized the important role of federally funded biomedical research in maintaining U.S. leadership in curing disease, raising concern about the impact of research cancellations and reductions in force within the HHS. Full Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) echoed this concern in his opening remarks, stating that “the Trump administration cut nearly $3.8 billion in grants from the [NIH] creating extreme uncertainty for medical researchers across the country and threatening future medical innovation.” Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.) highlighted the role of NIH-supported research in the development of Alzheimer's disease treatments, expressing alarm over proposed cuts to the National Institute on Aging.
The hearing also explored barriers to care in rural and underserved communities. In his testimony, Kennedy outlined efforts to prioritize families who lack adequate access to primary care (PDF) in rural, urban, and Native communities. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, MD (R-Iowa) asked how the HHS will invest in rural America under the department’s proposed reorganization, to which Kennedy highlighted innovations in telemedicine and artificial intelligence. Rep. Lori Trahan (D-Mass.) expressed concerns regarding how the House-passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s (H.R. 1) proposed cuts to Medicaid will impact access to care in rural communities, noting that such cuts will create a “perfect storm for [hospital] closures.” When she inquired about Kennedy’s plans to ensure that hospitals remain open and ready to serve patients, he responded that funding decisions will ultimately come from Congress.