AAMC President and CEO David J. Skorton, MD, and Chief Public Policy Officer Danielle Turnipseed, JD, MHSA, MPP, issued the following statement on the president’s budget request for Fiscal Year (FY) 2027:
“The President’s FY 2027 budget released today would have far-reaching adverse effects on the future of American health care. If enacted, this budget request would undermine federal support for medical research, public health, and health professions education. We are deeply concerned that the outlined proposal does not serve the American people.
The proposed reduction in funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) represents a stark departure from decades of bipartisan commitment to advancing biomedical research and from the American public’s expectations that federal support for discovery will remain strong. Sustained federal investment has positioned the United States as a global leader in medical innovation—improving the health of millions of Americans while driving economic growth in communities across the country.
The AAMC joins nearly 600 organizations representing patients, clinicians, scientists, and other collaborators nationwide in recommending an appropriation of at least $51.303 billion for the NIH's FY 2027 foundational work. Additionally, we remain concerned about the administration’s proposals to limit support for essential research costs and to frontload research awards, which will shrink the nation’s research capacity. At a time when strengthening America’s global standing is a stated priority, diminishing support for the nation’s health and research infrastructure is both counterproductive and concerning.
The budget request proposes a $1.02 billion reduction to health workforce programs, and once again places the Health Resources Services Administration into the newly organized Administration for a Healthy America. Particularly troubling, given ongoing shortages of health professionals in both rural and urban communities nationwide, is the proposed elimination of 14 Title VII health professions and Title VIII nursing workforce development programs essential to addressing the country’s evolving health care needs. Similarly, proposed funding cuts to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality raise serious concerns as the nation continues to confront complex and evolving public health and health care challenges.
The AAMC urges lawmakers to reject these harmful cuts in FY 2027 appropriations legislation and instead work in a bipartisan manner to advance funding bills that strengthen investments in patients, physicians, health professionals, researchers, and the health of all communities.
Additionally, as deliberations on FY 2027 get underway, we urge the administration to ensure that Health and Human Services funding in the current fiscal year is allocated without the same delays and disruptions that the community faced in FY 2026. For example, recent AAMC data illustrate that the pace of spending at NIH as of March 20, 2026, is far behind the last five years, driving uncertainty for patients, scientists, and research institutions. We hope that the administration will redouble its efforts to ensure that the rate of expenditures more closely tracks with past years. Patients don’t have the luxury of waiting while promising discoveries languish in limbo.
The AAMC remains committed to working with Congress and the administration to strengthen the nation’s health care infrastructure, including bolstering support for medical research, public health, and education for health professions for patients and communities nationwide.”