Read COSSA’s Analysis of the FY 2026 House LHHS Appropriations Bill for Federal Science Agencies
On September 9, the House Appropriations Committee advanced its version of the fiscal year (FY) 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) Appropriations bill, which provides annual appropriations for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of Education, Department of Labor, and other agencies. The Senate advanced its bill in July (see COSSA’s analysis).
The House bill is a mixed bag for the science agencies important to the COSSA community. Similar to the Senate bill, the Committee rejects the President’s proposals to reduce the NIH budget by 40 percent, cut CDC by more than half, and slash funding for the Institute of Education Sciences within the Department of Education. In addition, the bill rejects Trump’s plan to reorganize the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); the President’s FY 2026 budget request included an extensive reorganization of HHS introducing new entities (e.g., Administration for a Healthy America) and consolidating several agencies. However, the House bill gives a nod to the President’s “Make America Healthy Again Initiative” by including $100 million “to allow the [HHS] Secretary to invest in prevention innovation programs for rural communities as proposed in the fiscal year 2026 budget request,” and to support “telehealth resources for chronic care and nutrition services.”
Unlike the Senate bill, the House LHHS bill seeks to eliminate funding for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)—which is not a new proposal—and zero‐out international education programs like Title VI and Fulbright‐Hays.
With the current fiscal year set to expire in two weeks, Congress turned its attention to averting a government shutdown. Lawmakers are currently debating the details of a continuing resolution (CR) that will keep the government funded beyond October 1. The jury is still out on whether Congressional Democrats will join Republicans to support the CR and avoid a shutdown. One thing is certain: the FY 2026 appropriations process is expected to continue for several more months and may extend into next year.
Read on for COSSA’s analysis of the House LHHS appropriations bill and how it compares to the Senate bill, the President’s budget request, and current funding. Text of the bill is available here and the Committee report is available here.
Stay tuned to COSSA’s coverage for the latest developments.