Individuals with or at risk of hereditary cancer have access to screening and preventive interventions that are a direct result of NIH-funded research. Clinical trials and studies funded by NIH have improved health through genetic testing, cancer screenings, and targeted therapies, while dramatically expanding the body of knowledge on genetics and cancer. 

• Approximately 1 in 300 Americans carry an inherited genetic mutation that increases their risk of cancer. These hereditary mutations can affect multiple family members, increasing the risk of multiple cancers, often at younger ages and, in some cases, more aggressive disease.
• NIH research pioneered the development of immunotherapy, a treatment that helps a person’s immune system fight cancer and laid the groundwork for research on PARP inhibitors, a targeted therapy developed for people with BRCA mutations.
• Every dollar invested in NIH generates $2.57 in economic activity, contributing nearly $94.2 billion to the U.S. economy in FY 2025 and supporting over 390,860 jobs across nearly every congressional district. Scaling back would weaken America’s economy, weaken our national security, and diminish leadership in medical innovation.

To ensure that we do not lose momentum in developing new treatments for various diseases, we urge Congress to make medical research a national priority by increasing investment in the NIH.   

 We are asking Congress to: 

• Capitalize on the abundance of scientific opportunities and recommend at least $51.3 billion for the NIH’s base program and $7.99 billion for the NIH National Cancer Institute for FY 2027.
• Prevent OMB from finalizing or implementing proposed grant-making changes that would undermine scientific merit review, expand the administration’s authority to terminate research awards, and introduce greater uncertainty into the federal research process.

Contact your members of Congress and let them know that NIH research funding is critical.