Protect the Future of Cancer Research: Tell Congress to Reject NIH Cuts

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) urges you to take immediate action to defend the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and its vital role in saving lives, advancing science, and driving medical breakthroughs. 

A new national poll shows that 89% of Americans support continued federal funding for NIH. This overwhelming support sends a powerful message: protecting medical research—and advancing the fight against cancer—must be national priorities.

That commitment was reflected this summer, when the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced legislation providing a $400 million increase for NIH in FY2026. In early September, the House approved a bill with an additional $99 million increase. These actions affirm that Congress continues to recognize the value of medical research. But with final funding decisions still ahead, lawmakers must continue to hear from you. Supporting NIH and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) is not simply about budgets—it is about sustaining progress, saving lives, and offering hope to patients and families nationwide.

Why This Matters

For more than 75 years, NIH has powered discoveries that save lives. Its investment in cancer research has transformed once-deadly diagnoses into treatable conditions, unlocked new therapies, and given patients more time with the people they love. Progress supported by NIH and the National Cancer Institute has changed the trajectory of cancer for millions of families.

That progress is now at risk.

Proposed cuts for FY2026 would stall scientific momentum, drive researchers out of the field, and limit access to future breakthroughs. They would weaken the infrastructure behind cancer research and threaten the long-term stability of our medical innovation ecosystem. If we allow that progress to be lost, it will not be easily recovered.

Medical research has long united Republicans and Democrats. That bipartisan legacy must be protected for science, for patients, and for the future.

How You Can Help

Congress has taken important steps, but the job is not finished. Please call or email your representatives and urge them to:

Provide at least $51.3 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This funding is essential to keep pace with biomedical inflation and sustain lifesaving research across all diseases. Without it, promising science will stall, clinical trials will be halted, and patients will lose access to breakthroughs that could extend or save their lives.

Provide at least $7.934 billion for the National Cancer Institute (NCI). This investment is critical to protect the progress made against cancer and to drive continued momentum in prevention, early detection, and treatment. Without it, research will slow, trials will be delayed, and the promise of new therapies will be pushed further out of reach for patients who cannot afford to wait.

Protect the integrity of research. Taxpayer dollars must fund the most promising science, chosen through rigorous peer review. Handing decisions to political appointees would undermine the freedom of inquiry and scientific merit that have made America the world leader in biomedical research. Patients cannot afford to see lifesaving discoveries sidelined by politics.

While emails are helpful, calls carry more weight. Speaking directly with a staffer or leaving a voicemail can make a real impact. Every call is logged. Every voice matters.

Your Voice Can Make the Difference

Medical research has saved lives, strengthened the economy, and helped the United States lead the world in innovation. But we cannot take that legacy for granted.

At this defining moment, bipartisan momentum is building and public support is overwhelming. Congress has already rejected devastating cuts and reaffirmed NIH’s importance. Now they must finish the job.

Join the 89% of Americans who support NIH. Stand up for science. Stand with patients. Speak out for the future of medical research and cancer research.

Take action now.