The Senate Committee on Appropriations today began mark-up the fiscal year 2026 Labor, HHS, and Education bills. This year the administration has cut or held up hundreds of grants approved and funded in  fiscal year 2025. President Donald Trump has proposed a drastic 40% cut to NIH in fiscal year 2026 and major reorganization of NIH – reducing it from 27 institutes to eight – and has started executing this reorganization without providing proper notice to Congress. Currently, many researchers are unable to draw down funds, and over 2,600 grants have been canceled outright.  

Cuts to NIH and a reorganization will affect all current and future researchers, patients, and clinicians. The American Thoracic Society is calling on all stakeholders to let their members of Congress know how these threats to NIH are affecting their research, patients, communities, and the future research workforce.

We are urging Congress to protect the NIH now and provide the agency with at least $51.303 billion in the next fiscal year. It is imperative that all Senators and Representatives hear from their constituents about the importance of funding NIH. Many congressional offices are not aware of how this administration's policies are affecting their states and constituents.  

• All congressional offices need to hear from constituents about NIH funding:
• Protect Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 funding for the NIH from impoundments;
• Provide robust funding for the agency in FY 2026; and
• Exercise its oversight authority over any reorganization to ensure that any changes protect the full spectrum of medical research.