Senate committee advances appropriations bill

The Senate Appropriations Committee July 31 advanced the fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and other agencies by a bipartisan 26-3 vote. The bill provides approximately $197 billion in discretionary funding. It includes funding to programs the AHA requested in June.   

The committee approved $309 million — an increase of $4 million — for Health Care Readiness and Recovery, formerly the Hospital Preparedness Program. It also provided $390 million for the Children’s Hospitals Graduate Medical Education program, a $21 million increase from FY 2024 enacted. The bill also includes some moderate funding increases for rural health, behavioral health, workforce, and maternal and child health programs. In addition, the bill provides $48.7 billion in discretionary funding for the National Institutes of Health, an increase of $400 million, and rejects the initial White House proposal to cut $18 billion in funding. The bill also rejected the administration’s proposal to cap indirect cost rates for NIH grants at 15%.   

The House is expected to consider the bill in September.