ASH Statement on NIH and HHS Funding in House and Senate Appropriations Bills
NIH and CDC support critical research and education programs for individuals with blood disorders
(WASHINGTON—September 10, 2025) – The American Society of Hematology (ASH) applauds the House and Senate Appropriations Committees for rejecting the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to and restructuring of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) but urges Congress to also reject the proposed cuts to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
NIH is the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world and has driven decades of scientific breakthroughs that have directly improved the health of Americans, including those with blood disorders. Federal funding of the NIH has enabled the development of gene therapies for sickle cell disease and CAR T-cell therapies for blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma. These cutting-edge therapies have redefined the treatment landscape in hematology and spurred critical advancements across other fields of medicine.
The CDC oversees key programs and activities for individuals with blood disorders, including the Sickle Cell Data Collection Program, blood clot education and awareness efforts, and multidisciplinary efforts to provide educational information on thalassemia for patients and providers. ASH and 90+ organizations called for the restoration of the CDC’s Division of Blood Disorders and Public Health Genomics earlier this year.
Belinda R. Avalos, MD, president of the American Society of Hematology, issued the following statement:
“We thank the House and Senate Appropriations Committees for reaffirming their commitment to the medical community through continued investment in NIH, an organization critical to bringing life-changing cures and treatments to millions of Americans.
However, the proposed cuts to the CDC threaten key programs and activities that address the burden of chronic disease in the United States, including lifelong blood disorders like hemophilia and sickle cell disease.
We urge Congress to provide NIH with at least the $48.7 billion level of funding provided in the Senate Appropriations Committee approved bill and finalize funding for the upcoming fiscal year before the September 30 deadline.
We strongly encourage Congress and the Administration to continue to work with health care organizations and the medical community to support chronic disease education, as well as innovative and transformative medical research, for the health of all Americans.”
The American Society of Hematology (ASH) (hematology.org) is the world’s largest professional society of hematologists dedicated to furthering the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders affecting the blood. Since 1958, the Society has led the development of hematology as a discipline by promoting research, patient care, education, training, and advocacy in hematology. Join the #Fight4Hematology by visiting hematology.org/fight4hematology.
The Blood journals (https://ashpublications.org/journals) are the premier source for basic, translational, and clinical hematologic research. The Blood journals publish more peer-reviewed hematology research than any other academic journals worldwide.
Contact:
Melissa McGue, 202-552-4927
mmcgue@hematology.org