March 2025

ASH Committee on Government Affairs Members Visit Capitol Hill in Support of Research and Public Health Funding and SCD Legislation

Following the ASH Committee on Government Affairs spring business meeting, members of the Committee visited Capitol Hill on Tuesday, February 25, to urge Members of Congress to finalize fiscal year (FY) 2025 appropriations and support funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Department of Defense (DoD) Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, and the Sickle Cell Data Collection program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

ASH members also urged Members of Congress to support individuals living with sickle cell disease (SCD) by cosponsoring the Sickle Cell Disease Comprehensive Care Act (S.721), which was reintroduced in the Senate that day (see item from February below).

Bill Extending Government Funding Through September Signed into Law

On March 15, the President signed a continuing resolution (CR) to extend government funding until the end of the 2025 fiscal year (FY) that ends on September 30. The Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act cuts non-defense funding by roughly $13 billion and increases defense spending by about $6 billion over current funding levels. Funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is extended at FY 2024 levels, with the exception of adjusting funding for programs authorized by the 21st Century Cures Act to the level of $127 million for FY 2025 called for in the law (or $280 million below the FY 2024 level). In late February, ASH joined 600 organizations in a letter urging Congress to provide robust FY 2025 funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and protect against cuts to the agency.

The bill also includes a 57 percent cut to the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program, which supports research in both classical and malignant hematologic conditions, including sickle cell disease and blood cancers. ASH, as part of the Defense Health Research Consortium, will work to reverse this cut and restore the program’s funding.

With funding for federal agencies now finalized through the end of the current fiscal year, Congress is expected to quickly shift its attention to FY 2026. ASH will be continuing to work with other stakeholders in the biomedical research community to ensure robust funding for federal research and public health programs continues. Visit the ASH website for updates and ways that you and your colleagues can help support ASH’s efforts.

ASH Continues Joint Advocacy Efforts for Physician Payment Reform

March 10, ASH joined a coalition letter, led by the American College of Surgeons, to the House of Representatives urging congressional action to mitigate the 2025 Medicare physician payment cut of 2.83 percent which went into effect on January 1, 2025. Additionally, in early February, ASH joined the American Medical Association (AMA), and over 120 organizations, on a letter to Congressional Leadership, advocating for Congress to meaningfully address the pressures on physician payment by eliminating the cut and providing a 2% increase.

ASH is taking opportunities to work in coalition to push for congressional intervention to stop the cut and will continue to advocate for physician payment reform.

Congress Extends Telehealth Flexibilities Through September

The full-year continuing resolution (CR) that was signed into law on March 15 includes language to extend expiring telehealth flexibilities through September. Earlier this month, ASH, along with over 350 organizations, joined the Alliance for Connected Care in a sign-on letter advocating for the continuation of telehealth flexibilities. The Society will share relevant updates and continue to advocate for a long-term solution.

ASH Signs onto Letter Advocating for Women's Health Research

ASH, alongside 550 organizations, signed an open letter to the Trump Administration advocating for the prioritization of women’s health research. This letter underscores the need for greater accuracy in research, adequate funding, a streamlined Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval process, improved access to care and innovation, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reimbursement for women’s health services, enhanced maternal, mental health, and gynecological care, and stronger inter-agency collaboration.

NIH Announces Plan to Centralize Peer Review

On March 6, the NIH issued a press release announcing plans to “centralize peer review of all applications for grants, cooperative agreements and research and development contracts within the agency’s Center for Scientific Review (CSR).” In the release, NIH stated that the proposed approach is expected to save more than $65 million annually “by eliminating duplicative efforts across the agency, making the review process more efficient.” The proposed centralization plan will apply to the first stage of the review process and the consolidation would transition study sections that take place across NIH Institutes and Centers to CSR for all first-level review. CSR Director Noni Byrnes, PhD, stated in the release that “Centralized peer review will mitigate the potential for bias by entirely separating the peer review and funding components of NIH.”

The NIH’s proposal is now under review with implementation pending external review which includes review by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of Management and Budget, providing Congress with a 15-day notification period, and issuing a Federal Register notice.