Advocacy News Roundup

April 2026

Administration Releases Proposed FY 2027 Budget, Seeks Cuts to NIH Funding

On April 3, 2026, the White House released President Donald Trump's fiscal year (FY) 2027 budget proposal for the federal fiscal year that begins on October 1, 2026. The administration requested $111.1 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), representing a $15.8 billion (12.5 percent) reduction from FY 2026 enacted levels. Although still significant, these cuts are notably smaller than those proposed in the FY 2026 budget.

Within HHS, the proposed budget seeks a cut of $5.787 billion (12.3 percent) to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Additionally, the proposal recommends forward funding all grants, meaning that grants would not be funded over a three to five-year period, but instead, paid up front. This would result in fewer grants being awarded. The proposal also includes capping indirect costs at 15 percent. The proposal does not include a consolidation of the institutes from which the majority of ASH members receive their funding; instead, the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), and the National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) remain as individual entities. The Administration does, however, propose to eliminate the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), the Fogarty International Center, and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). There is also a proposal to combine some other institutes, and/or transfer them to other federal agencies.

ASH issued a statement following the release of the proposed budget expressing concern that cuts in research funding would impede progress in research for blood disorders.

The administration’s proposal also funds the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) budget at $5.485 billion and does not include funding for the National Center for Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD), which is where the blood division (including the Sickle Cell Data Collection Program and other programs that focus on hemophilia and venous thromboembolism) is housed. Instead, funding for the blood division is recommended at $17.1 million within the new Agency for a Healthy America (AHA).

It is important to keep in mind that the President’s proposed budget merely represents a “wish list” from the administration. Ultimate authority on setting annual spending levels for programs and agencies rests with Congress, which will use the President’s recommendations as a starting point in the lengthy budget process. The administration's proposed FY 2026 cuts to NIH were ultimately not accepted by Congress, indicating the administration and Congress remain at odds on their respective visions for HHS funding. In the coming weeks and months, administration representatives will be called to testify before Congress on the President’s proposals, and the House and Senate Appropriations Committees will begin drafting legislation establishing actual federal spending levels for FY 2027.  Congressional leaders will, however, face a challenging environment, with a narrowly split Congress and the looming midterm elections making bipartisan cooperation difficult.

While Congress begins the FY 2027 budget processes, it is important for your legislators to hear from you about the impact that research funding has on your career and your patients. Take a moment to visit the ASH Advocacy Center to urge your Senators and Representative to continue to make NIH funding a priority.

ASH Calls on Congress to Support Funding for NIH, Federal Public Health Programs in Written Testimony Submitted to House Appropriations Committee

On April 16, ASH submitted a statement to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) urging support for funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other federal public health programs, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its Sickle Cell Data Collection program, in fiscal year (FY) 2027.

ASH Leads Over 70 Groups to Urge Congressional Action on SCD Comprehensive Care Act

On April 14, ASH and 76 other organizations committed to improving outcomes for individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD), sent a letter to the Senate Finance Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health strongly urging them to include the Sickle Cell Disease Comprehensive Care Act (S. 721/H.R. 5178) in an upcoming hearing or markup. This bipartisan legislation would expand the Medicaid Health Home program so states can establish Health Homes for sickle cell disease as a single qualifying condition, ensuring patients gain access to comprehensive, high-quality outpatient, mental health, and support services instead of fragmented care and preventable complications. Join ASH’s advocacy and visit the ASH website to send a message to your elected officials in support of legislation. Your voice is critical to building the strong cosponsor base needed for Congress to act on and pass this legislation.

ASH Joins Coalition Letter Supporting FY 2027 Funding for NIH and NIDDK

ASH, and 34 medical schools and patient, provider, and research organizations that are members of the Friends of the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), recently sent a letter to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees recommending at least $51.303 billion for the National Institutes of Health for fiscal year (FY) 2027, an 8.7% increase over the FY 2026 funding level. The groups also recommended a proportionate increase for the NIDDK of $217.8 million, for a total of $2.746.5 billion in FY 2027.

ASH Signs onto Coalition Letter Supporting Funding for CDC

In March, ASH joined the CDC Coalition in urging the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies to include $11.581 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the fiscal year (FY) 2027 Labor-HHS appropriations bill. The CDC houses a number of programs important to hematology, including the nation’s only sickle cell disease (SCD) data collection program, which is critical for tracking and improving care for individuals living with SCD. Read the full letter here.

ASH Signs onto FY 2027 Funding Request Supporting Veteran Affairs’ Research

ASH recently joined the Friends of VA Medical Care and Health Research (FOVA) coalition in urging Congress to provide at least $1.2 billion in discretionary funding for the VA Medical and Prosthetic Research Program in FY 2027. This request recognizes the critical role VA research plays in advancing veterans’ health and driving innovation nationwide. Read the full letter here.

Research Organizations, Institutions Prevail in Federal Litigation on 2025 NIH Indirect Cost Rate Change

Litigation has concluded in a lawsuit against the National Institutes of Health (NIH) following a February 2025 notice from the agency that announced “a standard indirect rate of 15 percent across all NIH grants for indirect costs in lieu of a separately negotiated rate for indirect costs in every grant.” Litigation immediately halted implementation of all four of these harmful policies and the U.S. Department of Justice declined to seek Supreme Court review of the First Circuit Court of Appeals’ January 6, 2026 decision in favor of the plaintiffs, including the Association of American Medical Colleges, the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, the Conference of Boston Teaching Hospitals, and the Greater New York Hospital Association, as well as a companion case brought by the Association of American Universities, American Council on Education, and Association of Public and Land Grant Universities. As a result, the district court’s injunction permanently blocking the policy remains in effect. However, as noted in the budget item above, the Administration continues to seek to have Congress enact the 15 percent cap on indirect costs through the legislative process.

NIH Seeking Directors for NHLBI, NINDS

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking applications for the position of Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and Director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Applications for both positions are being accepted through April 20, 2026.

Immigration-Related Provider Resources

ASH is sharing the following resources for members’ awareness and reference. These materials may be useful to hematologists seeking additional information on immigration-related issues that may arise in patient care.

  • American College of Physicians (ACP): ACP offers a toolkit with information for clinicians on health care coverage options, clinical considerations, and care guidance for refugees, asylum seekers, and undocumented individuals, along with additional patient-facing resources.
  • American Medical Association (AMA): AMA’s Immigrant Population Care page compiles articles, policy information, and physician resources related to caring for immigrant populations, including materials on access to care and related practice considerations.