Coalition for Health Funding's letter to House and Senate appropriators

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Dear Chairs Capito and Aderholt and Ranking Members Baldwin and DeLauro:

The undersigned health and research coalitions and organizations write to express our concern regarding the Administration’s draft Fiscal Year 2026 budget for the Department of Health and Human Services. As drafted, the proposed budget would cut about one-third of the agency’s discretionary spending and effectively devastate our nation’s research, scientific, and public health infrastructure.

The draft proposal is dangerous and devastating. It would put our nation’s health and security at risk by defunding, and in some cases eliminating, vital programs that monitor and defend against infectious and chronic disease, battle opioid and mental health epidemics, protect the public against environmental and occupational health threats, reduce preventable injuries, address public health emergencies and deliver high-quality care to veterans, seniors, and other Americans. These cuts will also seriously undermine our ability to remain a global leader in developing the next generation of treatments and cures for cancer and other diseases.

HHS agencies have important roles to play in addressing our nation’s health demands. Investment in medical research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) plays an irreplaceable role in advancing discovery that leads to new and better cures, diagnostics, and preventive interventions. The other HHS agencies play an equally important role in ensuring outcomes of that work improve public health. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves new treatments. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and Indian Health Service (IHS) ensure we have qualified health professionals who can move discoveries into health care and public health delivery, support Americans while they’re awaiting new cures, and prevent them from getting sick in the first place. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) provides evidence on what treatments work best, for whom, and in what circumstances. Finally, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) supports those who are aging and those who have disabilities — as well as their caregivers. Sustained investments, not budgetary cuts, are needed to protect these roles and functions within HHS in order to safeguard American’s health.

While we acknowledge that creating an efficient and effective health care and public health system is important — cutting funding across HHS agencies will not achieve this goal. Instead, we ask that Congress work in a bipartisan, bicameral manner with the public health, health care, research, scientific and patient communities to strengthen the workings of our health agencies so they can best care for the American public.

We call on you to reject the proposed budget cuts across HHS agencies and centers and instead work together to invest in our nation’s health by ensuring that the essential programs that protect and further American’s health remain adequately funded.

Sincerely,

1. Coalition for Health Funding
2. American Public Health Association
3. ABSA International
4. Academy for Radiology and Biomedical Imaging Research
5. Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine
6. Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses
7. Academy of Physicians in Clinical Research
8. AcademyHealth
9. Accessia Health
10. ACGIH
11. Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research
12. Addiction Professionals of North Carolina
13. Advocates for Youth
14. Agricultural Safety & Health Council of America
15. AHEC
16. AiArthritis
17. AIDS Alabama
18. AIDS Foundation Chicago
19. AIDS United
20. Alabama Statewide AHEC Network
21. Alaska AHEC Program
22. Aliados Health
23. Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM)
24. Alliance for Aging Research
25. Alliance for Positive Change
26. Alzheimer's Disease Resource Center
27. Alzheimer's Los Angeles
28. Alzheimers Orange County
29. Alzheimer's San Diego
30. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
31. American Academy of Nursing
32. American Academy of Pediatrics
33. American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research
34. American Association for Respiratory Care
35. American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD)
36. American Association of Colleges of Nursing
37. American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
38. American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP)
39. American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine
40. American Association of Neuroscience Nurses
41. American Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Foundation
42. American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists (AAPP)
43. American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges
44. American Association on Health and Disability
45. American Brain Coalition
46. American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
47. American Clinical Neurophysiology Society
48. American College of Clinical Pharmacy
49. American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
50. American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
51. American College of Osteopathic Internists
52. American College of Physicians
53. American College of Radiology
54. American College of Surgeons
55. American Dental Association
56. American Dental Education Association
57. American Federation for Aging Research
58. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
59. American Gastroenterological Association
60. American Heart Association
61. American Industrial Hygiene Association
62. American Institute of Biological Sciences
63. American Kidney Fund
64. American Lung Association
65. American Massage Therapy Association
66. American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA)
67. American Medical Women’s Association
68. American Nephrology Nurses Association
69. American Neurological Association
70. American Physiological Society
71. American Psychological Association
72. American Samoa AHEC
73. American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
74. American Society for Cell Biology
75. American Society for Clinical Pathology
76. American Society for Investigative Pathology
77. American Society for Microbiology
78. American Society for Nutrition
79. American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET)
80. American Society for Reproductive Medicine
81. American Society of Anesthesiologists
82. American Society of Hematology
83. American Society of Nephrology
84. American Society of Pediatric Nephrology
85. American Society of Plant Biologists
86. American Society of Transplantation (AST)
87. American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
88. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
89. American Statistical Association
90. American Thoracic Society
91. American Urogynecologic Society
92. American Urological Association (AUA)
93. Americans for Medical Progress
94. Angelman Syndrome Foundation
95. APLA Health
96. Area Health Education Center
97. Arizona Public Health Association
98. Arthritis Foundation
99. Association for Clinical and Translational Science
100. Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine
101. Association for Psychological Science
102. Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies (AABB)
103. Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries
104. Association of American Medical Colleges
105. Association of American Universities
106. Association of Bioethics Program Directors
107. Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists
108. Association of Independent Research Institutes
109. Association of Population Centers
110. Association of Public Health Laboratories
111. Association Of Public Health Nurses
112. Association of Rehabilitation Nurses
113. Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry
114. Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health
115. Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America - Michigan Chapter
116. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
117. Autoimmune Association
118. Barth Syndrome Foundation
119. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
120. Berkshire AHEC, Inc.
121. Berkshire Area Health Education Center, Inc.
122. Big Bend AHEC
123. Big Cities Health Coalition
124. Biocom California
125. Biophysical Society
126. BIPOC Equity Agency
127. Bi-State Primary Care Association
128. Blue Ridge Area Health Education Center
129. Board of Certified Safety Professionals
130. Boston Medical Center Health System
131. Bronx Westchester Area Health Education Center
132. CA AHEC
133. CADCA
134. CAEAR Coalition
135. California Consortium of Addiction Programs & Professionals
136. California Statewide AHEC Program
137. Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
138. Campus Safety Health and Environmental Management Association (CSHEMA)
139. Cancer Support Community
140. CancerCare
141. Cape and Islands Area Health Education Center at Cape Cod Community College
142. Caregiver Action Network
143. Cares of Southwest Michigan
144. Caring Ambassadors Program
145. Caring Hands Consulting, LLC
146. CaringKind, The Heart of Alzheimer’s Caregiving
147. Catskill Hudson AHEC
148. Catskill Hudson Area Health Education Center
149. Cedars-Sinai
150. Celiac Disease Foundation
151. Centennial Area Health Education Center
152. Center for Endometriosis Care
153. Center to Advance Palliative Care
154. Central CT AHEC
155. Central Louisiana Area Health Education Center
156. Central Maryland Area Health Education Center
157. Central New York Area Health Education Center
158. Central Valley Health Network
159. Cherokee Health Systems
160. Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation
161. CJD Foundation
162. Clinical Research Forum
163. Coalition for Clinical and Translational Science
164. Coalition for National Trauma Research
165. Coalition of Skin Diseases
166. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
167. College on Problems of Drug Dependence
168. Colorado Public Health Association
169. Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County (CCALAC)
170. Community Health Association Inland Southern Region
171. Community Health Partnership of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties
172. Conference of Boston Teaching Hospitals
173. Connecticut Public Health Association
174. Connecticut Society for Public Health Education
175. Consortium of Social Science Associations
176. Cooley's Anemia Foundation
177. Council of Graduate Schools
178. Council on Social Work Education
179. Crohn's & Colitis Foundation
180. CT AHEC
181. Cure Alzheimer's Fund
182. CURE Epilepsy
183. CURE Epilepsy
184. Cutaneous Lymphoma Foundation
185. Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
186. DC Area Health Education Center
187. Delaware Academy of Medicine/Delaware Public Health Association
188. Desert Mountain AHEC
189. Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathies-Project (DEE-P Connections
190. Dia de la Mujer Latina Inc
191. Digestive Disease National Coalition
192. Dysautonomia International
193. East Central IL AHEC
194. East Indiana Area Health Education Center
195. Eastern North Dakota AHEC
196. Eastern Ohio Area Health Education Center, Inc.
197. Eastern Shore Area Health Education Center
198. Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
199. Emergency Nurses Association
200. Endocrine Society
201. Epilepsy Foundation of America
202. Equitas Health
203. Equity and Innovation Excellerator
204. Erie Niagara Area Health Education Center
205. EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases
206. Faces & Voices of Recovery
207. Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology
208. Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences
209. Fight Colorectal Cancer
210. Five Horizons Health Services
211. Florida Rural Health Association
212. Foothills AHEC
213. Foothills AHEC, Inc.
214. Foothills Area Health Education Center
215. Foothills Area Health Education Center, Inc.
216. For Our Health
217. FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered
218. Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics
219. Friends of CDC
220. Friends of HRSA
221. Friends of NIDA
222. Friends of NIDDK
223. Galactosemia Foundation
224. Gaucher Community Alliance
225. Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association (GAPNA)
226. Gerontological Society of America
227. Global Alzheimer's Platform Foundation. Inc.
228. Global Liver Institute
229. GO2 for Lung Cancer
230. Good Days
231. Green & Healthy Homes Initiative
232. GRIN2B Foundation
233. Gulfcoast South Area Health Education Center
234. Hawaii Pacific Basin AHEC
235. HAWAII PACIFIC Basin Area Health Education Center
236. Head for the Cure
237. Health Education Center
238. Health Projects Center
239. Health Resources in Action
240. Healthy Teen Network
241. Healthy Work Campaign, Center for Social Epidemiology (501c3)
242. HealthyWomen
243. Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association
244. Hemophilia Alliance
245. Hemophilia Federation of America
246. Hepatitis B Foundation
247. High Sierra Area Health Education Center
248. Hilo Benioff Medical Center Foundation AHEC
249. Histiocytosis Association
250. HIV Dental Alliance
251. HIV Medicine Association
252. HIV/AIDS Alliance of Michigan
253. HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute
254. Hope Charities
255. Hope for HIE
256. Hudson Mohawk Area Health Education Center
257. Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
258. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association
259. IC&RC
260. ICWUC Center for Health and Safety Education
261. Illinois Public Health Association
262. Immune Deficiency Foundation
263. Indiana Public Health Association
264. Infectious Diseases Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology
265. Infectious Diseases Society of America
266. Inspiring Health Advances in Lung Care (INHALE)
267. International Association for Indigenous Aging
268. International Bipolar Foundation
269. International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders
270. International SCN8A Alliance
271. International Society for Stem Cell Research
272. International WELL Building Institute
273. Interstitial Cystitis Association of America, Inc.
274. Ironwood Area Schools
275. JustAir
276. KCNQ2 Cure Alliance
277. Keys AHEC Health Centers
278. La Jolla Institute for Immunology
279. Lakeshore Foundation
280. Lansing Area AIDS Network
281. LEAD Coalition (Leaders Engaged on Alzheimer's Disease)
282. Legal Action Center
283. Look. Foundation
284. Lower Rio Grande Valley AHEC
285. Lupus and Allied Diseases Association, Inc.
286. Lupus Foundation of America
287. Lupus Research Alliance
288. Lymphatic Education & Research Network
289. Magnolia Coastlands Area Health Education Center
290. Maine Public Health Association
291. Manhattan-Staten Island Area Health Education Center
292. March of Dimes
293. Maryland Public Health Association
294. Mass General Brigham
295. Massachusetts Public Health Alliance
296. MassAHEC Network, UMass Chan Medical School
297. Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance
298. M-CM Network
299. Medical Library Association
300. Mental Health Liasion Group
301. Merrimack Valley Area Health Education Center (MV-AHEC)
302. Metropolitan Indianapolis Central Indiana AHEC
303. MI Air MI Health
304. Michigan Allergy & Asthma Society
305. Michigan Association of School Nurses
306. Michigan Clinicians for Climate Action
307. Michigan Pharmacists Association
308. Michigan Primary Care Association
309. Michigan Public Health Association (MPHA)
310. MidMichigan Community Health Services
311. Milwaukee Area Health Education Center
312. Milwaukee Area Health Education Center (AHEC)
313. Mission MSA
314. Missouri Public Health Association
315. MitoAction
316. MKE FreshAir Collective
317. Monell Chemical Senses Center
318. MS Public Health Association
319. Muscular Dystrophy Association
320. NACoA
321. NAMI Northern Nevada
322. NASTAD
323. National Adult Protective Services Association
324. National AHEC Organization
325. National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research
326. National Alliance on Mental Illness
327. National Association for Biomedical Research
328. National Association For Continence
329. National Association of Activity Professionals
330. National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
331. National Association of State Emergency Medical Services Officials
332. National Association of Veterans Research and Education Foundations (NAVREF)
333. National Bleeding Disorders Foundation
334. National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship
335. National Consumers League
336. National Council for Mental Wellbeing
337. National Environmental Health Association
338. National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association
339. National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention
340. National Health Care for the Homeless Council
341. National Health Council
342. National HIV/AIDS Housing Coalition
343. National Multiple Sclerosis Society
344. National Network of Public Health Institutes
345. National Nurse-Led Care Consortium
346. National Patient Advocate Foundation
347. National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel
348. National Safety Council
349. National Scleroderma Foundation
350. National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC)
351. National Tuberculosis Coalition of America (NTCA)
352. National Working Positive Coalition
353. NC AHEC
354. NC Public Health Association
355. Neurotech Network
356. Nevada Counsel LLC
357. Nevada Public Health Association
358. New Jersey AHEC
359. New Jersey Public Health Association (NJPHA)
360. New Mexico AHEC
361. New Mexico Public Health Association
362. North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
363. North American Vascular Biology Organization
364. North Carolina Association for Biomedical Research
365. North Central KY Area Health Education Center
366. North Central Texas Area Health Education Center
367. North Central Texas Area Health Education Center AHEC
368. North Country HealthCare
369. North Dakota AHEC
370. North Dakota Area Health Education Center
371. North Dakota Public Health Association
372. Northcentral Pennsylvania AHEC
373. Northeast AHEC Office
374. Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety
375. Northeast Florida AHEC
376. Northeast IL AHEC at Northern Illinois University
377. Northeast Kentucky AHEC
378. Northeast Oregon Area Health Education Center
379. Northeast PA Area Health Education Center
380. Northeast SD AHEC
381. Northern Area Health Education Center
382. Northern Lower Regional Center Michigan Area Health Education Center
383. Northern Nebraska Area Health Education Center, (AHEC)
384. Northern WV Area Health Education Center
385. Northwest Illinois Area Health Education Center
386. Northwest Indiana Area Health Education Center
387. Northwest WI AHEC
388. Northwest Wisconsin Area Health Education Center
389. Northwestern CT AHEC
390. Nutrition and Medical Foods Coalition
391. NYS AHEC System
392. NYU Langone Health
393. Oregon AHEC
394. Oregon Area Health Education Center (AHEC)
395. Oregon Healthcare Workforce Institute
396. Organic Acidemia Association
397. Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance
398. PA Education Association
399. Palau Area Health Education Center (AHEC)
400. PAN Foundation
401. Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN)
402. Partners In Health
403. Pediatric Endocrine Society
404. Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society
405. Penn State Health/ College of Medicine
406. Pennsylvania Public Health Association
407. Periodic Paralysis Association
408. Permian Basin AHEC
409. Platelet Disorder Support Association
410. Population Association of America
411. PrEP4All
412. Prevent Blindness
413. Prevention Institute
414. Project Sleep
415. Public Health Institute
416. Public Health Institute NM
417. Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation
418. Pulmonary Hypertension Association
419. Recover Alaska
420. Regional Asthma Management & Prevention (RAMP)
421. Research!America
422. Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation
423. Safe States Alliance
424. San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium (SFCCC)
425. Sanford Burnham Prebys
426. Scenic Rivers Area Health Education Center
427. Second Wind Dreams
428. Second Wind Dreams/Virtual Dementia Tour
429. SF Hep B Free - Bay Area
430. SHAPE America - Society of Health and Physical Educators
431. Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc.
432. Sjogren's Foundation
433. Sleep Consortium, Inc.
434. Sleep Research Society
435. SMART Recovery
436. Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention
437. Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America
438. Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine
439. Society for Neuroscience
440. Society for Public Health Education
441. Society for Reproductive Investigation
442. Society for Women's Health Research
443. Society of Abdominal Radiology
444. Society of Behavioral Medicine
445. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry of North America
446. Society of Family Planning
447. Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates, Inc.
448. Society of General Internal Medicine
449. Society of Gynecologic Oncology
450. Society of Gynecologic Surgeons
451. Society of Pediatric Nurses (SPN)
452. Society of Skeletal Radiology
453. Solve M.E.
454. South Central Illinois AHEC
455. South Central Kentucky AHEC
456. South Central Texas AHEC
457. South Dakota Public Health Association
458. South Dakota Public Health Association (SDPHA)
459. South East Area Health Education Center part of NC AHEC
460. South Texas Area Health Education Center
461. Southcentral Idaho AHEC Director
462. Southcentral Pennsylvania AHEC
463. Southeast Kentucky AHEC
464. Southeast Nebraska Area Health Education Center
465. Southern California Public Health Association
466. Southern Vermont Area Health Education Center (AHEC)
467. Southwest PA Area Health Education Center
468. SOWEGA-AHEC
469. St. Claire Medical Center, Inc.
470. Stop TB USA
471. Sullivan and Catskills AHEC
472. Susan G. Komen
473. Suwannee River Area Health Education Center
474. Tennessee Public Health Association
475. Texas AHEC East - DFW Region
476. Texas AHEC East - Waco Region
477. Texas AHEC East Coastal Region
478. The AIDS Institute
479. The American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology
480. The APS Type 1 Foundation Inc.
481. The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration
482. The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO)
483. The Brain Donor Project
484. the Council of Chairs of Obstetrics and Gynecology
485. The Health Alliance of Northern California
486. The Hepatitis C Mentor and Support Group-HCMSG
487. The Judy Nicholson Foundation
488. The Louisa Adelynn Johnson Fund for Complex Disease
489. The Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Action Network (#MEAction)
490. The National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health (NPWH)
491. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society
492. The National Pancreas Foundation
493. TN AHEC Program Office
494. TNT Fitness
495. TNT FITNESS TRAINING LLC
496. Tourette Association of America
497. Treatment Action Group
498. Treatment Communities of America
499. Triage Cancer
500. Trust for America's Health
501. TSC Alliance
502. Tufts University
503. U.S. Alcohol Policy Alliance (USAPA)
504. U.S. People Living with HIV Caucus
505. UCLA
506. UCSF Fresno-California
507. UI Health
508. Unite 2 Fight Paralysis
509. University of California System
510. University of Hawai'i System
511. University of Nevada Reno, School of Medicine Area Health Education Centers
512. University of New England
513. Unstoppable Media
514. Upper Peninsula Health Care Solutions Inc.
515. USAging
516. Utah Public Health Association
517. Vermont Public Health Association
518. VHL Alliance
519. Virginia Public Health Association
520. Vivent Health
521. Voices of Alzheimers
522. wAIHA Warriors
523. West Central Illinois AHEC
524. West Central Illinois AHEC/Memorial Hospital
525. West Florida AHEC
526. WestCare Foundation
527. Western New York Rural Area Health Education Center, Inc.
528. Wiregrass Alabama AHEC
529. Wisconsin AHEC NorthCentral region
530. Wisconsin Association of Local Health Departments and Boards (WALHDAB)
531. Wisconsin Public Health Association
532. Wyoming Public Health Association
533. YMCA of the USA
534. ZERO Prostate Cancer