For Our Health statement on the FY2026 White House Discretionary Budget Proposal

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For Our Health, condemns the Trump Administration’s FY2026 discretionary budget request as a profound threat to the nation’s health. This so-called ‘skinny’ budget, released in advance of the full detailed budget expected in the coming weeks, is a mockery of decades of U.S. global leadership in public health, health sciences, research, and scientific progress; it’s a dangerous roadmap for dismantling America’s health services and infrastructure and abandoning our responsibility to protect lives here at home and around the world.

The proposed cuts would devastate vital federal agencies across government, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Education, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Especially alarming are the deep cuts across the Department of Health and Human Services, which threaten the core health services and infrastructure responsible for protecting lives every day.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would lose core programs that prevent chronic diseases, protect environmental health, reduce injuries, and prepare for deadly outbreaks.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) would eliminate entire research areas focused on health disparities, global health, and social and environmental factors that shape health outcomes.
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) would face deep cuts to maternal and child health programs, mental health services, and efforts to build and sustain the public health workforce.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) would be eliminated as a standalone agency, stripping vital health systems research that helps improve access, quality, and efficiency across the healthcare system.

If enacted, these cuts would leave our nation deeply exposed. Without federal leadership and resources, our ability to prevent disease, respond to crises, and address growing health inequities will be severely diminished. This proposal leaves all communities more vulnerable, stripping away national support and forcing states and communities to confront growing threats alone. Those already under-resourced will face even steeper challenges, further deepening existing divides. Without CDC’s national data and expertise, states will be left without the essential tools and support required to track health threats and respond effectively. The Administration claims states should manage these challenges, yet offers no resources to do so, forcing them to confront mounting health crises without federal support or national coordination.

The proposed budget also abandons science and equity, cutting research on the real-world factors that shape health — from where people live, learn and work and what they eat, to climate impacts, and persistent disparities. It also signals a further retreat from U.S. global health leadership and international cooperation.

We know the price of disinvestment in public health. When prevention is ignored and systems are weakened, people get sicker, lives are lost, communities suffer, and our national security is at risk.

The members of For Our Health refuse to stay silent. We call on Congress to reject this dangerous plan and instead reaffirm the nation’s commitment to prevention, to science, and to public health. The future of our nation’s health depends on it.

The stakes are extraordinarily high. For Our Health pledges to continue advocating for policies that prioritize the public’s health, science, and research, safeguard communities, and ensure America’s readiness for current and future health challenges.

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APHA is fighting back against threats to public health. See what we’re doing.

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The American Public Health Association champions optimal, equitable health and well-being for all. With our broad-based member community and 150-year perspective, we influence federal policy to improve the public’s health. Learn more at www.apha.org.

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Operating as an initiative of the American Public Health Association (www.apha.org), For Our Health (www.forourhealth.org) brings together prominent experts and senior leaders in public health, health care, health sciences. and social services to speak in support of public health and against policies that undermine evidence-based health initiatives, weaken scientific institutions, and endanger public health protections.