House FY 2027 spending bill underfunds public health putting communities at risk

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: [email protected]

The House Fiscal Year 2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, approved by the House Appropriations Committee yesterday, fails to provide adequate funding for key public health agencies and programs. The bill would cut funding to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by more than $1 billion below current year funding levels. The bill would eliminate CDC funding for gun violence prevention research, the climate and health program, Prevention Research Centers, the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant, the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health program and makes significant cuts to CDC’s HIV/AIDS prevention programs. The bill also proposes significant cuts and eliminations to programs at the Health Resources and Services Administration including eliminating funding for the Title X family planning program and proposes significant cuts to HRSA’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS and eliminates funding for HRSA’s Ending the HIV Epidemic program. Underfunding public health will only lead to worsening health outcomes and less healthy communities. 

Earlier this year, Congress rejected cuts to key agencies and programs to finalize the FY 2026 appropriations bills. The bipartisan effort also rejected the administration's troubling, ill-advised proposed reorganizations of several HHS agencies which had no input from Congress or the public health community. 

We urge the House to reject the proposed funding cuts and controversial policy riders included in this bill. Instead, Congress must return to a bipartisan process to adequately fund all federal public health agencies and programs and include provisions in the bill to ensure the funding provided is spent as intended by Congress.

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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.