Senate Holds Hearing on NIH FY27 Budget Request
Published June 01, 2026
By AACOM Government Relations
Federal Policy OME Advocate
- On May 20, 2026, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, testified during a Senate Appropriations LHHSE Subcommittee hearing on the NIH FY27 budget request, where Bhattacharya highlighted the NIH's focus on chronic disease prevention and nutrition science as central to the administration's “Make America Healthy Again” initiative.
- Lawmakers raised concerns over the proposed $6 billion cut to NIH’s budget, including reductions to institutes focused on diabetes, minority health and substance use disorder research.
- Senators from rural states pressed Bhattacharya on the concentration of NIH funding, where Bhattacharya acknowledged that a third of the agency’s portfolio goes to just 20 institutions, calling it a “mistake” and committed to reforming the agency’s funding model to “[invest] in the research capacities of the whole rest of the country”.
- View AACOM’s hearing summary to learn more.