A proposed Trump administration budget would slash funding to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by more than 30%, eliminating key agencies and programs and consolidating others under a new health division.
Adam Cancryn reports for POLITICO.
In short:
- The White House’s draft plan would reduce HHS discretionary funding from $116.8 billion to $80.4 billion, gutting budgets for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, and the Food and Drug Administration while eliminating the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and other agencies.
- The Administration for a Healthy America, a proposed new division with limited funding, would absorb some remaining services, leaving autism programs, HIV/AIDS prevention, and chronic disease research without support.
- The FDA would stop conducting routine food safety inspections itself, and the NIH would face a cap on indirect university research costs, threatening academic research capacity.
Why this matters:
Public health agencies like the CDC, NIH, and FDA form the backbone of the country’s ability to prevent disease, respond to health crises, and monitor threats from pandemics to contaminated food. Cutting their budgets risks hampering responses to everything from rising drug overdoses to cancer research. With fewer resources and personnel, oversight of pharmaceuticals, food safety, and infectious diseases may weaken, leaving gaps in protection for vulnerable communities. State-level programs may struggle to fill the gap, especially in regions already underserved. And while consolidating agencies may sound efficient, slashing dollars and duties simultaneously could mean fewer tools for health professionals, regulators, and researchers working to protect the public.
