Trump requests nearly $16 billion in cuts at HHS

Trump requests nearly $16 billion in cuts at HHS 

In its 2027 fiscal request, the White House is calling for roughly $16 billion in cuts to funding for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including $5 billion from the National Institutes of Health. 

The White House’s budget request would reduce HHS’s budget by 12.5 percent if enacted. 

Among the largest proposed cuts are $5 billion from NIH and another $5 billion in “consolidations and eliminations” of programs across various sub-agencies. 

“NIH broke the trust of the American people with wasteful spending, misleading information, risky research, and the promotion of dangerous ideologies that undermine public health,” the president’s budget request stated. 

It proposes eliminating entire institutes such as the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities; the Fogarty International Center; and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. 

Congress is unlikely to sign off on deep cuts to NIH funding. Appropriators in the House and Senate approved a $415 million increase to the agency’s budget in January. 

The budget also seeks to consolidate costs through the creation of the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA), an office that the White House announced last year but has yet to be formalized. Congress did not include funding for the AHA in the last HHS budget. 

Part of establishing the AHA would involve eliminating programs that the White House said promote “radicalized DEI ideologies.” 

It specifically cited examples like funding for youth LGBTQ services provided through Planned Parenthood and eczema awareness campaign for Black Indigenous People of Color. 

Welcome to The Hill’s Health Care newsletter, I’m Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health.

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How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond:

Recall impacts over 3.1 million eye drop products distributed nationwide: FDA

TOPEKA (KSNT) – A California pharmaceutical company is recalling over 3 million bottles of eye drops distributed nationwide. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports that K.C. Pharmaceuticals, Inc., based out of Pomona, Calif., is voluntarily recalling various eye drop products distributed across the country. The stated reason for the recall is a “lack of assurance of sterility” in the products. The FDA said …

Trump signs order imposing 100 percent tariff on brand name drugs

President Trump signed an executive order Thursday targeting imported brand name drugs with a 100 percent tariff, citing the U.S.’s “import reliance” as reason for the decision. “I have determined that it is necessary and appropriate to impose a 100 percent ad valorem duty rate on the import of patented pharmaceuticals and associated pharmaceutical ingredients,” Trump’s executive order stated. …

Sanders, Wyden demand hearings with health insurance CEOs

Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) are calling on Republican committee leaders to hold hearings with the chief executives of top health insurers in the U.S. as they “continue to get rich” during a time when health care access and affordability are of top concern. Sanders and Wyden wrote to Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), chairs of the Senate Health and Finance committees respectively, …

Branch out with a different read:

CDC pauses diagnostic testing for rabies, other infectious diseases

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has paused its diagnostic testing for a host of infectious diseases, including rabies. The CDC on Monday posted a list of 27 tests that it either discontinued or made temporarily unavailable. Some tests, the agency noted, are available commercially. Among those temporarily paused are tests for rabies, adenovirus and varicella-zoster virus, which causes chickenpox. Tests for …

Local and state headlines on health care:

State health officials urge vaccination amid measles spread in southeast Michigan (Michigan Advance) 

After deaths of four patients, Idaho’s governor approves restoration of cuts to Medicaid mental health programs (Idaho Capital Sun) 

Trump administration volatility reaches into Nevada public health programs (This Is Reno) 

Health news we’ve flagged from other outlets:

Tax time brings surprises for some who receive ACA subsidies (KFF Health News) 

Democrats eye 2028 for bigger health care push (Roll Call) 

Here’s how many doctors and nurses are getting flu or COVID shots (MedPage Today) 

Opinions related to health submitted to The Hill:

Beware Dr. Chatbot: Privacy laws don’t protect health care data from AI 

America must not waste an opioid settlement lifeline

You’re all caught up. See you Monday! 

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