Following the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, which stretched from October 1 through November 12, 2025, Congress returned last fall facing the task of completing work on the fiscal year (FY) 2026 budget. While finalizing the remaining spending legislation initially appeared to be an uphill battle, lawmakers ultimately reached agreement after last-minute negotiations and a brief partial government shutdown lasting just over three days.
On February 3, Congress passed a $1.2 trillion appropriations package that included the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) spending bill, among other measures. As a result, health agencies within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—including the National Institutes of Health (NIH)—are now funded through September 30, 2026. The Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill remains the only one that has yet to be finalized.
Key highlights from the latest funding package include:
- $116.8 billion for HHS overall, representing flat funding for the department.
- $9.85 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a two percent increase over FY2025 enacted levels.
- $48.7 billion for the NIH, including $106.48 million for the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH), reflecting a $30 million increase for the office. This total includes $10 million for the Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) program.
The FY2026 appropriations cycle proved to be something of a marathon, and although it was only recently completed, appropriators are already turning their attention to FY2027—underscoring the increasingly overlapping nature of the federal budget process.
The President’s FY2027 budget proposal, which highlights the administration’s funding priorities for the coming fiscal year, is expected to be released later this month.
The Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) will continue to closely monitor the FY2027 appropriations process and keep the women’s health community informed, engaging as opportunities arise to advocate for continued progress in women’s health research funding.