On Thursday, July 13, the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee released its fiscal year 2024 funding bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS). Society for Women’s Health Research President and CEO Kathryn G. Schubert, MPP, CAE released the following statement in response to the bill’s release:
“The Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) is gravely concerned about the extreme proposals included in the House Appropriations Committee’s Labor-HHS spending bill for fiscal year 2024. These proposed cuts undermine the critical work and progress made in advancing our nation’s health—especially the health of women—and endanger the lives of countless individuals across the nation.
“Investments in public health and federal research are vital to address the complex challenges faced by women today. Comprehensive research and evidence-based initiatives have contributed to significant strides in understanding and addressing sex- and gender-specific health issues, which have improved the health and quality of life outcomes for women and girls.
“However, the cuts that have been proposed by the House pose a serious threat to these accomplishments, especially in a field which continues to be severely underfunded, undervalued, and de-prioritized. They risk reversing the progress made in women’s health research and jeopardizing future health outcomes and breakthroughs for millions of women and their families.
“A $3.8 billion cut to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), our nation’s premier biomedical research agency, which includes a $600 million cut to the NIH Office of the Director, as proposed by this bill, would limit our ability to tackle pressing health challenges and emerging threats; hamper the development of innovative therapies and preventive and diagnostic measures; and impede the translation of scientific discoveries into real-world applications that would benefit patients.
“The NIH is not the only agency at risk in this proposal. The House’s bill also calls to eliminate the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), which plays a critical role in improving health care quality, reducing medical errors, and advancing patient safety, complementing the work being done at other federal research agencies. AHRQ’s continued existence is essential for ensuring that health care decisions are based on the best available evidence and that patients are receiving high-quality, cost-effective care. It would also reduce funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by almost 20%, significantly hampering its ability to safeguard public health both at home and abroad. It would cut the newly-established Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) by two-thirds, disrupting a critical step forward in our nation’s efforts to push the boundaries of health care research before it has even begun.
“At a time when women’s health outcomes are poor and worsening—from the rising rates and growing disparities in maternal mortality and morbidity to the increasing prevalence of debilitating and chronic conditions and autoimmune diseases, such as lupus (of which 80% of patients are women) to rising cases of Alzheimer’s disease, which has a disproportionate impact on women as patients and as caregivers—the consequences of cuts like the ones proposed in this bill would be far-reaching. Indeed, they would be disastrous, reducing access to preventive services, undermining scientific progress, reducing our global competitiveness, harming economic growth, and increasing health disparities among women and other marginalized communities.
“We urge Congress—in the strongest possible terms—to reject this proposal and work in a bipartisan manner to create a budget that reflects the indispensable role of our nation’s public health and scientific institutions in supporting the health and well-being of current and future generations.
For questions, please contact SWHR Chief Advocacy Officer Lindsey Horan.