IDSA urges Congress to reject harmful cuts in president’s budget

IDSA is raising serious concerns over steep funding cuts to biomedical research and public health programs proposed in the president’s FY 2026 budget request, warning they would endanger both national health and global security.

In a statement released last week, IDSA emphasized that the severity of the proposed cuts would not only dismantle critical infrastructure, but also weaken the effectiveness of programs that remain funded — such as infectious diseases surveillance efforts — by eroding the systems and workforce those programs rely on. 

“States are unable to compensate for the significant shortfalls the president’s budget will create,” the statement said, “and funding losses will exacerbate physician shortages, limit access to care, curtail our ability to prevent outbreaks overseas before they reach our shores and decimate our ability to deliver lifesaving cures for generations to come.”

IDSA called on Congress to safeguard the well-being of the public by rejecting the Administration’s proposed reductions and instead committing to robust investments across the full spectrum of domestic and global infectious diseases programs.

A separate statement from the HIV Medicine Association outlines the projected harm to HIV research, prevention and care. IDSA will continue analyzing the budget as further details are released and will advocate forcefully to protect critical infectious diseases funding.

ID funding proposals in the president’s FY 2026 budget

Department of Health and Human Services: $93.8 billion for HHS in FY 2026, which would be a devastating 26.2% decrease from last year 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• $5.6 billion in discretionary funding for CDC, a 38.9% decrease from FY 2025
• Retain the Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions Initiative
• Keep the National Healthcare Safety Net and the Advanced Molecular Detection programs
• Eliminate the CDC Global Center
• Eliminate some programs under the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, including the Prion and Lyme Disease programs

National Institutes of Health

• $29.3 billion for NIH, a 38% decrease from FY 2025
• Retain the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases as currently structured
• Eliminate the Fogarty International Center, though information on proposed FY 2026 funding is still not available
• Cap NIH facilities and administration costs at 15% of a grant reward 

Health Resources and Services Administration

• $7.2 billion for HRSA, a 19.4% decrease from FY 2025
• Appears not to provide funding for the Bio-Preparedness Workforce Pilot Program
• Move the HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce under the new Administration for a Healthy America and eliminate a number of health professionals’ loan repayment programs

About IDSA
The Infectious Diseases Society of America is a community of more than 13,000 physicians, scientists and public health experts who specialize in infectious diseases. Its purpose is to improve the health of individuals, communities and society by promoting excellence in patient care, education, research, public health and prevention relating to infectious diseases. Learn more at idsociety.org.