With a key federal fiscal deadline on the horizon, the American Society of Hematology (ASH) is working with other organizations to oppose proposed funding cuts and other changes to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Upon returning to Washington, DC, from the August congressional district work period, members of Congress are faced with the daunting task of completing work on the annual spending bills that fund the entire federal government. They must do so prior to the start of the new fiscal year (FY) on October 1 or Congress will confront what has become an annual dilemma: Pass a short-term extension of funding (known as a continuing resolution or “CR”) or face a government shutdown.

Over the summer, the House Appropriations Committee approved, along party lines, its FY 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill and accompanying report. The bill, which funds NIH and most federal public health agencies and programs, would provide approximately $48.6 billion for NIH in FY 2025, the same total funding amount provided for NIH and the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) in FY 2024. The House bill also contains significant cuts to federal public health programs, including a 22 percent reduction in funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the elimination of all funding for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

In addition, the House bill proposes a set of structural and policy reforms for the agency, including consolidating NIH’s existing 27 institutes and centers and ARPA-H into a new structure, imposing prohibitions on certain types of research and other activities, and capping reimbursement of facilities and administrative expenses for certain institutions. ASH joined more than 220 organization in sending a letter to House appropriators expressing concern about the incorporation of policy to restructure NIH into the funding bill. According to the letter, it would be disruptive to scientific enterprise to implement dramatic changes so abruptly without first soliciting and integrating the scientific expertise that could inform such an exercise.

Although congressional leaders had hoped that the full House would vote on the FY 2025 appropriations bill before the August break, opposition to the bill from lawmakers in both parties led to a delay in action until September at the earliest. Meanwhile, on August 1, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved its own funding bill.

With research funding in jeopardy and NIH reform and restructuring receiving heightened congressional attention, advocacy from the research community this fall will be especially important. ASH has been a sponsor of, and participant in, the annual Rally for Medical Research Hill Day since its inception in 2013. Each September, participants from hundreds of partnering organizations gather in Washington, DC, to call on our nation’s policymakers to make funding for NIH a priority and raise awareness about the importance of continued investment in scientific research. This year’s rally is scheduled for September 19, and ASH will once again participate.

ASH will amplify the message of that day with advocacy visits in September by ASH leadership, as well as the annual ASH Advocacy Leadership Institute (ALI). The Institute provides participants with insight and background on ASH’s role in the legislative process and training on how to be effective advocates. Additionally, ASH will activate its Grassroots Network to reach out to elected officials.

Lend your voice to ASH’s advocacy and join the ASH Grassroots Network. Members of the network receive regular updates and information about how to participate in the Society’s advocacy efforts by contacting their members of Congress on issues of importance to hematology. Visit the ASH website at hematology.org/advocacy for the latest on ASH’s advocacy efforts and information about joining the ASH Grassroots Network.