Overview

• The Senate Appropriations Committee voted 26–3 to overturn President Trump’s proposed 40% cut to the NIH’s 2026 budget and instead approve a $400 million funding increase.
• The committee’s proposal preserves all 27 NIH institutes and centers, rejecting plans to consolidate them into eight units.
• Included in the $400 million package are targeted boosts of $30 million to NIAID, $50 million to NCI, and $12 million for the BRAIN Initiative, bringing the total NIH budget to roughly $48.7 billion.
• The measure now moves to the full Senate and the House of Representatives, where both chambers must pass and reconcile their versions before it reaches the president’s desk.
• Following bipartisan pressure, the Office of Management and Budget rescinded its brief freeze on new NIH grant awards earlier this week.