2014

HomeWashington Letter2014 ▶ Senate Panel Approves NIH Funding Increase
Senate Panel Approves NIH Funding Increase

June 2014

On June 10, the Senate Labor-Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations subcommittee, chaired by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), approved the fiscal year (FY) 2015 health research and services spending bill, known as the Labor-HHS-ED bill, by voice vote. This annual spending bill provides funding for the NIH, CDC and other health programs. The bill provides $30.459 billion for the NIH, an increase of $605.6 million, or just under 2 percent, over FY2014. This funding level restores the NIH's budget to the FY 2012, or pre-sequestration, level. This includes $3.022 billion for the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), an increase of $44 million, or about 1.5 percent above FY2014.

For the CDC, the bill provides $7.054 billion, an increase of $170.9 million, or about 2.3 percent, from the FY2014 level and includes the funding levels for the following programs that the ATS monitors:

  • Flat-funding for the tuberculosis program, at $135 million
  • Flat-funding for the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health at $315 million

The next steps for the FY2015 Labor-HHS-ED bill are full Appropriations Committee votes followed by full Senate floor votes. The House Labor-Health and Human Services Appropriations subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA), has not yet announced a panel vote date for its version of the 2015 health spending bill. It is likely that the fall election will disrupt the FY2015 funding process, so the final outcome for FY2015 funding is uncertain at this point. There is a strong chance that Congress will run out of time before the start of fiscal year 2015 on October 1 and will have to pass temporary spending measures extending current funding into fiscal year 2015.

Last Reviewed: October 2017