2017

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2017 Spending Bill Provides $2 Billion NIH Funding Increase

May 2017

This week, Congress passed an agreement to fund government programs for the remainder of fiscal year (FY) 2017 (through September 2017). The spending measure includes a $2 billion or 6.2 percent funding increase for the NIH over the FY2016 level of $32.1 billion, putting final FY2017[DM1]  NIH funding at $34.1 billion. The NHLBI receives a 4.2 percent funding increase for total FY2017 funding of $3.115 billion. This is a victory in the face of significant funding reductions of $18 billion across non-defense discretionary programs, including health, that the Trump administration had sought.

The FY2017 spending bill maintains flat funding for most of the programs that the ATS monitors and is free of environmental and tobacco-related policy riders, another notably positive outcome. The CDC receives a $13 million funding CUT overall for final FY2017 funding of $7.165 billion. Key CDC program funding levels:

  • Flat-funding at the FY2016 level for the domestic tuberculosis program at $142 million
  • Flat-funding at the FY2016 level for the Asthma program at $29 million
  • A $3.9 million funding reduction for the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for FY2017 funding of $335.2 million
  • A $5 million reduction for the tobacco control program for FY2017 funding of $335 million.

The legislation also includes an achievement for COPD. Specifically, it includes a directive instructing the NHLBI and CDC to work together to complete the COPD action plan on a timely basis and report on the implementation of the plan in fiscal year 2018.

The Environmental Protection Agency receives an $81 million or 1 percent funding cut for final funding of $8.058 billion in FY2017. Programs of interest to the ATS, including the Science and Technology, research programs and climate programs, see modest cuts.  While the compromise does not include any EPA legislative riders that bar the agency from taking action on air pollution or climate, there is report language that sends concerning messages to the agency regarding climate and air pollution programs.

Finally, in a win for tuberculosis, the bill includes a $5 million funding increase for USAID's global tuberculosis program over FY2016 funding of $236 million, putting final FY2017 funding at $241 million.

The President's full proposed FY2018 budget proposal is expected out on May 22. We expect significant proposed funding reductions to programs that the ATS monitors, although the budget release is only the first step in the process and Congress determines annual spending. Please see the action alert on supporting 2018 NIH funding.

Last Reviewed: October 2017