House and Senate leaders continue to negotiate over fiscal year (FY) 2021 spending levels and COVID-19 stimulus funding. Congress will be in recess the week of Thanksgiving, but when the chambers return to the Capitol, they will face a Dec.11, 2020 deadline for finalizing all FY2021 government spending, including for NIH and CDC, or pass a temporary spending measure. Congressional leaders have strongly indicated that they favor passing a large omnibus FY 2021 spending measure funding all government programs in addition to COVID-19 stimulus relief programs and funding. At this point, the president has indicated that he will sign an omnibus into law.

We are cautiously optimistic that NIH is slated for a 2021 funding increase of around $2 billion, as included in the health spending bill released by the Senate last week and the $500 million increase passed in the House health spending bill. The NIH should receive additional funding in the COVID-19 stimulus for COVID-19-related research, with some potential funding for research infrastructure around the country.

The ATS sent a letter to congressional appropriators this week urging enactment of funding increases for key health research and services programs at NIH, CDC, EPA, VA and other federal agencies. These priorities include at least a $2 billion increase for NIH, which would put 2021 NIH funding at $43.4 billion and a funding increase of at least $130 million for CDC, which would put CDC funding at $7.824 billion for 2021.