Trump Proposes Major NIH, CDC Budget Cuts

President Trump's 2026 federal budget proposal seeks to reduce the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget from nearly $48 billion to between $27 and $30 billion, citing concerns over oversight of gain-of-function research and controversial areas like transgender medicine. The plan also aims to halve funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cut overall Department of Health and Human Services discretionary spending by more than a quarter, and consolidate several NIH institutes. Funds would be shifted to new initiatives such as the Make America Healthy Again program. The administration claims these changes will focus NIH efforts on diseases most affecting Americans and eliminate what it views as wasteful or ideologically driven spending. NIH and public health leaders caution that the proposed reductions could slow cancer research and limit access to advanced care, especially in underserved communities. Congressional approval is uncertain, and major cuts may not pass.