On March 15, President Trump signed a continuing resolution (CR) that funds the government through September 30, the end of the fiscal year. The bill was touted as “clean” CR to extend the previous fiscal year’s funding levels; however, the bill includes some significant changes. Most notably, the bill cuts funding for nondefense programs by $13 billion while increasing defense spending by $6 billion compared to FY 2024 enacted levels. While the CR funds the the National Institutes of Health (NIH) at the same appropriated amount as FY 2024, the mandatory funding for the BRAIN initiative authorized by 21st Century Cures Act continues to be phased out and is not backfilled in the CR. Therefore, NIH funding in FY 2025 will be $48.2 billion, a reduction of $280 million from FY 2024 levels. Additionally, the legislation cuts FY 2025 funding for the Department of Defense’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) from $1.509 billion to $650 million – a 57 percent cut from the FY 2024 enacted level.
Additionally, it is important to note that the CR does not have an accompanying report or explanatory language. Funding for programs like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Ovarian Cancer Control Initiative and Johanna’s Law have their funding specified in the appropriations report. This will provide the administration with discretion on how and if to fund these entities. At this point, we have not heard anything to indicate they will eliminate funding for these programs but want SGO members to be aware that the administration will have greater influence on this funding than usual.
For more details on specific funding levels, check out SGO’s FY 2025 Appropriations Tracker. We appreciate SGO members’ advocacy and look forward to working together to advance the Society’s mission in FY 2026!