Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies – Member Day

The House Appropriations Committee's Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee held a member day hearing on March 6, 2026, to discuss priorities for the fiscal year 2027 appropriations bill. Members emphasized the importance of funding critical programs such as brain health research under the NIH BRAIN Initiative, maternal health initiatives including the NIH IMPROVE initiative, cancer research funding, and drowning prevention efforts at the CDC. Specific budget requests included maintaining or increasing funding for the BRAIN Initiative (noting its 2026 sunset), a $10 million increase for maternal mortality research, $9 million for breast cancer early detection programs, and $5 million for drowning prevention activities. Additionally, concerns were raised about hospital safety enforcement, with a proposal to enhance CMS's authority to address immediate jeopardy citations without compromising rural healthcare access, and a request for report language directing CMS to publish data on hospital safety findings. The subcommittee members expressed commitment to ensuring adequate funding and oversight to support these health-related programs and initiatives.