On March 23, the AAMC and AAMC-led coalitions — the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research and the Health Professions and Nursing Education Coalition (HPNEC) — submitted written outside witness testimony reiterating fiscal year (FY) 2024 funding priorities to the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) Appropriations Subcommittee.
The AAMC testimony highlighted FY 2024 funding recommendations of $51 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH); $500 million for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; $1.51 billion for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Title VII health professions and Title VIII nursing workforce development programs, and $738 million for the Children’s Hospitals Graduate Medical Education program; and at least $11.6 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In their testimony, the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research provided additional detail to support the recommended at least $51 billion for the NIH’s foundational work, pointing to the scientific and biomedical advancements made possible by federal investments in the agency. The HPNEC FY 2024 recommendation of $1.51 billion for the HRSA Title VII and VIII health workforce development programs emphasized the programs’ achievements in shaping and bolstering the health workforce, citing HRSA’s statistics on the programs’ successes from academic year 2021-2022.
In addition, the AAMC separately endorsed the Friends of HRSA’s FY 2024 recommendation of $10.5 billion in discretionary funding for the HRSA. As the coalition letter noted, this recommended funding level would ensure that HRSA is able to address preventative and primary health gaps and support the needs of the health workforce and the communities they serve.
The AAMC and 143 other organizations joined the CDC Coalition’s FY 2024 recommendation of at least $11.6 billion for the CDC’s discretionary programs, matching the proposed funding level in the president’s FY 2024 budget request. The letter emphasized the important role that the CDC plays in public health and prevention efforts, as 70% of their budget supports these activities through state, local, and national health organizations, agencies, and academic institutions. The AAMC also joined community members in supporting a $175 million investment in the CDC's Advanced Molecular Detection program in FY 2024. This funding level aligns with the level authorized in the AAMC-endorsed Tracking Pathogens Act (P.L. 117-328, refer to Washington Highlights, Jan. 4).
The House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees have begun holding hearings on the president’s FY 2024 budget request, including a March 22 Senate Labor-HHS Subcommittee with Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra (refer to related story).