Statement on the House Appropriations Committee Passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 Defense Appropriations Act

Yesterday, the House Appropriations Committee approved its version of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Defense Appropriations Act. The chairman’s mark allocates $700 million as a total budget for the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP)—an increase of $50 million over the FY 2025 Continuing Resolution.

While this increase marks a modest improvement and includes $15 million for the Lung Cancer Research Program, the bill does not fund all CDMRP research. The increase remains well below the FY 2024 funding level of $1.5 billion for CDMRP. The Continuing Resolution passed by Congress earlier this year imposed a severe 57% cut to the program. These reductions left many critical research areas—including pancreatic, kidney, and lung cancers—without any research grant funding in FY 2025.

In response to these cuts, we have been working tirelessly to advocate for the full restoration of CDMRP funding and to secure increases beyond prior levels. We have endorsed legislation introduced in the House by Representatives André Carson (D-IN) and Mike Levin (D-CA) to restore the full $859 million eliminated in the FY 2025 Continuing Resolution.

As a member of the Defense Health Research Consortium, a coalition of 70 patient advocacy organizations, medical societies, foundations, and Veteran groups, we call on the Senate to take a bipartisan approach to fully restore CDMRP funding in its FY 2026 Defense Appropriations bill. We further urge the Senate to provide meaningful increases to support these vital research programs, including $60 million for the Lung Cancer Research Program.

Take Action: Tell Congress to restore funding and invest $60 million in the LCRP as part of the FY26 Defense Appropriations Bill. We cannot afford to lose momentum. Send your message today—every voice and every message counts!

Send your message today—every voice and every message counts!