Biden Budget Prioritizes Cancer Moonshot Goals

The Biden Administration released its Fiscal Year 2024 budget on March 9th, which serves as the starting point for a months-long appropriations process in Congress. We’ve been reviewing the details within the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) “Budget in Brief” and highlight in this blog post the top-line items related to cancer funding.

Approximately 16,000 children will be diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. this year, and progress in research is almost entirely dependent on federal funding. Thus, securing strong federal funding in the fight against childhood cancer is one of our top policy priorities at the Children’s Cancer Cause.

The President has requested $48.3 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an increase of $811 million from last year’s enacted appropriations. Within the NIH budget, the White House is requesting $7.8 billion for the National Cancer Institute (NCI), an increase of $500 million. The Biden Administration is expected to release additional details soon that likely will include information on programs of interest to our community such as funding for the Childhood Cancer STAR Act and Childhood Cancer Data Initiative.

Included in the NCI request is $716 million in discretionary funding to support President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot Initiative. Under the president’s proposal, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Indian Health Service (IHS), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would also receive funding aimed at supporting the goals of the Cancer Moonshot. In total across all HHS agencies, the Biden Budget calls for $1.7 billion in Cancer Moonshot-related funding in FY2024. The budget also proposes to reauthorize the 21st Century Cures Act Cancer Moonshot through 2026.

Children’s Cancer Cause CEO Steve Wosahla with advocates at the 2023 OVAC lobby day on Capitol Hill / Photo credit: @aicrtweets

The President is also requesting $2.5 billion for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), a new agency established in 2022 and housed within the National Institutes of Health. This ARPA-H funding would be in addition to (and separate from) the NIH total. According to the HHS Budget in Brief, “ARPA-H will advance high-potential, high-impact biomedical and health research that cannot be readily accomplished through traditional research or commercial approaches … Opportunities or obstacles related to the Cancer Moonshot Initiative goals will be candidates for the new approach to transformational change offered by ARPA-H.”

As Congress now begins the deliberative process of deciding what is available for each agency and program, we’ll work with our cancer community partners and coalitions to secure the resources required for continued progress in cancer research, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship.

Earlier this week, we joined advocates with One Voice Against Cancer in meetings on Capitol Hill focused on NCI funding. To join us in making your voice heard on Capitol Hill, you’re invited to participate in next month’s Alliance for Childhood Cancer Action Days in Washington, DC, taking place April 24th and 25th. The registration deadline is March 31st, and you can find more details here.

If you’re unable to join us in DC this spring, we’ll bring you opportunities to engage from home. And there’s no need to wait: you can take action right now on fiscal year 2024 appropriations to make sure your Members of Congress know that cancer research funding is a priority for you as a constituent.