Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) Appropriations Update

June was a busy time for appropriations subcommittees in the House of Representatives. A busy slate of 'mark-ups' over the past two weeks puts the House on track to meet its goal of passing all 12 spending bills by the time the body adjourns in late July. 

Along with our partners and allies in the cancer community, Children's Cancer Cause has advocated for increased funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI). We are pleased that the FY23 Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS) Appropriations report language provides increases for both agencies.

For NIH overall, the bill provides an increase of $2.5 billion, or 5.6 percent, over the FY22 level, for a total of $47.5 billion. The NCI increase is $466 million, or 6.7 percent, for a total of $7.4 billion. This allocation includes $216 million for the Cancer Moonshot and language to fully fund the Childhood Cancer STAR Act ($30 million), the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative ($50 million), and the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program ($12.6 million) again this year.

This funding bill will be formally marked up today (June 30) at 10am ET. Pending its approval, the next step in the House is floor consideration in July.

As these bills move through the process - and potentially reach roadblocks in the Senate - this is a critical time for childhood cancer advocates to reach out to lawmakers on Capitol Hill to emphasize the importance of strong funding for the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute, and childhood cancer research.