Trump's Proposed Budget Threatens Major Cuts to US Public Health and Medical Research

The Trump administration’s 2026 budget proposal presents a significant threat to America’s public health and medical research infrastructure. It calls for drastic cuts to key agencies including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Science Foundation (NSF), with reductions approaching 40-55% of their current budgets. These cuts could severely undermine the country’s ability to conduct groundbreaking medical research and manage public health crises.

Specifically, the proposal seeks to cut $18 billion from the NIH, nearly 40% of its $47 billion budget, and $4 billion from the CDC, about half of its current funding. The NSF faces a 55% reduction. These cuts include eliminating entire divisions focused on mental health and gun violence prevention, which are critical public health priorities.

While the White House’s budget is often symbolic and subject to Congressional approval, the current Republican control of both houses increases the likelihood that some cuts could be enacted. The administration has already attempted to reduce science and public health funding in previous budgets, signaling a continued push to reshape these agencies.

The NIH plays a pivotal role in driving medical innovation, funding basic research that leads to new drug discoveries. Studies have shown NIH-funded research contributed to every new drug approved in the U.S. between 2010 and 2016, including breakthrough treatments like GLP-1 drugs used in diabetes and obesity management. Slashing NIH funding risks stalling this critical pipeline of innovation.

The CDC is the backbone of the nation’s public health system, supporting state and local health departments with lab testing, disease surveillance, and outbreak response. Cuts to the CDC threaten to unravel progress against epidemics like drug overdoses, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis, and compromise everyday protections such as food safety and vaccine-preventable disease control.

The budget also proposes increasing military spending by 13%, highlighting a shift in federal priorities away from health and science toward defense. This reallocation raises concerns about the long-term sustainability of public health infrastructure and the nation’s preparedness for future health emergencies.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s signature initiative, Make America Healthy Again (MAHA), is allocated $500 million in the proposal. However, his tenure has been marked by significant funding cuts across the Department of Health and Human Services and controversial stances on vaccine safety and conspiracy theories, raising questions about the direction of public health leadership.

The proposed budget cuts threaten to erode decades of progress in medical research, public health preparedness, and disease prevention. The potential loss of scientific knowledge, resources, and human lives underscores the critical importance of sustained investment in health infrastructure.

As these budget proposals move forward, stakeholders in health, science, and technology sectors must engage with policymakers to advocate for the preservation and growth of public health funding. The future of American health innovation and crisis response depends on it.