U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing a plan to drastically reduce the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) budget to a third of its current level.
The Washington Post (WP) reported on the 16th (local time) that the Trump administration is reviewing significant budget cuts and organizational restructuring across federal health programs, citing an internal budget document obtained.
This budget proposal is a 'passback' draft prepared by President Trump before submitting the budget for the 2026 fiscal year to Congress through the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), marking the first time health budget and organizational restructuring plans have been fully outlined in a document. According to the document, the discretionary budget of HHS is expected to decrease from approximately $121 billion for the fiscal year 2024 to $80 billion.
The agency expected to see the largest cuts is the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH budget is expected to be cut from $47 billion to $27 billion, approximately a 40% reduction, and the 27 research institutes and centers will be consolidated into eight. In this process, some agencies like minority health and nursing research will be included in the closure targets. At the same time, related institutes focused on cardiovascular, diabetes, and skin disease research will also undergo consolidation.
The budget of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will also be severely cut from approximately $9.2 billion to $5.2 billion, and programs related to chronic diseases and HIV will be completely eliminated. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will maintain its operating funds based on continued fees from regulated industries, but its reliance on federal budgets is expected to decrease.
The Trump administration plans to introduce a new agency named the 'Administration for a Healthy America (AHA),' focusing on primary care, environmental health, and HIV. AHA will operate with a budget of $20 billion and will include the 'Make America Healthy Again' initiative led by Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert Kennedy Jr.
However, many existing programs, such as lead poisoning prevention for children, medical workforce training, and rural health projects, are expected to be on the chopping block. Notably, support for the early education program for low-income families known as 'Head Start' is also likely to be halted. The document states that 'the federal government should not engage in programs that enforce educational methods or achievement standards.'
This restructuring is set to proceed in conjunction with an already announced workforce reduction. Since President Trump's inauguration, about a quarter of HHS employees have been cut, and an additional 20,000 employees are expected to be laid off. The layoffs will also include CDC personnel responsible for gun violence prevention, infectious disease testing, and worker safety programs.
Policy experts expressed concern that this budget cut could undermine a preventive health care system. Anand Parekh, a medical advisor at the Bipartisan Policy Center, noted that 'discretionary budgets are a key tool for reducing the burden of health on the public in the long term' and criticized the cuts as 'short-sighted.'
Rural areas and low-income populations are likely to suffer as well. Allen Morgan, president of the National Rural Health Association, stated, 'These programs are essential for ensuring access to medical care and maintaining the operation of local hospitals,' and pointed out that 'initiatives that have received bipartisan support are now at risk.'
The Trump administration's stance is to concentrate funds for non-defense priorities such as border security, infrastructure investment, and veterans' support through budget cuts. Although the White House has not issued an official comment, the preface of the budget proposal outlines the intent to 'dismantle a wasteful and weaponized bureaucracy and to restore balance between federal and state governments.'
However, it remains uncertain whether this budget proposal will pass through Congress. A similar budget cut proposal was submitted during Trump's first term, but Congress rejected some key items, including cuts to the NIH budget. Health-related organizations and civil society have already expressed strong opposition, and if this leads to actual policy changes, it is expected to have significant social repercussions.