On May 5, President Donald Trump signed into law the $1.07 trillion FY’17 omnibus spending bill, averting a government shutdown after a five-month continuing resolution expired. The bill will fund the government through Sept. 30.

Of note to the cardiovascular community, the bill provides a $2 billion increase in funding for the National Institutes of Health, an $84 million increase for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and an $83 million increase for the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke. While funding for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality was reduced by $10 million, efforts by some members of Congress to eliminate the Agency completely were not included. Funding for The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) would essentially remain flat, which could have negative impacts on ONC’s efforts to meet new responsibilities and timelines pertaining to interoperability and data blocking under the 21st Century Cures Act. Additionally, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be receiving $2.8 billion, representing an increase of $39 million over FY’16. Your ACC continues to closely follow the appropriations process and is working with the others in House of Medicine to ensure continued and adequate funding for key agencies and programs for FY’17 and FY’18.

The Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) Tobacco Prevention account received a $5 million cut, a modest decrease compared to the proposed $100 million cut. The CDC’s Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention account was cut by $30 million, which was expected following the elimination of the Partnerships to Improve Community Health in FY’16. To lessen disruption, the CDC was directed to shift more costs to Heart Disease and Stroke, resulting in the $30 million additional dollars being closed out. Funding for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke increased by $88 million. Funding for both Million Hearts® and Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation (WISEWOMAN) remained level at $4 million and $21.2 million respectively.

Keywords: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S., Heart Diseases, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (U.S.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (U.S.), National Institutes of Health (U.S.), Stroke, Tobacco, United States Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, United States Food and Drug Administration

< Back to Listings