President Biden released on April 9 an outline of his proposed priorities for fiscal year (FY) 2022 federal government spending, sending a requested budget to Congress for consideration. The budget prioritizes funding for public health, medical research, education, defense, environmental protections, and addressing social inequities. While the proposal holds no binding power over the budget process – which is controlled entirely by Congress – the release of the budget is an annual exercise that is intended to formally communicate the Administration's policy priorities and kickstart the federal budget process before Congress begins to draft FY 2022 appropriations bills. This budget proposal is a precursor to a full, more detailed annual budget proposal slated to be released later in the spring.

The Administration requests Congressional approval on $769 billion for non-defense programs, a total funding increase of 16% compared to FY 2021. Proposed health care spending would increase Department of Health and Human Services funding by $131.7 billion, a 23.5% increase compared to 2021, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would be allotted $8.7 billion to support preparation against "global threats" as well as research and efforts addressing social determinants of health.

The proposal promotes biomedical research and requests $51 billion for the National Institutes of Health, a $9 billion increase compared to 2021. Within the NIH, a discretionary request urges approval for $6.5 billion to launch a new Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), which would initially focus on supporting and expediting health care breakthroughs for diseases such as "cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's." More than $200 million was requested for efforts reducing the maternal mortality rate and ending racial disparities within maternal health care, including an expansion of the Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies program. With a targeted focus on supporting "populations with unique needs, including Native Americans, older Americans, and rural populations," $10.7 billion was requested towards efforts addressing the opioid epidemic and $97 million for enhanced rural connectivity. Through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), $2.7 billion was requested to "continue modernizing VA's Electronic Health Record" and "ensure veterans receive world-class health care well into the future"; and $882 million was requested for medical and prosthetic research.

Other measures include a 41% funding increase for the Department of Education, with emphasis given on strengthening funding levels for historically Black colleges and universities, tribally controlled colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions. The proposal urges the largest one-time increase in Pell Grant funding since 2009, and making funding available to students who are Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients.

FY 2022 begins Oct. 1, 2021. Read the Administration's full budget proposal outline here. ACC's Advocacy team continues to inform and work with Congress on establishing funding levels for programs supporting health care and cardiology. Read ACC's FY 2022 appropriations requests here.

Clinical Topics: Geriatric Cardiology, Sleep Apnea

Keywords: ACC Advocacy, Pregnancy, Aged, Federal Government, Universities, Maternal Mortality, Veterans, Rural Population, Obstetrics, African Americans, Electronic Health Records, Analgesics, Opioid, Conservation of Natural Resources, Alzheimer Disease, Health Expenditures, Maternal Health Services, Public Health, Social Determinants of Health, National Institutes of Health (U.S.), Biomedical Research, Students, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S., Policy, Diabetes Mellitus, Neoplasms

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