Statement from Global Health Council on Final Passage of the FY2026 Budget Bills
Global Health Council (GHC) welcomes this week’s final passage of the fiscal year (FY) 2026 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS) and Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS) appropriations bills. This final package reflects bipartisan, bicameral agreement that reaffirms Congress’s role in shaping U.S. global health leadership during a period of significant fiscal and political constraint.
“At a moment when global health systems face mounting pressure and uncertainty, this funding represents a meaningful congressional commitment to sustaining progress and preserving U.S. engagement in global health,”said GHC’s President and CEO, Elisha Dunn-Georgiou.
Under the agreements, Global Health Programs at the State Department are funded at $9.416 billion, a 6% cut from the FY25 enacted level, but $5.619 billion above the President’s request. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Global Health Center’s funding, which the President’s request proposed eliminating, is maintained at the FY25 enacted level.
Many core accounts at the State Department, including maternal and child health and malaria, are held flat. Other critical programs, such as tuberculosis, neglected tropical diseases, global health security, and family planning and reproductive health, face modest but consequential reductions. As global needs continue to grow, these reductions underscore the importance of ensuring that U.S. investments remain strategic, people-centered, and focused on equitable access to essential health services.
Continued support for key multilateral institutions, including Gavi, the Global Fund, CEPI, and United Nations agencies, is particularly significant amid recent signals of U.S. withdrawal from international cooperation. Strong, effective multilateral organizations remain essential to preventing disease, responding to emerging threats, and protecting health and well-being worldwide.
Importantly, in addition to asserting Congress’ power of the purse, strengthened oversight provisions were also included in the bills. Inclusions related to the America First Global Health Strategy require enhanced coordination between the State Department and the CDC and clarity from the administration on the transition of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. In addition, the SFOPs bill establishes a Prevention, Treatment, and Response Initiative (PTRI) which supports “research, development, and delivery of vaccines and other prevention technologies.”
Overall, this funding package signals a notable effort by Congress to reassert its budgetary authority and safeguard the U.S. global health footprint, even amid limited bipartisan cooperation. GHC urges lawmakers to continue working across party lines to protect the progress achieved over decades and to ensure that U.S. global health investments remain inclusive, accountable, and aligned with the needs of communities around the world.