The House Appropriations Committee on July 12 proposed an HHS budget of $77.6 billion for fiscal year 2018, a $542 million funding decrease from 2017.
Although the $77.6 billion represents a decrease in funding, the proposal is $14.5 billion more than President Donald Trump's budget request. However, the House proposal provides roughly $38 million for the ONC, a 37 percent cut from the $60 million it received in 2017. This proposal backs President Trump's previous funding request for ONC, which was also $38 million for 2018.
The bill — which includes funding for programs within HHS, the Department of Labor and the Department of Education, along with other related agencies — is meant to cut funding for "lower-priority" programs while targeting investment in select priorities, according to a House Appropriations Committee statement.
"This bill reflects Republican priorities to cut spending and focus investments in programs our people need the most — public health and medical research, biodefense, fundamental education and proven programs that increase job growth, for example," said House Appropriations Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen. "It also includes important provisions to stop government overreach."
Click here to view the proposed budget.