House appropriations panel clears HHS bill that cuts agency funding

The House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday advanced on a party-line vote legislation that would slash funding for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for fiscal 2025 by $7.5 billion, or 6.4 percent, below the fiscal 2024 level. 

The bill cleared the committee 31 to 25 and now heads to the full House, which is scheduled to vote on it the week of July 29.  

The funding levels in the bill are far from final, as the Senate is likely to pass a significantly different version of the legislation. 

The bill contains numerous policy provisions Democrats decried as poison pills, including eliminating funding for domestic HIV programs, tobacco prevention, teen pregnancy prevention programs and Title X family planning grants. It would also block federal funding for gender-affirming care. 

The bill would cut the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) injury prevention program and its opioid overdose prevention and surveillance initiative. 

“While almost all of the 2025 funding bills we have considered this year have included attacks on women’s health, this one goes the furthest, blocking access to abortion, reproductive care health care, and contraception,” Appropriations Committee ranking member Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) said. 

Lawmakers also adopted an amendment sponsored by Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) that would prohibit funding any CDC research on gun violence as a public health epidemic if it involved advocating for firearm restrictions. 

Notably, the legislation would also block the Biden administration from implementing its nursing home staffing mandate.   

"By advancing this bill through the full committee, Republicans show that we are united on bolstering our national security, reining in Executive Branch overreach, and supporting American values and principles,” Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.), chair of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, said.