Washington, D.C. (September 9, 2025) – UsAgainstAlzheimer’s released the following statement after the full House Appropriations Committee passed the FY2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education funding bill today:

“Medical research is how we will find a cure to Alzheimer’s and related dementias. That’s why we very much appreciate the House Appropriations Committee’s historic bipartisan support for the National Institutes of Health. The Committee’s proposed increase of $15 million at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke is especially welcome. These amounts are still short of what is needed, though. We strongly urge both chambers to adopt the higher funding level for NIH included in the Senate’s bill in any final FY2026 agreement – including the Senate’s proposed increase of $100 million for Alzheimer’s research. With an aging population and the growing prevalence of Alzheimer’s, robust and sustained investments are essential to keep lifesaving research on track.

“We also welcome the House’s proposal to maintain level funding for the CDC Alzheimer’s program.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) leads critical efforts in tracking the burden of Alzheimer’s, promoting risk reduction, and supporting communities through its Healthy Brain Initiative. With the reduction of all Alzheimer’s program staff at CDC, we urge Congress to work with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and CDC to ensure that these activities will continue without disruption. 

“We are deeply concerned about the proposed funding cuts to other HHS agencies, particularly the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the CDC. The Committee proposes to eliminate AHRQ, which is vital in helping identify, test, and scale high-quality dementia care models that improve outcomes for patients and caregivers. Overall cuts to these agencies threaten progress in both care innovation and public health response to the growing Alzheimer’s crisis.”

What families need Congress to deliver:

• Robust, sustained, and predictable funding for NIH and Alzheimer’s and related dementias, centered at the National Institute on Aging to drive prevention, diagnosis, and treatment breakthroughs.
• Dedicated resources across other HHS agencies, particularly the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to identify, test, and spread high-value dementia care and caregiver support models across health systems and payers and to address population level measures proven to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s for millions of Americans.
• Support for clinical trial infrastructure and equity, ensuring rural, underserved, and historically underrepresented communities can participate in and benefit from innovation.

“Every budget is a values statement, and today’s markup should reflect our nation’s commitment to ending Alzheimer’s,” said Russ Paulsen, Chief Operating Officer for UsAgainstAlzheimer’s. “Congress must pair bold research investments at NIH with real-world care improvements led by AHRQ and CDC so families see progress in the lab and at the kitchen table.”

UsAgainstAlzheimer’s stands ready to work with leaders in both parties to ensure final FY2026 appropriations advance, not reverse, hard-won progress in the fight against Alzheimer’s.

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About UsAgainstAlzheimer’s
UsAgainstAlzheimer’s is engaged in a relentless pursuit to end Alzheimer’s, the sixth leading killer in America. Our work centers on prevention, early detection and diagnosis, and equal access to treatments regardless of gender, race, or ethnicity. To achieve our mission, we give voice to patients and caregivers while partnering with government, scientists, the private sector, and allied organizations -- the people who put the “Us” in UsAgainstAlzheimer’s.