The Trump administration is crafting a plan to slash federal health spending by a significant margin, eliminate numerous programs, and streamline health agencies, as revealed in an internal document obtained by CNN. This preliminary memo, dispatched from White House budget officials to the Department of Health and Human Services, outlines the administration’s intention to reduce discretionary federal health expenditures and reshape health institutions in alignment with President Donald Trump and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vision of “Make America Healthy Again.”
Dated April 10, the document, subject to potential revisions, proposes substantial cuts amounting to tens of billions of dollars annually in total federal health spending. It proposes consolidating various health programs and departments under the new Administration for a Healthy America (AHA), a concept introduced by Kennedy during recent mass layoffs.
Specifically, the plan targets the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), aiming to slash its budget by over 40% and disbanding programs like global health initiatives, chronic disease prevention efforts, and domestic HIV/AIDS prevention programs. The proposed changes would see the creation of new AHA centers while terminating programs related to issues such as gun violence, injury prevention, and minority health, among others.
Furthermore, the blueprint suggests a blueprint for Republicans seeking to reduce federal spending, with the President’s budget request to Congress coinciding with ongoing debates over potential $1.5 trillion budget cuts. The plan also entails deep cuts to the National Institutes of Health, restructuring its research institutes and centers while assuming the enforcement of a cap on indirect payments to universities.
Despite historical bipartisan support for NIH funding increases, the proposal reflects a shift in GOP lawmakers’ stance towards reform. House Republican leaders previously proposed consolidation into 15 entities alongside a slight budget boost. Additionally, the plan introduces a salary cap for Title 42 employees at NIH, impacting senior hires within the agency, such as former NIAID director Anthony Fauci.
