The House Appropriations Committee has approved the Fiscal Year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The committee passed the measure with a vote of 35 to 28.
Subcommittee Chairman Robert Aderholt (R-AL) highlighted the subcommittee’s role in overseeing the largest non-defense expenditure in the federal government. He stated, "As you know, this subcommittee oversees the largest non-defense expenditure in the federal government. That responsibility gives us one of the greatest opportunities to reexamine spending priorities—ensuring taxpayer dollars are directed to critical needs in healthcare, workforce development, and education, while cutting waste and eliminating programs driven by political agendas rather than the public interest. One of the clearest examples is in healthcare. For too long, Washington has assumed that simply pumping more money into the system would solve our challenges. Yet the status quo has not produced better health outcomes for Americans—it has only added trillions to our national debt. If we are truly going to make America healthy again, we must focus on reforming the system itself, not just expanding its price tag. In recent years, we’ve worked diligently to rein in government spending. What is especially encouraging now is having a partner in the White House who shares this commitment. The Trump Administration, through its Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is already working with agencies to realign spending to where it belongs. That effort strengthens our momentum toward greater fiscal responsibility. I am grateful to Chairman Cole and my colleagues for their collaboration, and I look forward to building on this progress. This bill represents a strong foundation for transparency, accountability, and smarter investments—helping restore the trust of the American people as we allocate their hard-earned tax dollars responsibly."
Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) commented on changes represented by this legislation: "Change doesn’t come from keeping the status quo—it comes from making bold, disciplined choices. To make America healthier, we are breaking from failed approaches of the past and charting a course that delivers real results. The FY26 LHHS bill demonstrates the will of the American people who mandated new priorities and accountability in government. We are directing taxpayer dollars where they matter most: into lifesaving biomedical research and resilient medical supply chains, into classrooms that prepare the next generation for success, and into rural hospitals and public health programs that families rely on every day. These choices reflect a clear promise of putting American communities, health, and workforce first. This measure protects our children, our seniors, and those with disabilities, while advancing President Trump’s agenda to end progressive overreach and stop the weaponization of Washington against constitutional and parental rights. Every dollar in this bill strengthens our communities, empowers our students, and supports our workforce. Thanks to Chairman Aderholt’s leadership, this legislation moves our nation toward a healthier, stronger, and more competitive future."
The bill sets total discretionary funding at $184.5 billion for FY26—a decrease of $13.7 billion or 7% compared to FY25 levels—and includes provisions supporting administration efforts such as safeguarding taxpayer funds and reducing or eliminating over 100 programs considered unnecessary or misaligned with current policy objectives.
Some notable provisions include $100 million for prevention initiatives targeting rural health care access; renaming AmeriCorps as America First Corps; emphasizing national service activities tied to upcoming America250 events; changing Workforce Pell Grants’ name to Trump Grants; eliminating certain federal compliance offices per executive orders; maintaining prohibitions on abortion funding via Hyde Amendment language; limiting school funding if there is evidence of antisemitism or discrimination against religious student groups; prioritizing domestic biomedical research as part of broader competition with China; enhancing scrutiny around unaccompanied children under federal custody; ending certain refugee assistance programs seen as incentivizing migration; streamlining behavioral health programs; increasing mental health resources for youth; defunding some interagency committees viewed as duplicative or improperly used.
During markup proceedings several amendments were adopted by voice vote—including technical changes proposed by both Republican managers’ packages as well as measures preserving Social Security field offices’ services (Frankel #3), protecting Hispanic-Serving Institutions funding (Cuellar #2), supporting Job Corps training (Underwood/Zinke #1), updating medical education grant rules (Lee #1), among others.
Amendments offered by Democrats were rejected by committee Republicans during consideration.
Further details about Subcommittee Chairman Aderholt's opening remarks can be found at his official site.
Bill summaries along with full legislative text prior to amendment adoption remain available through House Appropriations Committee resources.
