The American Nurses Association has expressed concerns over a leaked draft of the Trump administration's proposed budget for fiscal year 2026, saying cuts to federal nursing research and workforce development would hamper the national healthcare system's ability to improve and adapt to emerging evidence.
According to a leaked draft of the budget published by The Washington Post, the administration is looking at closing a number of programs overseen by the Health Resources and Services Administration, including the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), part of the National Institutes of Health, and all Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs except for the Nurse Corps scholarship program.
Those programs offer nursing scholarships, loan repayment assistance and educational grants.
In a statement, American Nurses Association President Dr. Jennifer Mensik-Kennedy said the ANA is "deeply concerned" about the proposed cuts.
"ANA firmly believes that NINR plays a vital role in ensuring that research guided by nurses' education, experiences, and clinical training continue to enable our overall health care system to improve and be driven by evidence," she said.
WHAT'S THE IMPACT
The ANA defended the NINR, saying it has funded "groundbreaking" research, including palliative and end-of-life care, elevated nursing science within the National Institutes of Health and trained the next generation of nurse scientists.
"As America's most trusted profession for the past 20 years, nurses are concerned about the ability of a restructured HHS, without the NINR, to pursue nurse-specific approaches that answer the challenges and demanding needs of our healthcare system and the patients we serve," said Mensik-Kennedy. "While we respect and value our physician colleagues, they are trained in a different care model and do not share similar clinical experiences or relationships with patients as nurses do."
In addition to eliminating NINR, the proposed budget framework would eliminate several other health programs the ANA said are "specific and vital" to nurses. Specifically, the draft proposes to eliminate all Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs except for the Nurse Corps and terminate maternal and child, substance use, mental health and other public health programs.
The ANA is urging HHS Director Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Trump administration to reconsider the value of the benefits yielded by NINR, Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs and other health programs relative to their cost when crafting a budget.
"Federal health agencies must have the necessary staff and resources to carry out the public health, research, quality, and operational work that the American people rely on for their health, safety, and well-being," the ANA said.
THE LARGER TREND
House Republicans have targeted about $880 billion in spending cuts – cuts that are likely not possible without slashing Medicaid.
Before breaking for the April recess House Republicans approved in a vote of 216-214 a multitrillion-dollar budget framework. The House seeks an estimated $1.5 trillion in spending cuts while the Senate has proposed about $4 billion in cuts, according to NPR. Both chambers will work on drafting the final legislative product.
ON THE RECORD
AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack said by statement in February: "As the Senate and House Budget Committees begin deliberations on their Fiscal Year 2025 budget resolutions, the American Hospital Association urges Congress to take seriously the impact of reductions in healthcare programs, particularly Medicaid. While some have suggested dramatic reductions in the Medicaid program as part of a reconciliation vehicle, we would urge Congress to reject that approach. Medicaid provides health care to many of our most vulnerable populations, including pregnant women, children, the elderly, disabled and many of our working class."
Jeff Lagasse is editor of Healthcare Finance News.
Email: jlagasse@himss.org
Healthcare Finance News is a HIMSS Media publication.