Cancer research advocates win major victory for U.S., Kansas, as Congress rejects proposed cuts

The U.S. House and Senate united to preserve and enhance cancer research funding, rejecting proposed Trump administration cuts. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

In late January 2026, cancer research advocates won a major victory in Congress. Working with a bipartisan group of congressional leaders, they secured a $128 million increase in funding for the National Cancer Institute for fiscal year 2026.

This was no small feat. In the fiscal year 2026 budget submitted to Congress in early 2025, the Trump administration proposed to cut funding for the National Institutes of Health and NCI by almost 40%. Cancer research in the United States would have suffered a devastating blow.

When President Donald Trump submitted his One Big Beautiful Bill Act budget proposal, there was reason to be pessimistic. In the wake of his inauguration, many Republican members of Congress were supine in a never-ending effort to please him. Restoration of budget cuts seemed unlikely.

The administration’s proposal to gut funding for the NIH and NCI was sweeping. Clinical trials underway would have been ruined. More than 770 NIH grants totaling $1.9 billion would have been cancelled.

A handful of officials stepped up to ensure that the cuts proposed by Trump to the NIH and NCI budgets would not be approved. U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas provided valuable insight and support throughout the budget process. He’s been a strong supporter of the University of Kansas Cancer Center and the University of Kansas Health System.

Congressional budget leaders were adamant that they would be responsible for developing and passing the NIH and NCI budgets. They prevailed and went to work.

Those budget leaders — House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole of Oklahoma, Ranking Minority Member Rosa De Lauro of Connecticut, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins of Maine and Ranking Minority Member Patty Murray of Washington — provided bipartisan leadership that drove the legislative process.

The outcome was outstanding. They produced a fiscal year 2026 Labor and Health and Human Services budget that provided a $415 million increase in the NIH base budget over fiscal year 2025. That included the $128 million increase for the NCI and a $100 million increase for Alzheimer’s research.

Provisions were included in the budget bill that will safeguard cancer research grants that are successfully implemented. Other provisions will preserve for the future a broad range of research projects. The NIH was directed in the legislation to fund new awards based on applications that were strong, a provision that will ensure researchers continue to push their research in new and promising directions.

The bill won bipartisan support in the House and Senate and was signed into law by the president.

In his February 2026 “Beyond the Bench” message, Roy Jensen, the vice chancellor and director of the University of Kansas Cancer Center, said: “When I look at what is happening across The University of Kansas Cancer Center, I see momentum and possibility taking shape. We are building a new facility that will bring research and patient care closer together than ever before. It will house the latest advances in cellular therapeutics, including the ability to create CAR T cells right here on site. By manufacturing these therapies ourselves, we can shorten the path from discovery to treatment and ensure that more patients benefit from them.”

The collaboration of members of Congress on the NIH and NCI budget ensures that Jensen’s ambitions can be realized.

Advocates for robust cancer and life sciences research were successful in their effort to secure approval of adequately funded 2026 fiscal year NCI and NIH budgets. It will be important to remember, however, that uncertainty and occasional chaos have been hallmarks of policy development in the Trump administration. Vigilance will be essential in the next three years to ensure that funding for the NIH and NCI is protected.

Cancer research advocates won this year in Congress. There’s every reason for them to be prepared to defend their victory in the future.

Fred Logan is the chair of the Masonic Cancer Alliance Partners Advisory Board at the University of Kansas Cancer Center. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.