ASE Joins Ad Hoc Group Letter on FY 2027 Senate Appropriations for NIH Funding

On May 22, ASE joined nearly 600 members of the Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research in submitting a statement for the record to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, again recommending at least $51.303 billion for NIH in FY 2027. The statement echoes the House submission in emphasizing NIH’s role as the foundation of modern medicine, the economic return on federal research investment, and the need to sustain U.S. global competitiveness, while also expressing appreciation for Subcommittee members who raised concerns about proposed cuts in the President’s FY 2027 budget request. It urges a measured approach to forward funding strategies and calls on the Administration to eliminate disruptions, delays, and administrative barriers slowing the pace of awards. Citing updated data, the statement notes that as of March 20, new awards were 63 percent below historical expectations for that point in the fiscal year, and that obligations continued to lag as of May 15, raising concerns that delays similar to those in FY 2025 could be repeated and that patients ultimately bear the cost of slowed research.

NIH funding directly supports the cardiovascular research that advances echocardiography and cardiac imaging, and stable, timely appropriations protect the research infrastructure essential to improving outcomes for patients with heart disease. ASE participates to reinforce the federal commitment and funding reliability that sustain innovation in the specialty.