Significant Reduction in Workforce at Critical Health Agencies Puts the Nation’s Leadership in the Fight Against Cancer at Risk

“Government has a responsibility to continually assess the best application of national resources; however, indiscriminate cuts to our nation’s health and research infrastructure funding significantly reducing the federal workforce agencies within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other agencies, may have an impact on cancer patients, survivors and anyone at risk of developing the disease.  

“Without the appropriate workforce necessary to drive the essential services and programs within HHS, active clinical trials could be abandoned, the nation’s drug shortages could worsen, the time it takes to review innovative new cancer treatments could lengthen, cancer prevention efforts may be halted and access to lifesaving cancer screenings could be cut off for millions of people in America.  

“These agencies have a track record of lifesaving impact and must be protected. Cuts to the HHS workforce have the potential to dismantle the critical government infrastructure that has played a pivotal role in cancer survivorship for 18 million individuals who are alive today in the U.S. resulting in more suffering from cancer nationwide. ACS CAN calls on the administration to review the approach to this directive. On behalf of families impacted by cancer, we also urge Congress to pass FY25 spending bills including robust funding for cancer research and prevention at the NIH, NCI and CDC, and stand up for the health of their constituents and this country.”