As Congress begins its work on the FY2024 budget, ASTRO continues to advocate for increased funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI) and other programs focusing on cancer treatment and prevention. We are specifically asking for:

• $51 billion for the NIH;
• $9.988 billion for the NCI;
• $472.4 million for cancer prevention programs at CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control; and
• At least $1.5 billion for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H).

Last week, ASTRO staff met with congressional staff during a lobby day for the One Voice Against Cancer coalition to advocate for these funding levels and further support for cancer research.

Following that lobby day, the President released his FY24 budget request, which includes proposals to help boost the goals of Cancer Moonshot 2.0, such as $2.5 billion for ARPA-H. The budget includes increases for NIH and NCI, but at levels lower than those requested by ASTRO and the cancer research community.

It is unlikely that Congress will seriously consider the President’s budget request, and instead will try to work out its own budget deal later this year.