Continued Federal Support is Critical to Maintaining Essential Research and Safety-net Programs
WASHINGTON D.C. – NOVEMBER 13, 2025 – Susan G. Komen, the world’s leading breast cancer organization acknowledges the legislation signed into law late yesterday reopening the federal government and ending the record long 43-day shutdown. The law funds most federal agencies at current levels through January 30, 2026, and includes full-year fiscal 2026 funding for the Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as military construction projects and the Legislative Branch. Full year funding was not addressed for the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, National Cancer Institute, or the Department of Defense’s Breast Cancer Research Program, all of which will continue to be funded at current levels until Congress acts to fund the federal health agencies for the remainder of 2026.
While Komen welcomes the bill’s continuation of Medicare telehealth flexibilities that have been in place since the pandemic and contains funding for critical nutrition assistance programs, we remain concerned that this short-term funding package does not address the Affordable Care Act enhanced tax credits which are set to expire at the end of this year. With an estimated 4.2 million Americans set to lose healthcare coverage if these tax credits are not extended, Congress cannot afford to wait any longer to act.
Access to high-quality, affordable insurance coverage is critical for anyone living with or having survived breast cancer. On behalf of all the breast cancer community, Komen will continue to advocate for these tax credits to be extended and urges Congress to act swiftly to protect access to coverage for millions of Americans.
