Lawmakers in Congress haven’t left themselves much choice if they want to fund the government and prevent a government shutdown in a few months (https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/07/30/appropriations-bill-congress-september/): They’ll need to kick the can down the road. The House left Washington last week, and the Senate will soon follow, with scant progress made toward passing the 12 annual spending bills, or appropriations, that keep vital agencies and government programs running. Current federal financing expires September 30, the end of the 2024 fiscal year.

ONS Perspective

As the U.S. Congress negotiates government funding for 2025, strong federal support for biomedical research and nursing workforce development programs (https://www.ons.org/make-difference/ons-center-advocacy-and-health-policy/health-policy-priorities-and-agenda) is essential. Working with coalition partners, ONS is advocating for increased funding for the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, National Institute for Nursing Research, and Title VII and Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs (https://www.hpnec.org/our-recommendation). 

Currently, the House and Senate are considering different versions of legislation to fund those agencies and programs. However, the House bill contains lower funding levels than the Senate bill. During those deliberations, ONS and its member advocates are collaborating with legislators and coalition partners to ensure that the Senate’s higher funding levels are used for any year-end spending packages.

Additional Articles of Interest

• Address Liquid Biopsy Disparities Today to Ensure Equity in Outcomes Tomorrow (https://www.statnews.com/2024/08/02/liquid-biopsy-address-disparities-today-ensure-outcomes-equity/)
• Blood Test for Colon Cancer Screening Is Approved by U.S. Regulators (https://apnews.com/article/colon-cancer-blood-test-fda-guardant-a2c2cda2cdaa52f081860f0faed1e5cf)
• Judge Criticizes FDA for Lengthy Delay on Menthol Cigarette Rule (https://news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/judge-criticizes-fda-for-lengthy-delay-on-menthol-cigarette-rule)
• Small-Town Patients Face Big Hurdles as Rural Hospitals Cut Cancer Care (https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/cancer-care-chemotherapy-rural-patients/)
• The HPV Vaccine: Access and Use in the U.S.  (https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/fact-sheet/the-hpv-vaccine-access-and-use-in-the-u-s/)

ONS Resources

• ONS Voice article: White House Announces Global Funding, Initiatives to Support Cancer Moonshot Goals (https://voice.ons.org/advocacy/white-house-announces-global-funding-initiatives-to-support-cancer-moonshot-goals)
• Advocacy health policy webinar: Preventing HPV-Related Cancers Through Immunizations (https://vimeo.com/992855745)
• Oncology Nursing Podcast Episode 255: Public Thanks for Deserving Oncology Nurses (https://www.ons.org/podcasts/episode-255-public-thanks-deserving-oncology-nurses)

Visit the ONS Action Center (https://www.votervoice.net/ONS/Home) to find the most urgent issues for oncology nursing advocacy, learn about your elected officials and candidates, look up specific legislation, and sign up to be notified when ONS, the profession, or your patients need your voice.