Secretary Kennedy and the president released their proposed federal budget for FFY 2027 (starting October 1, 2026) last week. As expected, it calls for deep cuts across core public health programs including some that Kennedy has publicly supported, like physical activity and nutrition.
Bottom line: depending on how you define “core public health,” the proposal cuts funding in the range of roughly 20–30% across major prevention and public health program lines. Some individual programs are reduced far more—or eliminated entirely.
A reminder: this is just a proposal. Congress decides what actually gets funded. But the current Congress has shown a pattern of rubber stamping the administration and budget bills only require a simple majority in the Senate.
At the same time, Congress often falls back on continuing resolutions instead of passing full budgets. So the real question is whether this year breaks that pattern and whether these cuts move from paper to practice.
NACCHO Analysis: FY27 Kennedy’s Budget Request
Legislative ASTHO Analysis: FY 27 Kennedy Budget Request
The proposal significantly reduces overall discretionary funding for public health and restructures how funds are delivered. In several cases, it combines or drops categorical programs and replaces them with broader block-style approaches.
- HHS Budget in Brief
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Administration for a Healthy America
- Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
- Food and Drug Administration
- Office of the Secretary: General Departmental Management
- Environmental Protection Agency
State and Local Public Health
Kennedy wants to dramatically cut funds that flow to state and local health departments.
- Big cuts to core infrastructure funding that supports epidemiology, lab capacity, and workforce
- Reductions or elimination of programs that fund day-to-day public health operations
- Less support for data modernization and surveillance systems
Chronic Disease and Prevention
Programs aimed at preventing long-term conditions see widespread reductions:
- Heart disease, diabetes, and cancer prevention programs scaled back
- Tobacco control funding reduced
- Injury and violence prevention programs cut
Maternal and Child Health: Constrained Investments
The proposal trims or restructures funding for maternal and child health programs:
- Reductions in programs that support maternal health outcomes
- Cuts to early childhood and family health initiatives
- Less investment in addressing disparities in birth outcomes
Infectious Disease and Preparedness: Mixed Signals
Some high-profile preparedness functions are kept, but the broader system is weakened:
- Select funding for pandemic preparedness stays
- But cuts to the public health workforce and infrastructure undermine readiness
- Reductions in immunization program support at the state/local level
Nutrition and Physical Activity
Despite Kennedy’s bloviations about prevention and lifestyle:
- Nutrition programs face cuts or restructuring
- Physical activity initiatives are reduced
- Community-based prevention efforts are scaled back
What Happens Next?
Congress now takes over. There are a few realistic paths:
- Full adoption (unlikely but possible): Congress passes a budget close to the proposal
- Partial restoration: Lawmakers push back on the most visible cuts
- Continuing resolution: Funding stays flat, delaying major changes
Historically, CRs are common, but the political environment this year makes outcomes less predictable. For now this is all in suspended animation.
