Overview
- The House Appropriations Subcommittee is holding an oversight hearing this morning with NIH budgeting on the formal agenda.
- Jay Bhattacharya appears as NIH director while also serving as the acting head of the CDC.
- Members are expected to press him on vaccine recommendations following his Senate statement that he has not seen evidence any single vaccine causes autism, diverging from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
- Committee leaders highlighted accountability for research outcomes and noted Congress increased NIH funding by $415 million for fiscal 2026.
- Bhattacharya took over the CDC in February, succeeding Jim O’Neill, a Silicon Valley figure with no formal public-health or medical experience.