Congress boosts cancer research funding by $2B annually, orders FDA drug-shortage probe
H.R. 3873 — KO Cancer Act · Filed by Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) · 6 cosponsors · Introduced Jun 10, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill increases funding for the National Cancer Institute by 25% of its 2022 budget annually for fiscal years 2026–2030 (roughly $2.1 billion per year in new money), and directs the FDA to study why cancer drugs are in short supply and report back with recommendations within one year. The bill aims to boost cancer research capacity and address drug availability problems that affect patients.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism is straightforward appropriation of new federal funds to a public health agency for cancer research and a mandate to study drug shortages. It is a direct public-health investment with no hidden mechanisms or private carve-outs.
What the text implies
- The 25% increase is indexed to 2022 baseline, not adjusted for inflation or prior-year appropriations; actual purchasing power may be lower than nominal increase suggests.
- The drug-shortage study is advisory only—no enforcement mechanism or funding tied to FDA implementation of recommendations, so impact depends on agency follow-through.
- Appropriation is 'out of amounts in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated,' which may face budget constraints or require offsetting cuts elsewhere if no new revenue is identified.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
The bill directly funds cancer research and mandates investigation of drug shortages—both serve public health. Cancer patients and the general public benefit from increased research investment and efforts to address supply-chain failures that prevent access to life-saving medications.
Who stands to gain
- National Cancer Institute (federal agency receiving appropriation)
- Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies (indirect benefit from increased research funding and dru
Named in the bill
National Cancer Institute (NCI), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Congress
Where it stands
6 cosponsors: 5 Democrats, 1 Republicans.
- Jun 10, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Jun 10, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce and House Committee on Appropriations · Congress.gov: “Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a…”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (2,605 characters) on May 21, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
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