Congress approved the 2026 consolidated appropriations act, lifting NIH funding by just under 1% to $48.7 billion for FY2026 and averting steep cuts proposed earlier. Lawmakers restored much of the uncertainty that had shaken grant programs and research labs last year, and the final package includes targeted provisions restoring pediatric priority review vouchers and increasing pharmacy benefit manager transparency. Observers framed the increase as modest but important: the spending law counters prior White House biomedical cut proposals and offers incremental relief to life‑science tools companies and academic investigators while keeping policy priorities—like diagnostics and PBM reforms—on the agenda.