Budget and Legislative Information

Each year, when the President submits a budget request to Congress, federal agencies including NHLBI prepare a Congressional Justification for the House and Senate appropriations committees. This document helps justify the President's request by detailing the Institute's past investments and advances in research, active research programs, evolving scientific priorities, and proposed budget for the coming fiscal year.

Once the House and Senate have agreed on an appropriations bill (or bills), the President signs it into law. The public can check the status of the various appropriations bills online. Because the NHLBI is part of the Department of Health and Human Services, its budget is a component of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies bills.

Additionally, each year, Congress issues directives to Federal agencies, including NIH, in the reports accompanying House and Senate appropriations bills. These directives, called Significant Items, are assigned for response to the Institutes and Centers (ICs) according to their areas of expertise; some topics may be relevant to several ICs’ research portfolios. The responses are published with the Congressional Justification in the following year’s Presidential Budget Request.

• FY 2021 Congressional Justification
  • FY 2021 Significant Items
• FY 2020 Congressional Justification
  • FY 2020 Significant Items
• FY 2019 Congressional Justification
  • FY 2019 Significant Items
• FY 2018 Congressional Justification
  • FY 2018 Significant Items
• FY 2017 Congressional Justification
  • FY 2017 Significant Items
• FY 2016 Congressional Justification
  • FY 2016 Significant Items
• FY 2015 Congressional Justification
  • FY 2015 Significant Items
• FY 2014 Congressional Justification

Each year, the NHLBI Director may be called upon to testify before the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS). The Director may be asked to either appear in person, submit a written statement related to the Institute's Congressional Budget justification, or both.

• FY 2019 Budget - NHLBI Director's Statement - Senate Appropriations Subcommittee
• FY 2016 Budget - NHLBI Director's Statement - Senate Appropriations Subcommittee
• FY 2015 Budget - NHLBI Director's Statement - Senate Appropriations Subcommittee
• FY 2014 Budget - NHLBI Director's Statement - Senate Appropriations Subcommittee

House:

• NHLBI Director Dr. Gary H. Gibbons joins NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins and other NIH leaders to testify on NIH-funded research accomplishments and priorities at the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Hearing on NIH Budget Request for FY 2021 (March 4, 2020). Among the many topics discussed by Dr. Gibbons at the hearing were the role that cardiovascular disease plays in maternal morbidity and mortality, and the work that NIH/NHLBI and its federal partners are doing to understand the long-term health risk of vaping.

• House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Hearing on the NIH Budget Request for FY 2020 (April 2, 2019). NHLBI Director Dr. Gary Gibbons joins NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins and other NIH leaders to testify on NIH-funded research accomplishments and priorities.

• Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) Appropriations for FY 2018 (May 17, 2017)

• LHHS Appropriations for FY 2016 (March 3, 2015)

• LHHS Appropriations for FY 2015 (March 26, 2014)

Senate:

• LHHS Appropriations for FY2018 (June 22, 2017)

• LHHS Appropriations for FY2016 (April 30, 2015)

• Full Committee Hearing on FY2015 NIH Budget Request (April 2, 2014)

• LHHS Appropriations for FY 2014 (May 15, 2013)

NHLBI is accountable to keeping Congress informed about Institute-funded research. Occasionally, NHLBI subject matter experts are asked to testify before Congress, participate in Congressional briefings and events, or lead the preparation of state-of-the science reports. The following are examples.

• Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS): State of the Science, Clinical Care, and Research (July 2020)—NIH Report to Congress on a state of the science workshop held in July 2019
• Cardiopulmonary Health Effects of Vaping Briefing on Capitol Hill (March 3, 2020) NHLBI speaker: James P. Kiley, Ph.D., director of the Division of Lung Diseases

• Black Maternal Health Caucus Roundtable. (December 11, 2019) NHLBI speaker: Gary H. Gibbons, M.D., NHLBI Director.
• Labor-HHS Subcommittee members visit NIH. (September 17, 2019) NHLBI speaker: John Tisdale, M.D., Division of Intramural Research.
• The Alliance of Aging Research 2019 Annual Congressional Bipartisan Awards (September 17, 2019) John Tisdale, M.D. of NHLBI received Silver Innovator Award. 
• Congressional Rare Disease Caucus Briefing on New Technologies and Treatments for Rare Diseases (May 15, 2019) NHLBI Speaker: Gary H. Gibbons, M.D., NHLBI Director.
• Capitol Hill Event to Commemorate the NHLBI Division of Lung Diseases (DLD) 50th Anniversary (April 9, 2019) Former HHS Secretary Louis W. Sullivan, M.D., NHLBI Director Gary Gibbons, M.D., and DLD Director James P. Kiley, Ph.D., were joined by leaders from patient and professional groups to reflect on 50 years of progress against lung diseases. Congresswoman Rosa De Lauro (D-CT), Congressman Chris Stewart (R-UT), Congressman Peter King (R-NY), and Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) gave remarks commending NHLBI for its leadership in this research.
• Research! America 30th Annual Meeting of Members (March 13, 2019) NHLBI Speaker: Gary H. Gibbons, M.D., NHLBI Director.
• WomenHeart Capitol Hill Briefing on Women’s Inclusion in Cardiovascular Research (February 26, 2019) NHLBI Speakers: Gary H. Gibbons, M.D., NHLBI Director, and Nakela Cook, M.D., Chief of Staff at NHLBI.

• Pulmonary Fibrosis Patient Education Day, (September 22, 2018) NHLBI Speaker: Gary H. Gibbons, M.D., NHLBI Director
• Congressional Briefing on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: The Burden in Rural America, (March 20, 2018) NHLBI Speaker: James, P. Kiley, Ph.D., director of the Division of Lung Diseases

• Congressional Briefing hosted by the MedTech Caucus (June 8, 2017) NHLBI Speaker: Jonathan R. Kaltman, M.D., Division of Cardiovascular Sciences 
• Allergy & Asthma Day Capitol Hill (May 4, 2017) NHLBI Speaker: James P. Kiley, Ph.D., director of the Division of Lung Diseases 
• First National Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day (February 22, 2017) NHLBI speaker: Gary H. Gibbons, M.D. NHLBI Director

• Marfan Syndrome Briefing (January 2016) NHLBI Speaker: Gary H. Gibbons, M.D., NHLBI Director
• Critical Care Illness Briefing (September 11, 2015) NHLBI Speaker: Gary H. Gibbons, M.D., NHLBI Director

1948

The National Heart Institute was established in 1948 when President Harry S. Truman signed into law the National Heart Act, Public Law 80-655, which authorized the Institute to conduct, assist, and foster research; provide training; and assist the states in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart diseases.

1969

The Institute was renamed the National Heart and Lung Institute in 1969 by the U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, after a major National Heart Institute reorganization that created a pulmonary disease branch, along with branches for other cardiovascular diseases, therapeutic evaluation, and epidemiology.

1972

Congress further expanded the Institute’s authorities in 1972, with the enactment of the National Heart, Blood Vessel, Lung and Blood Act, Public Law 92-423, to augment the national effort against heart, lung, and blood diseases.

1976

In 1976, the Health Research and Health Services Amendments, Public Law 94-278, authorized research and training on blood disease and the use of blood products and the management of blood resources. The law also changed the Institute’s name to the NHLBI.

1993

In 1993, the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research was established as part of NHLBI, with the enactment of the NIH Revitalization Act, Public Law 103-43. The Center remains under the leadership of the NHLBI Division of Lung Diseases.

For more information about the NHLBI's history, visit The NIH Almanac.

Learn more about some of NHLBI's major programs, partnership activities, as well as recent advances in research funded by the institute. The information is presented by program area and showcases how NHLBI is implementing the objectives established in the NHLBI Strategic Vision.

• Advancing Heart, Lung, Blood, and Sleep Research (web version)

• Advancing Heart, Lung, Blood, and Sleep Research (January 2020)

• Advancing Heart, Lung, Blood, and Sleep Research (January 2019)

• Advancing Heart, Lung, Blood, and Sleep Research (January 2018)