Congress Trims Funding for CDC Vision Program, Slicing Vision and Eye Health Budget By Nearly One-Third

NEWARK, N.J.—Congress has included a $2 million reduction to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vision and Eye Health Initiative (VHI) in the fiscal year 2026 appropriations package, reducing the program’s budget from $6.5 million to $4.5 million—a cut that amounts to almost one-third of its current resources. The reduction appears in the final appropriations language that funds the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Education after months of federal budget negotiations that included the 43 day government shutdown and a continuing resolution that expires on January 30, 2026.