WASHINGTON, D.C. — The House Appropriations Committee approved the fiscal 2027 Defense spending bill on June 24, 2026, without increasing funding for traumatic brain injury research despite a sharp decline in such funding over the past two years. Defense Department funding for medical research into traumatic brain injuries dropped from $175 million in fiscal 2024 to $40.5 million in fiscal 2026, and the new bill maintains that reduced level.

The fiscal 2027 bill allocates $916.5 million to the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), which support studies on a range of military-relevant health conditions. That amount is below the $1.27 billion appropriated in fiscal 2026 and significantly lower than the $1.51 billion provided in fiscal 2024. Funding for CDMRP had dropped 57 percent to $650 million in fiscal 2025 before rebounding the following year, though the 2026 total remained 16 percent below the 2024 level.

Traumatic brain injury research received $175 million in fiscal 2024 but was zeroed out entirely in fiscal 2025. The fiscal 2025 cutback eliminated new spending on 23 of the CDMRP’s 35 disease or disorder research areas. Although funding partially returned in fiscal 2026, the House’s fiscal 2027 bill does not restore it to prior levels.

Shannon Connell, chief executive officer of the Invisible Wounds Foundation, criticized the continued underfunding. “The cut in program funding for traumatic brain injuries essentially shuts down the pipeline of research needed to understand the underlying cause of these injuries,” Connell said. She added, “Until effective diagnostics and treatments can be developed, our warfighters, veterans, and their families will continue to struggle and suffer.”

Representative Rosa DeLauro, ranking member on the House Appropriations Committee, defended the broader CDMRP, calling it essential for military medical advancement. “The program supports crucial lifesaving breakthrough research into a wide array of afflictions,” DeLauro said, listing “Duchenne muscular dystrophy, bone marrow failure, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, traumatic brain injuries, psychological health, military burns, tick-borne diseases, spinal cord injuries, toxic exposure — the list goes on.”

Representative Mike Levin of California criticized specific cuts in the bill. “Funding for autism, melanoma, and vision research is reduced,” Levin said. “Epilepsy, hearing restoration, and military burn research is eliminated entirely.”

The Defense Department estimates that more than 500,000 servicemembers have suffered traumatic brain injuries in this century. The Pentagon count of non-mild brain injuries among current and former servicemembers numbers in the tens of thousands, though the Invisible Wounds Foundation estimates the total could be two-to-four times higher than official figures. U.S. Central Command stated that since February, the majority of the more than 500 U.S. troops injured in the Middle East sustained brain injuries, though most were categorized as not serious. Traumatic brain injuries have been called the signature wound of this generation’s wars.

Why It Matters

Traumatic brain injuries affect hundreds of thousands of U.S. military personnel, and research funding has plummeted just as new combat-related cases continue to emerge. The Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, established to address health conditions disproportionately affecting service members, have seen overall funding volatility, with deep cuts in 2025 followed by partial restoration in 2026—now potentially reversed again in the 2027 House bill.

Advocates and lawmakers warn that sustained reductions could delay diagnostics and treatments for conditions that impact long-term veteran health and readiness. The bill now moves to the Senate, where supporters hope for higher funding levels.