Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA), House Energy and Commerce's Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Diana DeGette (D-CO), and House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) today led 68 House Democrats in demanding that the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) immediately reverse the cancellation of more than 150 grants supporting over $200 million in critical health care research. Among the research projects affected by the cancellations are efforts to integrate behavioral health services into routine pediatric care; use telehealth to expand access to care and reduce costs, including in rural communities; improve postpartum care for patients with chronic medical conditions; and reduce the overuse of antibiotics following hospital discharge to combat antimicrobial resistance.

In a letter to AHRQ Director Roger Klein, the lawmakers noted that Congress provided AHRQ with $345.38 million in funding as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 Consolidated Appropriations Act, reflecting bipartisan support for the agency's work to improve health care access, affordability, and quality. The lawmakers warned that the mass cancellation of grants may constitute an illegal impoundment of Congressionally authorized and appropriated funding and raised concerns that the agency failed to follow federal regulations governing the termination of awards.

"Given the disastrous impact of these notices, the potential procedural defects in issuing them, and our concerns surrounding AHRQ's use of Congressionally-appropriated funds, we ask that you immediately withdraw these notices and fully fund the grantees that have waited for committed funds for over a year," wrote the Members. "Additionally, we ask that you provide Congress with a comprehensive list of all awards for which notices referenced above have been issued and, for each of the canceled grants, list grant-specific information regarding the grantee's progress, management practices, and other factors considered before issuing the notice."

The letter is also signed by Representatives Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), Nanette Barragán (D-CA), Joyce Beatty (D-OH), Wesley Bell (D-MO), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Troy Carter (D-LA), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Herb Conaway (D-NJ), Angie Craig (D-MN), Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), Jacon Crow (D-CO), Danny Davis (D-IL), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Mark DeSaulnier (D-WA), Maxine Dexter (D-OR), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Dwight Evans (D-PA), Maxwell Frost (D-FL), John Garamendi (D-CA), Jesús "Chuy" García (D-IL), Dan Goldman (D-NY), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Adelita Grijalva (D-NM), Van Hoyle (D-OR), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Robin Kelly (D-IL), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Greg Landsman (D-OH), Summer Lee (D-PA), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), John Mannion (D-NY), Doris Matsui (D-CA), April McClain Delaney (D-MD), LaMonica McIver (D-NJ), Grace Meng (D-NY), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Kelly Morrison (D-MN), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Kevin Mullin (D-CA), Jerry Nadler (D-NJ), Richard Neal (D-MA), Brittany Pettersen (D-CO), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Delia Ramirez (D-IL), Andrea Salinas (D-OR), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), Kim Schrier (D-WA), Terri Sewell (D-AL), Lateefah Simon (D-CA), Haley Stevens (D-MI), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Mark Takano (D-CA), Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Dina Titus (D-NV), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Ritchie Torres (D-NY), James Walkinshaw (D-VA), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Frederica Wilson (D-FL) and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC).

Full text of the letter follows below, and a signed copy is available here.

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Dear Director Klein:

We write to request the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Grants Management Office immediately reverse the mass cancellation of grants issued July 15, 2026. AHRQ has a statutory responsibility to support research to improve the quality and effectiveness of health services for the American people. The cancellation of more than 150 meritorious grants violates this duty and is likely an illegal impoundment of Congressionally-authorized and appropriated funds. The Grants Management Office also failed to follow federal regulations governing the termination of awards. We urge you to realign your Agency with federal law and the best interests of the American people and reverse these grant cancellations.

On July 15, 2026, AHRQ reportedly sent an estimated 150 cancellation notices to grant recipients. This action is expected to eliminate more than $200 million in lifesaving healthcare research that AHRQ funds as the lead federal agency directing studies into delivering care efficiently, effectively, and safely. At a time when the United States spends $5.3 trillion on healthcare annually, accounting for 18% of national gross domestic product, it is shocking that AHRQ would choose to end its support of that critical research.

Congress consistently authorizes and appropriates federal dollars to AHRQ, and most recently received $345.38 million in the FY26 Consolidated Appropriations Act, demonstrating bipartisan support for improving healthcare access, affordability, and quality, including in areas of priority for AHRQ like rural healthcare, artificial intelligence, and the prevention of healthcare associated infections. Examples of canceled research grants include programs to:

• Integrate behavioral health services into routine pediatric care offerings.
• Use telehealth to improve access and reduce costs of unscheduled care, making healthcare more affordable and accessible for the communities who rely most on telemedicine, including in rural areas.
• Improve postpartum care in primary care settings for patients with chronic medical conditions.
• Reduce overuse of antibiotics upon hospital discharge, reducing the well-recognized, long-term risks of antimicrobial resistance.

The above list is a small sample of the myriad topics addressed through canceled AHRQ grants that would improve healthcare quality, safety, and cost for the American people.

Withholding federal dollars from grant recipients across nearly 30 states without seeking Congressional approval under the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 is likely illegal and continues what is now a multi-year violation of federal law. The cancellation notices issued on July 15 fail to meet basic standards for grant cancellation notices. The notices cite 42 C.F.R. § 67.17(d) and 42 C.F.R. § 67.17(e), styling the notices as "non-awards" of future funding, rather than cancellations of ongoing research. However, the notices then assign recipients specific obligations under 2 C.F.R. § 200.344, which only applies when grants are canceled. The authorities to cancel ongoing grants provided under 42 C.F.R. § 67.17 require that specific factors are taken into account to cancel individual awards, including "the grantee's progress and management practices and the availability of funds." Applying blanket language across up to 150 grants covering more than $200 million in awards is not consistent with careful consideration of individual grantees' progress or performance.

Given the disastrous impact of these notices, the potential procedural defects in issuing them, and our concerns surrounding AHRQ's use of Congressionally-appropriated funds, we ask that you immediately withdraw these notices and fully fund the grantees that have waited for committed funds for over a year. Additionally, we ask that you provide Congress with a comprehensive list of all awards for which notices referenced above have been issued and, for each of the canceled grants, list grant-specific information regarding the grantee's progress, management practices, and other factors considered before issuing the notice. We request an update on AHRQ's plans to withdraw these notices, as well as the full list of requested grantee information, no later than August 21, 2026.