On February 3, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the remaining five FY2026 appropriations bills, along with a two-week Continuing Resolution (CR) for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by a vote of 217-214, bringing to an end a brief partial government shutdown. 

Of note, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 includes a total of $116 billion in discretionary spending for HHS. The bill allocates $4.1 billion for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), $8.9 billion for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), $9.2 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and $48.7 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Notably, the bill includes $525 million for the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) and at least $13.5 million for general dentistry programs under HRSA.

The House and Senate Appropriations Committee reports include language addressing oral health programs and the vacant Chief Dental Officer (CDO) position. Additional details can be found in the January 22, 2026, edition of Capitol Connections here.  

Impact on General Dentistry: AGD continues to support and advocate for funding for programs critical to dentistry, and is pleased to see their inclusion in the FY2026 appropriations.