Congress Cuts MS Research Funding—Here’s What That Means

On March 14, Congress passed a stopgap spending bill for the rest of the 2025 fiscal year. While that might not sound like a big deal on the surface, buried in this bill is a major blow to the Multiple Sclerosis Research Program (MSRP). The bill includes a severe funding cut to the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP), shifting future funds to the Defense Health Agency’s Operations & Maintenance account. This puts all CDMRP programs at risk—including the MSRP, which receives $20 million annually to support research benefiting the 70,000 American veterans living with MS.

This is the only dedicated federal funding stream for MS research, and now it’s in jeopardy.

The MS community didn’t take this news lightly. Activists mobilized fast, flooding Capitol Hill with more than 11,700 emails and calls from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., urging lawmakers to reconsider. While this spending bill has already passed, the fight isn’t over. Over the next few months, advocacy groups and allies will push Congress to restore this critical funding.

This is the first time in the program’s history that the MSRP has faced a funding cut, and it’s a disappointing setback. However, there are a few positives in the bill worth noting. Thanks to advocacy efforts, Congress extended telehealth services through September 30, 2025. This ensures that people with MS who rely on Medicare can continue accessing virtual healthcare. Additionally, rural health programs were extended through the same date, helping maintain financial stability and medical access for underserved communities.

A few other funding increases made it into the bill as well. The WIC program received an extra $500 million to support women and children, and HUD’s housing voucher program got a $3.7 billion boost to help keep people in their homes.

The National MS Society continues to push for fully funded medical research and accessible healthcare. If you want to stay up to date on MS policy changes and get involved, consider joining the MS Activist Network—because the more voices we have, the stronger our fight.