CHA Statement on Trump Administration Proposed Budget That Eliminates CHGME

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) released the following statement in response to President Trump’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 that eliminates the Children's Hospitals Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) program.

“We are alarmed by the proposed elimination of the Children's Hospitals Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) program. At a time when major cuts to Medicaid and other programs for children are being debated in Congress, we can’t have the elimination of CHGME, too. Children’s health care lies in the balance,” said Matthew Cook, CHA’s president and CEO.

“Eliminating federal funding for the CHGME program threatens children’s health and puts the ability of our children’s hospitals to train the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists at risk.

“More than half of both pediatricians and pediatric specialists are trained at CHGME hospitals. In the academic year 2022-2023, 15,860 residents and fellows were trained at children’s hospitals with support from CHGME funds. A strong CHGME program for children’s hospitals is essential to addressing our pediatric health care workforce shortages.

“The future of children’s health in our nation is directly tied to the strength of our pediatric workforce. We urge Congress to provide robust funding for the CHGME program,” Cook said.

In addition to eliminating CHGME, the budget proposes reductions to and eliminations of other essential programs, including an $18 billion dollar decrease in funding to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the elimination of funding to the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) Hospital Preparedness Program, and a $1.7 billion decrease in funding for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) from FY 2025 enacted levels. These programs, among others, are vital to building healthy futures for kids nationwide.