Updated: March 18, 2025
On Tuesday, March 18, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society learned the Multiple Sclerosis Research Program (MSRP) has been unfunded for fiscal year 25. The Society was shared a directive from Congressional Appropriations Committees’ Defense Subcommittee Chairman, Sen. Mitch McConnell and Rep. Ken Calvert, regarding Project Level Adjustments to the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) as a result of the Continuing Resolution passed on March 14 by Congress.“
Yesterday we were met with a setback—one that leaves veterans and service members facing a future without the answers they so desperately need,” commented Dr. Tim Coetzee, President and Chief Executive Office of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. “The discontinuation of funding for the MS Research Program is not just a financial cut, but a blow to the hope that could have paved the way for breakthroughs in care and treatment for those affected by multiple sclerosis. We owe those who serve more than just words; we owe action.”
“The National Multiple Sclerosis Society will work with all partners to advocate to restore funding and ensure that the innovative and novel research from the MSRP is continued,” added Bari Talente, EVP of Advocacy and Healthcare Access for the Society. “We are calling on all advocates for MS research to come together and unite in action.
”Congress established the MSRP in 2009 to address the higher incidence of MS in military service members and veterans, with nearly 70,000 veterans affected. An MS diagnosis for active-duty military usually results in a medical discharge, directly affecting military readiness and capabilities. MS is a presumptive condition, which means it is presumed to be connected to military service if someone is diagnosed within seven years of an honorable discharge. Since the MSRP began, over 150,000 additional Department of Defense beneficiaries have been diagnosed.
The MSRP funds high-impact research that addresses urgent gaps and can make a real difference for people living with MS. Through fiscal year 24, the MSRP received a total of $153.3 million in congressional appropriations and funded 208 awards. These investments led to 395 publications, 102 follow-on grants, four patents and an additional three patent applications, and 13 clinical trials.
Updated: March 14, 2025
On March 14, Congress passed a stopgap spending bill (called a Continuing Resolution or CR) for the remainder of fiscal year 2025 (FY25). Unfortunately, this bill contains a severe funding cut for the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) and reallocates future funding to the Defense Health Agency’s Operations & Maintenance account. This shift puts all funding for the CDMRP at risk, including the Multiple Sclerosis Research Program (MSRP), which is funded at $20 million and supports the 70,000 American veterans living with MS. This is the only dedicated federally funded stream for MS.
The MS community mobilized against the research cuts and the legislation. MS Activists sent more than 11,700 emails and phone calls to Capitol Hill this week, covering all 50 states and the District of Columbia, ahead of the vote. In the coming weeks and months, we will work together with allies to urge Congress to restore funding across the CDMRP. This is the first MSRP funding cut in the program’s history.
While we are disappointed by the cut to the MSRP, the spending bill contains a few provisions that the Society has advocated for, including an extension of telehealth services through September 30, 2025, which maintains access for individuals living with MS who are enrolled in Medicare.
Furthermore, the legislation extends critical rural health initiatives through September 30, 2025, ensuring ongoing financial stability and healthcare access in rural communities. The funding bill also includes small increases for a few key programs. WIC received an additional $500 million for eligible women and children and HUD’s housing vouchers were allocated an additional $3.7 billion to help people stay in their housing.
The National MS Society strongly encourages policymakers to ensure medical research is funded, and healthcare services remain accessible, affordable, and comprehensive.
For up-to-date information on MS policy priorities moving at the state and federal level join the MS Activist Network.
Please note: This is an update to the March 14, 2025 news alert titled, “Congress Passed Stopgap Spending Bill that Deeply Cuts Medical Research—Society Will Advocate to Restore Funding for MS Research.”
