100+ Advocates Bring A Midterm Mandate On Women's Health To Capitol Hill

LeadershipForbesWomen100+ Advocates Bring A Midterm Mandate On Women's Health To Capitol HillByGeri Stengel,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Geri Stengel writes about the success factors of women entrepreneurs. Follow AuthorMay 22, 2026, 07:06am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Women's Health Advocates, the nation's only bipartisan lobbying organization dedicated to advancing all aspects of women's health policy and research fundingWomen's Health AdvocatesOn May 21, more than 100 advocates—founders, physicians, investors, researchers, and patients—descended on the Rayburn House Office Building with a message Congress cannot ignore: The House health appropriations bill is being written right now, and women's health cannot be an afterthought again. They came from nearly 25 states, representing a network of approximately 5,000 advocates in all 50. Women's Health Advocates, the nation's only bipartisan lobbying organization advancing all aspects of women's health, organized the convening.Women are 50.5% of the U.S. population, yet less than 9% of NIH grant spending goes to women's health research—a share that has declined even as the NIH budget has grown. Women live longer than men but in measurably poorer health. This is not a data gap. It is a policy failure.The Clock Is Running Out—And Everyone Knows ItThe timing is deliberate. "The Women's Health Congressional Briefing could not be better timed as decisions on funding and policy are happening now," explains Liz Powell, founder of Women's Health Advocates and G2G Consulting. "The House health funding measure is being written right now."That urgency is not rhetorical. In April 2025, the Trump administration's mandate to cut NIH contracts by 35%—$2.6 billion—put the Women's Health Initiative on...