The U.S. Senate on August 23 passed an $857 billion "minibus" bill that includes health funding, according to a report published by the Hill.
The Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act of 2019 (HR 6157) passed in an 85-7 vote. It includes funding for the departments of Health and Human Services, Defense, Labor, and Education and to avoid a government shutdown after September 30.
The legislation includes provisions to promote the U.S. government's black lung screening program among coal miners. It also provides $2 billion for the U.S. National Institutes of Health to support Alzheimer's and cancer research, behavioral and mental health programs to address opioid addiction, and programs to prevent maternal mortality.
The legislation now goes to the U.S. House of Representatives, the Hill said.
![Axial images from unenhanced calcium score cardiac CT (left) and curved planar reformation images from CT angiography (right) show that higher long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with greater coronary artery calcium and more obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). Top row: Images in a 68-year-old male patient with higher 10-year mean ambient air pollution exposure (7.9 μg/m3 for particulate matter measuring ≤2.5 μm in diameter [PM2.5] and 17.4 parts per billion [ppb] for NO2) with extensive CAD (coronary artery calcium score [CACS] >1,000 and obstructive CAD [≥70% diameter stenosis]). Bottom row: Images in a 57-year-old female patient with lower 10-year mean ambient air pollution exposure (6.3 μg/m3 for PM2.5 and 4.6 ppb for NO2) with no CAD (CACS = 0 and no obstructive stenosis).](https://img.auntminnie.com/mindful/smg/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/06/hanneman.r6SMLzkezo.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)
