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House Appropriations Committee Bars Federal Funds for Defense Research Using Fetal Tissue from Induced Abortions
The House Appropriations Committee approved a provision that will prevent any federal money in the Fiscal Year 2027 Defense Appropriations bill from being used to conduct or support research involving human fetal tissue obtained from induced abortions. The language, added to the bill text, states: “None of the funds provided in this Act may be used to conduct or support research using human fetal tissue if such tissue is obtained pursuant to an induced abortion.”
The measure follows a 2025 investigation by the nonprofit White Coat Waste that revealed the Department of Defense (DoD) had awarded grants for animal experiments that used parts of aborted human fetuses. The experiments, funded by the Pentagon, included implanting fetal fingers, scalps, skin, organs, bone marrow, thymus, and liver tissue into mice and monkeys to create “humanized” animal models. The investigation highlighted a $1.7 million DoD grant to the University of Wisconsin‑Madison that was still active at the time the provision was drafted.
On March 20, the chairs of the House Pro‑Life Caucus—Reps. Robert F. Onder Jr., Kat Cammack, Christopher H. Smith, and Michelle Fischbach—sent a formal letter to the leaders of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. The letter urged the inclusion of the fetal‑tissue restriction and cited the Wisconsin grant as an example of research that could continue if the new language were not adopted. The caucus also noted that the Trump administration had already restricted the use of fetal tissue in federally funded research through the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In January, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya announced that the agency would no longer support research using human fetal tissue from elective abortions.
The House Appropriations Committee approved the FY 2027 Defense Appropriations Act on Wednesday by a vote of 34‑27. The fetal‑tissue restriction was part of the “Calvert #2 (Republican En Bloc)” amendment package, which passed 32‑25. That same package also blocked diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and critical race theory (CRT) programs in the military.
The new provision means that any DoD grant or sub‑award that includes research using fetal tissue from induced abortions will be ineligible for federal funding. The restriction applies to all research activities funded by the Defense Department, including those conducted at military research laboratories and at civilian universities that receive DoD money.
The measure is expected to affect ongoing projects that rely on fetal tissue, such as the Wisconsin study. Because the grant period for the Wisconsin project was still active, the restriction will likely halt further use of the tissue in that project. The ban also signals a broader congressional effort to extend the NIH restriction to all federal agencies.
The decision comes amid continued debate over the use of fetal tissue in biomedical research. While the NIH ban has already curtailed a range of federally funded projects, the new defense provision removes a remaining loophole that had allowed the Pentagon to fund similar work. The House Pro‑Life Caucus has said the restriction is a necessary step to ensure that taxpayer money does not support research that it believes is ethically problematic.
At present, the FY 2027 Defense Appropriations bill is in the final stages of review before being sent to the full House for a vote. The new language will be part of the final bill, and the House will need to approve it in the final appropriations process. The Senate will also consider the bill, and any changes could alter the scope of the restriction. The outcome will determine whether federal defense research can continue to use fetal tissue from induced abortions in the next fiscal year.
The restriction is one of several recent legislative actions that aim to limit the use of fetal tissue in federally funded research. The measure is expected to influence future grant applications, research protocols, and the oversight of federal research programs.
The measure follows a 2025 investigation by the nonprofit White Coat Waste that revealed the Department of Defense (DoD) had awarded grants for animal experiments that used parts of aborted human fetuses. The experiments, funded by the Pentagon, included implanting fetal fingers, scalps, skin, organs, bone marrow, thymus, and liver tissue into mice and monkeys to create “humanized” animal models. The investigation highlighted a $1.7 million DoD grant to the University of Wisconsin‑Madison that was still active at the time the provision was drafted.
On March 20, the chairs of the House Pro‑Life Caucus—Reps. Robert F. Onder Jr., Kat Cammack, Christopher H. Smith, and Michelle Fischbach—sent a formal letter to the leaders of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. The letter urged the inclusion of the fetal‑tissue restriction and cited the Wisconsin grant as an example of research that could continue if the new language were not adopted. The caucus also noted that the Trump administration had already restricted the use of fetal tissue in federally funded research through the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In January, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya announced that the agency would no longer support research using human fetal tissue from elective abortions.
The House Appropriations Committee approved the FY 2027 Defense Appropriations Act on Wednesday by a vote of 34‑27. The fetal‑tissue restriction was part of the “Calvert #2 (Republican En Bloc)” amendment package, which passed 32‑25. That same package also blocked diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and critical race theory (CRT) programs in the military.
The new provision means that any DoD grant or sub‑award that includes research using fetal tissue from induced abortions will be ineligible for federal funding. The restriction applies to all research activities funded by the Defense Department, including those conducted at military research laboratories and at civilian universities that receive DoD money.
The measure is expected to affect ongoing projects that rely on fetal tissue, such as the Wisconsin study. Because the grant period for the Wisconsin project was still active, the restriction will likely halt further use of the tissue in that project. The ban also signals a broader congressional effort to extend the NIH restriction to all federal agencies.
The decision comes amid continued debate over the use of fetal tissue in biomedical research. While the NIH ban has already curtailed a range of federally funded projects, the new defense provision removes a remaining loophole that had allowed the Pentagon to fund similar work. The House Pro‑Life Caucus has said the restriction is a necessary step to ensure that taxpayer money does not support research that it believes is ethically problematic.
At present, the FY 2027 Defense Appropriations bill is in the final stages of review before being sent to the full House for a vote. The new language will be part of the final bill, and the House will need to approve it in the final appropriations process. The Senate will also consider the bill, and any changes could alter the scope of the restriction. The outcome will determine whether federal defense research can continue to use fetal tissue from induced abortions in the next fiscal year.
The restriction is one of several recent legislative actions that aim to limit the use of fetal tissue in federally funded research. The measure is expected to influence future grant applications, research protocols, and the oversight of federal research programs.
