Nearly 7 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s — a number expected to rise to nearly 13 million by 2050 without medical breakthroughs. Thankfully, Congress has taken action over the last decade to invest in dementia research and advance the fight against Alzheimer’s and other dementia. Today I am calling on Congress to continue this momentum. 

Last year, Congress unanimously renewed our nation’s commitment to the fight by reauthorizing three critical bipartisan laws: NAPA Reauthorization Act (P.L. 118-92), Alzheimer’s Accountability and Investment Act (P.L.118-93), and Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Reauthorization Act (P.L.118-142). In the last 10 years, Congress has made a seven-fold increase in Alzheimer’s and dementia research funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), bringing annual funding by the federal government to as much as $3.8 billion. 

At a time when AIM and the Alzheimer's Association are deeply concerned about the impact of the recent actions from Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on BOLD and dementia research, we're proud to work with our bipartisan congressional champions and our thousands of advocates across the nation to stand up for for continued investment in the fight against Alzheimer’s. As we look ahead to Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26), the Alzheimer’s Association and AIM are calling on Congress to increase funding for Alzheimer’s and dementia research at the NIH by an additional $113.485 million and support the dementia public health infrastructure with $35 million for BOLD.

With this funding, scientists will be able to continue working to advance basic disease knowledge, explore ways to reduce risk, uncover new biomarkers for early diagnosis and drug targeting, and make discoveries that can lead to a treatment or a cure. We’re at a moment when knowledge and discoveries are changing the way we fight Alzheimer’s and all other dementia. Our progress must continue.

Now is the time to do more, not less. Millions of Americans are counting on Congress to accelerate, not stop, 20 years of progress in the fight against Alzheimer’s. 

Join us in urging Congress to stand up for the Alzheimer’s community by investing in dementia research and funding the dementia public health infrastructure. Take action today!