U.S. Congress may entirely defund ICCPUD - the interagency that produced a report during the Biden Administration for the dietary guidelines concluding that “the risk of dying from alcohol use begins at low levels of average use"

On September 2, 2025, a U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee (Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee) advanced draft legislation for fiscal year 2026 that would eliminate funding for the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking (ICCPUD). The measure cites concerns that the Biden Administration “improperly used” the committee to conduct research on adult alcohol consumption.

The ICCPUD drew attention in 2023 when it issued a report for the Dietary Guidelines concluding that “the risk of dying from alcohol use begins at low levels of average use.” The study linked alcohol consumption to higher mortality risk and increased incidence of seven types of cancer, with disproportionate effects on women.

Congressional scrutiny has grown since April, when the House Oversight Committee raised questions about the report’s transparency and scientific integrity. Meanwhile, the National Academies of Sciences has produced a separate assessment, highlighting both protective and harmful effects of moderate alcohol consumption.

Source: United States House Committee on Appropriations

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