Washington, D.C., June 17, 2005
– “The House Appropriations Committee woefully underfunded public health last night in passing its recommended fiscal year 2006 appropriations for programs at the Department of Health and Human Services. These actions are shortsighted and undermine the very programs that are vital to protecting the health of Americans.
“Under the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill passed by the committee, our nation’s primary public health services and programs continue to be in jeopardy, particularly those administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). HRSA’s budget remains more than $400 million below last year’s funding level, in effect eliminating invaluable programs such as health professions training programs and flat funding Ryan White CARE Act programs, which provide primary health care and support for those living with HIV/AIDS. Furthermore, the committee recommended cuts for CDC programs, which jeopardizes our nation’s ability to prevent and respond to emerging infections and chronic diseases.
“At a time when bioterrorism, pandemic influenza and chronic diseases continue to threaten our citizens’ health and welfare, we cannot afford to pare back funding. Just this week, the CDC reported that more than 1 million people in this country are infected with the virus that causes AIDS. The funding proposed by the committee does little to ameliorate our nation’s health crises; in fact, it does just the opposite.
“There are a few bright spots. We are pleased with the increased funding for specific CDC programs, such as the additional $37 million reserved to fight the spread of infectious disease and their vote to restore funding for the Prevention Block Grant, although at $18.5 million less than last year. The committee also approved a $56 million boost for terrorism preparedness and response programs, and voted for a $100 million increase to HRSA for community health centers.
“With the exception of these few positives, we look to the Senate Appropriations Committee to dramatically improve upon the shortsighted recommendations of their counterparts in the House, to rectify our nation’s budget priorities and better protect the health of Americans.”