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Dear Chairs Aderholt and Baldwin and Ranking Members DeLauro and Capito:
The undersigned 144 members of the CDC Coalition and other supporting state, national and academic organizations urge you to include at least $11.581 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s programs in the FY 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations bill. Strong funding for CDC is critical to supporting all of CDC’s activities and programs, which are essential to protect the health of our communities. Due to years of underfunding, many CDC programs have not received the resources that are needed to address the many health challenges we face as a nation, resulting in many of CDC’s most effective prevention programs not reaching all states and communities. In addition, we will strongly oppose any efforts to cut funding from any of the agency’s critical public health programs.
The CDC Coalition is a nonpartisan coalition of organizations committed to strengthening our nation’s public health infrastructure and prevention programs. Our mission is to ensure that health promotion and disease prevention are given top priority in federal funding, to support a funding level for CDC that enables it to carry out its prevention mission and to ensure an adequate translation of new research into effective state and local programs. Coalition member groups represent millions of public health workers, researchers, clinicians, educators, academic institutions, health policy advocates, patients and individuals and families served by CDC programs.
CDC serves as the command center for the nation’s public health defense system against emerging and reemerging infectious diseases as well as man-made and natural disasters. From playing a leading role in aiding in the surveillance, detection and mitigation of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. and globally, to monitoring and investigating the mpox outbreak and other disease outbreaks in the U.S. and internationally, to pandemic flu preparedness, CDC is the nation’s – and a global – expert resource and response center, coordinating communications and action and serving as the laboratory reference center. States, communities and international partners rely on CDC for accurate information, direction and resources to ensure they can prepare, respond and recover from a crisis or disease outbreak.
CDC is also faced with other unprecedented challenges and responsibilities including chronic disease prevention. As the pandemic has demonstrated, chronic diseases and infectious diseases are inextricably linked. Good underlying health is a critical component to preventing severe infection and death from communicable diseases.
CDC plays a leading role in combating the opioid, tobacco, e-cigarette and obesity epidemics as well as emergency preparedness. CDC funds programs for strengthening public health infrastructure at all levels; strengthening and expanding the public health workforce; injury prevention; research into gun violence prevention; suicide prevention; global health security; health promotion in schools and workplaces; the prevention of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, lung disease and other chronic diseases; tobacco prevention and control; nutrition and physical activity; immunizations; HIV, STI and hepatitis prevention; prevention of vector-borne diseases; environmental health, including the prevention of childhood lead poisoning and climate adaptation strategies; oral health; reducing health disparities; preventing maternal and infant mortality and birth defects; sickle cell disease data collection; preventing antimicrobial resistance; preventing prescription drug overdose; improving the health and quality of life of individuals with disabilities; Alzheimer’s disease prevention and awareness; vision and eye health, public health research and health statistics and harmonizing clinical laboratory test results. It is notable that more than 70% of CDC’s budget supports public health and prevention activities through state and local health organizations and agencies, national public health partners and academic institutions.
In addition to ensuring a strong public health infrastructure and protecting our communities from public health threats and emergencies, CDC programs are crucial to reducing health care costs and decreasing health disparities and improving health equity. Despite the progress CDC has made to meet these needs, the agency’s programs remain woefully underfunded. We urge you to include at least $11.581 billion for CDC’s programs in the FY 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations bill.
Please contact Don Hoppert at [email protected] or 202-777-2514 with any questions regarding our request.
Sincerely,
Accessia Health
Allergy & Asthma Network
American Academy of Family Physicians
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Association for Clinical Chemistry
American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine
American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges
American Association on Health and Disability
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
American College of Clinical Pharmacy
American College of Physicians
American Heart Association
American Lung Association
American Physical Therapy Association
American Psychological Association
American Public Health Association
American Society for Clinical Pathology
American Society for Microbiology
American Society for Reproductive Medicine
American Society of Hematology
American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
American Thoracic Society
Arizona Public Health Association
Arthritis Foundation
Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology
Association of American Medical Colleges
Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs
Association of Minority Health Professions Schools
Association of Public Health Laboratories
Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions
Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
Big Cities Health Coalition
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Celiac Disease Foundation
Children's Environmental Health Organization
Choose Healthy Life
Climate Psychiatry Alliance
Coalition of Skin Diseases
Colorado Public Health Association
Consortium of Social Science Associations
Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists
Delaware Academy of Medicine/Delaware Public Health Association
Dermatology Nurses Association
Digestive Disease National Coalition
Dystonia Medical Research Foundation
Endocrine Society
Entomological Society of America
Epilepsy Foundation
Florida Public Health Association
GBS | CIDP Foundation International
Green & Healthy Homes Initiative
Hawaii Public Health Association
Healthy Teen Network
Hepatitis B Foundation
HIV Medicine Association
Hope Charities
Illinois Public Health Association
Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness
Indiana Public Health Association
Infectious Diseases Society of America
International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders
Interstitial Cystitis Association
Johns Hopkins University & Medicine
Lakeshore Foundation
Louisiana Public Health Association
Lymphatic Education & Research Network
Maine Public Health Association
March of Dimes
Massachusetts Public Health Association
Medical Students for a Sustainable Future
METAvivor
Minnesota Public Health Association
Missouri Public Health Association
Morehouse School of Medicine
NASTAD
National AHEC Organization
National Alopecia Areata Foundation
National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems (NAPHSIS)
National Association of Chronic Disease Directors
National Association of County and City Health Officials
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
National Association of Vector-Borne Disease Control Officials
National Eczema Association
National Environmental Health Association
National Hispanic Medical Association
National League for Nursing
National Pancreas Foundation
National Safety Council
National Tuberculosis Controllers Association (NTCA)
National WIC Association
NC Public Health Association
NephCure Kidney International
Nevada Public Health Institute
New Mexico Public Health Association
New York State Public Health Association
NM Public Health Association
North Carolina Mosquito and Vector Control Association
Northeast Regional Center for Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases
Oklahoma Public Health Association
Oregon Public Health Association
Partnership for Healthy Communities, University of Delaware
Platelet Disorder Support Association
Prevent Blindness
Prevent Blindness North Carolina
Prevent Blindness Wisconsin
Prevent Blindness, Ohio Affiliate
Prevention Institute
Project Sleep
Public Health Institute
Pulmonary Hypertension Association
Research!America
Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation
Safe States Alliance
SHAPE America - Society of Health and Physical Educators
Sleep Research Society
Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America
Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Society for Women's Health Research
South Dakota Public Health Association
Southeastern Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases (SECVBD)
Spina Bifida Association
Tennessee Public Health Association
The AIDS Institute
The Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments
The Chronic Disease Alliance
Tourette Association of America
Trust for America's Health
Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine
U.S. Hereditary Angioedema Association
United for Charitable Assistance
US Biologic, Inc.
Utah Public Health Association
Vermont Public Health Association
Virginia Public Health Association
wAIHA Warriors
Washington State Public Health Association
Wisconsin Public Health Association
Wyoming Public Health Association
YMCA of the USA