Dear Chairs Aderholt and Baldwin and Ranking Members DeLauro and Capito:
The undersigned 171 members of the CDC Coalition and other supporting state, national and academic organizations urge you to include $11.581 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s programs in the FY 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations bill. This amount matches our coalition’s request in FY 2024 and the amount President Biden included in his FY 2024 budget request to Congress. Strong funding for CDC is critical to supporting all of CDC’s activities and programs. However, due to years of underfunding, many of CDC’s most effective prevention programs are not reaching all states and communities. In addition, our organizations will strongly oppose any efforts to cut funding for the agency’s programs or attach damaging policy riders to the bill, both of which would threaten the health and wellbeing of communities in every state.
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 lead role in the detection and mitigation of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. and globally, to monitoring and investigating the measles, mpox 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 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, tuberculosis 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 nearly 80% of CDC’s base budget supports public health and prevention activities through state, tribal, local and territorial 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 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations bill.