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News from Washington

May 2008

May 19, 2008 - CPH letter to Appropriations Committees sent to Congress

A letter circulated by CPH over the past two weeks was sent to Congress today. The sign-on letter asks members of the LHHS Appropriations Committee to provide the CDC with $10 billion by 2015. A copy of the otherwise identical House and Senate letters - signed by more than 175 organizations - can be found under the "publications" page of this site.

April 2008

April 28, 2008 - Congressional Study Group Briefing on "Targeting Teens and Tweens: Impacting the Health of Adolescents"

The Congressional Study Group on Public Health brought national experts in adolescent health to Capitol Hill today to inform congressional staff of the plethora of health issues teens and tweens face and the importance of targeting public health messages to this unique age group.

The panel of experts included:

Dr. Kathleen Ethier, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  PowerPoint Slides

Kimberlee Salmond, Girl Scouts of the USA.  PowerPoint Slides

Audrey Haynes, YMCA of the USA.  PowerPoint Slides

Brian Weaver, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.  PowerPoint Slides

Panelists discussed the various health risks adolescents face; from tobacco and drug use to mental health issues.  Dr. Ethier of the CDC spoke of the agency's vital role in providing critical data for understanding adolescent health, which is used to inform policy and programming.  Other topics under discussion included the development of interventions geared towards parents, the need for a more holistic approach to health and the importance of physical activity on adolescents' self esteem.  PowerPoint slides from this briefing are located in the section above.

The next briefing of the Study Group will focus on the health of Seniors. The date for this event is TBD. Please contact CPH for further details if you are interested in attending.

March 2008

March 25, 2008 - CPH-led Congressional Staff Trip to the CDC a Success

With the approval of the House Ethics Committee, nineteen congressional staff from the U.S. House of Representatives joined the Campaign for Public Health on a one-day tour of the CDC's facilities in Atlanta, Georgia. The day began over an early breakfast at the Emory Conference Center Hotel with welcome remarks from the executive director of CPH. Mr. Moeller's presentation detailed the CDC's budget troubles and the work of the Campaign. Also present were representatives from the Arthritis Foundation and the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors.

The formal tour of the CDC's campus began with an introduction by the acting COO of the agency, Mr. Joe Henderson. Participants were then divided into two groups for staggered but identical tours of the CDC - facilitating more interaction with CDC staff.

The first half of the tour highlighted the CDC's work in terrorism and natural disaster preparedness and response. Quarantine and border health; pandemic influenza and infectious diseases; heath systems and "on the ground" field experiences were all discussed. Congressional staff toured the Director's Emergency Operations Center (the CDC's emergency response command center) and had a rare tour inside one of the world's few Bio-Safety Level 4 laboratories.

After lunch, congressional staff went to a briefing on "Healthy People in Every Stage of Life", which included information on the most common health conditions among people throughout the life span, beginning with birth defects and child health. Participants also learned about the agency's global health activities, including how they collaborate with major international organizations in the field. Congressional staff then walked to the National Center for Health Marketing, where they discussed how CDC uses all available mediums to provide reliable and credible health information to health professionals and the general public. This section included a tour of the CDC's state of the art production studio, where the agency records interviews, pod casts and other health information pieces.

The focus then shifted to chronic diseases and the major preventable causes of death among Americans. Heart disease, obesity, the impact of tobacco, cancer and other conditions were covered. An active discussion regarding the toll of injuries and injury prevention also took place. Concluding the afternoon was a session on environmental health, occupational health and building health communities. All discussions during the day of meetings were led by senior CDC scientists, including several of the CDC's center directors.

The tour of the CDC ended with a lengthy discussion of the CDC's budget by the Director of the Financial Management Office, Mr. Bill Nichols. Mr. Nichols outlined dire trends in the CDC's budget, emphasizing core program cuts that have been made over the past few years. He also highlighted the specific programs that were cut this fiscal year and the impact those cuts will have on the CDC's ability to perform its health protection work.

Following the budget briefing was a wrap-up session where congressional staff shared their thoughts on the tour and how it could be improved in the future. Feedback on the day was positive and many echoed a theme from past CPH led tours by saying they were not aware of the vast extent of the CDC's work. More than twenty congressional staff from both the House and Senate have already expressed interest in future CPH led tours of the CDC. A fourth trip is planned for May.

Photos from the House Staff Trip to the CDC, March 25, 2008

Acting COO of the CDC, Mr. Joe Henderson, welcomes participants to the agency.

House Staff enjoyed a tour of the Director's Emergency Operations Center by Captain Ralph O'Connor.

Dr. Mitch Cohen, Director of the Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases discusses the re-emergence of viral diseases.

Dr. Anne Haddix, Dr. Kathleen Toomey and Dr. Steve Solomon speak to staff about health systems and health informatics over lunch.

Dr. Janet Collins, Director of the CDC's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion informs participants about the CDC's work in diabetes control.

Participants visit the CDC's production studio within the Center for Health Marketing.

Dr. James Pirkle in the National Center for Environmental Health discusses the CDC's work in the field of laboratory science.

House staff learned about the CDC's role in the Strategic National Stockpile.

 

February 2008

February 29, 2008 - CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding Addresses Hill Staff

Dr. Julie Gerberding, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention met with dozens of congressional staff and partners on Wednesday, February 27, during a briefing on the CDC's critical health protection efforts.  The briefing was hosted by members of the Congressional Study Group on Public Health: Representatives Jim McGovern, Lucille Roybal-Allard and Kay Granger, in addition to Senators Daniel Inouye, Edward Kennedy and Congressman Jerry Lewis.  Stay tuned for additional information from this briefing!

The panelists discuss the important work of each of the CDC Centers they represent.

Dr. Denise Cardo of the CDC's Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, answers questions from participants at the end of the briefing.

Dr. Gerberding discusses the critical work of the CDC in protecting our nation's health with congressional staff after the briefing.

 

February 5, 2008 - FY09 CDC Budget Discussed at CDC Coalition Meeting

The CDC Coalition held a briefing today with staff from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Financial Management Office to discuss the details of the President's FY2009 Budget Request to Congress and the implications it has on the CDC's budget.

To view the one-page fact sheet distributed at this meeting, click here.

To view the PowerPoint presentation, click here.

February 4, 2008 - President's Budget Released - CPH Budget Chart Updated

January 2008

January 24, 2008 - Congressional Briefing on Health in Early Childhood Draws Large Crowd

Dr. Edwin Trevathan, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, began the event by discussing the importance of the first years of life on a child's long term health and development.

Dr. Scott Berns, Senior Vice President of Chapter Programs at the March of Dimes discusses the role of non-profits in influencing the health of children at this critical stage.

Angela Ewing-Boyd, Kellogg Grant Project   Director at the Family Health and Birth Center illuminates the local health perspective of this important issue.

To view Dr. Trevathan's PowerPoint presentation, click here.

To view Dr. Berns' PowerPoint presentation, click here.

To view Angela Ewing-Boyd's PowerPoint presentation, click here.

 

January 23, 2008 - CPH Produces New CDC Budget Graph Depicting Funding Fluctuations

 

December 2007

December 20, 2007 - Chairman of the Board Publishes Disease Control Op-Ed

Evan Jones, Chairman of the Board at the Campaign for Public Health ran an op-ed piece in today's Seattle Post-Intelligencer entitled "Disease Control is Not Partisan". 

Click here to read the article, or visit our Media section.

December 18, 2007 - Omnibus Spending Bill Released - CDC Budget Numbers Available in New Chart

 

Congress is now considering a massive omnibus spending package that, among many other things, provides funding to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is the second time Congress has worked to pass funding for the CDC and other health programs. In November, President Bush vetoed a health funding bill that was more generous to the CDC because he felt the measure was “bloated.”

 

In the short term, the CDC’s core programs fare well in the new omnibus bill. While the year began on a sour note as the president proposed cuts to the CDC’s core programs, Congress’ just-released omnibus bill provides more than a 6% increase over the president’s request. This is an increase of 2.8% over the agency’s actual funding level from last year. Congress deserves a great deal of credit for moving the CDC in the right direction this year in the face of very challenging budget negotiations.

 

President’s Veto Costs CDC

 

While this short term success is good, those committed to working to protect the health and safety of our population must also consider the long term view. The $6.375 billion figure targeted at CDC’s core programs in the revised omnibus spending bill is only a 0.8% increase over the agency’s FY 05 budget of $6.321 billion. In today’s dollars, this FY 05 figure would be $6.802 billion and so the numerical $54.6 million increase since ’05 falls behind inflation by about $427 million.

 

In comparison, the earlier funding bill that was vetoed by the president last month included an increase to the CDC’s core programs of 4.46% over FY 05’s level. These dollars would have helped restore the CDC’s funding to levels more in line with the public health challenges facing the nation and it is truly unfortunate that this funding level was not enacted.

 

Apples to Apples

 

While these budget comparisons are telling, they do not illustrate the full (and complex) story.

 

The CDC’s FY 05 budget did not contain funding dedicated to combat pandemic flu or to support health tracking for those who worked at Ground Zero after September 11th. While these are critical expenses, CPH has long argued that those dollars must be set aside if we are to compare apples to apples across the CDC’s budget years. When these funds are set aside so today’s funding can be compared to 2005 levels, CDC’s core programs are cut in the omnibus bill by 4.29%* from FY 05. This is before accounting for inflation. 

 

By forcing congressional Democrats to scale back the FY08 bill, the president has made sure the CDC is not equipped with the resources it needs to combat the myriad health issues facing our nation. 

 

*Our original estimate published on December 17th of a 2.54% cut was corrected on December 18th as additional information about the bill was provided to CPH from the Hill.

Click on the graphic below to view an updated version of our CDC budget chart.

December 10, 2007 - Congressional Briefing on Injury & Violence

The Congressional Study Group on Public Health held a briefing this morning on injury and violence in the Cannon House Office Building.  This issue was chosen due to its overwhelming public health impact.  According to recent CDC estimates, unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for those 1-44 years old in the U.S.

Speakers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Johns Hopkins Injury Research & Policy Center and WNBA were in attendance. 

Dr. Ileana Arias of the CDC, Dr. Andrea Gielen of the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research & Policy and Jennifer Azzi, Community Ambassador for the WNBA inform congressional staff about public health issues surrounding violence and injury in the U.S.

Dr. Arias discusses how the CDC puts research into practice to reduce the impact of violence and injuries.

Dr. Gielen describes the Johns Hopkins CareS Mobile Safety Centers, which teach parents and their children about various safety issues including fire safety and falls.

The panelists answer questions from the audience on a wide range of topics, including violence and injury prevention activities in rural areas and the impact of level funding on injury programs nationwide.

To view Dr. Gielen's slides from this event, click here.

To view Dr. Arias's slides from this event, click here.

 

November 2007

November 16, 2007 - Veto Override Fails, Increase to CDC's Budget in Danger

Members in both the House and Senate worked in a bipartisan manner throughout much of the year to develop a Labor, Health and Human Services (LHHS) bill that restored past cuts to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).* That critical spending bill was vetoed by President Bush last Tuesday and a vote in the House of Representatives to override that veto failed last Thursday by a slim margin.

The proposed increase to our nation's health protection agency contained in the vetoed LHHS legislation was hardly extravagant, but began to restore the CDC to its former strength. Now the LHHS bill will be renegotiated and funding levels in the bill will likely be cut back drastically.

President  Bush has stated that he refuses to sign a bill that spends more than he proposed back in February.  However, in this proposal, the President sought to cut the CDC's budget by half a billion dollars below 2005 levels, which would be devastating to the CDC's ability to continue to protect our nation's health. 

Another vote in Congress to pass a pared-down LHHS bill is planned for December. The Campaign for Public Health will continue to update our site as the budget debate continues.

* The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's core prevention and health protection programs were cut in federal fiscal year 2006 for the first time in more than 20 years. Subsequent funding in FY07 level-funded the agency. In the President's proposed 2008 budget, the CDC would be cut by more than 200 million, a cut that would put the agency's core budget lines half a billion dollars below 2005 funding levels.

 

CPH Leaders Meet Senate LHHS Chairman Tom Harkin

On November 7, several CPH Leaders met with Senator Harkin off the Senate floor just before to the vote on the LHHS and Education Conference Report.  In addition to thanking the Chairman of the LHHS & Education subcommittee for his hard work on behalf of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CPH Board Chairman Evan Jones provided Chairman Harkin with a copy of the ad supporting passage of the LHHS Conference Report (shown here).

Mr. Moeller pointed out that 54 groups supported the ad's placement and more than 1,000 signed on as supporting the legislation.

Pictured are (left to right): the Honorable Paul Rogers; Karl B. Moeller, CPH Executive Director; Chairman Tom Harkin; Jennifer M. Luray, CPH Board Member and Senior Director, Government Affairs & Policy at Abbott; Evan Jones, CPH Board Chair and Principal of jVen Capital; Mark Mioduski, Vice President at Cornerstone Government Affairs; and the Honorable John E. Porter.

 

 

November 7, 2007 - New CDC Budget Details Available

Details from the conference report of the CDC's budget by program area can be found in our updated CDC budget chart.  Click here to view it.

Debate on Labor HHS Bill Continues

Currently both the House and Senate have passed bipartisan Labor HHS funding bills that significantly increase funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Furthermore, these bills have been combined into a final conference report, which contains an increase in funding for the CDC of 6.6 percent over last year's funding level.  CPH commends Chairman Harkin and Senator Specter as well as Chairman Obey and Ranking Member Walsh for their recognition of the importance of these public health programs. 

At the present time the fate of the conference report remains uncertain.  While the House and Senate may pass this legislation with a nearly veto-proof margin, it is difficult to determine what will happen if in fact the President decides to veto this legislation as promised.    

CPH has worked with a coalition of labor, health, and education organizations to support enactment of the final Labor HHS bill and is working with a number of groups to reach a veto-proof vote in Congress.  To view the ad created by CPH and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association , click here.  54 organizations helped support the effort to place this ad in a prominent Washington-based publication that is often read by members of Congress and their staff.  The ad asks members to vote in support of the Labor HHS bill and directs readers to the Campaign's website, where a list of more than 1,000 organizations supporting the bill can be viewed.

 

November 2, 2007 - Ad Developed by 54 Health, Education and Labor Organizations to Run in CQ

The ad, which is pictured to the left, asks Congress to pass the LHHSED Appropriations bill. It will run in CQ weekly and in CQ Daily on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.

The initial numbers coming out of the LHHS Conference Report bode well for the CDC. The EARLY "program" numbers suggest that program levels for the CDC are 6.65% above the 2007 Joint Resolution. The final conference number is a full $157 million over the House bill and $180 million over the Senate passed measure.

Clearly Chairman Harkin and Senator Specter - as well as Chairman Obey and Ranking Member Walsh in the House, deserve our gratitude for supporting a significant increase in the CDC's budget. CPH has a planned meeting with Senator Harkin on Wednesday of next week at which we intend to thank him for his strong support of the CDC.

When further budget details become available, CPH will redraft our budget tracking chart and post it on our website. Still, we are very pleased with what seems to be an excellent - though tentative - development in favor of the CDC.

Finally, please stay tuned for information regarding the next briefing of the Congressional Study Group on Public Health.  This briefing is tentatively scheduled for mid-November and will focus on Injury.

 

October 2007

October 18, 2007 - Partners in Health, Education and Labor Work to Pass the LHHS Spending Bill

As the Senate debates amendments to the LHHS Appropriation's bill today, 850 organizations quickly rallied together and delivered the attached sign on letter to members of the Senate.  The letter asks them to support the measure. Download a PDF of the signed letter by clicking here.

September 2007

September 21, 2007 - Congressional Study Group on Public Health & Global Health Caucus Briefing on Neglected Tropical Diseases

On September 21st, three distinguished speakers joined the Congressional Study Group on Public Health for a briefing on Neglected Tropical Diseases.  Dr. Mark Eberhard, Director of the Division of Parasitic Diseases at the CDC was joined by Dr. Peter Hotez, President of the Sabin Vaccine Institute and Dr. Michael Dunne of Pfizer Global Research and Development in a lively discussion on the negative economic, social and health consequences of NTD's. 

Dozens of hill staff and others interested in this noteworthy topic attended the event, which was held in partnership with the Global Health Caucus.  While the names of these diseases are unfamiliar to most Americans, over one billion people are affected by them globally, representing a significant burden of disability and disease.

 

Dr. Peter Hotez, President of the Sabin Vaccine Institute and a professor at the George Washington University provides an overview on the burden of neglected tropical diseases.

Dr. Mark Eberhard, Director of the Division of Parasitic Diseases at the CDC briefs attendees on the CDC's role in the control and elimination of NTD's.

Dr. Michael Dunne of Pfizer Global Research and Development discusses the role of public-private partnerships in combatting these diseases.

The three panelists take a variety of questions on neglected tropical diseases including questions of priority setting, funding and public-private partnerships.

Nina Schwartz of the Global Health Caucus and Lisa Salerno with the Congressional Study Group on Public Health discuss their organization's future plans.

Dr. Eberhard discusses further questions with attendees after the briefing.

To view the PowerPoint presentation given by Dr. Mark Eberhard of the CDC during this event, click here.

To view the PowerPoint presentation given by Dr. Peter Hotez of the Sabin Vaccine Institute, click here.

To view the PowerPoint presentation given by Dr. Michael Dunne of Pfizer Global Research and Development, click here.

September 19, 2007

While health related appropriations bills may be on the back burner in Congress, the Campaign for Public Health is still working to ensure that the work of the CDC is getting attention on Capitol Hill. CPH has held dozens of meetings with key congressional offices over the past several months and recently worked with the Congressional Study Group on Public Health to hold a briefing entitled “Immunizations – A Public Health Success Story.”  The event was held on Wednesday, September 5.  Two distinctive speakers led the discussion. Melinda Wharton, MD, MPH, is the Deputy Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – and she was joined by Adel Mahmoud, MD, PhD, a Professor at Princeton University and the former President of Merck Vaccines.  Dr. Wharton's slides from the event can be found in the September 5th section below.

While the entire briefing was interesting, one slide in particular points out that for each year children are vaccinated in accordance with the CDC’s vaccination schedule; society saves $43.3 billion, health care costs are reduced by $9.9 billion, 33,000 lives are saved and 14 million cases of disease are prevented.

September 5, 2007 - Congressional Study Group on Public Health Immunization Briefing

Dr. Adel Mahmoud discusses the importance of vaccines.

Dr. Melinda Wharton, Deputy Director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases goes over the impact newer vaccines have had on disease in the U.S.

The panelists answer a wide range of questions related to immunizations from the audience.

To view the PowerPoint presentation given by Dr. Melinda Wharton of the CDC during this event, click here.

August 2007

The September 2007 edition of our CPH Update is here!  To download a PDF copy of the Update, click here.  Use legal size paper when printing. 

In this issue:

July 2007

Two Amendments Worth Noting from the House LHHS Debate

During floor consideration of the LHHS bill, two amendments passed that are worth further explanation.  The attached PDF document details those amendments and provides our partners with additional background information.

Flier Highlighting CDC Budget Delivered to Hill & Partners

 

   

On Monday, July 16th, 825 fliers designed by the Campaign for Public Health were delivered to House and Senate offices, committees and subcommittees.  The flier is a two-fold 11" x 17" mailing.  The outer panel depicts the teaser question (shown on the left) and the inner fold contains a graph and explanatory text that highlights the current status of the CDC's budget (shown on the right).  The innermost section is a full page reproduction of the CDC partner ad (shown below), signed by 73 organizations.  The mailer was also sent to the Campaign for Public Health's mailing list along with our most recent CPH Update.

 

 

73 Groups Sign-On to "Pro-CDC" Partner Advertisement

 

 

 

The Campaign for Public Health’s pro-CDC advertisement originally listed 21 national organizations when it was released in February. Since that time, several dozen additional organizations requested to join our effort to highlight the importance of this agency.

The ad was recently re-crafted by Ogilvy Public Relations and now lists 73 groups and coalitions.

 

 

July 16, 2007

The Summer 2007 edition of our CPH Update is here!  To download a PDF copy of the Update, click here.  Use legal size paper when printing. 

In this issue:

July 9, 2007

On Monday, July 9, the Campaign for Public Health partnered with the Prevention Caucus, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American College of Preventative Medicine and Partnership for Prevention to hold a congressional briefing on Workplace Wellness. 

Speakers for this event included senior representatives from the CDC, Dow Chemical Company, Wegmans Food Markets and the American Medical Association.  To view the Dear Colleague letter sent out by Senators Tom Harkin and Gordon H. Smith, click here.

Senator Tom Harkin, Chairman of the Labor, Health and Human Services' Appropriations subcommittee, introduces a new workforce health promotion bill.

Dr. Janet Collins of the CDC speaks about the CDC's role in workforce wellness programs.

Paul Speranza, of Wegmans Food Markets discusses his company's successful workplace wellness initiatives.

Dozens of Hill staff and policy makers attended the event, held on both the House and Senate sides.

June 2007

June 22, 2007 - Photos from the Congressional Study Group on Public Health Vector-Borne Disease Briefing

Dr. Ali Khan from the CDC's National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, and Enteric Diseases speaks about the urgent vector-borne disease realities Americans face.

Dr. Durland Fish, Professor of Epidemiology at Yale University describes the impact of recent vector-borne disease outbreaks.

Jay Ellenberger of the EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs details the role of pesticides in controlling vector-borne diseases.

Mr. Ellenberger, Dr. Fish and Dr. Khan answering questions from the audience.

 

To view the PowerPoint presentations given during this event, please visit the Vector-borne Disease section of our website.

 

Photos from the Senate Staff Trip to the CDC, May 31st-June 1st

Dr. Tanja Popovic,

Chief Science Officer at the CDC

welcomes Senate staff.

Participants learn about the CDC's global health efforts during a videoconference with CDC staff in Kenya.

Dr. Stephen Blount, Director of the CDC's Coordinating Center for Global Health discusses global health diplomacy.

Dr. Jim Pirkle leads Senate staff on a tour of the CDC's environmental health laboratory.

Dr. Rima Khabbaz with Senate staffers Melissa Pfaff and Lauren Fuller at the evening reception.

Group photo of Senate staff, senior CDC staff and CPH partners.

 

May 2007

May 16, 2007 - CPH INVITES SENATE STAFF TO TOUR CDC

The Campaign for Public Health has begun inviting interested Senate staff to join CPH and our partner organizations on a two day study tour of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  More details to follow shortly.  To become involved or to learn more about the trip, please contact the Campaign as soon as possible.  Spots are very limited.  A similar trip for House staff held last year was a huge success.  Information about (and photos from) that trip can be found by scrolling farther down on this web page.

May 15, 2007 - SIGN ON LETTER REACHES CAPITOL HILL

More than 500 organizations joined CPH on a letter to all Appropriations Committee members in the House and Senate that highlighted CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding's professional judgment budget.  The letter calls on appropriators to significantly increase funding for this important agency.  To view a PDF copy of the letter, click here.

May 9, 2007 - SPEAKER PELOSI MEETS WITH CPH AND PUBLIC HEALTH LEADERS

CPH organized a critical meeting with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to discuss the importance of the CDC's prevention and public health programs that protect our population. Several leaders in the public health field were on hand to discuss past cuts to the CDC's budget.  Speaker Pelosi was also given a copy of Dr. Gerberding's professional judgment budget which she "looked forward to" reading. CPH also provided the Speaker with an early copy of the Campaign for Public Health's sign on letter (mentioned above).

May 4, 2007 - CHRONIC DISEASE BRIEFING HELD ON CAPITOL HILL

The second briefing of the Congressional Study Group on Public Health was held on Friday, May 4th.  The focus of the event was federal, state and private sector public health efforts to reduce the prevalence of chronic diseases. For more details on the event and to view a copy of the Dear Colleague letter sent to Congressional staff, click here.

To view slides from the presentation of Dr. Janet Collins, Director, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC, click here.

To view slides from the presentation of Dr. Mary T. Bassett, Deputy Commissioner, NYC Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene, click here.

To view slides from the presentation of Mike Pucci, Executive Vice President, External Advocacy, GlaxoSmithKline, click here.

 

April 2007

April 27, 2007 - DR. GERBERDING HIGHLIGHTS THE NEEDS OF THE CDC

Today the Campaign for Public Health received a PDF copy of the "Professional Judgment Budget" Chairman Obey and Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard requested from Dr. Julie L. Gerberding during her appearance before the House LHHS Subcommittee earlier this year. The document details Dr. Gerberding's professional judgment on where CDC should see budget increases in federal fiscal year 2008.   Click here to download this document.

April, 2007 - CPH UPDATES TRACKING CHART, PRODUCES NEW GRAPH

 

The Campaign for Public Health's unique CDC funding tracking sheet has been updated to reflect the FY 2007 Joint Resolution figures from the CDC's operating plan, which was submitted to Congress on March 15th. 

To view a larger version of this chart, click here.

 

 

While the total budget of the CDC has grown in recent years, much of the agency’s growth since 2002 is due to mandatory spending on the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program and much-needed investments in bioterrorism preparedness programs within the CDC.  Yet core program lines - those discretionary budget lines that run the agency’s day to day operations and support the CDC’s well know health protection and disease prevention efforts – have been cut in nominal dollar terms since 2005.  Furthermore, CPH staff adjusted the CDC’s budget for inflation and showed that core programs of the CDC were level-funded between FY02 and FY05, then declined significantly through the current budget year.  If the United States is to keep pace with the challenges of chronic disease and protecting the health of our population, these trends must change.

To view a larger version of this graph, click here. 

To view the CDC budget data table, click here.

 

April, 2007 - DR. McCLELLAN'S SPEECH AVAILABLE ONLINE

During the 2007 CDC Leaders to Leaders Conference on March 28, Dr. Mark McClellan delivered a noteworthy speech on "Transforming Health Care".  In his presentation Dr. McClellan addressed critical issues such as:

To listen to his speech in its entirety, click here.

March 2007

March 26, 2007 - FIRST BRIEFING OF NEW CONGRESSIONAL STUDY GROUP FOCUSES ON PUBLIC HEALTH

On Wednesday, March 21, the Congressional Study Group on Public Health was officially launched with a press conference and inaugural briefing on "An Introduction to Public Health: Methods and Benefits of Preventing Death, Disability and Disease."  This new congressional member organization is dedicated to educating members and staff about public health efforts and the work of the CDC.  The event was kicked off by Dr. Julie Gerberding, Director of the CDC, who spoke about the importance of the CDC's work and the immense value of this new group in highlighting public health.  Speakers from the Institute of Medicine, the American Red Cross, the American Public Health Association and the American Diabetes Association discussed the importance of public health efforts and mentioned their support for the agency.  Two CDC staff members gave an overview of the work being done at the CDC and in the field of public health.

Founding co-chairs of the new "caucus"; Representatives Jim McGovern (D-MA), Kay Granger (R-TX) and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), were in attendance to launch the Study Group on Public Health.  All urged their colleagues to join them in this important educational effort.  Dozens of individuals from congressional offices, partner organizations and media outlets were present for the event.

An article featuring the event was published in Congressional Quarterly the day of the event.  To read the CQ article, click here. 

PHOTOS FROM CONGRESSIONAL STUDY GROUP ON PUBLIC HEALTH LAUNCH EVENT

CDC Director, Dr. Julie Gerberding kicked off the event.

Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard discussed the importance of prevention and the great work of the CDC.

Congressman Jim McGovern, a member of the Budget Committee, mentioned the need for spending on public health.

Congresswoman Kay Granger highlighted the local nature of public health and the importance of a federal partnership.

Dr. Michael McGinnis, Senior Scholar at the Institute of Medicine discussed the overall impact of public health.

Dr. Georges Benjamin, Executive Director of the American Public Health Association discussed his support for the agency as Evan Jones and Rep. McGovern look on.

David Meltzer, Senior Vice President of the Red Cross's International Services Division was one of many partner organizations on hand to talk about public health.

Dr. Tanja Popovic, Chief Science Officer at the CDC gave an introduction to public health.

Dr. Eugene McCray, Acting Deputy Director, Coordinating Office for Global Health at the CDC discussed the CDC's global health efforts.

To view the slides from Dr. Tanja Popovic's presentation on "Public Health: What Is It & Why Should Everyone Care?", click here.

To view the slides from Dr. Eugene McCray's presentation on "Global Health at the CDC", click here.

March 13, 2007 - PRO-CDC AD HITS WASHINGTON MEDIA MARKET 

After working with more than a dozen partner groups in 2006, Ogilvy Public Relations helped CPH produce an exceptional advertisement that 21 groups* have “signed” with their organization’s logo. The ad highlights the importance of the CDC, the agency’s many strengths and the diverse nature of the health protection work done by the CDC and by their state and local partners.

In addition to running the ad in Washington media markets, partners plan to give the ad to members of Congress during visits to Capitol Hill, sending a clear and unified message to Congress. Groups also offered to publish the ad in their newsletters, journals or other similar publications. To view the ad, click here.

* CPH and: ADA, AHA, AMA, APHA, American Red Cross, APHL, Arthritis Foundation, ASTHO, Home safety Council, IDSA, March of Dimes, NACCHO, NACDD, NALBOH, National Osteoporosis Foundation, Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, Partnership for Prevention, Prevent Blindness America, Research!America and the Society for Public Health Education.

 

 

March 7, 2007

To download a PDF of our Winter 2007 CPH Update mailing, click here.  Use legal size paper when printing.  In this issue:

February 2007

February 22, 2007

Today, three members of the House of Representatives launched the Congressional Study Group on Public Health - a new bipartisan member organization with the mission of educating congressional leaders and their staff about the work of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Click here to read the Dear Colleague that Representatives Jim McGovern (D-MA), Kay Granger (R-TX) and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) sent their fellow members of the House.  This new organization is a direct result of the CPH congressional staff trip to Atlanta in the summer of 2006.

February 16, 2007

With the passage of the fiscal year 2007 Joint Funding Resolution on February 14th, CPH has continued working to gather information on the impact this bill will have on the CDC.  The Campaign has included the details of the JR and the President’s fiscal year 2008 (FY08) Budget Request to Congress in an updated budget tracking sheet.  Click here to download a PDF of the chart.  Please see our Winter 2007 CPH Update for more information on these two budget developments.

NOTE: CPH does not account for inflation in our calculations. 

Aspects of the FY07 Joint Resolution include:

There is a great deal more work to do.  CPH will continue to educate elected officials about the importance of the CDC’s health protection work.  Unfortunately, our analysis shows that funding for the CDC’s core programs in FY07 represents a 3.5 percent reduction in funding from FY05 enacted levels. We are moving in the wrong direction.

The Campaign for Public Health’s letter to Congress calling for greater support for this critical agency can be found in the “Action” section of our website.

December 2006 & January 2007

SECOND CONGRESSIONAL STAFF TRIP TO ATLANTA – PLANNING UNDER WAY

A Senate staff trip to tour the CDC campus in Atlanta has been discussed with several key Senate offices. The Campaign’s first CDC tour in August 2006 guided 18 staff from the House of Representatives on a two-day tour of the agency. Several Senate offices have expressed an interest in assisting CPH with the logistics of a Senate trip.

Changes to House and Senate travel rules will impact the Campaign’s planning for the trip. Rules changes adopted separately in both the House and Senate – and applied differently to each legislative body – prohibit some travel and meals provided to congressional staff and members of Congress. CPH secured approval of the 2006 trip from the House Ethics Committee prior to traveling and will continue to work with the Ethics Committees in both chambers to ensure compliance with the new travel rules.

November 2006

To download a PDF of our November e-Update, click here.  In this issue:

October 2006 

On October 19, CPH sent our sign-on letter to the President regarding his pending FY08 budget request to Congress.  Nearly 500 organizations joined CPH on this letter.  Click here to download the letter in PDF format.

September 2006

To download a PDF of our September e-Update, click here. In this issue:

August/September

Photos from Congressional Staff Trip to Atlanta, August 31st-September 1st

Bill Gimson, COO, discusses the CDC's reach around the globe

Presentation on tobacco and the CDC's unique work to research cigarette products

Staff learn how researchers in the Emerging Infectious Disease Laboratory investigate unknown causes of death

Tour of a high security BSL-4 laboratory, Roybal Campus

Hill staff link with CDC staff in Kenya to learn about global health efforts

Discussion with Dr. Jim Pirkle outside an environmental health laboratory, Chamblee Campus

Dr. Stephen Thacker discusses the CDC's public health workforce

Dr. Jay Bernhardt addresses the CDC's efforts to distribute health messages through media outlets

CPH Executive Director, Karl Moeller, speaks about the complexities of the CDC's budget

Erika Orloff, Dr. Mitch Cohen & Julia Jester at the evening reception

Dr. Ileana Arias, Tammy McAthey & Laura Hooper at the evening reception

CPH staff, CDC representatives, Hill staff and partner organizations recap over dinner

LARGEST-EVER CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION VISITS CDC

With support from nearly a dozen non-profit health organizations*, the Campaign for Public Health led eighteen Hill staff from the House of Representatives on a two-day tour and lecture program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  Bill Gimson, the COO of the Georgia-based federal agency, welcomed the group to Atlanta and noted that this was the largest congressional delegation the CDC had ever hosted.  To view a copy of the Agenda, click here.

The bipartisan group represented members of Congress who sit on the House Appropriations, Commerce, Ways and Means and the Rules Committees.  Several offices represented also sit on important subcommittees – including: the Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee and the Health Subcommittees for the Ways and Means committee.

Presentations from CDC scientists and staff provided a wealth of information on the various disease control and prevention activities at the CDC.  Presentation topics followed the “Healthy People in Every Stage of Life” model CDC has adopted and included discussions not only covering “urgent threats” (such as pandemic influenza, bioterrorism and emerging infectious diseases) but also highlighted the nation’s ongoing efforts to tackle “urgent realities” (high rates of heart disease, asthma, obesity, health disparities, injuries – etc.).

While visiting the CDC, participants: toured a “Bio-Security Level 4” laboratory; saw the CDC’s environmental health and emerging infectious disease laboratories; held a question and answer session in the Director’s recently completed Emergency Operations Center and learned about health marketing efforts in the CDC’s media center.  Additional highlights from the trip include a videoconference with CDC staff in Kenya which focused on the CDC’s work in global health.

During the trip several staff commented that they were impressed by how the CDC is doing so much with so little.  All were surprised by the breadth of activities the CDC covers on behalf of the American public.

CPH is grateful to the many partner organizations that supported this effort.

*Partner Organizations include: Arthritis Foundation, American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, National Fragile X Foundation, American Heart Association, Home Safety Council, National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, American Public Health Association, Research!America and The Society for the Advancement of Violence and Injury Research.

July 2006

HOUSE & SENATE SET FUNDING LEVELS for FY07

On July 20th, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed their version of the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations bill – thus readying the measure for a vote on the Senate floor.  The LHHS bill funds the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among many other agencies and programs.

The House Appropriations Committee had already reached this step of the annual appropriations process, passing their version of the LHHS bill out of the full Appropriations committee on June 12th.

While the next step for both the House and Senate would be a floor vote, this critical health funding legislation is not expected to reach the House or Senate floor for a vote until after the November elections.  Postponing the final debate on the LHHS bill prevents cuts to education and health programs from becoming campaign issues.  Because the federal fiscal year ends on September 30th, Congress will need to pass "Continuing Resolutions” to keep the government open for business until these bills are passed and signed into law.

After each chamber passes their version of the LHHS bill, a Conference Committee of key House and Senate members will need to work out the differences between each bill and combine them into one final funding measure.  That final “conferenced” bill will then need to pass the House and Senate again before being sent to the President to be signed into law.  It is very likely that several funding bills will be rolled together into an "omnibus” spending bill.

CPH ANALYSIS of CDC FUNDING

The chart below shows CDC’s core program funding levels as proposed in the House and Senate LHHS bills.  Please note that CPH works to account for funding that is added to core program lines on a one-time or irregular basis.  While critical to public health; CDC’s hurricane response funding, pandemic preparedness funding and one time funding earmarked for those who worked at the World Trade Center after September 11th are examples of funds CPH would set aside.  This ensures an “apples to apples” comparison from previous years and prevents a false impression of increased funding for the affected core budget lines.

A FINAL BILL?

There is little clarity on what will happen when Congress returns after the elections.  The uncertainty rests on the fact that the election’s outcome will have a significant impact on the outcome of the appropriation’s debate.  When faced with a variation in the House and Senate bill, the Conference Committee could choose the highest possible funding level, the lowest possible funding level, or could find a middle ground – but these decisions will be made during a lame duck session of Congress when there is little accountability to voters.

It is critical that advocates for the CDC continue to visit, write and call their legislators asking them to support higher CDC funding.  If congress funds the CDC at the lower funding level found in each of the two bills, the CDC’s budget will be cut for a second year in a row.  By contrast, choosing the highest possible funding level AND including the Senate bill’s funding for pandemic influenza preparedness would result in the highest CDC budget ever.  There is a great deal of work yet to be done.

May 2006

A copy of our sign-on letter to Appropriators is available in our "Related Publications" section. Nearly 500 organizations joined CPH in asking Congress to provide CDC with the resources it needs to protect America's health.

February 2006: GRIM BUDGET RELEASED BY WHITE HOUSE

On February 6th, the Bush Administration released the President’s FY07 budget request to Congress. In that document, core CDC programs are cut by 4.5 percent from last year. Over two years (FY05 to FY07), cuts to the agency’s programs total more than 8 percent.

It is common for any Administration to downplay cuts whenever possible. This year, one-time emergency spending for pandemic preparedness is being used to mask these major cuts to the CDC. The Campaign for Public Health has attempted to remove some “clutter” mixed throughout the Administration’s FY07 budget for the CDC so that partner organizations can more accurately see the real cuts to the agency. An excel document breaking down the budget request can be viewed in our "Related Publications" section.  Email if you have any questions about this document.

CPH is working with our partners to keep the public health community on a common message: the Administration is proposing a cut to the CDC’s core programs of more than 8% over two years – 4.5% of the cut being planned for this year alone.

HISTORICAL NOTE

Some major changes to the CDC budget are noteworthy, including the Administrations budget request to Congress for FY06. This proposed budget shifted approximately $1.5 billion in bioterrorism funding to the CDC’s budget from the Department of Health and Human Services. CDC had historically overseen this funding, but this move gave the false impression that the agency had been given a 25 percent increase over the previous year. In reality it had been cut, but some advocacy groups and members of Congress were not fully aware of this fact over one year later. 

Similarly, in FY07, one-time emergency funds for pandemic preparedness passed by Congress were mixed into the CDC’s core program budget lines, masking the severity of a second year of cuts to the CDC. Through careful analysis of the President’s FY07 budget request, CPH uncovered these budget variations and was able to provide our partners in the advocacy community with a clear understanding of proposed cuts to the agency only days after the President’s budget was released. Partner organizations began using the Campaign’s analysis and budget figures during congressional meetings just days after they became available.

Early January 2006: CDC BUDGET CUT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 24 YEARS

The CDC’s budget for FY06 emerged from Congress with the passage of the LHHS appropriations bill in late December. In addition to funding the agency 4% below FY05 levels in this federal appropriations bill, Congress cut the agency even deeper by enacting an additional 1% cut to all federal programs. The additional 1% cut was an effort to limit deficit spending, offset prior emergency spending measures and provide much-needed “wiggle room” for promised tax cuts.

Moving forward, the final cut to CDC is not as deep as the Administration had proposed at the beginning of the last budget cycle, but there is cause for serious concern. CPH will continue to advocate CDC’s critical role in protecting the health and safety of the American public. Also, with concerns over ballooning federal health spending, CDC offers the opportunity for real savings by preventing disease and protecting the public from multiple threats to their health and safety.

“H5N1” PARTIALLY ADDRESSED BY CONGRESS

This lethal “bird flu” strain spreading around the globe received attention in the final hours of 2005. Congress appropriated $3.8 billion in emergency spending to support federal pandemic influenza preparedness efforts. This represented only half of the Administration’s request and more action is expected in 2006.

CPH worked with Congressional leaders to review legislative proposals related to influenza preparedness and lobbied for passage of these funds. CPH is pleased Congress acted to protect the public and looks forward working with Congress on this issue in the next session. As the lead federal agency working to track the virus and inform and protect the American public in the event of a global influenza pandemic, the CDC will certainly receive some portion of these dollars.

November and December of 2005: FEDERAL SPENDING TIGHT IN FY07 – PRESSURE TO CUT CDC REMAINS

In late November, CPH secured a meeting with senior staff at the Office of Management and Budget. When asked how the Administration’s F07 budget request to Congress treated the CDC, OMB staff responded that in times of federal deficits, OMB had the task of finding ways to “distribute cuts” to keep deficits under control.

CPH used the meeting to impress upon OMB the importance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Discussed were: the importance of prevention in keeping growing federal health costs under control, the benefits of utilizing the CDC’s expertise, the President’s Influenza plan and Congressional action on emergency funding, preparedness for both natural and man-made disasters, and the short-sighted cuts to the CDC that the Administration proposed in FY06. Attending on behalf of CPH were former members of Congress Mr. Porter and Mr. Rogers, as well as Karl Moeller (CPH) and Susan Polan (APHA).

Mid October of 2005: CPH Leads '07 Budget Effort

On October 13th, the Campaign for Public Health, along with 40 of our Partner organizations, sent the Bush Administration a letter calling for better funding of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A PDF version of the letter and the full list of signatories is available in our "Related Publications" section.

Last Updated: 4/29/08