Coalition of Big City Health Officials Urges Congress to pass Budget Deal to Ensure Federal Funding of Public Health Programs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 24, 2019              

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Big Cities Health Coalition welcomes the bipartisan budget deal agreed to by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.  The Bipartisan Budget Act averts the $55 billion in cuts due to take effect in Fiscal Year 2020, and also increases funding for Non-Defense Discretionary programs by $56.5 billion over the next two years.  This deal will allow Congress to enact spending bills that continue the nation’s commitment in crucial public health programs that will improve the health and wellbeing of millions of Americans.

“While this agreement is not perfect, a continuation of the status quo would mean additional deep cuts that would severely impede investments in health research, curtail access to preventive care, and expose more Americans to unnecessary public health threats,” said Chrissie Juliano, Executive Director of the Big Cities Health Coalition. “While this deal is a welcome development, we will work closely with members of Congress to ensure that projected cuts to the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which funds essential local and state prevention efforts, vaccinations, and other key prevention initiatives, in are backfilled later budget years.

 “We urge Congress to move swiftly to pass the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019, and for the President to sign it into law, and to enact appropriations bills that will help build healthier communities for all Americans.”

CONTACT: Max Mays mays@bigcitieshealth.org or 913-233-6830 

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About the Big Cities Health Coalition

The Big Cities Health Coalition (BCHC) is a forum for the leaders of America’s largest metropolitan health departments to exchange strategies and jointly address issues to promote and protect the health and safety of their residents. Collectively, BCHC member jurisdictions directly impact nearly 62 million people, or one in five Americans. For more information, visit https://www.bigcitieshealth.org.