President-Elect Obama Takes Office; NACCHO Members Provide Input for New Congress and Obama Administration
At the start of the new year, things are incredibly busy in Washington, as the new Congress is sworn in and President-elect Obama takes office. Change is in the air as the monumental shift in leadership throughout the executive branch occurs. At press time, former Senator Tom Daschle (D-SD) appears headed for quick confirmation as Secretary of Health and Human Services and William V. Corr, Executive Director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, has been selected as Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services. In Congress, Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) continues as Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA) is the new Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
NACCHO continues to communicate the needs of local health departments with the Congress and the Obama transition team. NACCHO President Gary Cox solicited the input of every NACCHO member via e-mail and Web form. The comments received have influenced our communications with the Obama transition staff and will inform our legislative agenda as the year progresses. NACCHO has distributed to key transition and Capitol Hill staff its recommendations to improve the public’s health through strengthening local health departments.
Congress continues its work on health reform. On the House side, NACCHO participated in a series of meetings conducted by the Congressional Study Group on Public Health to gain advice on prevention policy in health reform. The Senate HELP Committee is working on a substantive health reform proposal. Senate staff close to the process of writing the legislation have voiced strong support for including community-based prevention as an important part of health reform. NACCHO has been in close contact with staff of Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) who is heading a task force on prevention and wellness, as well as staff of the HELP Committee.
House Appropriations Committee Releases Economic Stimulus Package
On January 15, the House Appropriations Committee released the first version of economic stimulus legislation, including $3 billion for a "Prevention and Wellness Fund." Most of those funds would augment existing programs of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with a particular emphasis on chronic disease prevention and immunization. An additional $296 million is designated for state and local health departments through the Preventive Health and Health Services block grant (a large increase over the current funding of about $100 million). Also included are additional funds for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other infectious disease prevention programs, environmental health, and public health workforce development, among others.
The bill, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, includes $550 billion total in new domestic spending. Many other elements of the bill also will benefit the health of the public, including (but not limited to) funds for drinking water infrastructure, wastewater treatment, lead paint remediation, and a large boost for Medicaid. The bill's recommendations are consistent with the conversations NACCHO has been having with Members of Congress, the Presidential transition team, and other federal officials. Those recommendations, as well as NACCHO's statement on the bill, a summary, and the full text of the measure can be accessed on the NACCHO Web site.
This is the first step in a complex legislative process that Congress hopes to conclude in about one month. Action must be taken by the House Ways and Means Committee, Appropriations Committee and Energy and Commerce Committee, as well as by the Senate. In view of the many demands for economic stimulus, it is highly important to advocate for retention and expansion of the proposed Prevention and Wellness Fund. Moreover, the new HHS Secretary will have considerable discretion in how to implement the public health funding.
NACCHO will continue to advocate vigorously for local health departments as the process moves forward and will update you on future developments.
NACCHO Documents Impact of Recession on Local Health Departments
NACCHO has released the final report of its survey of budget cuts and workforce reductions in 2008 and disseminated it widely on Capitol Hill and to the Obama transition team. The survey found that a majority of respondents are experiencing adverse effects of the economic downturn and expect those effects to continue in 2009. These data document what we have been hearing from many NACCHO members as local health departments face the continuing challenge of doing more with less.
NACCHO estimates a total loss of approximately 7,000 local health department jobs in 2008 and expects that number to rise in 2009. Nationally, 27% of LHDs reported budget cuts in 2008 and 44% expect budget cuts this year. Click here for a report on the survey.
