On July 23, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing titled, Are CDC’s Priorities Restoring Public Trust and Improving The Health Of The American People?, featuring directors from six centers across the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The witnesses who appeared before the Subcommittee represented the following centers:

• Dr. Karen Hacker, M.D., M.P.H., Director, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

• Dr. Allison Arwady, M.D., M.P.H., Director, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control

• Dr. Daniel Jernigan, M.D., M.P.H., Director, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases

• Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, M.D., M.P.H., Director, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases

• Dr. Henry Walke, M.D., M.P.H., Director, Office of Readiness and Response

• Dr. Jennifer Layden, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology

Opening statements were provided by Vice Chair Larry Bucshon (R-IN) on behalf of Subcommittee Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY) who noted that while he believes the “CDC is the preeminent organization in the world for the role they play,” the agency has received over $1 billion in direct funding for a Data Modernization Initiative and he has many outstanding questions as to where this funding has gone and how it has been utilized. In her opening statement, Subcommittee Ranking Member Anna Eshoo (D-CA) highlighted that CDC is the largest federal funding source for state and local public health and prevention programs. She also remarked that she believes public health has become a casualty of partisanship, noting that attempts to reauthorize the Pandemic All Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPHA) on a bipartisan basis failed over a year ago.

Notably, the full Committee Chair and Ranking Member both attended the hearing and provided opening remarks. Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) criticized CDC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and believes the agency has strayed too far from its mission and is spread too thin. On the other side of the aisle, Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ) called the hearing “an extreme partisan assault on the CDC” and cited the House Appropriations majority’s proposal to cut CDC funding by 22% as short-sighted.

In their opening statements, each of the witnesses emphasized CDC’s top priorities: readiness and response, improving mental health, and supporting young families—tying the work from their respective centers back to these focus areas. Each witness also asked lawmakers to support sustained and increased resources as well as the necessary authorities to ensure CDC can fulfill its mission. In both their testimonies and in response to questions from the Subcommittee, the witness emphasized the importance of CDC’s core capabilities.

Throughout questioning, members of the Subcommittee asked if CDC programs were duplicative to programs at other agencies. In response to these questions, witnesses provided examples of how CDC’s work complements the work of other federal agencies, and how its surveillance efforts inform data-driven approaches at agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

During her questioning, Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL) highlighted proposed cuts to tobacco cessation and prevention funding, specifically noting that eliminating funding for the Office on Smoking and Health puts children at increased risk of becoming smokers which could increase health disparities. Dr. Hacker, Director of CDC’s Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Center, provided examples of successful tobacco cessation efforts led by CDC, including the Tips from Former Smokers campaign. However, she went on to say that CDC is concerned about youth vaping and other emerging trends so continued surveillance remains critical to this effort.

Witnesses from CDC also responded to questions from both parties on the current H5N1 outbreak to describe how the agency has been coordinating with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and how it supports state and local health departments responding to the outbreak. Although some members of the Subcommittee expressed that they believe CDC failed to fulfill its responsibilities during the pandemic and is spread too thin, the hearing provided CDC leadership with an opportunity to highlight the effectiveness of their respective programs, emphasize how CDC’s surveillance informs solutions across the federal government, and showcase the number of grants CDC provides to state and local health departments.