FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Media Relations
Modest funding increases outlined in President Biden’s fiscal year 2025 budget proposal would bolster the public health system’s ability to combat the many urgent challenges facing the nation, including public health emergencies, violence prevention and other ongoing public health threats, according to the American Public Health Association.
The president’s proposed budget provides $130.7 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Health and Human Services. Within the total, the proposal allocates $9.683 billion in funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The proposed budget also recommends a discretionary funding level of $8.264 billion for the Health Resources and Services Administration.
“The administration’s proposed FY 2025 budget would strengthen the nation’s public health infrastructure and workforce, enhance pandemic preparedness capabilities and expand access to quality health coverage for millions of uninsured individuals,” said APHA Executive Director Georges C. Benjamin, MD. “We thank the president for his continued support of important public health priorities in the face of unfortunate budget caps for nondefense spending that we face again in FY 2025. We look forward to working with the administration and all members of Congress to further increase investments for public health in any final FY 2025 spending bill.”
The president’s proposed budget provides funding for a number of critical public health priorities, including:
• $35 million for CDC and $25 million for the National Institutes of Health for firearm morbidity and mortality prevention research – a $22.5 million increase for CDC and a $12.5 million increase for NIH over FY 2023;
• $20 million in funding for CDC’s Climate and Health Program, an increase of $10 million over FY 2023;
• $225 million for CDC’s ongoing Data Modernization Initiative, an increase of $50 million over FY 2023;
• $68 million for CDC’s Suicide Prevention Program, a $38 million increase;
• $350 million for CDC to support core public health infrastructure activities at the state, tribal, local and territorial levels, which represents level funding;
• $250 million for CDC’s Community Violence Intervention Initiative; $100 million in discretionary funding and $150 million in mandatory funding
• $1.738 billion for community health centers, which is level with FY 2023;
• $126 million for HRSA’s National Health Service Corps, which represents level funding;
• $832 million for HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Block Grant, an increase of $16 million over FY 2023;
• $390 million for the Title X Family Planning Program, a long-awaited increase of $104 million over FY 2023 after years of flat funding;
• And $2.581 billion for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program, including $175 million for the Ending the HIV Epidemic program, a total increase of $10 million over FY23.
• $20 billion in new mandatory funding across HHS for activities aimed at future pandemic preparedness and response;
• $1 billion in new mandatory funding for an adult vaccine program at CDC to provide uninsured adults with access to routine vaccines and vaccines related to future outbreaks as recommended by experts; and
• The inclusion of a new program modeled after Medicaid to provide health insurance coverage to individuals living in states that have not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
“While we are grateful to President Biden for his ongoing support for public health, we know that the need is even greater. Our federal public health agencies remain woefully underfunded, and the nondefense discretionary spending caps pose a major roadblock to providing the level of funding that is truly needed. We look forward to working with the administration and Congress to enact the strongest possible funding for all public health programs in FY 2025,” Benjamin said.
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The American Public Health Association champions optimal, equitable health and well-being for all. With our broad-based member community and 150-year perspective, we influence federal policy to improve the public’s health. Learn more at www.apha.org.