Friend,
Last week, public health experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned that Americans need to start preparing for the spread of the coronavirus on our own shores. And over the past few days, we've seen outbreaks and, tragically, deaths in the United States.
What may stop many Americans from adequately preparing for this growing global health crisis?
Our president and his dangerous budget, released in February.
As new cases of the coronavirus spike around the world, President Trump proposed slashing the budgets for:
Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Disease by $85 million
Infectious Diseases Rapid Response Reserve Fund by $35 million
Public Health Preparedness Response Program by $25 million
Pandemic Preparedness Programs by $10 million
We need to come together and DEMAND that President Trump protect American citizens by increasing budgets to essential public health protection programs -- not proposing millions of dollars in cuts. Add your name next to mine.
Budgets communicate a country's values and priorities. It's clear that Trump's priorities are lining the pockets of his friends and building his misguided border wall, instead of the public health interests of the American people. And though the president has since asked for an additional $2.5 billion in new funding, it's nowhere near the much larger budgets that public health experts are saying would be necessary to curb outbreaks and assist communities.
The local, state, and federal agencies that prepare for and respond to outbreaks need additional resources, and Trump's new budget wants them to confront this global health crisis with far less than they need.
Instead of doing his sworn duty to protect Americans and prepare for a legitimate health emergency like this outbreak, the president refuses to restore the cuts he has proposed and to request what is truly needed.
It's obvious that this advice isn't going to be enough to slow the seemingly inevitable spread of the coronavirus.
So I'm asking you today to please join me and add your name here, demanding that the president increase funding for local, state, and federal agencies that prepare for and respond to outbreaks.
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Thank you for doing your part.
Sincerely,
Patrick Leahy
U.S. Senator
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