Campaign
August 18, 2025
Please contact your elected representatives about public health funding!
Finally, we have something to fight FOR!
After months of taking action to oppose the devastating funding, program and policy changes proposed and taken by the Trump Administration, we have the opportunity to speak out loudly and clearly in support of the FY26 Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations bill passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee prior to the start of the August recess. With the help of DPH member Jeff Levi, here are two very important actions for DPH members to take as soon as possible. We will continue to update and refine our messaging as the process unfolds but now is the time to take action.
Senate Appropriations Committee Thank Yous*
If you live in a state whose Senator serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee, please thank them for passing a FY26 appropriations bill that rejects most of the Administration’s requests for cuts to public health programs and rejects the reorganization of public health agencies that the Administration says they want to implement. Instead, the committee directs the Administration to present a reorganization plan for Congressional review and approval. This is the likely high water mark for public health funding in FY26 – so we need to thank the Committee and urge them to stay strong in pushing for passage by the full Senate, advocate for the Senate mark in formal or informal negotiations with the House and White House, and to fight any additional FY25 rescissions. For more detail see this summary of the Senate bill prepared by ASTHO.
*Please see the Table at the bottom of this post for the list of members of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Sample letter:
Dear Senator X,
I am writing to thank you, as a member [chair/ranking member – if writing Sen. Collins or Sen. Murray] of the Senate Appropriations Committee, for supporting continued funding for public health programs as part of the FY2026 Labor-HHS appropriations bill. Sustaining these programs, with the current structure for public health agencies, is critical to promoting the public’s health. Without a strong federal investment in public health, our nation will lose its ability to prevent threats before they happen, respond to emergencies when they arise, keep the water we drink clean, guarantee the safety and quality of the food we eat, and promote healthy lives. Further, current federal funding levels for state, territorial, local and tribal health departments often represent more than half of all public health spending in a state. These funds are essential to protect Americans across the nation.
[If you want to personalize this for your state, you can find KFF’s analysis of total CDC investment in your state here. Feel free to add state/local stories here as well..]
I am also grateful that the Committee has requested that the Administration share with Congress any plans for reorganization of the public health service agencies prior to implementation. There is no doubt that any agency can be run more effectively, and logical reforms are always welcome. But this must be done in a thoughtful way that preserves the core functions of public health, takes into consideration the input from those on the ground who rely on and run these programs and those who have extensive experience with various programs, and assures Congressional approval and oversight.
The Senate Appropriations Committee has set a strong mark for funding public health. Thus, I hope you will also oppose any new proposals for rescissions to the FY2025 budget for public health (as the Senate already did regarding NIH) should they be proposed before the end of the fiscal year.
Again, my thanks for standing up for public health and I hope you continue to do so with the House and White House as the budget process plays out.
House Appropriations Committee Protect Public Health Letter
The House Appropriations Committee is expected to consider and vote on the FY26 appropriation for public health through the Labor-HHS bill during the first week of September. If you live in a district whose Representative serves on the Appropriations Committee, it is important to reach out to them during the Congressional recess to urge support for fully funding public health agencies (and rejecting the Administration’s proposed cuts) and to reject the reorganization of federal public health programs proposed by the Administration until Congress has an opportunity to review and approve their approach.
You can find the membership of the House Appropriations Committee here.
Sample letter:
