1. United States
2. Mass.
3. Letter

I am deeply concerned about the cuts to HHS. Lives are truly on the line. The fact that the FDA will be unable to test milk, along with other food production is scary. If I stop buying foods, how will my choice affect farmers? What about those who have less freedom to decide what they can eat? As we get sicker from the loss of these programs our insurance premiums will only go up, increasing the cost again to we the people.The FDA inspection cuts are only one of many disturbing cuts at HHS. The HHS is cutting dozens of programs that will decimate its effectiveness and cause longterm harm both economically to the middle and lower class and in terms of our actual health .The media has not highlighted these cuts, probably because there are too many to keep track of, but it is important you address these and inform the public of the losses that are happening and do what you can to stop these disastrous cuts. HHS is removing Head Start and Preschool Development Grant programs from the Administration for Children and Families along with postpartum services at a time when they are talking about increasing the birth rate. They have also removed the Still Birth Task Force and Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program from HHS General Department Management. We are in a major fentanyl crisis, yet HHS is removing Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers, Overdose Prevention Services along with the Drug Abuse Warning Network and the Youth Prevention and Recovery Network from SAMSA. It makes no sense and seems COUNTER to the goals of all Americans. Robert F Kennedy claimed we have an autism epidemic but HHS has eliminated programming from HRSA on "autism and other disabilities," removed Disability Resource Centers under the ACL, Voting Access for People with Disabilities from the ACL and eliminated the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation from NIH. Elders are also being hit hard by HHS cuts by removing elder rights programming, long-term care and programming from the ACL, and elder falls programming from both the ACL and CDC. Minorities are especially being attacked by removing health care from the CDC that tracks disease in certain groups (including women's health) while eliminating several programs from the Administration for Children and families aimed at helping lift minorities and access health needs and from Indian and Health Services. At a time where there is a huge affordable housing crisis, the HHS is cutting programs on Rural Development, Community Economic Development funding, Low Income Home Energy Assistance. Primary Prevention Youth Homelessness, and Communications services from the Administration for Children and Families. For years we have heard that mass shooting deaths are due to the mental illness of the shooter, not the guns, yet HHS is cutting various mental health programming. These cuts will make our nation sicker and ill-equipped to prevent disease, while raising insurance premiums to cover the damage