Fund CDC fully to safeguard public health preparedness

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is facing alarming delays in receiving its approved federal funding, hampering its ability to provide vital grants to state and local health departments across the country. This funding bottleneck has already led to service disruptions and job losses, jeopardizing core public health initiatives like HIV prevention, disease surveillance, and cancer screening programs. According to CDC staff, despite Congress appropriating $9 billion for the agency's fiscal year 2025 budget, the CDC has only received short-term funding in 30-day increments, likened to an "eyedropper" pace. This has prevented the CDC from issuing notices of award, the formal mechanism through which state and local partners receive their grant funding. Without these notices, health departments cannot proceed with grant-funded activities or hire necessary staff, as they lack assurance of reimbursement. The consequences of this funding impasse are already being felt on the ground. In Ohio, HIV testing services have ceased. In North Carolina, contact tracers have been laid off. In Texas, immunization and emergency preparedness programs face potential suspension. This jeopardizes hard-won progress in safeguarding public health and puts communities at increased risk. Prompt and complete release of the CDC's congressionally approved funding is imperative to avert further disruptions and ensure the agency can fulfill its vital mission. Ongoing delays undermine the nation's public health infrastructure and preparedness, putting lives at risk. Swift action to restore the CDC's full operational funding is urgently needed to prevent this funding crisis from escalating into a public health emergency.