Last week, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) instructed HHS/CDC to cut more than $600 million in funds already given to programs in the states of California, Colorado, Illinois and Minnesota, citing “waste and mismanagement” and saying the grants “no longer reflect agency priorities.” These politically motivated cuts support core public health services that help keep Americans safe -- modernizing data systems, strengthening the public health workforce, early detection of outbreaks, preventing HIV and injuries, and reducing the obstacles that keep underserved groups like Black women, LGBTQ+ people and those who are not wealthy from accessing important public health services.

This is the most recent in a series of actions driven by OMB to cut massive amounts of funding already appropriated by Congress. In the last two instances – billions in cuts to substance use and mental health programs and billions in cuts to state public health infrastructure - were restored within 1-2 days due to public and congressional outcry. This is no different. While a federal judge has issued a 14-day temporary restraining order halting the cuts, we must ramp up the pressure to reverse these destabilizing actions by the administration. Please write to your members of Congress to demand that these funds be immediately restored.