Covid

MASKING SAVES LIVES

Wednesday, July 01, 2020

Hollowed Out Public Health System Faces More Cuts Amid Virus--Associated Press [#PublicHealthNotMoreStealths]

Hollowed out public health system faces more cuts amid virus:

EXCERPT:

The Affordable Care Act established the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which was supposed to reach $2 billion annually by 2015. The Obama administration and Congress raided it to pay for other priorities, including a payroll tax cut. The Trump administration is pushing to repeal the ACA, which would eliminate the fund, said Carolyn Mullen, senior vice president of government affairs and public relations at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

Former Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, a Democrat who championed the fund, said he was furious when the Obama White House took billions from it, breaking what he said was an agreement.

“I haven’t spoken to Barack Obama since,” Harkin said.

No comments: