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In Partnership With:
April 9, 2025
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Spotlight
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- Numerous organizations have expressed concerns over last week’s announced reorganization of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which includes a reduction in force of over 10,000 employees and significant cuts to public health funding. Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) President and CEO Dr. J. Nadine Gracia released a statement on how these changes at agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) will make it more difficult to protect the nation from public health threats. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation President and CEO Dr. Richard Besser stated that these cuts “will only make American communities less healthy and less safe.” More than 100 public health leaders joined a letter organized by For Our Health, an initiative of the American Public Health Association, which said that this restructuring “will seriously compromise the nation’s ability to prevent and respond to health emergencies.”
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Congressional and Administration Updates
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- The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) invited HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to testify on the reorganization of the Department of Health and Human Services by Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-VT). The invitation specifically cites the commitment that Secretary Kennedy made during the confirmation process that he would come before the HELP Committee on a quarterly basis, upon request of the Chair. Secretary Kennedy declined to appear before the Committee this week, but a hearing could still take place later on.
- House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Diana DeGette (D-CO) co-authored a letter to Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-KY) urging him to bring Secretary Kennedy for a hearing focused on the agency’s recent layoffs and reorganization. Chairman Guthrie had previously mentioned the Committee’s role in providing oversight of the agency and ensuring that Congressional-directed activities are followed through with. HHS staff is expected to brief the committee this Friday, April 11 according to a spokesperson for Chairman Guthrie.
- Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair and Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee respectively, sent a letter to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Russ Vought, expressing concern over the Administration’s decision and authority to concur with only a portion of the emergency-designated funding included in the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act. Such a move would represent powers traditionally reserved for Congress being moved to the Executive Branch. The Senators expressed that these changes are disruptive to the appropriations process and make it more difficult for the Committee to do its job.
- Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) reintroduced the Corrections Officer Blake Schwarz Suicide Prevention Act. The bill would establish a grant program through the Department of Justice funding for mental health screenings to help identify officers in crisis and ensure they receive proper care. It requires the hiring of mental health liaisons to connect officers with treatment and creates outreach teams to provide follow-up care when needed.
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) eliminated two programs that funded schools and food banks to buy food from local sources. $660 million in funding was eliminated via the cancellation of the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program. The Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) was also cut—although funding was unfrozen for existing LFPA grantees, but the agency no longer plans a second round of funding in FY25.
- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) terminated at least 33 research grants for projects studying why some people are hesitant to receive vaccines or evaluating strategies that could encourage vaccine uptake. An additional nine grants may be modified or cut back. It has also been reported that NIH has requested lists of projects involving messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines, as well as a list of collaborations between NIH researchers and international partners on any topic.
- Additional regulatory staff from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that oversee approval of vaccines and other products were reportedly let go as part of the recent mass layoffs at HHS.
- Last week, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final Medicare rule that determined Medicare Part D will not cover anti-obesity medications such as GLP-1 drugs.
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- CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report featured two recent updates:
- Human Cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1): The article found that of the 38 people who tested positive for H5N1 in California, 37 were dairy farm workers with occupational exposure to sick cows. The other case was a child with an undetermined exposure, which was the first pediatric patient detected with influenza A(H5) infection in the United States. Experts recommend that public health agencies should investigate influenza-like illness or conjunctivitis in workers with occupational exposure to animals infected with H5N1 virus and be on the lookout for other potential exposure sources.
- Synthetic Opioid and Stimulant Co-Involved Overdose Deaths by Occupation and Industry: The authors found occupations and industries with higher percentages of psychostimulant involvement in synthetic opioid overdose deaths tended to be physically demanding, whereas those with higher percentages of cocaine involvement tended to be less so. To better serve their employees, experts recommend employers seeking to implement work-related substance use and overdose prevention programs might need to tailor their approaches based on potential of psychostimulant or cocaine use within a given occupation or industry.
- Last week, Trust for America’s Health released Ready or Not 2025: Protecting the Public's Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism:
- This annual report assesses state preparedness for health emergencies based on ten key indicators and tiers states and the District of Columbia into three performance categories: high, middle, and low. This year’s report placed 21 states and DC in the high-performance tier, 16 in the middle performance tier, and 13 in the low performance tier. New to the report is an avoidable mortality indicator that measures deaths that could be prevented through effective public health measures or averted with timely healthcare interventions. Applicable data and policy recommendations are also included to aid policymakers and health officials in improving the nation's emergency preparedness. During 2024, the nation experienced a significant number of public health emergencies, ranging from infectious disease outbreaks to weather-related disasters. These emergencies demonstrate the urgent need for sustained investment in public health infrastructure and emergency preparedness, both of which are critical to the nation’s overall health and national and economic security. TFAH will be hosting a Congressional briefing on the report on April 23 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. in room SVC 203-02 of the Capitol Visitor Center.
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Open Comment Opportunities, Requests for Information and Membership Applications
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- Reminder – CMS’ Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Proposed Rule would revise standards for issuers offering qualified health plans through state and federal Marketplaces. The concerns are that these changes may reduce affordability and benefits, narrow eligibility, and impose barriers to enrollment. These changes may roll back previous policies, reduce state flexibility, and increase implementation costs for Marketplaces. Comments are due April 11, 2025.
- Reminder – The FDA announced a proposal to require a front-of-package (FOP) nutrition label for most packaged foods. If finalized, the proposal would give consumers readily visible information about a food’s saturated fat, sodium and added sugars content—three nutrients directly linked with chronic diseases when consumed in excess. Comments are due May 16, 2025.
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Reminder - FDA issued a proposed rule that, if finalized, would make cigarettes and certain other combusted tobacco products minimally or nonaddictive by limiting the level of nicotine in those products. The agency intends to seek input on the proposal, including through public comment and the FDA’s Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee. Comments are due September 15, 2025.
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If your organization submits comments, please share a copy with GIH (info@gih.org) so we can track and compile input from health funders.
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- April 23, 2025: TFAH Congressional Briefing: Ready or Not 2025
- April 29-May 7, 2025: Preparedness Summit (San Antonio, TX)
- June 16-20, 2025: Grantmakers In Health Annual Conference on Health Philanthropy (New Orleans, LA)
- June 16-20, 2025: American Public Health Association (APHA) Policy Action Institute (Washington, DC)
- July 13-18, 2025: 2025 Digital Media and Developing Minds International Scientific Congress (Washington, DC)
- September 16-18, 2025: Public Health Law Conference (Seattle WA)
- November 2-5, 2025: APHA Annual Meeting and Expo (Washington DC)
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