2018: Fitzpatrick Voted For The $1.3 Trillion FY 2018 Omnibus
Spending Deal Which Raised Spending By $138 Billion Over FY 2017
Levels, Including $8.3 Billion In CDC Funding. In March 2018,
Fitzpatrick voted for the FY 2018 Omnibus spending bill. According to
Congressional Quarterly, "Combined, the spending measures would provide
about $1.3 trillion in discretionary spending, with $1.2 trillion
subject to discretionary spending caps, and $78.1 billion designated as
Overseas Contingency Operations funds. The measure's spending levels
are consistent with the increased defense and non-defense budget caps
set by the two-year budget deal agreed to last month. That agreement
increased the FY 2018 defense cap by $80 billion and the non-defense
cap by $63 billion. Given that the previous caps were set to reduce
overall discretionary spending by $5 billion, the net increase provided
by the omnibus is $138 billion over the FY 2017 level." The vote was on
the motion to concur in the Senate Amendment with an Amendment. The
House agreed to the motion, thereby passing the bill, by a vote of 256
to 167. The Senate later agreed to the legislation, sending it to the
president, who signed it into law. [House Vote 127,
3/22/18; Congressional
Quarterly, 3/22/18; Congressional
Actions, H.R.
1625]
2017: Fitzpatrick Voted Against The American Health Care Act That
Would Eliminated The CDC's Prevention And Public Health Fund. In May
2017, Fitzpatrick voted against the American Health Care Act which would
have significantly repealed portions of the Affordable Care Act by
cutting Medicaid, cutting taxes on the rich, removing safeguard for
pre-existing conditions and defunding Planned Parenthood. According to
CNN, "Public health advocates are warning lawmakers the GOP plan to
repeal Obamacare will eliminate nearly $1 billion in Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention funding used for programs like preventing
disease outbreaks and childhood lead poisoning. But Republican critics
say the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which amounts to 12% of
CDC's budget, is a 'slush fund' that has been spent on Zumba classes
and massage sessions. Their proposal includes a new fund that they say
provides states 'broad flexibility' to address local health concerns.
The Republican bill would eliminate the fund, created under the
Affordable Care Act, which has grown from a small slice of the CDC
budget to providing $931 million last year." The vote was on passage.
The House passed the bill by a vote of 217 to 213. The bill, in modified
forms, died in the Senate. [House Vote 256,
5/4/17; CNN,
3/9/17;
Congressional Quarterly, 5/4/17;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
1628]
CNN: "It Funds Heart Disease And Stroke Prevention, Immunization,
Lead Poisoning Prevention And Diabetes Prevention, Mostly Through
Grants To States And Local Programs, According To The CDC."
According to CNN, "It funds heart disease and stroke prevention,
immunization, lead poisoning prevention and diabetes prevention,
mostly through grants to states and local programs, according to the
CDC." [CNN,
3/9/17]
Director Of The Big Cities Health Coalition Chrissie Juliano: The
Fund Funds Vaccines For The Flu, Measles, Mumps, Track Emergence Of
Diseases Like Zika And Ebola, And Address Foodborne Illnesses Such
As Salmonella. According to Chrissie Juliano, director of the Big
Cities Health Coalition, "At the macro level, the Prevention and
Public Health Fund supports and fights a multitude of health threats
that do not respect state or national borders. Immunization programs
supported by the fund ensure access to vaccines that protect the
most vulnerable among us from routine diseases like the flu, and
recently re-occurring ones like mumps or measles. The fund also
supports the ability to track outbreaks of recently emerged diseases
like Zika or Ebola, but also routine foodborne illnesses, like
Salmonella. Without these dollars provided by the Affordable Care
Act, CDC's ability to protect the health and safety of Americans
will be dramatically reduced. And our collective ability to address
the next big public health threat will put us at risk." [Chrissie
Juliano -- Health Affairs,
3/7/17]
The CDC Said Losing The Fund Would Hamper Its Ability To Prevent
And Respond To Diseases Like The Flu. According to CNN, "CDC's
website says losing this funding would cripple officials' ability
to detect, prevent and respond to health threats including pandemic
flu." [CNN,
3/9/17]