2018: Schweikert Voted Against 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, Schweikert voted against 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: Schweikert Voted For The American Health Care Act That Would Eliminated The CDC's Prevention And Public Health Fund. In May 2017, Schweikert voted for the American Health Care Act which would have significantly repealed portions of the Affordable Care Act by cutting Medicaid, cutting taxes on the rich, removing safeguard for pre-existing conditions and defunding Planned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]
2015: Schweikert Voted Against Funding The Centers For Disease Control (CDC), Including $1.4 Billion For Public Health Preparedness And Response Activities And $580 Million For Emerging And Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, As Part Of The FY 2016 Omnibus. In December 2015, Schweikert voted against funding the CDC. According to Congressional Quarterly, "The measure provides a total of $7.2 billion for activities of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) --- $308 million (4%) more than FY 2015 and $168 million more than requested. Within the total, $1.4 billion is provided for public health preparedness and response activities ($52 million more than FY 2015) related to bioterror attacks and pandemic diseases, $798 million for immunization and respiratory disease activities (equal to FY 2015) and $1.2 billion for chronic disease prevention and health promotion." The legislation was, according to Congressional Quarterly, a FY 2016 Omnibus Appropriations bill The House agreed to the motion by a vote of 316 to 113. The legislation was later combined with a tax extender bill. The Senate passed the larger measure and the president signed it. [House Vote 705, 12/18/15; Congressional Quarterly, 12/18/15; Congressional Quarterly, 12/15/15; Congressional Quarterly, 12/17/15; Congressional Actions, H.R. 2029]
Legislation Provided $580 Million For Emerging And Zoonotic Infectious Diseases And $1.1 Billion For HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STDs And Tuberculosis Activities. According to Congressional Quarterly, "The total includes $1.1 billion for CDC's HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis prevention activities, $580 million for emerging and zoonotic infectious diseases, $492 million for public health scientific services, $427 million for global health and $339 million for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The measure also provides designated amounts for certain CDC programs, including $210 million for tobacco prevention, $160 million for the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant for state public health needs, $160 million for the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention and $70 million for prescription drug abuse prevention." [Congressional Quarterly, 12/17/15]
Zoonotic Diseases Are Ones Caught By A Human From A Bug Or Other Animal Such As West Nile Or Lyme Disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Every year, tens of thousands of Americans will get sick from a disease they caught from a bug or other animal. These are known as zoonotic diseases. Because diseases from bugs and other animals cause about 3 out of 5 new human sicknesses, CDC is always tracking and reporting them. Some of the most common zoonotic diseases to know about include: Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which you can get from a tick bite. West Nile virus, which you can get from a mosquito bite. Dengue, malaria, and chikungunya, which you can get if you travel to areas where these diseases are common, such as the Caribbean, and are bitten by an infected mosquito. Salmonella infection, which you can get after handling a baby chick, chicken, duck, turtle, or snake. E. coli infection, which you can catch if you touch areas in a petting zoo or animal exhibit where some of the animals are infected. You can also catch E. coli infection if you work at a dairy because cows can have E. coli germs on their udders." [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Accessed 2/1/16]
2014: Schweikert Voted Against Funding The CDC At $6.9 Billion, Including $1.8 Billion For Ebola, As Part Of Legislation Providing FY 2015 Funding For The Rest Of The Government. In December 2014, Schweikert voted against House-passed legislation that, according to Congressional Quarterly, "finance[d] government operations through Sept. 30 [2015], the remainder of FY 2015, through full, detailed, annual appropriations bills for all spending measures except Homeland Security --- which would be funded by a continuing resolution until Feb. 27." According to Congressional Quarterly, the legislation "provides a total of $6.9 billion for activities of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) --- $21 million (less than 1%) more than FY 2014 and $264 million (4%) more than requested. The CDC would also receive $1.8 billion for Ebola funding, $59 million (3%) less than requested. Within the total, $1.4 billion is provided for public health preparedness and response activities ($29 million more than FY 2014), $798 million is for immunization and respiratory disease activities ($54 million more than FY 2014 enacted funding) and $1.2 billion is for chronic disease prevention and health promotion ($42 million more)." The vote was on a motion to concur in the Senate Amendment with an Amendment. The House agreed to the motion 219 to 206. The Senate agreed to by a vote of 56 to 40. Afterwards, the amended legislation was sent to the president, who signed it into law. [House Vote 563, 12/11/14; Congressional Quarterly, 12/10/14; Congressional Actions, H.R. 83; Public Law, 113-235]
2015: Schweikert Voted To Provide Expedited Review By The CDC Of The Safety And Efficacy Of Vaccines As Part Of A Larger Medical Funding Bill. In July 2015, Schweikert voted for legislation that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, "require[d] the CDC to begin collecting information on the prevalence of neurological diseases (such as Parkinson's) in the United States and to expedite reviews of vaccines that may be needed for public health emergencies." The overall legislation would have, also according to Congressional Quarterly, "modif[ied] current federal processes involving medical research, developing drugs and other treatments, and testing and approving those drugs and treatments in an effort to accelerate the development and delivery of cures to diseases and medical conditions. It would [have] also reauthorize[d] the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for three years and includes numerous initiatives to promote medical research and attract young scientists, and it reauthorizes Food and Drug Administration (FDA) activities for five years and modifies elements of FDA's drug and medical device review and approval process to accelerate the approval and distribution of new drugs and medical devices for diseases and conditions that don't currently have treatments." The vote was on the legislation. The House approved the bill by a vote of 344 to 77. A separate, but related bill later became law. [House Vote 433, 7/10/15; Congressional Quarterly, 7/8/15; Congressional Quarterly, 7/10/15; Congressional Actions, H.R. 34; Congressional Actions, H.R. 6]