The number of confirmed deaths due to the outbreak of the new and frightening coronavirus exceeded 1,000 this week. The actual number is likely higher, and confirmed cases of people infected with the virus continue to grow rapidly.* On Monday, the Trump administration released its 2021 budget, titled “A Budget for America’s Future.” It includes a nice cut to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as the Trump administration creates what it calls “Major Savings and Reforms,” cutting “$5.56 billion, down $1.27 billion (or 18.6 percent),” from the CDC’s 2021 discretionary budget authority, from what it was in 2020.
How is cutting resources going to help us? By using the word “re-focus,” as well as “refocus”:
- “The Budget proposes to re-focus CDC’s core mission on preventing and controlling infectious diseases and other emerging public health issues, such as opioids.”
- Gross Federal debt is now more than $23 trillion. It is imperative that the Congress take meaningful action to refocus Federal priorities and reign in spending.
(Quick side note: The only time Republicans mention “debt” in their policy is when they want to cut something that most Americans are fine spending our tax dollars on.)
- Consolidating AHRQ's activities in NIH would allow the Department of Health and Human Services to refocus resources...
- “Eliminating funding for the remaining Geographic Programs would refocus the Environmental Protection Agency on core national work. ”
- Federal support for media programs will be refocused to improve efficiencies in program delivery
As ArsTechnica explains, one of those “re-focusing” cuts is a 13% cut to programs that deal specifically with “zoonotic infectious diseases,” which means they are transmitted from animal to human. The novel coronavirus is a zoonotic. Just an FYI!
The Trump administration also wants to “refocus” assistance we give in the form of food aid to people at home and abroad. All of this is in the name of cutting budgetary deficits created by the Republican administration’s mismanagement of our country’s resources.
*At the time of this diary the number of confirmed cases was 42,638.