Blumenthal & Matsui Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Invest in Public Health Infrastructure, Bolstering Disease Outbreak Control & Prevention

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representative Doris Matsui (D-CA) introduced the Public Health Funding Restoration Act, legislation to restore funding to the Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF). PPHF provides dedicated funding for innovative public health projects, including vaccination programs, chronic disease prevention programs, and health education programs, strengthening our nation’s public health infrastructure and investing in the health of our communities. PPHF has been historically underfunded despite pressing public health challenges and emergencies, such as the ongoing the bird flu virus and the now deadly measles outbreak in Texas.

“For the first time in a decade, a child in the United States has died from measles as Republicans plot to ransack the Prevention and Public Health Fund for their billionaire tax giveaway. This critical legislation makes the full, necessary investments our life-saving public health programs demand to keep the American people healthy and safe,” said Blumenthal. “Without full funding, we are ill-prepared and unequipped to manage public health emergencies like the bird flu and the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. We must make sure that funding intended for the PPHF remains dedicated to that vital fund—not siphoned off to line the pockets of Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s billionaire buddies.”

“The Republican budget scheme would make Americans sicker while ripping away the funding that keeps us prepared for future pandemics and public health threats,” said Matsui. “From immunizations to core programs that help prevent diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, the Prevention and Public Health Fund is a lifeline for critical public health initiatives. It makes up 10% of the CDC’s budget including investments to track public health threats. The Public Health Funding Restoration Act would finally fully fund the PPHF and enable it to fulfill its mission to keep America healthy and thriving. We must stand up for American families and stop the budget betrayal that would put the health of our future generations in jeopardy.”

The Public Health Funding Restoration Act restores funding to the PPHF to $2 billion for Fiscal Year 2025 and all subsequent years, reaffirming the importance of prevention and public health programs to combatting and controlling the spread of disease. The legislation recognizes that cuts to the PPHF undermine and harm efforts to establish an affordable and accessible health care system.

The legislation is cosponsored in the U.S. Senate by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tina Smith (D-MN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Patty Murray (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Ed Markey (D-MA). The legislation is cosponsored in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Representatives Nanette Barragán (D-CA), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Gilbert Cisneros Jr. (D-CA), Dina Titus (D-NV), Al Green (D-TX),  Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), Gerald Connolly (D-VA), Terri Sewell (D-AL), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Sarah Elfreth (D-MD), Yvette Clarke (D-NY),  Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Shri Thanedar (D-MI), Robert Garcia (D-CA), Ro Khanna (D-CA), and Jill Tokuda (D-HI). 

The legislation is supported by over 90 organizations, including Trust for America’s Health (TFAH). The full list of endorsing organizations can be found here.

“Despite spending more on healthcare than any other high-income nation, the U.S. continues to have worse health outcomes. This mismatch is in part due to inadequate and unstable funding for prevention and public health efforts. The Prevention and Public Health Fund is a vital resource for state, local, tribal, and territorial health departments to prevent and respond to outbreaks, prevent chronic disease, and address the mental health crisis. This legislation would sustain resources for vital work across the country to reduce the leading causes of illness and high healthcare costs,” said TFAH CEO Dr. J. Nadine Garcia.

The full text of the bill can be found here.