Debt Ceiling Agreement and the Very Real Threat to Tropical Medicine/Global Health Funding
At the eleventh hour, Congress and the White House reached an agreement to raise the debt ceiling and to limit discretionary spending over the next decade. It has also set the stage for a series of political battles that will play out in the months ahead, as Congress is now mandated to move forward with substantial cuts to federal spending.
The deal immediately enacted 10-year discretionary spending caps generating nearly $1 trillion in deficit reduction balanced between defense and non-defense spending. A 12-member bipartisan "Super Committee" has been created and is tasked with identifying at least an additional $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction, including cuts in entitlement programs and tax reform. Congress is required to vote on the committee's recommendations by Dec. 23, 2011. If the committee fails, an enforcement mechanism will trigger the $1.2 trillion in spending reductions beginning in 2013, split 50-50 between domestic and defense spending (with some restrictions for specific programs such as Social Security and others).
The spending caps could have severe implications for tropical medicine/global health spending at USAID, NIH, CDC and DoD. For instance USAID programs are funded through the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill. The House Appropriations Committee has already proposed an 18 percent cut to that bill for fiscal year 2012 even before the debt ceiling cuts are considered.
To further complicate and muddy the funding waters, for efforts funded under the State and Foreign Operations appropriations, the law created separate “security” and “non-security” spending caps for fiscal years 2012 and 2013. Foreign Assistance falls under “security,” and for fiscal year 2012 the House Appropriations Committee already passed bills funding “security” programs at a level of $10 billion over the cap. This means that cuts will have to be made and foreign assistance is a very likely target. Appropriations for NIH, CDC and FDA--which are funded under the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education appropriations bill--are in slightly better shape, but in this environment, even level funding for these agencies would be considered a stunning victory.
Super Committee members and support for tropical medicine/global health
The 12 Super Committee Members are: Sens. Baucus (D-MT), Kerry (D-MA), Kyl (R-AZ), Murray (D-WA), Portman (R-OH) and Toomey (R-PA); and Reps. Beccera (D-CA), Camp (R-MI), Clyborn (D-SC), Henserling (R-TX), Upton (R-MI) and Van Hollen (D-MD). Who on this committee actively values our issues? Sen. Murray represents Washington State, where the global health sector is an important part of the economy. Rep. Van Hollen’s constituents include NIH and WRAIR. Sen. Kerry is the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and has always been deeply committed to global health. These supporters also need to hear from us that we are behind them.