Support Funding for the Fight Against Domestic Tuberculosis *Programmatic Request*
Deadline: COB, Thursday, March 30
Dear Colleague,
Please join us in supporting funding for the fight against domestic tuberculosis (TB) as part of the Fiscal Year 2018 appropriations process. The Comprehensive Tuberculosis Elimination Act of 2017, which we am sponsoring, authorizes $243 million for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's domestic TB program, the lead program charged with coordinating our national TB control efforts, including implementation of the interagency National Action Plan to Combat Multi-Drug Resistant TB (NAP), released in December 2015. This funding is needed to implement the NAP and strengthen our national efforts to identify, treat and prevent TB infection, prevent shortages of TB drugs, and intensify research into this disease, including efforts to develop new diagnostic, treatment and prevention tools.
According to the World Health Organization, TB is now the leading global infectious disease killer of adults worldwide, ahead of HIV/AIDS, with 1.8 million individuals dying from the disease annually. In the U.S., every state continues to report cases of TB each year and the disease is a significant public health problem for border states such as California, Texas, Florida and others. In its 2013 report on antibiotic resistance, the CDC identified drug resistant TB as a serious health threat to the nation. Although rates of TB are falling in the U.S., we are not on track to eliminate the disease in this country. The incidence of drug resistant TB, which is very complicated and expensive to treat, is steady. Between 2005 and 2018, the U.S. had 1,195 cases of multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB and 31 cases of extensively drug resistant (XDR) TB.
Many believe TB is a disease of the past, but it is still a real public health threat due to a lack of resources dedicated to properly treat the disease and develop new, more effective tools to fight TB. There is an urgent need to develop shorter treatment regimens, faster diagnostics, and vaccines that prevent children and adults from all forms of TB.
To strengthen domestic TB control, we are sponsoring the Comprehensive Tuberculosis Elimination Act. The bill reauthorizes CDC's tuberculosis elimination activities, including targeted efforts to prevent multidrug-resistant TB, address TB drug shortages and coordinate TB diagnosis and treatment services with state and local community health centers to prevent disease transmission. The bill also coordinates and prioritizes basic, clinical and operational research on TB.
In order to implement the NAP and put the U.S. back on the path to TB elimination, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's domestic TB program must be fully funded at $243 million in FY2018. If you are interested in signing the letter to support this request, please contact Sergio Espinosa with Rep. Gene Green at or 5-1688, Catherine Rowland with Rep. Eliot Engel at or 5-2464, or Jesse von Stein with Rep. Young at or 5-5765.
Sincerely,
Gene Green Eliot Engel Don Young
Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress
March XX, 2018
The Honorable Tom Cole The Honorable Rosa DeLauro
Chairman Ranking Member
Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, & Ed. Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, & Ed.
Committee on Appropriations Committee on Appropriations
U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515 Washington D.C. 20515
Dear Chairman Cole and Ranking Member DeLauro:
As you begin to craft legislation making appropriations for fiscal year (FY) 2018, we respectfully submit a request for $243 million in funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's domestic tuberculosis (TB) program, as authorized under the Comprehensive TB Elimination Act, in the Labor-Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies bill. TB is the leading infectious disease killer in the world, ahead of HIV/AIDS. In its 2013 report on antibiotic resistance, the CDC identified drug resistant TB as a serious health threat to the nation. Many state and local public health departments around the U.S. are struggling with the high costs of treating drug resistant TB, which can cost between $154,000 to $250,000 to treat per case. In December 2015, an interagency National Action Plan to Combat Multi-Drug Resistant TB (NAP) was released, providing a comprehensive framework for addressing TB globally and in the U.S.
Many believe TB is a disease of the past, but it is still a real public health threat due to a lack of resources dedicated to properly treat the disease and develop new, more effective tools to fight TB. There is an urgent need to develop shorter treatment regimens, faster diagnostics and vaccines that prevent children and adults from all forms of TB.
To strengthen domestic TB control, Reps. Gene Green and Eliot Engel are sponsoring the Comprehensive Tuberculosis Elimination Act. The bill reauthorizes CDC's tuberculosis elimination activities, including targeted efforts to prevent multidrug-resistant TB, address TB drug shortages, and coordinate TB diagnosis and treatment services with state and local community health centers to prevent disease transmission. Finally, the bill prioritizes basic, clinical and operational research on TB, including pediatric TB.
The CTEA authorizes $243 million for CDC's domestic tuberculosis program for FY18 and we ask that the FY18 Labor-HHS-ED Appropriations bill provide this authorization level to implement the NAP and put the U.S. back on the path to TB elimination. Thank you for your consideration of this request.
Sincerely,