ASTHO Statement on President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2022 Discretionary Budget

April 09, 2021

ARLINGTON, VA—Michael Fraser, chief executive officer of ASTHO, issued the following statement on President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2022 discretionary budget.

“ASTHO is pleased that President Biden’s discretionary budget request acknowledges the need to support core public health capacity, modernize public health data collection, and strengthen the public health workforce. Furthermore, we applaud the proposed budget increases to end the opioid crisis and the HIV/AIDS epidemic, as well as to improve health equity for racial and ethnic populations through the CDC’s Social Determinants of Health program.

“This proposal represents a critical first step in the budget appropriation process. Sustainable and reliable investments are needed to support governmental public health agencies and their work to respond to current and emerging public health threats. We look forward to working with the Administration and Congress to make this budget proposal a reality for state and territorial public health agencies as they advance in their work to achieve optimal health for all.”

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ASTHO is the national nonprofit organization representing the public health agencies of the United States, the U.S. territories and freely associated states, and Washington, D.C., as well as the more than 100,000 public health professionals these agencies employ. ASTHO members, the chief health officials of these jurisdictions, are dedicated to formulating and influencing sound public health policy and to ensuring excellence in public health practice.