Democrats are concerned President Donald Trump's HHS budget cuts and workforce reductions will be detrimental to the implementation of the 21st Century Cures Act.
The law, which passed last year with bipartisan support, committed funding to improving mental healthcare, tackling the opioid epidemic and speeding disease research. President Trump's budget proposes a $15.1 billion budget cut for HHS, or an 18 percent decrease in funds.
In a letter to the president, 11 Democratic senators, primarily from the health committee, called the cuts "draconian," particularly in addition to workforce reductions, because they would stunt the law's ability to create positive change.
Democrats wrote the budget cuts would dip into resources for the following:
- Biomedical research, including efforts to find cures and improved treatment for disease like Alzheimer's and cancer
- Expanded mental health and substance abuse services
- Health IT initiatives to improve interoperability
- Enhanced tools to improve the Food and Drug Administration's drug approval process
The following Democratic senators signed the letter: Patty Murray of Washington, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Robert Casey Jr. of Pennsylvania, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Al Franken of Minnesota, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Christopher Murphy of Connecticut, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Brian Schatz of Hawaii, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island.
Read the full letter here.
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