FY2007 Budget Process Reform Measures: Final letter to all Members of Congress objecting to legislation enhancing the line item veto and creating sunset commissions
September 11, 2006
Dear Member of Congress:
The undersigned health organizations urge you to reject budget process reform measures that weaken the legislative authority of Congress. Among these reforms are providing the President with line-item veto authority and creating independent, appointed Sunset Commissions to facilitate the reorganization, including abolishment, of federal programs and agencies.
In his FY 2007 budget, the President proposed elimination of 91 programs across the federal government, a number of them health discretionary programs that serve children, the disabled, those living in rural areas, provide preventive services to communities and train a broad array of health professionals. Through the regular budget and appropriations process, Congress has chosen to restore funding for many of these health programs. We are concerned about proposals that would allow the President up to one year to bundle targeted programs into one of four veto packages arranged by his choosing. We ask you to reconsider any proposals that create funding uncertainty and program disruption.
Congress already has access, beyond its own legislative authorities and process, to thorough program reviews provided by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Sunset Commissions would not only be duplicative and wasteful, but would seriously undermine Congressional legislative authority.
We urge you to reject these budget process proposals and keep Congressional authority strong. The health of the American people depends on it.
To respond to this letter, please contact Dr. Marcia Mabee, Executive Director, Coalition for Health Funding: mailto:[email protected]; 703-709-3001.
Sincerely,
AIDS Action
AIDS Foundation of Chicago
Allegheny Singer Research Institute
Alliance for Aging Research
Alpha-1 Association
Alpha-1 Foundation
Alzheimer's Association
Ambulatory Pediatric Association
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
American Academy of HIV Medicine
American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Academy of Physician Assistants
American Association for Dental Research
American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry
American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
American Brain Coalition
American College of Clinical Pharmacy
American College of Nurse-Midwives
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
American College of Preventive Medicine
American Dental Association
American Dental Education Association
American Dental Hygienists' Association
American Geriatrics Society
American Pain Foundation
American Pediatric Society
American Psychiatric Association
American Psychological Association
American Public Health Association
American Society for Bone and Mineral Research
American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
American Society of Nephrology
American Society of Pediatric Nephrology
American Society of Radiologic Technologists
Americans for Medical Progress
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research
Arthritis Foundation
Association for Prevention Teaching and Research
Association for Psychological Science
Association of Academic Health Centers
Association of American Medical Colleges
Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges
Association of Chiropractic Colleges
Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs
Association of Organ Procurement Organizations
Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions
Association of Schools of Public Health
Association of University Centers on Disabilities
Association of University Programs in Health Administration
Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
Boys Town National Research Hospital
CARES Foundation, Inc.
Center for Science in the Public Interest
Child Welfare League of America
Christopher Reeve Foundation
Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America
Cooley's Anemia Foundation
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Epilepsy Foundation
HIV Medicine Association
HIVictorious, Inc.
Housing Works
Institute for the Advancement of Social Work Research
International Myeloma Foundation
Jeffrey Modell Foundation
L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center
Legal Action Center
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Lymphoma Research Foundation
March of Dimes
NAADAC, The Association for Addiction Professionals
National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research
National Association for Biomedical Research
National Association for Children's Behavioral Health
National Association for Geriatric Education
National Association of Children's Hospitals
National Association of County and City Health Officials
National Association of Geriatric Education Centers
National Association of Medical Minority Educators, Inc.
National Association of Social Workers
National Coalition for Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases
National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.
National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association
National Health Council
National Hispanic Medical Association
National Kidney Foundation
National Mental Health Association
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
National Rural Health Association
Neuropathy Association
Neuropathy Research Foundation
Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation
Society for Adolescent Medicine
Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Society for Neuroscience
Society for Pediatric Research
Society for Research in Child Development
Society for Women's Health Research
Society of General Internal Medicine
Spina Bifida Association
Spina Bifida Foundation
TeenScreen
The Gerontological Society of America
The Lupus Foundation of America, Inc.
Therapeutic Communities of America
TII CANN - Title II Community AIDS National Network
Trust for America's Health
Woodruff Health Sciences Center, Emory University
YMCA of the USA
