Advocacy Update ~ October 28, 2019

Still No Deal on FY 2020 Appropriations

The House and the Senate continued discussions last week on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 appropriations bills, hoping to reach a compromise on topline (302(b)) allocations for each of the individual spending bills. Unfortunately, there appears to be no end in sight. Meanwhile last week, the Senate did consider a four bill “minibus” on the Senate floor, and there is hope the chamber can move to a “Defense minibus” that would include the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Agencies spending bill.

The government remains open under a Continuing Resolution (CR) that expires on November 21, but it is becoming more likely that another CR will be needed. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) stated late last week that a CR extending into 2020 could even be a possibility.

Congresswoman Brooks Is New Global Health Caucus Co-Chair

Congresswoman Susan Brooks (R-IN) joins Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN), longtime co-chair and caucus founder, as a co-chair of the House Global Health Caucus. Congresswoman Brooks has been a supporter of maternal and child health issues as well as global health research and development.

New Legislation Introduced on the Hill:

• Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) and Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA) introduced the “Global Health Coordination and Development Act,” (bill numbers pending) which would create an interagency framework to coordinate U.S. global health activities. Read Senator Markey’s press statement and the text of the bill. GHC has been in conversations with Senator Markey’s office and other Congressional offices but has not endorsed any bills. We continue to work with the community to lead our contributions to such efforts. There will be more discussion on this at the Landscape Symposium in December.
• Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the “STOP (Study, Treat, Observe, and Prevent) Neglected Diseases of Poverty Act” (2675), a bill that would address neglected diseases of poverty in the United States by providing the necessary tools to address and eliminate these diseases. It is estimated that an estimated 12 million Americans, who have unsafe drinking water and inadequate housing and sanitation, are affected by these debilitating diseases, such as chagas and dengue fever. GHC and GHC members’ American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Global Health Technologies Coalition, and PATH have endorsed the bill.

This post was written by Danielle Heiberg, Senior Policy Advisor.