Today, President Trump released his Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) budget proposal and its supplements, which can be found here.

This budget proposal issues deep cuts to public health funding and safety net programs, slashing the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) budget by 10 percent, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) budget by 9 percent, and spending on Medicaid and subsidies for the Affordable Care Act by a combined trillion dollars. These cuts will undoubtedly affect the lives of millions of Americans and will stifle any national response against the STD and HIV epidemics.

The proposal funds CDC – Division of STD Prevention (DSTDP) at $161 million, level funding to FY20. Given the significant cuts elsewhere in CDC, this is a win for our community. The document also includes language acknowledging the significant increase in STDs in recent years, particularly for congenital syphilis, and mentions the STI Federal Action Plan due to be released this year.

The proposal included $761 million at HHS (+$450 million from FY20) for year two of the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative – $371 million at CDC, $302 million at Health Resources and Services Administration, $27 million at Indian Health Service, and $16 million at National Institutes for Health. It also included $58 million (+$48 million) at CDC for the infectious disease consequences of the opioid epidemic.

The President’s proposal also completely eliminates the sexual risk avoidance and teenage pregnancy prevention programs, a total cut of $136 million.

The President’s budget proposal is the first step in the congressional appropriations cycle for FY21 and carries no weight of enforcement. However, it does give an understanding of the Trump Administration’s priorities and begins the FY21 appropriations process.

NCSD will be closely monitoring appropriations developments as they occur in Congress and will keep you updated along the way.