"I know foreign aid and global health are important and make up a tiny part of the federal budget, but it's easy to cut.  No one calls our office if we cut these things..."
– A Congressional staffer in a face-to-face meeting with the Dartmouth Coalition for Global Health

The House of Representatives and the Senate recently passed a two-week stopgap budget measure, which expires on Friday.  This means that the House and the Senate have to pass a longer-term temporary budget measure to be signed by the President in the next two days, or our government will shut down.  The Republicans in the House have proposed massive budget cuts to global health as part of their draconian deficit-reduction package, which they will push for in the new agreement that will have to take effect in just two days.

IT IS VITAL THAT STUDENTS AROUND THE NATION CALL OUR SENATORS TODAY AND TELL THEM TO STAND FIRM AND PUSH BACK AGAINST CUTS IN GLOBAL HEALTH.

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Here's what you can do in less than two minutes per call:

1) Find out who your home state's two Senators are and locate their Washington D.C.  office's phone number at:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?OrderBy=state&Sort=ASC 

2) Call them – a staffer will pick up or you will be patched through to an automated comment line.  They will take your message and include it in a comment summary that is communicated to your Senators.  One phone call goes a very long way! Tell them where you're from and then say:

"Please tell the Senator that it is vital that s/he votes against any cuts to global health in the final FY2011 budget.  The House's $1.5 billion budget slashes for global health programs will result in over one million preventable deaths among men, women, and children who our government has already promised treatment to. We cannot balance the budget on the backs of the poor and the sick.  Thank you!"

If you need additional information, please go to http://tinyurl.com/6dy69zv (RESULTS) or http://tinyurl.com/663ct3p (Global Health Council) or see the statement below.

4) Call New Hampshire's two Senators and do the same! They are Jeanne Shaheen (202 – 224 – 2841) and Kelly Ayotte (202 – 224 – 3324).

5) Tell two friends to do the same.  They don't really need to have an expert-level understanding of the policies at play to make their voice heard – that's your Senators' job.  All you and your friends have to do is express that you are passionate about keeping our global health funding promises because millions of lives depend on it.

6) Forward this message to any blitz lists you're active on, especially classes related to health policy! 

7) Please let us know when you've called - students around the country are keeping a national tally! Thank you so much.

Staffers on Capitol Hill don't think constituents care about global health – let's prove them wrong TODAY.  Every single call will make a difference.  Please pick up the phone and dial.  Right now!
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THE FACTS ON GLOBAL HEALTH FUNDING AND THE HOUSE'S CONTINUING RESOLUTION FOR FISCAL YEAR 2011:
 
Reductions in funding for global health and related activities would have a crippling effect on global health programs while contributing little to overall goals of deficit reduction.  Even in the difficult fiscal environment facing this country, global health must remain a top U.S.  priority.  In a world where health, development, and economic growth are inextricably linked, it is in the best interest of our economy and national security to ensure the creation of strong and healthy nations.  The U.S.  must remain committed to battling conditions that lead to extreme deprivation – lack of access to food, safe water, adequate health care – and infringement of basic human rights, which create environments conducive to fostering threats against the security of our nation.

In light of the current Continuing Resolution, and the proposed rolling back of federal spending to FY 08 levels we respectfully request that members of Congress oppose damaging cuts to global health and defend the funding levels proposed in December 2010 draft FY 11 Omnibus appropriations bill.  These proposed amounts are indicated below:

*	USAID Maternal & Child Health: $761 million;
*	USAID Infectious Diseases: $900 million (to address malaria, tuberculosis and neglected tropical diseases);
*	Bilateral and Multilateral Family Planning/Reproductive Health: $710 million (including $57.5 million in contributions to UNFPA through International Organizations and Programs);
*	Global HIV/AIDS: $5.85 billion (including $825 million for the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria)
 
Much of the progress made in global health can be attributed to the bipartisan support of Congress for U.S.  efforts to improve health in developing countries.  Now is not the time to roll back progress.  While the U.S.  federal budget for global health comprises less than one quarter of one percent of the total federal budget, supported programs are extremely high impact and cost effective.  U.S investments in global health – which are supported by an overwhelming majority of Americans across the political spectrum – have provided funding that has enabled the U.S.  to treat more than 3 million people living with HIV and prevent HIV transmission among millions more; reach 12 million people through malaria treatment programs; immunize more than 100 million children each year; treat 10 million people with tuberculosis; treat more than 168 million people for neglected tropical diseases; help millions of women prevent unintended pregnancies; increased the number of skilled birth attendants present during deliveries; and support research to develop and deliver new vaccines, drugs, and other critical health tools.  Furthermore, U.S.  investments in health help partner countries improve health outcomes through strengthened health systems – a wise investment that will help partner countries sustain and grow U.S.  investments, helping countries to meet the health needs of their people long into the future.

We are asking that this funding for global health not come at the expense of robust funding for the entire set of poverty-focused humanitarian and development accounts, all of which complement each other and ultimately serve the common goal of building a safer and more prosperous world.  These resources are critical to advancing global health and other international development goals, mitigating the effects of the global financial crisis and securing a healthier, safer world.  A reduction to these accounts threatens lives and undermines U.S.  leadership in the world.
 
On February 11, House Appropriations Chair Hal Rogers released a budget trumpeting some of the largest spending cuts in history.  These include $1.5 billion less than the President requested for Global Health, and compared to last year over $813.3 million cut from global AIDS programs.  Efforts launched by President George W. Bush to fight AIDS in Africa were slashed - a stunning reversal for Republican leadership.  

These cuts would translate into the death of over one million people around the world who rely on access to lifesaving medicines through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
 
The Proposed Continuing Resolution on the State and Foreign Operations budget include:
* $1.5 billion less than the President requested for global health and $525 million less for the Global Fund than the House bills that weren't completed last year.  Including specifically:
* $513.3 million cut compared to 2010 to global AIDS programs and $150 million less to the Global Fund;
* In addition, the CR proposal also slashes funds to the Health and Human Services Budget, including $300 million to the Global Fund.

Cuts to the Global Fund alone would result in:    
* 483,000 people likely to die without AIDS treatment;
* 68,000 babies born with HIV because their mothers didn't receive prevention drugs;
* 12 million families without bed-nets to prevent malaria and 434,000 people will risk death without TB treatment.
 
Furthermore, cuts to the PEPFAR program would mean a halt and reversal of treatment scale up which, based on 2010 data, would likely mean:
* 400,000 people will not be eligible for life-saving treatment;
* 500,000 people will lose access to care, including 300,000 orphans;
* 100,000 fewer HIV+ pregnant women getting preventative care;
* 20,000 people becoming infected with HIV who otherwise wouldn't have.
 
"Nobody voted this year for a Republican plan to sacrifice over one million lives in Africa.  President Bush and the Republicans created PEPFAR to protect our national security and to support a bold commitment to life.  Chairman Rogers and House Republicans would jettison this commitment - preferring malicious cuts that will cost the lives of some of the poorest people on the planet.  U.S.  global AIDS programs provide economic stability around the world and ensure security.  We hope that the Senate will reject this radically anti-life, anti-security proposal." 
– Matthew Kavanagh, Director of US Advocacy for Health GAP (Global Access Project)

http://www.amfar.org/uploadedFiles/In_the_Community/Publications/GlobalIssueBrief2011.pdf
http://www.healthgap.org/press/fy11_cr_sacrifices_lives.htm