American Lung Association: Shutdown Impacts Health of Families; Congress Must Re-Open Government

Yesterday was the last day of the federal fiscal year, but Congress failed to reach an agreement to keep federal agencies funded. To urge lawmakers to put families’ health first, the American Lung Association President and CEO Harold Wimmer released the following statement:

"We are incredibly concerned that Congress could not come together to pass an appropriations bill or a short-term spending stopgap. This funding lapse means halted medical research, delayed disease tracking and weakened protections for clean air – all of which put the health of families at risk. We have long urged Congress to fully fund federal programs that are critical for lung health and to ensure everyone has access to quality, affordable healthcare. Congress had an opportunity to both fund federal agencies and extend healthcare tax credits but did not. 

“Passing federal appropriations bills is essential to the work of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other agencies. During a government shutdown, not only are staff put on leave, but vital programs at these agencies are halted. Every day these agencies remain sidelined, our nation loses ground in protecting health and saving lives. 

"The American Lung Association urges Congress to quickly reach a bipartisan agreement that provides adequate funding for CDC, EPA, FDA and NIH. Additionally, Congress must urgently pass an extension of enhanced healthcare tax credits to effectively protect the health of everyone in the U.S."