Federal Priorities for the 118th Congress: Lung Health

CDC has faced severe and significant underfunding that have had a dramatic impact on its ability to respond to health threats and address the social determinants of health that have led to severe health inequities. The public health and research programs carried out by CDC help to prevent lung disease, improve health and, by extension, save the lives of millions of Americans. Congress must make robust investments in our nation’s public health system and support individual programs to ensure a coordinated response to public health challenges.

The COVID-19 pandemic should serve as a reminder for the need to prepare for future public health emergencies. Congress must ensure that depleted stockpiles are restored and that plans are made to prevent exhaustion of resources for future public health emergencies. The Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) requires appropriate funding to maintain a secure level of supplies, including personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators and treatments.

Each of the individual institutes within NIH, including the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities and the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, would benefit greatly from and should receive increased funding annually. With increased support, these agencies will be able to continue their investments in research in pursuit of treatments and cures for lung disease. Congress must make sustained investments in each individual institute so that the promise of biomedical research can be achieved.

The NACP tracks asthma prevalence, promotes asthma control and prevention and builds capacity in state programs. This program has been highly effective, however, currently only 25 states, territories and municipalities receive funding – leaving a nationwide public health void that can lead to unnecessary asthma-related attacks and healthcare costs. Congress must expand funding of the NACP to at least $40 million for FY24, ultimately increase funding for the program to $65 million to fund all 50 states plus territories and pass the Family Asthma Act.

The CDEA program gives CDC the flexibility to invest in initiatives that increase public and professional awareness about chronic health conditions that do not have a designated funding line in the CDC budget. Since FY21, CDC has awarded six competitive grants – including one to increase awareness of COPD. Given the strong demand for this emerging program and its ability to address several chronic health care conditions, Congress must increase funding to $6 million for the CDEA in FY24.

At the request of congressional leaders, the NIH and CDC created a National COPD Action Plan. This plan outlines measures to address COPD in this country, including ways to empower patients and raise awareness, increase surveillance and improve the standard of care. While great strides have been made, it is time for federal agencies, working together with relevant external partners, to fully implement the National COPD Action Plan.

NIH and DOD play a critical role in advancing research to better understand and treat lung cancer. NIH research on lung cancer and the peer-reviewed lung cancer research program at DOD facilitate both ongoing and emerging activities that advance scientific understanding of lung cancer. Congress must continue to invest in the vital research taking place at both NIH and DOD.

Improving survival rates for lung cancer will require a comprehensive approach that includes risk reduction strategies, improving utilization of screening for those at high risk, eliminating disparities in lung cancer treatments, and many other strategies. Congress must increase funding for CDC’s Cancer Control Program to develop and implement public health strategies to address lung cancer. 

In the Inflation Reduction Act, Congress included new policies to improve access and remove financial barriers to recommended vaccines in Medicare and Medicaid. The administration should quickly implement these important policies.

TB outbreaks continue to occur across the country in schools, workplaces and prisons, costing the U.S. over $460 million annually. In order to continue our progress towards the elimination of TB in this country, Congress must provide $225 million for CDC’s state and local TB programs.

While millions of Americans have recovered from COVID-19, many individuals are experiencing lingering, returning or new symptoms post-infection. Congress and the administration must fund research to find new treatments for these symptoms and increase support for those living with long COVID.