Press Releases

Members of Congress Call Out ‘Dangerous Practice’ of Blocking Nearly $300 Million in Congressionally-Obligated Funding

Congressman Tim Kennedy (NY-26) led a coalition of 37 House Democrats in demanding that the Trump Administration immediately release nearly $300 million in frozen public health grants through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This oversight effort comes as the CDC under Trump has plunged into chaos with top officials being forced out, including Director Susan Monarez. The administration’s withholding of funds, political interference, and suppression of science is dismantling the very leadership our public health system relies on, while Americans face real threats to their health and safety.

In the letter, sent while Monarez was still serving as Director, Kennedy and his colleagues voiced serious concerns about reports that the administration has blocked as much as $300 million in critical public health grants, largely from the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. The members urged the Trump administration to end this “dangerous practice” and immediately release the funds Congress already obligated for essential public health programs.

“Millions of Americans live with chronic diseases, while tens of thousands die each year due to injuries and accidents,” said Congressman Kennedy. “CDC funding is an investment in the health and well-being of the American people, helping countless people live fuller, more rewarding lives, and allowing them to contribute to their communities and our economy. These grants pay dividends by extending lifespans, easing pain, and making Americans safer. The Trump Administration must do the right thing and immediately lift this funding freeze.”

Lawmakers pointed to the troubling pattern of funding freezes under Trump and highlighted the consequences of these disruptions on communities – particularly in rural and underserved areas. Cutting public health funds puts innocent Americans at risk by undermining programs that prevent chronic disease, support mental health services, fight tobacco use, respond to drug overdoses, and address gun violence – the leading cause of death for children and teens. 

Without stable and ongoing federal investment, decades of progress in disease prevention are at risk. Congressman Kennedy’s letter, co-signed by 37 House Democrats, calls on OMB to immediately release the obligated CDC funds. 

The text of Kennedy’s letter is below:

We write with serious concerns regarding reports that the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has blocked critical public health grants funded through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The reported freezing of as much as $300 million in CDC grant funds – primarily within the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and National Center for Injury Prevention and Control – has a direct and immediate impact on state and local public health departments and other public health organizations that rely on federal funding streams. Accordingly, we demand that the Trump administration discontinue this dangerous practice and immediately release congressionally obligated funds for core public health programs. 

As you know, the CDC is responsible for executing the federal government’s response for disease prevention and improved public health outcomes through scientific research. Through annual discretionary and mandatory appropriations, CDC funds critical research and development initiatives for disease surveillance, cancer prevention, health education, and public health emergency preparedness, among others. Many of these funding streams go directly to state, local, territorial, and tribal governments as well as external stakeholders with CDC’s shared goals. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2023, CDC awarded 6,982 grants totaling over $12.6 billion, with 70 percent of grant awards going to government entities across the country to support programs directly at the community level. In New York, a state with 31 drug overdoses per 100,000 residents, CDC funding in FY23 helped advance the continuation of essential drug-free community support programs. In Colorado, CDC investments supported partnerships to study, register, and prevent Sudden Unexpected Infant Death cases. And in Texas, over $3 million in FY23 funding helped state and local officials prevent tobacco use and educate impacted populations. The positive impact of CDC investments in both red and blue states cannot be overstated and has real consequences when placed in jeopardy by this administration. 

According to recent reporting, OMB has directed CDC to freeze disbursement of funding for as much as $300 million in grants, blocking key support for programs within the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Reporting suggests that OMB has issued directives through appropriations memorandums to justify the illegal withholding of congressionally obligated funds, underscoring OMB’s fundamental misunderstanding of provisions in the Constitution and in existing case law denying the President the ability to decline spending of appropriations funds. Programs impacted fund initiatives to prevent and address tobacco use, mental health disorders, kidney disease, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, alcohol use, epilepsy, obesity, and others. Additionally, as guns remain the leading cause of death for children and teens, funding within CDC’s Injury Center has also been frozen, negatively impacting states' ongoing battle against the gun violence epidemic and youth violence prevention more broadly. These federal funds have been congressionally obligated and are depended upon by the local health departments that execute lifesaving health initiatives. Funding delays directly harm our constituents who depend on these services, particularly those in rural and underserved communities. 

More broadly, canceling, freezing, or delaying obligated public health funds under the guise of “programmatic review” has become a troubling pattern during this administration. Just last month, the Trump administration withheld $140 million from a key CDC overdose data collection cooperative agreement that funds 90 health departments across the U.S. As a result, this funding uncertainty left state and local grant recipients in limbo, forced to consider cuts to contracts and staffing instrumental to opioid use prevention efforts. In July, OMB attempted to block all funding flowing to outside health researchers, which included roughly $15 billion in NIH funding for medical research. Relatedly, the Department of Health and Human Services was found to be in violation of the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 when it terminated and froze funding for nearly 1,800 NIH grants between February and June of 2025. In addition to future limitations on medical advancements, these actions raise serious concerns regarding local health departments’ ability to remain prepared and fully staffed during infectious disease outbreaks, weather-related crises, bioterrorism threats, chemical or nuclear events, and beyond.

We ask that OMB immediately release the withheld CDC funding and provide responses to the following questions by August 22, 2025:

1. Which specific grants through CDC are being withheld and how many state and local agencies and organizations are expected to be impacted? Please provide a full, detailed list of grant recipients affected, as well as their congressional districts and funding years being disrupted.
2. To what extent has CDC engaged with impacted grant recipients on a timeline for release of withheld funds? 
3. What specific authority in existing federal statute is OMB using to justify these illegal actions? 
4. What are the parameters being employed for OMB’s “programmatic review” used to block National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and National Center for Injury Prevention and Control funds? 
5. Given concerns that other authorized and obligated funds may be at risk, how is CDC working to obligate remaining Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) program preparedness contract funding for 2024-2025?

As Members of Congress, we have constituents and local organizations impacted by these irresponsible funding freezes and have received urgent outreach expressing deep concern about the impacts of this administration’s actions. Without reliable, regular, and renewed public health investments from the federal government, this administration risks undoing decades of advancements in disease prevention. We demand that OMB immediately release obligated CDC funds and continue much-needed investments in our communities. Thank you for your attention to this critical matter. 

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