Contact Your Senators Today and Urge Them to Sign the Gillibrand-Sheehan “Dear Colleague” Letter Supporting the National Asthma Control Program

Dear Friends,

Congress just cleared its final fiscal year 2018 spending bill. The bill included $29 million for the National Asthma Control Program (NACP). This program is run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This important action reverses the president's proposed cut of nearly $4 million to the program. And it actually gives a slight increase to the NACP above what the program got in the 2017 fiscal year.

But our work is far from done. Congress is already working on the budget for the 2019 fiscal year. For this reason, we are reaching out today to ask for your help.

We are asking you to urge your senators to sign a  “Dear Colleague” letter. This letter is from Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) to support $30 million for the NACP in the 2019 fiscal year.

Since NACP’s start in 1999, death rates for asthma have gone down 39 percent. NACP funds programs in 24 states and Puerto Rico. It has made a big difference in improving outcomes for those with asthma.

But the president’s budget for the 2019 fiscal year includes a proposed $4 million cut to the NACP again. This is 13.8 percent below the amount for the 2018 fiscal year. Reversing these proposed cuts and increasing the budget to $30 million will allow the NACP to continue to meet the needs of funded states. They will also be able to allow for better research, management and treatment of asthma.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America is proud to join our partners in this effort. The CDC Coalition, American Public Health Association, American Lung Association and others are asking Congress to protect and increase funding for the NACP.

UPDATE: The deadline has passed for this action alert and so we have removed the "contact your senators" feature. Thank you to everyone who contacted your senators. We will keep you updated on further actions.