TFAH Urges Congress to Override President's Veto of Labor/HHS Appr...( WASHINGTON Nov. 14 -- The follow...),Health

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a statement from Jeff Levi, Executive Director of Trust for America's Health (TFAH):

"Trust for America's Health (TFAH) urges Congress to override the President's veto of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill.

The Labor/HHS bill provides funding for vital programs that:

-- Assist states, territories, localities and hospitals to prepare for public health emergencies;

-- Enhance our stockpile of vaccines and antivirals to fight a pandemic influenza outbreak;

-- Combat infectious disease outbreaks through surveillance and training programs;

-- Enhance our chronic disease prevention efforts;

-- Improve our understanding of the environmental factors that may be linked to chronic disease;

-- Help train and educate our public health and healthcare workforce;

-- Immunize low-income children; and

-- Promote medical research.

Rejecting this Conference Report and passing yet another stopgap measure will only serve to continue the habitual underfunding of our public health system. Adequately funding prevention and preparedness programs, as well as the other laudable education and human needs programs in this bill, is a strong investment in the health of our nation and in our future. We hope Congress will vote to support public health and override the President's veto of the Labor/HHS Appropriations bill."

Trust for America's Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority.