The Trump Administration has neutered America's ability to combat the #coronavirus global emergency.
Throughout his tenure, Trump has slashed public health budgets & eliminated critical public health infrastructure. #TrumpVirus
Throughout his tenure, Trump has slashed public health budgets & eliminated critical public health infrastructure. #TrumpVirus
The White House released its new budget in recent weeks. It includes the following:
✂️ 16% cut at @CDCgov
✂️ 10% cut at @HHSGov
✂️ 7% cut at @NIH
#coronavirus #TrumpVirus
✂️ 16% cut at @CDCgov
✂️ 10% cut at @HHSGov
✂️ 7% cut at @NIH
#coronavirus #TrumpVirus
This follows previous Trump-era public health budget cuts. For example, in 2018, the CDC cut 80% of its efforts to prevent global disease outbreaks due to a budget shortfall. 🌍☣️
Trump has cut a number of initiatives that served as America's global front line in pandemic prevention. He eliminated the US's Complex Crises Fund and slashed the US AID budget, both of which served to bolster foreign outbreak response. #coronavirus #TrumpVirus🌍☣️
Trump's new budget also proposes a 53% cut to the WHO and 75% cut to the Pan American Health Organization, two int'l orgs that are vital for coordinating a global response to global pandemics. #coronavirus #TrumpVirus 🌏☣️
As we learned with Ebola, it's much better to support swift counter-epidemic responses while those outbreaks are overseas, than to wait until the infectious diseases reach our shores. #coronavirus #TrumpVirus 🌎☣️
Trump entirely eliminated the global health security unit of the National Security Council, which successfully served as a chain-of-command structure during the Ebola outbreak. #coronavirus #TrumpVirus 🌍☣️
Trump also slashed $769 million from the budget for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, led by world renowned epidemiologist Dr. Anthony Fauci, who now serves as one of the gov'ts #coronavirus epidemic spokespersons. #TrumpVirus 😷🤒
Trump & his allies in Congress have also orchestrated safety net cuts that imperil us all during the #coronavirus epidemic.
Eliminating food stamps from 700,000 Americans means these people are more likely to go to work when they are sick, thereby spreading the disease. 😷🤒
Eliminating food stamps from 700,000 Americans means these people are more likely to go to work when they are sick, thereby spreading the disease. 😷🤒
The # of Americans w/o health insurance has risen steadily since Trump took office due to the GOP's assault on the Affordable Care Act. Republicans are making it harder for Americans to find affordable coverage. #TrumpVirus
Stopping an outbreak relies on the public's access to health care. The uninsured are more likely to go to work while sick and to not seek medical attention, thereby spreading the disease. #coronavirus #TrumpVirus 😷🤒
Beyond budget cuts, incompetence & confusion characterize the Trump Admin's #coronavirus response. In late February, the Admin overruled the CDC's advice and allowed infected cruise passengers to fly with healthy ones. #TrumpVirus
washingtonpost.com/health/coronav…
washingtonpost.com/health/coronav…
HHS sent over 12 employees to receive the cruise ship evacuees. The HHS employees were not provided with training or protective gear to handle infected patients, and these employees went back into the community, possibly spreading #coronavirus. washingtonpost.com/health/2020/02…
Now, without an effective National Security Council apparatus for handling epidemic response, Trump tapped @VP to lead. This is the same Mike Pence whose disastrous handling of an HIV outbreak in Indiana was widely condemned. #TrumpVirus #coronavirus politico.com/news/magazine/…
