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Appropriations

 

This page includes updated information about efforts to secure funding for Community Health Centers and other vital public health programs.

 

FEDERAL BUDGET PROCESS OVERVIEW

As anyone who has followed the federal budget process knows, legislation that actually appropriates funds must be: (1) passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate and (2) signed by the President. Each year, this process formally begins in February with the President’s submission of his budget request to Congress.  Even when the budget process follows a “regular” course of action, it takes several months to achieve final approval of each of the 12 spending bills that fund our government.  This includes the Labor-Health and Human Services (HHS)-Education bill, which provides the discretionary “base” funding for the Health Centers program.

Here’s a chart summarizing the annual federal budget process. 

 

HELPFUL ADVOCACY RESOURCES

• Fact Sheet – Here is the one-pager health centers can use in FY2012 appropriations advocacy efforts with their Members.
• Frequently Asked Questions for Health Centers on FY2012 appropriations

 

• “Dear Colleagues” – Every year, Congressional Champions of the Health Centers program lead a letter to the Appropriations Committees in both the Senate and House conveying support for the program.  Below you can find the current House letter and the Members of Congress who have signed in support.

 

• Health Center Value and Cost-Effectiveness – Numerous research studies have shown that health centers are a cost-effective and high-quality solution to ensuring that Americans in rural and urban underserved areas have access to comprehensive primary and preventive health care services.  Additionally, health centers provide a return on the federal investment Congress makes in the Health Centers program. Here are a few resources to assist you in your outreach to Senate and House offices as you educate them on the benefits of the Health Centers program:
  • Issue brief detailing the payoff of health centers
  • Fact sheet highlighting health centers’ return on investment
  • Summaries of research studies related to health centers, including their cost-effectiveness

 

ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS

07-13-2011		FY2012 Bilirakis-Pallone Health Center Funding Letter (3478kb) Final Bilirakis-Pallone letter in support of Health Center funding in FY2012.
07-13-2011		FY2012 Bilirakis-Pallone Cosigners (21kb) Final list of signers of the Bilirakis-Pallone FY2012 Health Center Funding Letter
06-10-2011		FY2012 Stabenow-Boozman Health Center Funding Letter (693kb) Have your Senator sign on to the Stabenow-Boozman letter in support of Health Center funding in FY2012.
06-10-2011		FY2012 Stabenow-Boozman Cosigners (12kb) Most current signers of the Stabenow-Boozman FY2012 Health Center Funding Letter.
05-18-2011		Twitter Feeds: FY2012 Bilirakis-Pallone Cosigners Thank your Member of Congress for signing in support of health center funding on Twitter.