Campaign Launched to Urge Continued U.S. Leadership in Fighting Global Tuberculosis
At this year’s RESULTS International Conference, advocates helped to launch a multi-month campaign to raise awareness and investment in fighting the leading infectious disease killer, tuberculosis (TB). Globally, this disease has not had the high level political engagement needed to turn the tide against this airborne contagion. 1.7 million people each year are killed by TB, even though it is curable. Of the over 10 million people sickened by TB each year, 40 percent of TB patients are never even found by their health systems. But, U.S. leadership can make a difference and there are real signs of progress.
Both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have proposed increased funding in fiscal year 2019 (FY19) to fight this global epidemic. From the current level of $241 million, the House and Senate have proposed $302 million and $275 million, respectively. Congress should support the higher House level funding of $302 million for Tuberculosis in Global Health in any final spending bill.
But – there’s a key opportunity to continue to build global momentum in the fight against TB. In September, heads of state and other leaders will gather for the first-ever U.N. High-Level Meeting on Tuberculosis (HLM). The U.S. must show up with high level representation and push for strong targets to find the missing millions of people suffering from TB.
Congressional action can help encourage strong United States’ leadership at the HLM. Any final declaration from the meeting should focus on finding those not yet reached with TB treatment and increasing the investments in the global fight against the disease.
Now that the IC is over, our real work has started. Let’s keep following up with offices to make sure they hear about the needless tragedy of TB still affecting millions each year and how global efforts can change the course of this deadly disease.
In the House:
- Request: Co-chairs of the Tuberculosis Elimination Caucus, Reps. Eliot Engel (D-NY), Don Young (R-AK), and Gene Green (TX) are circulating a sign-on letter to the Administration calling for bold U.S. leadership at the upcoming UN HLM on Tuberculosis. Will you support a letter to the Administration urging support for the HLM and U.S. leadership in the global fight against TB? The letter is now closed.
Current Signers for HOUSE UN HLM Letter – 106 signers: Eliot Engel (D-NY), Don Young (R-AK), Gene Green (D-TX), Andy Barr (R-KY), Karen Bass (D-CA), Ami Bera (D-CA), Donald Beyer, Jr. (D-VA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Mike Bost (R-IL), Brendan Boyle (D-PA), Anthony Brown (D-MD), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Michael Capuano (D-MA), Matt Cartwright (D-PA), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Judy Chu (D-CA), David Cicilline (D-RI), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), W. Lacy Clay (D-MO), Barbara Comstock (R-VA), Gerald Connolly (D-VA), Carlos Curbelo (R-FL), John Curtis (R-UT), Danny Davis (D-IL), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), John Delaney (D-MD), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Mike Doyle (D-PA), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Elizabeth Esty (D-CT), Bill Flores (R-TX), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), John Garamendi (D-CA), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Al Green (D-TX), Alcee Hastings (D-FL), Denny Heck (D-WA), Jim Himes (D-CT), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), William Keating (D-MA), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Ruben Kihuen (D-NV), Daniel Kildee (D-MI), Derek Kilmer (D-WA), Leonard Lance (R-NJ), Rick Larsen (D-WA), John Larson (D-CT), Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Sander Levin (D-MI), Dave Loebsack (D-IA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Mia Love (R-UT), Nita Lowey (D-NY), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Tom MacArthur (R-NJ), Donald McEachin (D-VA), James McGovern (D-MA), David McKinley (R-WV), Jerry McNerney (D-CA), Doris Matsui (D-CA), Luke Messer (R-IN), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Beto O’Rourke (D-TX), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Donald Payne, Jr. (D-NJ), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Cedric Richmond (D-LA), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Jose Serrano (D-NY), Pete Sessions (R-TX), Albio Sires (D-NJ), Christopher Smith (R-NJ), Adam Smith (D-WA), Jackie Speier (D-CA), Chris Stewart (R-UT), Mark Takano (D-CA), Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Dina Titus (D-NV), Niki Tsongas (D-MA), Marc Veasey (D-TX), Ann Wagner (R-MO), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Frederica Wilson (D-FL)
- Champion Request: Will you speak with the leadership of the State/Foreign Operations (SFOPS) subcommittee of Appropriations and urge them to support the higher FY19 House funding level of $302 million to fight global TB in any final spending bill?
In the Senate:
- Request: Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Todd Young (R-IN), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) are circulating a sign-on letter to the Administration calling for bold U.S. leadership at the upcoming UN HLM on Tuberculosis. Will you support a letter to the Administration urging support for the HLM and U.S. leadership in the global fight against TB? The letter is now closed.
Current Signers for Senate UN HLM Letter – 43 Signers: Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Todd Young (R-IN), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), John Barrasso (R-WY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tom Carper (D-DE), Bob Casey (D-PA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Chris Coons (D-DE), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Ed Markey (D-MA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Patty Murray (D-WA), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tom Udall (D-NM), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Ron Wyden (D-OR)
- Champion Request: Will you speak with the leadership of the State/Foreign Operations (SFOPS) subcommittee of Appropriations and urge them to support the higher FY19 House funding level of $302 million to fight global TB in any final spending bill?
Background documents to help with follow can be found on the 2018 IC Resources page and below.