WASHINGTON — The Governors Public Health Alliance (PHA) today submitted a public comment urging the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to withdraw proposed revisions to the Uniform Guidance, which govern federal financial assistance. The Governors warn that proposed changes could weaken the nation’s public health infrastructure by injecting uncertainty into federal public health funding, undermining scientific decision-making, and making it harder for states to protect the health of their communities.
“If implemented, OMB’s regulation would fundamentally change how the federal government awards and administers financial assistance to all grant recipients, including state and local government, hospitals, institutions of higher education, and nonprofits nationwide, introducing significant unpredictability for the state budgets, partner institutions, and communities that rely on these funds,” the governors wrote. “State public health infrastructure relies on these entities, who will suffer devastating financial setbacks and uncertainty if these proposed changes are effectuated. As a result, public health across the country will deteriorate, and the individuals and families we serve will suffer.”
As a coalition of 15 Governors representing approximately one-third of the U.S. population, PHA emphasized that governors depend on stable, evidence-based federal partnerships to respond to disease outbreaks, strengthen preparedness, support public health research, and deliver essential health services. “Public health depends on long-term planning, scientific expertise, and stable partnerships between federal, state, and local governments,” said Angela Botticella, Managing Director of the Governors Public Health Alliance. “When those foundations become uncertain, it becomes harder for Governors and their teams to prepare for emergencies, invest in research, and protect the health of the people they serve.” PHA’s comment explains that the proposed rule could have far-reaching and detrimental consequences for public health by creating new uncertainty around long-term public health funding, allowing political considerations to play a larger role in federal grantmaking, and making it more difficult for states to collect and use the data needed to understand health trends and allocate public health resources effectively. Together, these changes risk weakening the public health infrastructure that supports disease surveillance, emergency preparedness, maternal and child health, chronic disease prevention, and medical research.
PHA urges OMB to withdraw the proposed revisions and preserve a federal grantmaking process grounded in scientific expertise, objective evaluation, and administrative stability.
To read the full public comment, click here.
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About the Governors Public Health Alliance
The Governors Public Health Alliance (PHA) is a nonpartisan coalition of governors – representing nearly one in three people in the U.S. – working together to strengthen public health systems, protect access to evidence-based care, and coordinate responses to health threats across state lines. An initiative of GovAct, the Alliance brings together governors and senior state officials to share best practices, reinforce scientific integrity, and ensure communities receive clear, credible health information. To learn more, go to www.GovsforHealth.org.
About GovAct
Governors Action Alliance (GovAct) is a nonprofit nonpartisan initiative that helps governors work across state lines to champion fundamental freedoms and improve people’s lives. GovAct serves as a central platform for collaboration across governors’ offices—incubating, launching, and supporting alliances of governors. These alliances share cutting-edge policy and legal approaches to some of the most challenging and critical issues we face. To learn more, go to www.GovActAlliance.org.