Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Notable Health Mentions In Trump's Budget: A Children's Hospital Program, Cancer Funding, Veterans' Care, And More
Politico: Trump's Budget Would Steer $20M To Jack Nicklaus-Backed Hospital Project
The White House's proposed budget includes funding for a small children's health program sought by one of President Donald Trump's golfing buddies: Jack Nicklaus. Under the administration's fiscal 2020 funding plan released Monday, HHS would steer $20 million toward a mobile children's hospital project at Miami's Nicklaus Children's Hospital, named for the legendary golfer. (Diamond, 3/11)
The Washington Post: Trump Proposal Would Slash Total Cancer Funding While Boosting Pediatric Cancer Research
The Trump administration’s budget proposes a $50 million increase for pediatric cancer research for the next fiscal year, while cutting overall funding for the National Cancer Institute by almost $900 million. The budget said the childhood cancer request was the first step in investing $500 million over the next 10 years, something President Trump called for last month in his State of the Union address. (McGinley, 3/11)
The Wall Street Journal: Trump Budget Would Boost Spending On Veterans
The Trump administration’s proposed budget for fiscal 2020 would increase funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs, an agency that has seen a steady rise in funding over the past nearly two-decades of war. President Trump made a focus on veterans issues part of his central campaign pledge. The budget would provide a 9.6% boost in overall spending, bringing the total budget to $220.2 billion. (Kesling, 3/11)
Politico: Trump's Budget: Winners And Losers
The White House wants to trim $17 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the upcoming fiscal year and almost $220 billion over a decade. The plan also calls for trading out some SNAP benefits for “Harvest Boxes” that would deliver bundles of nonperishable foods to low-income families. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue says that switch could save the government more than $129 billion over 10 years. (Scholtes, 3/11)
The New York Times: Trump Lauded Farmers, Medicare And AIDS Programs. Then He Unsheathed The Budget Knife.
Some suggested cuts, like the proposal to slash Special Olympics funding, have become a perennial target. When the Education Department put funds for the Special Olympics on the chopping block again on Monday, it determined that the funding could be better found privately or at the state level. The department faces a 10 percent overall budget reduction, and has proposed eliminating dozens of programs it says “achieved their original purpose, duplicate other programs, are narrowly focused or are unable to demonstrate effectiveness,” according to budget documents. (Rogers, 3/12)
