2021 letters to Congress and federal agencies

December 2021

APHA letter in support of H.R. 6311 / S. 3418, the Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act (Dec. 17)
Organization letter in support of S. 2888, U.S. Air Travel Public Safety Act (Dec. 10)
APHA letter to the U.S. Senate opposing S. J. Res. 29, a resolution to disapprove of the Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s emergency temporary standard to protect workers from the risk of COVID-19 transmission in the workplace (Dec. 7)
Friends of HRSA letter to House and Senate Appropriations leaders requesting at least the Senate-proposed level of $8.84 billion in FY22 funding for HRSA’s discretionary budget authority (Dec. 3)
Organization letter to FDA urging regulation of synthetic nicotine e-cigarette products (Dec. 3)

November 2021

CDC Coalition letter supporting at least $10.5 billion for CDC's programs in any final FY 2022 appropriations bill (Nov. 30)
Organization letter to the House and Senate opposing the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2021 (Nov. 29)
Organization letter to Senate Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee leaders urging the inclusion of $6 million for the HHS Office of Climate and Health Equity in FY 2022 (Nov.18)
Organization letter to Congress outlining anti-smoking priorities for the fiscal year 2023 budget (Nov. 10)
APHA letter to the U.S. House of Representatives in support of H.R. 5376, the Build Back Better Act (Nov. 5)

October 2021

APHA letter submitted for the record to the Health Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee in support of H.R. 3297, the Public Health Workforce Loan Repayment Act of 2021 (Oct 26)

September 2021

Organization letter to OMB urging the administration to finalize FDA's voluntary sodium reduction goals industry guidance (Sept. 30)
APHA letter to the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis regarding the September 29 hearing titled Upgrading Public Health Infrastructure: The Need To Protect, Rebuild, And Strengthen State And Local Public Health Departments (Sept. 29)
Organization letters to the House and Senate expressing support for tobacco tax provisions that protect public health in the Build Back Better Act (Sept. 24)
APHA letter to the House of Representatives urging support for H.R. 3755, the Women's Health Protection Act, which would codify the right to abortion in federal law (Sept. 20)
Organization letter to Congress expressing support for the inclusion of maternal health provisions in the Build Back Better Act (Sept. 17)
Organization letter to Senate leaders in support of S. 2691, the Strengthening the Vaccines for Children Program Act of 2021 (Sept. 16)
Organization letter to Congress urging inclusion of 12-month continuous eligibility for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program in upcoming reconciliation legislation (Sept. 14)
Organization letter to the Office of Management and Budget urging increased funding for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention program and other sexual health programs at CDC in fiscal year 2023 (Sept. 14)
Organization letter to the Department of Agriculture requesting that non-school sponsors like daycares be eligible to operate the Summer Food Service Program (Sept. 14)
Organization letter to Congress in support of the Lifting Immigrant Families Through Benefits Access Restoration, or LIFT the BAR, Act (September 13)
Organization letter to the Office of Management and Budget urging $512 million in funding for the Title X family planning program in the President's budget for fiscal year 2023 (Sept. 10)
Health organization letter to Congress urging infrastructure investments that will provide real and substantial health and climate benefits for the nation (Sept. 8)
Coalition letter from the National Alliance for Nutrition & Activity to the U.S. Department of Agriculture commending action to update the Thrifty Food Plan to make affording food easier for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program beneficiaries (Sept. 7)
Letter to House Energy and Commerce Committee and Senate Environment and Public Works Committee leaders urging them to maximize funding for zero-emission school buses in infrastructure legislation (Sept. 1)

August 2021

Organization letter to House and Senate Democratic leaders in support of U.S. EPA funding in reconciliation legislation to help address the risks of poor indoor air and ventilation in our nation’s schools and child care facilities (Aug. 28)
APHA letter to Congress urging support for H.R. 4, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021, legislation that would protect against voter discrimination and suppression (Aug. 23)
Organization letter to Congress urging action on legislative proposals to address maternal health inequities (Aug.17)
Health organization letter to Congress urging major investments in climate and health solutions in upcoming infrastructure legislation (Aug. 9)

July 2021

Health organization letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan urging the agency to adopt more stringent measures to reduce the emissions of methane and associated pollution from both new and existing oil and gas operations (July 30)
APHA letter in support of the House FY 2022 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill (July 27)
Organization letter to House and Senate leaders in support of including $45 billion in federal funding in upcoming infrastructure legislation to fully replace all lead service lines in the nation (July 23)
Organization letters to Senate Majority Leaders Schumer and House Speaker Pelosi in support of including the safety advances included in H.R. 3684, the INVEST in America Act in any final infrastructure legislation (July 22)
Organization letter in support of S. 1314, the Tobacco Tax Equity Act of 2021 (July 16)
Letter from APHA to the House Energy and Commerce Committee in support of H.R. 379, the Improving Social Determinants of Health Act of 2021 (July 9)
Dear Colleague endorsed by APHA and other health organizations in support of increased funding for maternal health appropriations priorities (July 8)
Organization letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture commending the $1 billion proposal for school nutrition efforts in the American Families Plan and urging further action on nutrition priorities (July 1)
Organization letter to Congress outlining key recommendations to support school meals and food access programs in the upcoming Child Nutrition Reauthorization (July 1)

June 2021

Organization letter to House Appropriations Committee leaders urging members to oppose efforts to weaken FDA's authority over tobacco products in the appropriations process (June 30)
Organization letter in support of S. 285, the Medicaid Reentry Act (June 30)
Organization letter to House and Senate Appropriations Committee leaders in support of $110 million for CDC's Climate and Health Program in FY 2022 (June 24)
Organization letter to House and Senate appropriations leaders urging robust funding for reproductive health programs in fiscal year 2022 (June 23)
Dear Colleague letter supported by 68 national organizations in support of funding for key maternal health programs in fiscal year 2022 (June 22)
Organization letter to House and Senate leaders supporting the inclusion of the Public Health Infrastructure Saves Lives Act in infrastructure and jobs legislation currently being developed in Congress (June 22)
Organization letter in support of H.R. 3467, the Improving Data Collection for Adverse Childhood Experiences Act (June 16)
Organization letter to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee leaders urging the inclusion of provisions to significantly reduce highway death and injury in transportation reauthorization legislation (June 9)
Organization letter to House and Senate leaders urging action to make Veterans Health Administration facilities fully and permanently smoke free (June 7)
Organization letter to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee leaders urging the inclusion of provisions to significantly reduce highway death and injury in transportation reauthorization legislation (June 4)
Organization letter to U.S. EPA urging the release of an updated National Air Toxics Assessment (June 4)

May 2021

Organization letter to Congress in support of the Real Education and Access for Healthy Youth Act (May 18)
Organization letter to appropriations leaders in support of $737 million in funding for the Title X Family Planning program in fiscal year 2022 (May 18)
Organization letter to Senate Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee leaders in support of increased FY 2022 funding for CDC's Alzheimer’s Disease and Healthy Aging Program (May 18)
Organization letter to congressional leaders urging the inclusion of $19 billion in upcoming infrastructure legislation to replace old, inefficient lead-contaminated windows and address other healthy housing hazards (May 14)
Organization letter urging the U.S. Senate to pass the Equality Act (May 13)
Organization letter to Congress in support of the BABIES Act, legislation that would support access to birth center services and midwifery care (May 12)
Health organization letter to President Biden urging the administration to set strong, ambitious pollution standards for buses and trucks with a goal of achieving a zero-emission trucking sector by 2040 (May 12)
Organization letter in support of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (May 11)
Organization letter urging vaccine equity, including vaccine access for individuals regardless of immigrations status (May 11)
Organization letter outlining breastfeeding policy priorities for the 117th Congress (May 9)
Advertisement in the Washington Post calling for FDA to ban menthol (May 5)
Health organization letter to President Biden urging the administration to set strong, ambitious greenhouse gas and fuel efficiency standards for cars, light trucks and SUVs (May 3)
Organization letter to President Biden urging him to ensure his FY22 discretionary budget includes additional increases to global health programs (May 3)

April 2021

Organization letter to House and Senate Labor-HHS-Education appropriations subcommittee leaders in support of $60 million in FY 2022 for the Advanced Molecular Detection program at CDC (April 28)
Organization letter to House and Senate Appropriations Committee leaders in support of $250 million in FY 2022 for the public health Data Modernization Initiative at CDC (April 27)
Organization letter to appropriations leaders in support of $153 million in funding for CDC's Social Determinants of Health Program in fiscal year 2022 (April 26)
Organization letter President Biden and Congressional leaders urging that future COVID-19 recovery legislation include health care provisions focused on equity, true affordability, coverage, and system change for all of families and individuals (April 23)
Organization letter urging support for repealing the lifetime ban on accessing SNAP and TANF nutrition programs for individuals with prior drug charges (April 22)
Organization letter to Congress in support of the FAMILY Act (April 20)
Organization letter in support of the Environmental Justice Legacy Pollution Cleanup Act of 2021 (April 19)
Organization letter to Congress endorsing H.R. 2347, the Strengthening the Vaccines for Children Program Act of 2021 (April 16)
APHA letter to Congress endorsing the S. 560, the Oral Health for Moms Act (April 15)
APHA letter in support of H.R. 1195, the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Services Workers Act (April 14)
Organization letter to House and Senate appropriations leaders urging funding for the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans in fiscal year 2022 (April 14)
Organization letter to Congress endorsing H.R. 2295, the HIV Epidemic Loan-Repayment Program Act of 2021 (April 14)
Dear Colleague endorsed by 61 national organizations urging funding for maternal health programs at CDC, HRSA and NIH in fiscal year 2022 (April 12)
Organization letter to Congress urging the inclusion of nutrition priorities in the upcoming infrastructure package (April 9)
Organization letter to Congress urging $100 million in funding for the Surveillance for Emerging Threats to Mothers and Babies Network in fiscal year 2022 (April 8)
Organization letter to Secretary Blinken urging the U.S. to take immediate additional actions to address the public health and human rights crisis in Myanmar (April 7)
Organization letter to appropriations committee leaders in support of increased funding for CDC's National Center for Environmental Health in FY 2022 (April 2)
Organization letter to appropriations committee leaders in support of increased funding for the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry in FY 2022 (April 2)
Organization letter to President Biden in support of recovery legislation that invests in cleaning up air pollution, addressing climate change and ensuring environmental justice (April 2)
Organization letter to the Food and Drug Administration urging that restaurant menus on third party platforms such as DoorDash and UberEats be subject to nutrition labeling requirements (April 1)

March 2021

Organization letter urging $1.51 billion in funding for HRSA Title VII health professions and Title VIII nursing workforce development programs in fiscal year 2022 (March 31)
Organization letter in support of H.R. 508, the SAFE Streets Act (March 29)
Organization letter to House and Senate leaders in support of the Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act (March 29)
Organization letter in support of S. 614, legislation to improve the transportation alternatives program (March 29
Organization letter in support of H.R. 463, the Transportation Alternatives Enhancement Act (March 29)
Organization letter to House and Senate Appropriations Committee leaders in support of $50 million in FY 2022 for gun violence prevention research at CDC and NIH (March 25)
Organization letter urging at least $750 million in funding for the Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant in fiscal year 2022 (March 24)
Organization letter to Congress urging nutrition priorities such as science-based nutrition standards to be included in the upcoming Child Nutrition Reauthorization (March 24)
Organization letter to HHS and CDC leaders urging them to ensure funding for COVID-19 public health response activities provided through the American Rescue Plan Act (P.L.117-2) prioritizes the communities of color and tribal communities that are disproportionately affected and underserved (March 24)
Organization letter to House and Senate appropriations leaders urging funding for HIV and STI prevention and treatment programs at CDC, HRSA and NIH (March 23)
APHA letter to the House Education and Labor Committee in support of H.R. 1195, the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Services Workers Act (March 23)
Organization letter in support of $50 million for CDC's Climate and Health Program in FY 2022 (March 22)
APHA letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee in support of Congressional action on gun violence prevention legislation (March 22)
Organization letter to House and Senate Appropriations Committee leaders in support of strong investments in antimicrobial resistance programs and initiatives in FY2022 (March 18)
Organization letter to Congress in support of the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act to expand access to breastfeeding protections for employees (March 18)
Organizations letter to House and Senate Appropriations Committee leaders in support of $310 million in funding for the CDC Office on Smoking and Health in fiscal year 2022 (March 17)
Organization letter to Congress in support of the Quit Because of COVID-19 Act, legislation to expand access to evidence-based tobacco cessation treatments (March 17)
Organization letter to Congress in support of the Family And Medical Insurance Leave Act, which would create a national family and medical leave insurance program (March 16)
APHA letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee in support of the Equality Act (March 16)
Organization letter in opposition to state and federal proposals that harm transgender youth (March 16)
Organization letter to the Department of State urging implementation of the Global Child Thrive Act (March 15)
Adult Vaccine Access Coalition letter in support of Protecting Seniors Through Immunization Act of 2021 (March 15)
Organization letter in support of FY 2022 funding for programming and research to prevent older adult falls (March 12)
Adult Vaccine Access Coalition letter in support of full funding of immunization-related activities at the Department of Health and Human Services (March 10)
Organization letter to Congress in support of legislation to strengthen background checks for firearm purchases (March 10)
APHA letter to the House of Representatives in support of H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021 (March 8)
Friends of HRSA FY 2022 request letter to House and Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee leaders (March 8)
APHA letter to the U.S. Senate in support of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (March 4)
Organization letter to Food and Drug Administration Acting Commissioner Janet Woodcock urging prompt action to ban menthol and other flavored tobacco products (March 3)
Organization letter from more than 150 organizations in support of the Public Health Funding Prevents Pandemics Act (March 3)
CDC Coalition FY 2022 request letter to House and Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee leaders (March 1)
Letter from APHA to the House of Representatives in support of H.R. 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 (March 1)

February 2021

APHA letter to the House of Representatives in support of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Feb. 25)
APHA letter to the House of Representatives in support of the Equality Act (Feb. 23)
Organization letter to Congress in support of the Raise the Wage Act of 2021, which would raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025 (Feb. 22)
Organization letter to the Senate and House of Representatives urging no less than $500 million in funding for the Agency for Healthcare and Research and Quality in fiscal year 2022 (Feb. 22)
Organization letter to Congress urging support for transportation policies that reduce both harmful air pollution and climate pollution (Feb. 18)
Organization letter to Congress and the Biden-Harris administration outlining key nutrition priorities for the 117th Congress (Feb. 17)
Organization letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services calling for updated language in the Medicaid School Health Technical Assistance Guide to remove barriers that schools face in providing health services to Medicaid eligible students (Feb. 16)
Organization letter urging a significant, long-term investment in public health infrastructure in future legislation to speed the response to the COVID-19 pandemic (Feb. 12)
Organization letter to to congressional leaders urging the inclusion of the COVID-19 in Corrections Data Transparency Act in the next federal COVID relief package (Feb. 9)
Organization letter in support of the Immunization Infrastructure Modernization Act (Feb. 8)
Organization statement urging the inclusion of key children’s nutrition provisions in upcoming pandemic recovery legislation (Feb. 5)
Organization letter to congressional leaders urging the inclusion of the Community Immunity During COVID-19 Act in the next COVID-19 legislative package (Feb. 5)
Statement from the Maternal Immunization Task Force urging the importance of allowing access to COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant people (Feb. 3)

January 2021

Letter to Congress outlining APHA's advocacy priorities during the 117th Congress (Jan. 29)
Organization letter to HHS Secretary-designate Xavier Becerra urging him to rescind Section 1115 Medicaid work requirements demonstrations (Jan. 25)
Organization letter in support of the Community Immunity During COVID-19 Act (Jan. 22)
Citizen petition supplement to the Food and Drug Administration providing updated evidence on the negative public health impact of menthol cigarettes (January 14)
Organization letter to President-elect Biden urging him to immediately rescind Executive Order 13950, Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping (Jan. 8)