White House calls 9/11-era fund “extravagant.” Red and blue states depend on it.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — President Donald Trump’s campaign to eliminate the federal Disaster Preparedness Program threatens a fund used by state health systems from Republican-led Texas to the Democratic stronghold of California.

the Hospital preparedness program It was created more than two decades ago in response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon, and the deadly anthrax attacks that began days later. The fund provided approximately $2.2 billion to States, territories, major cities and other entities Over the past 17 years to prepare healthcare systems for the next pandemic, cyberattack, or mass casualty event.

More recently, these funds were used to combat bird flu that has spread At least 70 people fell ill In the United States, at least one person was killed, and remains a threat. The funds have also been used to respond to crises such as hurricanes, tornadoes, mass shootings, floods and heat waves.

but Budget request Sent to Congress by Trump’s budget director, Russell Vought suggests eliminating the program, saying the effort has been “wasteful and unfocused” and that cutting it would allow states and cities to “properly” fund their preparedness plans. Any action is currently stalled by the government shutdown, which stems from a partisan dispute over the end of health care subsidies affecting much of the United States. 24 million Americans buy coverage From the Affordable Care Act markets.

Red and blue states say hospital preparedness funds are essential and can’t be easily replaced with local money. It’s an example of how the White House is trying to do just that – Reducing its role in the public health response Natural disasters have jeopardized states’ and municipalities’ reliance on federal resources to meet community needs.

Chris Van Deusen, a spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services, said the program “is the primary source of state funding for disaster preparedness among hospitals, emergency medical service providers and other parts of the health care system.”

Texas received more than $20 million from the Hospital Preparedness Program this year, and Van Deusen said it was unlikely the state would be able to fill any gap in federal funding in the short term from the budget finalization through August 2027.

He said the funds help Texas health providers develop disaster plans and test hospitals’ ability to bolster their emergency capacity, while enabling the distribution of medical resources and patient loads so that hospitals are not overwhelmed during disasters. The program, along with government funding, supports state programs Emergency Medical Task Forcewhich responded to deadly floods this year and the Uvalde school shooting in 2022, among many other emergencies.

Georgia, which received $13.5 million this year, “continues to monitor and plan for potential changes in future federal funding while ensuring health care preparedness efforts across Georgia remain strong and sustainable,” Public Health spokesman Eric Janes said.

A California health official described these funds as vital to ensuring that local health care systems are able to respond to emergencies beyond their usual capacity. Department of Public Health spokesman Robert Barsanti said the program is the only federal funding allocated to prepare the health care system for such disasters.

“Without this funding, California risks losing critical emergency response infrastructure, weakening its ability to protect lives, maintain continuity of care and meet federal preparedness standards,” Barsanti said.

As the most populous state, California receives the most money — nearly $29 million this year — as it runs a massive budget shortfall and is locked in an ongoing rhetorical battle with Trump administration officials. The money goes to the state Department of Public Health. California Emergency Medical Services Authority, which coordinates the state’s emergency medical system; health care associations; And about 60 local entities. Los Angeles County, which has more than a quarter of the state’s population, got an additional $11 million, and the University of California system got $1.2 million.

Neither the White House, the Strategic Preparedness and Response Administration, which administers the program under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, nor the Office of Management and Budget responded to repeated requests for comment on the May proposal to cut the hospital preparedness program.

Experienced strategic preparedness and response management 81% reduction The New York Times reported on the number of employees over the past year. It is by far the largest workforce reduction at the Department of Health and Human Services and part of a widespread cull of federal workers under Trump.

Indeed, the Department of Health and Human Services delayed the distribution of this year’s Hospital Preparedness Program funds by about three months. The funds were supposed to be available for states to use starting in July, but the bulk of the funds were not released until late September. Health officials in the final days of the Biden administration He wanted to distribute quickly Funds allocated to the state’s response to H5N1 avian influenza.

Department of Health spokeswoman Cadence Acquaviva said the months-long delay “is another example of how changes and uncertainty at the federal level threaten important public health programs in New York State.” Despite the best efforts of health officials, “delaying or eliminating funding puts New Yorkers at significant risk in the event of a disaster or emergency,” Acquaviva said.

New York State received nearly $14 million, and New York City more than $9 million.

Illinois Department of Public Health spokesman Jim Leach said the medical system needs federal money to prepare for natural and human-caused disasters of every kind, “regardless of the ebb and flow of any single disease.”

Illinois and Chicago received a combined $15 million from the preparedness program.

During emergencies, the state’s federally funded Crisis Response Program “converts hundreds of Illinois hospitals, EMS and other health care facilities into one coordinated system,” Leach said, adding that it saves lives and saves taxpayer money. “If there was a natural disaster or outbreak of an infectious disease, the state would not be able to respond quickly enough without HPP funds.”