Frontline Blog
Communities need dependable public health funding, not sudden reversals
January 2026
“Consistent, reliable public health funding saves lives and keeps people healthy and safe. And yet the Administration abruptly paused CDC’s Public Health Infrastructure Grant (PHIG) funding — which supports 107 state, local and territorial health departments — only to reverse course hours later. This exercise was completely unnecessary. While we are relieved that the pause seems to have been temporary, it should have never happened in the first place.
“PHIG funding has been a game-changer in communities in all corners of the nation. It supports home safety inspections in Columbus, Ohio; efforts to prevent heart disease and diabetes in San Diego, California; programs to prevent heat deaths in Maricopa County, Arizona; and other, critically important workforce and infrastructure activities across the country. These efforts can take months, or even years, to build. Any pause has real consequences.
“Right now, millions of people across the country are relying on local and state health departments to help keep them safe amid life-threatening snow and ice, with below-freezing temperatures. The Administration’s time and efforts should be spent supporting those efforts, rather than taking attention away from them.”