September 2017

Global tuberculosis funding was also debated in the House where the chairs of the Tuberculosis Elimination Caucus, Reps. Engel (D-NY), Young (R-AK) and Green (D-TX) sponsored a bipartisan amendment to the House FY2018 State-Foreign Operations bill. The amendment proposed to increase USAID's global TB program funding from the current $241 million in FY2017 to the ATS and TB community's recommendation of $450 million in FY2018, as authorized under the 2008 Lantos-Hyde PEPFAR renewal law. Although the amendment failed to pass, its acceptance by the House Rules Committee and consideration on the House floor is a strong step towards increasing awareness in that chamber of the need to elevate TB's funding and prioritization commensurate with its status as the leading global infectious killer. The ATS sent a letter to all House Representatives urging support for the amendment. In addition, members of the ATS Breathing Better Alliance advocacy network and MTPI Assembly made calls to their Representatives to support it.