By Elizabeth Kresse
July 1, 2002

The Children, Health and Human Services Standing Committee, convened by Acting Chair Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell met on Saturday, June 15 to discuss public health preparedness, welfare reform, and consider policy resolutions.

Dr. Karen Becker of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Public Health Preparedness updated mayors on the federal government efforts to prepare the nation for a potential bioterrorist attack. A central element of the government response is the HHS Bioterrorism Preparedness Program, which seeks to develop a public health infrastructure to ensure that communities and states can detect and control infectious diseases. HHS is working on developing performance benchmarks to monitor progress toward program goals but as Dr. Becker emphasized, will not dictate how states and localities should go about achieving those goals.

Dr. Becker stressed that HHS considers local participation key to the success of the program. To that end, the bulk of available federal funds will be awarded to State health departments with the expectation that they will invest in local health departments and hospitals. Dr. Becker informed mayors about an aggressive government effort to develop effective antiviral drugs and new vaccines with fewer side effects. Work is presently being conducted on developing a better smallpox vaccine with fewer dangerous side effects than the currently available vaccine. Dr. Becker concluded by encouraging mayors to get involved in all levels of emergency preparedness and to inform HHS officials of any suggestions for improving the federal and local response to bChris McCabe, Director, Intergovernmental Affairs Department for HHS briefed mayors on a current area of emphasis of the department — eliminating health disparities between racial and ethnic groups in the US. Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day, an HHS initiative, is intended to encourage individuals across the US to take a loved one to a health professional on September 24, 2002. Mr. McCabe stated that mayors can play an important role in this initiative by issuing proclamations naming September 24 as Take a Love One to the Doctor Day, asking local health departments to promote the initiative, participating in media events, etc. For more information, visit www.healthgap.omhrc.gov for a web-based community action tool kit.

Chris McCabe, Director, Intergovernmental Affairs Department for HHS briefed mayors on a current area of emphasis of the department — eliminating health disparities between racial and ethnic groups in the US. Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day, an HHS initiative, is intended to encourage individuals across the US to take a loved one to a health professional on September 24, 2002. Mr. McCabe stated that mayors can play an important role in this initiative by issuing proclamations naming September 24 as Take a Love One to the Doctor Day, asking local health departments to promote the initiative, participating in media events, etc. For more information, visit www.healthgap.omhrc.gov for a web-based community action tool kit.

Marge Waller, Visiting Fellow, the Brookings Institution's Urban Center presented information on the congressional debate on welfare reform reauthorization. The House-passed (H.R. 4737) legislation would increase significantly the work standards states must meet from 50 percent to 70 percent by 2007. Individual participants would have to work additional hours in a more limited set of activities than current law permits and states would have to significantly increase the percentage of welfare recipients participating in these activities.

Ms. Waller noted that there is no research evidence that these requirements would improve welfare outcomes. In addition, changes would severely restrict local flexibility to design programs that emphasize getting and keeping a job, while recognizing the needs of a diverse caseload. Meanwhile, the Senate will soon take up consideration of their own proposal which is likely to provide more flexibility in welfare to work program design. She urged mayors to contact members of Congress about the bill right away since welfare legislation must be reauthorized or extended by September 30 of this year.

Finally, the Committee reviewed all pending resolutions and approved them unanimously. A summary follows:

"Designating June 5, 2002 and June 5, 2003, each as "National Hunger Awareness Day" calls for the U.S. Conference of Mayors to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe "National Hunger Awareness Day."

"AIDS in the United States and around the World" urges Congress and the Administration to increase funding for critical domestic HIV/AIDS programs by allocating an additional $303.7 million to the Ryan White CARE Act, an additional $159 million for the Minority AIDS Initiative; an additional $303.4 million to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for domestic prevention programs; an additional $384 million for research to the National Institutes of Health; and an additional $48 million for the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS program.

"Supporting Quality Child Care" encourages the federal government to increase its support for high-quality child care by investing an additional $20 billion over 5 years in the Child Care and Development Block Grant.

"TANF Reauthorization: Essential Supports for Moving Families Up the Career Ladder to Self- Sufficiency" supports the reauthorization of TANF in its block grant form with at least an inflationary increase in funding; and that TANF "self-sufficiency" be defined as the ability of a family to meet its basic needs for housing, food, childcare, transportation, healthcare and taxes; and calls for Congress to increase the Child Care development Block Grant by at least $20 billion.