The U.S. Department of Health will cut $600 million in funding for four Democratic states earmarked for public health programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), according to U.S. media. The cuts will affect the states of California, Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota, and will eliminate funding from public programs and with non-governmental organizations. According to The New York Post, part of the funds will be finalized this week and the rest will stop being distributed next week. The measure affects programs for hiring staff, modernizing systems, and managing epidemics or to protect disadvantaged communities, reported The New York Times after reviewing an official document that explains the cuts. A spokesperson for the Department of Health told the latter newspaper that the cuts are because those funds do not reflect the agency's current priorities, even though they had already been approved by Congress for disbursement. The budget changes are part of cuts announced by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of the Executive Branch, and include the cancellation of another $943 million in funds for the Department of Transportation.
